People wipe floors at different times per week depending on their needs. Mopping happens to be one of the things that people struggle with the most, as many people don’t know how to mop properly or how often they should mop their floors. Some people also wonder if you should wipe your floors after mopping. If that’s your case, you’ve come to the right place.
So, “mopping” and “wiping” the floors are similar processes. After you mop your floors, they should be thoroughly clean, so wiping them may not be necessary. On the other hand, if you want to ensure that your house is clean and disinfected, you can wipe the floor with antibacterial pads to prevent bacteria from growing. However, doing so requires more physical effort on your behalf.
This article will explain the essentials of how you can mop your floors correctly and whether it is necessary to wipe them after you’re finished.
How to mop the right way
For starters, you should know that you don’t have to follow a particular pattern to mop your floors frequently. If your floors start looking dirty, it’s a sign that you should mop them soon.
However, before you start mopping, it is necessary for you to remove all the dust from it first. You can do this by vacuuming, sweeping, or mopping them for dust with a dry mop. If not, all your hard work will go to waste as you’ll be dragging food, dust, dirt, mud, and other particles that could make your floor look even worse than before.
There are tons of mop options in the market, but the most popular include string mops and microfiber pads. You can also find disposable floor pads that come either dry or wet, depending on your needs. For this article, we’ll explain how you can use string mops.
First, it is important to find a good cleaning solution that works for your floor type. For instance, string mops can do well with dish detergent as it is powerful enough to remove dirt and grease. On the other hand, microfiber pads may use a very small quantity of cleaning solution (anything may work), and they’re good to go.
Mopping your floors correctly.
String mops are the standard at the moment, as they are compatible with most flooring types. These mops work best on lightly soiled floors, but you can also use them on heavily soiled floors without problems, but you’ll have to do it more times.
Here’s how you can do it:
- First, start wetting the entire floor – don’t flood it, only get it as wet to help get the dirt loose and other stuff that may be stuck on your floor.
- Start mopping the edges, then move toward the middle area. The best way to do it is through figure-eight strokes.
- If the mop starts getting too dirty on one side, turn it around to the other side until it gets dirty. Once that happens, wash the mop to be able to continue cleaning efficiently.
- Once you have mopped the floor, you can rinse the floor by damping your mop with clean water and going all over the area. If the rinse water gets too dirty, change it. Make sure to rinse the mop frequently, too.
So, is wiping the floors necessary after you finish mopping?
It can be an extra addition to keep your floors clean if you have antibacterial wipes that prevent the growth of bacteria for several hours, for instance. It can help you maintain your floors for a prolonged period. Doing so can be especially useful for people who live with little kids, sensitive individuals, or pets.
There are tons of ways to mop your floor, depending on the floor type you have. While string mops are the standard at the moment, you can also opt for using microfiber pads and disposable floor pads to remove the dirt when necessary.
Still, we recommend you make sure that the cleaning products you’re using are safe for your flooring. This way, you can prevent major damage, and you will also make sure that whatever you’re using is actually effective in keeping it clean.
Read more: Can I Use Floor Wipes On Surfaces?