Floor care is one of the most time-consuming aspects of a home cleaning regimen. Removing dirt from bare floors is one of the biggest challenges in this area. These tips for finding the best mop for keeping your floors clean will help you meet this challenge.
Why Cleaning Your Floors Is So Important
It’s important to keep your bare floors clean for several reasons. First of all, floors last longer if they’re well-maintained. Second, dirt on floors doesn’t stay put; it transfers onto the feet of anyone passing through and gets tracked all around. Third, food spills have the potential to attract bugs or other unwanted visitors. Finally, clean floors feel great on your bare feet (and keep your bare feet clean).
Getting your decks clean doesn’t require scrubbing on your hands and knees, so get up off the floor. There’s no need for you to use the same method your Grandma did.
Types of Mops
Mops these days are much more effective, and easier to use, than the mops of yesteryear. In fact there are many excellent choices available, including sponge mops, string mops, flat head mops, steam mops, and robot mops. The trick is selecting the best type for your situation.
A sponge mop has a sponge head with some kind of ringer to squeeze out excess water. The problem is, these don’t always wring out fully, which can leave excess water on the floor. Another drawback is that they aren’t very maneuverable so it’s hard to get into corners and under the edges of things.
String mops or strip mops come in lots of different types and are typically made from cotton, rayon or microfiber. The ends of the strings or strips may be cut or looped, and the heads wring out in various ways such as hand wringing, or using a twister to pull the head up, which forces the water out. Some come with a wringer that attaches to your mop bucket.
A good string mop will wring out well so you don’t end up with a lot of water on your floor. String mops are also very maneuverable, so you can get into corners and under the edges of things with them. Many also have washable heads that will last and last.
Flat head mops usually have a microfiber pad or head that can be removed and washed then re-used. Some types use disposable pads instead.
Some types have a reservoir tank that holds cleaning solution and a sprayer that attaches to the handle so you can spray your cleaning solution into the path of the mop as you work. With others you use a hand-held spray bottle to spray solution into the path of the mop as you work. Some flat head mops are both a dry dust mop and a wet mop and some have exchangeable heads that serve different functions.
Steam mops use steam to clean the floor along with a pad of some type that attaches to the base. Some types of floors should not be cleaned with a steam mop, so make sure it’s safe to use on your flooring if you go that route.
Robot mops wash and dry the floor while you do something more interesting. You’ll spend some dough for the convenience, these aren’t cheap.
What type of mop is best for you?
If you’ve got wood floors, a flat head microfiber mop is your best friend. Get one with changeable wet and dry heads. It can be used for spot cleaning as well as total-floor cleaning, if necessary. These are good to use on wood floors because they don’t leave much water behind and they are very soft.
If your floors see a lot of use and need frequent mopping, a good microfiber string mop will be a sure bet. Microfiber wrings out excess water more efficiently than other materials and picks up most common floor messes effectively. A string mop is versatile, durable, and washable, so you can use it over and over and over again.
Steam mops are handy for cleaning small areas, for disinfecting, and for cleaning grouted floors. If these situations apply to you, a steam mop will fit the bill. However, if your floors tend to be very dirty, you’ll need to change the cleaning pad several times as you work. In this case it might be easier to use a string mop and bucket of water instead.
If you want to splurge, try a robot mop. It works on the same principles as a robot vacuum cleaner. You might want to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t try anything funny, though.
Sponge mops are okay in a pinch but are handier for jobs like washing walls or cleaning showers. As floor care tools, they come in low on the list because they’re not very maneuverable. They have their applications, just not on floors.
Keeping floors clean can be pretty simple if you keep up with it as often as necessary. Your situation will dictate how often your floors need cleaning. By not allowing dirt and grime to build up on floors, you make cleaning easy and protect the life of your flooring.
Get a decent mop and be sure to use it often enough that dirt never gets a chance to take root. That’s all you have to do to make sure you never have to scrub a floor on your hands and knees.
Want more organizing and house cleaning tips and ideas? Check out my author page. My books include De-Clutter and Organize Your Home in 7 Simple Steps, Clean Like A Pro: Tips and Techniques for Cleaning Your Home Like a Seasoned Professional, and How to Become a Cleaning Pro: the Ultimate Guide to Starting and Operating Your Own House Cleaning Service.
