Mopping the floor is my least favorite to do, but the one I appreciate the most. Having a clean floor makes my whole house feel clean, even if every cupboard waist height and down has been opened and emptied out by my daughter. When getting ready to mop your floors, it’s important to know the right technique so you can get your floors as clean as possible. 

Mopping the Floors

Pick your mop depending on the types of floors you have. For textured floors, you’ll want to use a string or rag mop so you can reach all the different textures and bumps. For smooth floors, a sponge mop will work great.

Before you begin, make sure you have cleaned your floors by either sweeping or vacuuming up as much as possible. You’ll get a cleaner floor if you don’t skimp on this step!

Fill either a sink or bucket full of water. Don’t forget that as you’re mopping you’ll need to replace the water once it gets dirty, so make sure whatever you’re using will be convenient to drain and refill. Too much water will ruin most floor types, so make sure you wring out the mop before you begin.

via Martha Stewart

Mop starting at the edge of the room farthest away from the door and work your way out. Make sure you don’t mop yourself into a corner or you’ll have to walk on your clean floors to get out and redo everything you’ve already done. You may also need to use a rag to get tricky corners, so make sure you have one handy.

Just so you know…

• Different flooring types need different types of cleaners, so make sure you know what you should use on your floors before you begin. For most flooring types, you can add ¼ cup of white vinegar into a quart of hot water for a homemade cleaner. It's a good idea to test whatever cleaner you're going to use on a small part of the floor in an innocuous place to make sure it won't damage or discolor your floors.  
• Make a figure eight with a rag mop to make the most of that mop style. You’ll end up with cleaner floors.
• For high traffic areas, you might have to spot clean regularly, but you shouldn’t have to mop your entire floors every day - or even every week! Just stay on top of spills and remove the dirt and grime when needed and you shouldn’t have to get on your knees to scrub.

Do you have any tips for mopping floors?