Cleaning the floors is not a particularly pleasant task in America, but it is necessary but often outsourced. Floor cleaning provides a more aesthetic view of the home and contributes to the hygiene and health of the home. However, we don’t always clean correctly because in the United States floors are usually made of wood: here are some common mistakes.
That is probably the most common mistake. We start cleaning the floor in an unplanned way. Perhaps even without having previously eliminated elements that should not be there: lint, accumulations of dirt, etc.
Start scrubbing the floor without preparing it
On the other hand, it is also advisable to check all possible spaces where there may be dirt after sweeping and vacuuming thoroughly. You may have to work on a specific area before mopping the floor.
In short, you should never start mopping the floor without having prepared it beforehand.
Using too much water or too much steam
Here is another common mistake. It should be known that the greater the amount of water, the greater the guarantee of cleanliness. That also applies to steam.
It is necessary to use the right measure, and, in addition, it is essential to understand well the floor that we will scrub. That leads to the following common mistake.
Not knowing how the floor to be cleaned responds to scrubbing
This mistake is less frequent, but it also happens. If we take the trouble once to know in depth the properties of the floor we are going to mop, it would be enough.
Not all floors are the same and do not respond the same to moisture. That has two implications. The short-term implication is that knowing the ground will give us a good idea about the amount of water, cleaning products, etc.
But, it also has a long-term implication in that an inadequate relationship of a surface to moisture will, in the long run, end up damaging the surface. Also, in some cases, you will have to use specialized products; a general cleaning product will not work.
Not having clean mops (or having very old ones)
That is another important issue that is not always given the attention it deserves. Mops have a lifespan that will depend to a large extent on the amount of use you give them (and also on whether you use them more or less correctly).
In general, very old and used mops will probably have lost a lot of absorption and cleaning capacity. On the other hand, if you have not previously cleaned the mop, think that you are doing something like a dirt distribution more than a cleaning effect.
All these things are important:
- Keep the mop clean at all times.
- Clean it after every floor mopping.
- Don’t have very old mops; replace them when necessary.
Using excessive force or pressure
Whether you use a conventional mop or mechanical or pressure devices, you should remember that, in a traditional home, floor cleaning should not be about force.
Force is not the solution even when there is a lot of caked-on dirt; you should look for alternatives with products or techniques that allow you to soften the dirt before mopping.
Putting a lot of force on each scrubbing, besides being able to deteriorate the floor (and get more tired), is not a good idea; it can be a very bad idea for cleaning at home.