Floor Mopping Tips
Whether your dog has just loped into the house after running through the mud outside or the kids have decided to make their mud cakes on the kitchen floor, a good floor mopping will be necessary from time to time. Common household tools and cleaning products will help make your mopping more thorough and manageable.
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Clearing and Sweeping
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Start by clearing the room. If there are chairs on the floor, for example, move them out of the room or place them on top of the table. Trash bins, pet dishes, fans and anything else that are on the floor will only get in your way.
Give the floor a rough sweep. Using a broom and dustpan, sweep the floor making sure to reach the corners and along the baseboards. Once this is done, vacuum the floor to remove the residual dust. If you don't own a vacuum, you can either use a dust mop or even a regular mop that is just slightly damp. Products such as Swiffer Sweepers, which use towelettes that attach to a special mop, can also be used in preparation.
Mops
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Fill two buckets with water, one with hot and the other with cold water. Mix about 1 cup of bleach for every 5 gallons of water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alternatively, you can use ammonia instead of bleach but make sure you do not combine the two as together they form chlorine gas, a lethal combination. Use the recommended amount of cleaner. Too little and you will not get the job done, and too much and residue will be left on the floor.
Use a rag mop made of a cotton-rayon blend. These mop heads dry quicker than their all-cotton counterparts and are less likely to contain odors from the growth of bacteria. If you choose a sponge mop, purchase a heavy-duty variety as the cheaper ones will often break after a few uses.
Mopping
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Begin by mopping with the hot water. This will help break up any tough stains. Make a first pass to loosen stains, wait a minute and then repeat to lift any residue. Afterwards, you should mop again using cold water. Cold water should be used last to avoid streaking.
Rinse your mop often while working to avoid spreading dirt around. Though tedious, you may need to dump and refill your bucket if it becomes filthy. If not, you will just reapply the mess you've cleaned elsewhere on the the floor. Your mop should always be wet but not dripping too much water.
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