Mop Help

[Sputterduck]

Okay, so I've only mopped a couple times in my life. I've moved into a house will tile in every room. It's big, thick Mexican tile, so I don't think a vacuum cleaner will work on it.

 

So... I just mopped it for the first time. Is there some trick to this? I feel like I spread the dirt around on the floor and just added chemicals to it. Does it really actually clean the floor? What am I missing?

[Mermaid Mama]

What did you use?

Mopping is an art.

 

Get one of those industrial yellow mopping buckets with the squeezer thing on it ($40 to 50 new at Ace Hardware/Home Depot/Lowe's, less on Craigslist). And get a good heavy cotton string mop ($7 to 10). When you first move into a house you need to use the hottest water and bleach. You may change the water 2 or 3 times. And mop the entire floor 2 or 3 times.........

 

And I always use a good 6 inches of fluid in the bucket.

 

Then when you are completely done - mop again with hot water and a cup or two of white vinegar.

This takes the bleach off. (You might see it as a powder after the floors dry).

 

In the future - all you need is 6 inches of hot water and vinegar.

(The vinegar will not stink after the floors dry).

While you mop - dip and rinse and wring a lot.

 

Also - when the shoes are left at the door - you will find that your floors don't need swept and mopped as often.

 

STAY AWAY FROM SWIFFER MOPS.

EWWWW.......

They are really for old people who don't have REAL messes to clean.

They are nothing but chemicals and moving the mess around for anyone with kids or pets. To clean a real floor with a Swiffer would take FOREVER and cost an arm and a leg. They're really for people who already have a clean house and just want to dust or wipe up a footprint or two.

 

The industrial bucket and mop will save your back and it will save you time and money.

(I lived in a 2500+sq ft home and it was ALL tile. Trust me.).

Edited March 21, 2010 by Mermaid Mama

[Ailaena]

Haha, you sound exactly like me!

 

I gave up on pusing water around all the time and just sweep and spot clean most of the time. Spray cleaner + paper towels are my friends.

 

My mom bought one of those shark steam cleaner things and hated it, so she gave it to me. That thing works great if you do a couple of rooms at a time (or have a bunch of extra cloth things). However, I am just too lazy to get it out all the time, so only use it for "big cleaning" days (i.e. company :D).

 

 

PP is absolutely correct about lack of shoes = less dirt. New house rule for you!

[Chris in VA]

I'd recommend a steamer, too, but not the Shark--my preference is for one that doesn't need to be "pumped" but has continuous steam.

I vacuum with a stick vac first, then steam.

(Well, I used to, when we had tile--we have wood in this house...)

[Ellie]

You need to vacuum or dust mop before you wet-mop. And not with an upright vac; those are generally intended for carpet. You need to use the hose attachment for your upright, if you have that, or you need a cannister vac, or a stick vac, which is intended for bare floors. You can also use a dust mop, although really, most people use some sort of microfiber-head mop (or a Swiffer) instead of the traditional string-head dust mop.

 

After you've picked up the dirt, *then* you damp mop.

[Mermaid Mama]

 

After you've picked up the dirt, *then* you damp mop.

 

 

Wait!!!! OP: you mean you didn't sweep first?

That's the first thing you have to do.

And I used a broom when I did mine!!!

Sweep every corner - move stuff - get under the bed!!!

Bring a brown paper grocery store bag with you into every room for dumping your dustpan.

And don't skimp on the broom and dustpan either because cheap = more work.

 

Once you are neurotic about your floors.....it will never change.

But it does get easier to keep them nice!!!!

I promise you there is nothing more satisfying than dropping that last chocolate on the floor and knowing you can safely eat it!

[3littlekeets]

and be careful....if your grout isn't sealed or already black, wet mopping will turn your grout black. You need to clean by sweeping well first, then cleaning each tile with a DAMP not wet mop, or my favorite, microfiber cloth on the head of swiffer. I go through 5 or 6 microfiber clothes, then wash them :-).

[Pip]

I have a Eureka Envirosteamer. Love it. Gets the steam to about the hottest temp of any of the mops. Large capacity reservoir. I have a lot of tile in my house. I would definitely get a good hard floor vacuum and a dust mop.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Eureka-313A-Enviro-Hard-Surface-Steamer/dp/B001LYFBHG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1269212836&sr=8-1

 

This was top rated in consumer reports. I'm about to get it. I would prefer a cordless, but with all the tile I have, I am afraid the battery wouldn't last, and some of them you have to charge for 16 hours after the battery is drained.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bissell-76T8-Bare-Floor-Brushless-Technology/dp/B001DEXAA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1269212966&sr=1-1

Edited March 21, 2010 by Pip

[Sputterduck]

This is the tile. It's the same through all the rooms and outside.

