When to Use a Cheesecloth for Floor Cleaning

Cheesecloth was originally used for making cheese.

In days before sponges, homemakers relied on rags and cheesecloth to clean everything from floors to the ceilings. Cheesecloth is an effective cleaning product for floor care. Originally used for forming and pressing cheese, this cotton cloth ranges from loose gauze to finely woven soft variations. Cheesecloth is available as pre-cut cleaning cloths sold in packages or unhemmed with raw edges from fabric bolts. Use cheesecloth when cleaning floors when you need a strong product that won't disintegrate or leave behind fibers.

Applying Paste Wax to Floors

Clean and wax hard floors with cheesecloth. Waxing hard flooring, such as wood or linoleum, cleans and polishes the surface and conceals fine scratches. Place a golf ball-sized scoop of paste floor wax into the center of a folded square of cheesecloth. Pull the four corners together. Grip the cheesecloth over the wax chunk inside. Rub the cloth-covered wax back and forth across, pushing the wax through the cheesecloth as you polish the floor. Use another fresh piece of cheesecloth to rub the floor in a circular motion to rub in the wax and buff the floor to a shine.

Cleaning Grout on Tiled Floors

Clean the grout gutters between individual tiles on tiled floor surfaces. You can also use cheesecloth to apply fresh grout between tiles in order to achieve a smooth, uniform finish. When cleaning grout between floor tiles, it is important to use only 100 percent cotton cheesecloth to avoid leaving stray fibers behind. Wrap cheesecloth smoothly around your index finger and apply a household cleaner of your choice to the cloth. Rub up and down between the tiles. When using the cheesecloth to clean and apply new grout, use a slightly wet square of cheesecloth wrapped around your index finger to smooth the grout. After cleaning grout, use a fresh piece of cheesecloth around your finger and rub the grout to a polished shine.

Vacuuming Cluttered Floors

Use cheesecloth to vacuum cluttered floors to avoid sucking up small toys, craft accessories or other objects. Wrap a 4-inch square of cheesecloth around the open end of a wand nozzle on a household vacuum cleaner. Secure the cheesecloth with a rubber band. The cheesecloth allows dust and small debris particles to be pulled into the vacuum cleaner without sucking up small objects. This method is also effective when vacuuming floors around fringed rugs or long drapes.

Making Mopping More Efficient

Clean floor surfaces more efficiently by wrapping a 12-inch square of cheesecloth around a mop head and securing with rubber bands. Sponge and rope mops eventually disintegrate and lose their cleaning power. Wrapping cheesecloth around a mop can prolong the mop's life as well as clean fine powders and granule debris scattered on floors. Fine sugar, sand and dust cling to the wet cheesecloth making mopping the floor easier. Wash out cheesecloth in a sink of hot water and clothes detergent; rinse and dry it in the clothes dryer or drip-dry it.

References

• Stitch 'n Save with Sara Glenn: Cheesecloth
• Danny Lipford Expert Advice on Home Improvement: How to Apply Paste Wax Using Cheesecloth
• The Tile Doctor: Grouting Floors
• Ceramic Tile Institute of America: Cheesecloth for Grouting Ceramic Tile
• Library Works: Specifications for Cleaning Rare Books and Manuscript Boxes