By hand or with a mop: what is the best way to clean floors?

This only happens in advertising. A man in shining white clothes came to your home, waved his hand and scrubbed the floor until it shined. In the reality of everyday life, you can’t get away with one movement of the hand; you have to work hard. By the way, how do you wash the floors: by hand or with a mop? Each method has its own subtleties. We’ll tell you about them so that you can do your job as easily as the man from the advertisement.

Hand washing

Everyone has probably had to wash their floors with their hands at least once. And many people believe that this is the only way to make the surface truly clean.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are several arguments in favor of hand washing.

• Stubborn dirt is removed better (but not without physical activity!).
• The result looks high quality, not only the surface in the center of the room is washed well, but also the baseboards and corners.
• For supporters of a healthy lifestyle, this is an ideal option: it burns a lot of calories.
• There is no need to spend money on buying a mop and looking for a dark corner for it.

There are also disadvantages.

• Washing by hand is a labor-intensive task: it takes energy and time.
• During work, the body experiences serious stress on the back, knees and legs. This is especially difficult for sick, pregnant and elderly people.
• It is not always possible to wipe the entire surface in hard-to-reach places (under cabinets, sofas).

For supporters of this method, the result is more important than fatigue. But even those who spend their entire lives using only a rag often make mistakes when cleaning.

How to properly wash floors by hand

If you are not put off by the disadvantages of manual cleaning, check out the recommendations.

What's mine

Consider what kind of surface you have to tidy up.

• The most finicky material is laminate. It is usually washed once a year. The rest of the time, wipe with a damp cloth soaked in soapy water.

Advice! To care for laminate flooring, you can use special products with a neutral pH.

• They do the same with parquet. And at the end of cleaning it is rubbed with mastic.
• Linoleum, tiled and painted wood floors can be washed to your heart's content. The water should be warm, and the products should be universal. You should not buy abrasives and rough scourers: they will scratch the surface.
• But for surfaces made of porcelain stoneware or concrete, neither a hard brush or sponge, nor an abrasive cleaner is harmful.
• If you are dealing with an unpainted wood floor, prepare hot water, a stiff brush and a special product for wooden surfaces.

What do I wash

Most often, housewives use cloth rather than brushes. The choice of rag used to be simple: a rag would do. Now stores offer a wide range of fabrics for hand cleaning.

• A viscose napkin absorbs moisture well, but soon loses quality. The material is resistant to twisting and hot water. An alternative is viscose with the addition of synthetic fibers.
• Quick-drying and durable synthetic fabrics cope well with dirt.
• Material containing cellulose perfectly absorbs moisture.

Important! Experienced housewives still give preference to natural cotton fabrics, choosing those that absorb moisture well.

How to wash

It is most convenient to adhere to a certain order of actions when cleaning.

• Remove unnecessary objects from the floor, sweep it with a slightly moistened broom (or vacuum the room). Remove dust and accumulated hair from furniture legs.
• They start washing from the far corner through the center and towards the door, not forgetting the baseboard and corners.
• It is better to rinse hard-to-reach places (under cabinets, furniture) first.
• The water must be changed as it becomes dirty, and the rag must be wrung out well.

Advice! If you need perfect cleanliness, after the first wash, you can go over the surface again, changing the water.

Mopping

This is not to say that the second method is less common. Of course, the mop is used more often in institutions, but it is also used very actively at home.

Advantages and disadvantages

We say “yes” to the mop for several reasons:

• It reaches hard to reach places.
• Saves energy and time.
• Provides large area coverage.
• Protects your manicure (if utensils with automatic spinning are used).

But there are some downsides here too:

• The mop often leaves streaks.
• It takes time to remove the rag and wring it out.
• Cleans corners and baseboards worse.
• Requires financial costs for purchase.

How to properly mop floors

Let's move on to the nuances of this method.

Which mop to choose

The range of mops is huge: flat, with a sponge, rope, with microfiber... The choice depends on taste and wallet.

Important! Mechanically wrung-out mops are an ideal option for older people, pregnant women and fashionistas who are worried about the safety of their manicure.

Mop procedure

• To wash the surface with a mop, soak it well in water with detergent or soap and wring it out. Otherwise you may see streaks.
• In the future, the procedure is the same as for manual cleaning: from the far corners we go to the middle of the room and move towards the exit.

Advice! If the surface is rough (tiles, wood), make figure eight movements.

• After cleaning, rinse the mop in clean water, wring it out well and leave to dry. It is better to dry the removable part of the rag separately.

Which method to choose

As you can see, there are pros and cons to both the mop and the manual cleaning method. To decide on the final option, you need to take into account several conditions:

• how much time are you willing to spend cleaning;
• how you feel;
• what result do you want to get?

Experienced housewives use both options, performing everyday cleaning with a mop and general cleaning with their hands.

Cleaning during renovation can also combine the two methods. For the first time, it is better to take a mop and wash the floor with warm water. You will have a beautiful view of the “problem” areas. These areas should be scrubbed separately with special products. After this, rinse the floor again, by hand, adding a little vinegar to clean water.

Freshness and cleanliness for your home!