 

I don't think I can use a vacuum on it beforehand, or a steam cleaner to do the mop work because it's so curvy and the grout is much lower than the tile and over an inch wide.

 

We just moved in, so I don't know the history of the tile, but I think it's totally raw and unsealed, as is the grout.

Edited March 21, 2010 by Sputterduck

[Pip]

I have a friend who has a house with several thousand (yes you read that right) feet of tile like this. I'll see her at co-op tomorrow and try to remember to ask her what she does.

 

I know a lot of people like to seal saltillo tile, but I think part of its charm is its rustic appearance when it is unsealed. Plus, I hate slick tile - too slippery.

[Ferdie]

We have a Scooba that works great on uneven tile. They are expensive and don't have a great track record. I bought mine with an extended warranty and it is going on its third year. Love it!!!

 

http://store.irobot.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=3334444&cp=2804605&ab=CMS_IRBT_Storefront_011510_floorwashing

 

ETA: our grout is grey.

[Sputterduck]

We have a Scooba that works great on uneven tile. They are expensive and don't have a great track record. I bought mine with an extended warranty and it is going on its third year. Love it!!!

 

http://store.irobot.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=3334444&cp=2804605&ab=CMS_IRBT_Storefront_011510_floorwashing

 

ETA: our grout is grey.

 

Wow. Now that is amazing! lol

[TengoFive]

A good canister vac will work fine on the Saltillo. You'll still need to mop occasionally though. My favorite, favorite, favorite is the Sh-Mop. You'll need to get several cotton covers for it. What you do with this is dip a clean cotton cover in your soapy water, wring it out, and put it on the Sh-Mop. Then mop until the cover is dirty and take it off. Dip your next clean one in the soapy water, wring it out, and put it on the Sh-Mop. You do this until your entire floor is clean, and you won't be spreading dirty water around. After mopping, you throw the covers in the washer and dryer and you're ready to go again.

[extendedforecast]

This is the tile. It's the same through all the rooms and outside.

 

I don't think I can use a vacuum on it beforehand, or a steam cleaner to do the mop work because it's so curvy and the grout is much lower than the tile and over an inch wide.

 

We just moved in, so I don't know the history of the tile, but I think it's totally raw and unsealed, as is the grout.

 

I was going to recommend against using bleach, as that will only draw the dirt into the grout. However, after seeing your tile, I'm not sure if the grout is supposed to be that gray color, or if it's already absorbed dirt. I've had natural stone throughout the house in the last two houses we've lived. I either dry mop, sweep, or vacuum, depending on my mood a few times a week. We don't allow shoes in the house, nor food to be brought out of the kitchen. For the majority of the house, I have my youngest DD spot clean the the tile as needed; it's her favorite chore of all time. I try to mop the kitchen and bathrooms weekly, with hot water and a squirt of dish soap. I use a microfiber mop, one cloth for each room so as not to cross contaminate. Just as the other posters, make sure the area is swept or vacummed really well first. HTH

 

Cindy

[Pip]

This is the color grout I associate with saltillo.

Edited March 22, 2010 by Pip

[Pip]

I just talked to my friend with all the saltillo tile. She said when they moved into the house they did have it sealed, but it is not a glossy seal. Even though it is sealed, it is still porous. Saltillo tile is very fragile so their tile person said to not use harsh chemicals on it. He suggested an extremely small amount of dishwashing liquid in a bucket of water and a regular mop. It sounds as if a steam mop may not work because the heat could crack a tile.

 

HTH!

[MomsintheGarden]

A good canister vac will work fine on the Saltillo. You'll still need to mop occasionally though. My favorite, favorite, favorite is the Sh-Mop. You'll need to get several cotton covers for it. What you do with this is dip a clean cotton cover in your soapy water, wring it out, and put it on the Sh-Mop. Then mop until the cover is dirty and take it off. Dip your next clean one in the soapy water, wring it out, and put it on the Sh-Mop. You do this until your entire floor is clean, and you won't be spreading dirty water around. After mopping, you throw the covers in the washer and dryer and you're ready to go again.

 

:iagree:

 

I love my Sh-Mop! It's a very economical way to get a floor really clean. And I found out about it on the WTM board!

 

GardenMom