Mopping the floor… not a glamorous task by any means! Nonetheless, it must be done on a regular basis if you want your floors to look their best. In my house, I have to clean the floors on a regular basis just to keep the floors from looking like a disgusting mess with stuck-on food – I have two young children who like to make mealtimes a sensory exploration activity! Yea, the floors get gross around here pretty easily.

My motto when it comes to cleaning is the following: if it must be done and it’s not particularly enjoyable, then I want to make sure that I’m maximally efficient at doing the task, so:

1. I’ll complete the task very quickly.
2. I won’t have to repeat the job soon after.

Now let’s get to the six mopping tips. Here are six floor-cleaning tips (used by the professionals) that you may have never known!

Six mopping tips to clean like a pro

1. Dust mop or sweep the floor immediately prior to mopping so you’re not spreading dust and debris around the room.
2. Before mopping, use a plastic (not metal, please) knife to remove any debris that has adhered to the floor. If you take the time to complete this step, the mopping itself will proceed much more quickly.
3. Use a diluted solution of white vinegar on your floors. Make sure it’s diluted, as pure vinegar can be too harsh and strip the flooring. The vinegar solution will degrease the floors, help break down scum and dried food, and disinfect the surface.
4. Learn to cut in, which is to mop the floor edges and corners while pushing the mop parallel to the wall. This prevents dirt from building up at the edges / corners.
5. Mop the floor in a figure 8 pattern, overlapping your strokes. This will reduce the likelihood of visible streaking and mopping lines.
6. Always keep the heel of the mop on the floor. This will give you more leverage and improve your cleaning power. It also increases the surface area that is being cleaned!

There ya have it – six tips for mopping the floor that you may have never known! Happy Mopping!

Or you know, have a happy time doing something else now that you’re done mopping! 😉

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