How To

How to Mop a Floor

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(79 Ratings)
Mop a Floor
Mop a Floor

It's not a fun job, but it has to be done. Here's how to mop your floor so clean you could eat off it.

From Quick Guide: Janitor Basics
Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Brooms
  • Detergents Or Floor Cleaner
  • Mops
  • Vacuum Cleaners
  • Water
  • Buckets
  • Water
  • Vacuum cleaners
  1. Step 1

    Sweep or vacuum the floor clean of dust and dirt.

  2. Step 2

    Sweep or vacuum a second time. Make sure there is no debris.

  3. Step 3

    Fill a bucket with hot water.

  4. Step 4

    Add a small amount of detergent, ammonia or floor cleaner to the water; the directions on the container should tell you how much to use.

  5. Step 5

    Dip your mop in the bucket.

  6. Step 6

    Wring out the mop using your hands or, depending on the type of mop you are using, with a lever near the mop head.

  7. Step 7

    Scrub the floor in straight lines if you're using a sponge mop. If using a rag mop, swirl the mop head in figure-eight shapes. Push the mop vigorously to remove stains or spots on the floor.

  8. Step 8

    Rinse and wring the mop out in a sink or the bucket occasionally, and continue mopping.

  9. Step 9

    Let the floor dry before walking on it.

Tips & Warnings
  • If a sponge mop head is becoming crumbly or falling apart, change it. If a rag mop is dirty, rinse it and squeeze it out repeatedly until clean, or toss it in the washing machine as directed.
  • Some modern floors, such as polyurethane-coated hardwood floors, should not be washed with harsh detergents. Check with your floor covering professional if you have questions.

Comments  

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camora said

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on 7/22/2009 I don't know what I was doing whithout your tips :)

AnneZ said

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on 3/13/2009 I love having a clean floor! Thanks for the mopping tips!

karhan said

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on 2/16/2009 I agree with LavenderCharm. I too use the Mission Mop (www.missionmop.org). In stead of rinsing the pad out in dirty water, I use one side of the pad, flip it over and use the other side...when both sides are dirty I grab another pad and do the same thing. I can wash my kitchen, dining room with one pad and bathrooms with another. I used the swiffer in the past, but this mop saves me a ton of money on costly pad refills.

nmls29 said

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on 1/26/2009 Do you really want to eat off a floor that has been cleaned with ammonia or any other floor cleaner that has an ingestion warning on it?

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on 1/17/2009 It's amazing that you can do this a right way and a wrong way. Your tips make sense. Otherwise, you can waste time and energy. People might take it for granted but you can get sore mopping, especially if you are a janitor.

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