Mopping the floor is not exactly my favorite chore. In fact, I’d rather do the dishes or do the laundry. After all, you can always use the dishwasher or the washing machine. When it comes to mopping, well, let’s just say that those new mopping robots are not only expensive, but they can’t do the job very well. Hence, it’s still better if you do it “manually.” Here’s the thing, I really don’t like mopping, but if you do a lousy job, you’d be mopping again really soon. What I learned is that you better do it efficiently and effectively, so you don’t have to do this dreaded chore very often.
In this article, I am going to show you how to mop a tile floor effectively and efficiently.
Your Options
When it comes to mopping, you two options. You can either make your own cleaning solution, or you can buy a ready-made mopping solution. Let’s explore the two option a bit more.
For DIY tile mopping solution, your best options are:
* Dish Detergent and water
* Scouring Powder and water
* Vinegar and water
If you want to buy a ready-made tile mopping solution, then it’s best that you go with this:
* Zep ZUNEUT128 Gal Neutral Floor Cleaner
Of course, you can’t do an effective and efficient tile mopping job with just the cleaning solution alone. Hence, below are the additional “tools” you will need.
* Dust Mop or Vacuum (if it has a rotating brush, deactivate it)
* Wet Mop or a mop with rotating microfiber
* Bucket
* Water
* Toothbrush
How To Efficiently And Effectively Mop A Tile Floor
It’s best that we start with prevention. Your tile mopping job gets a lot easier if you don’t allow spills and dirt to settle. Keep in mind that spills and dirt will always happen and banning liquids and dirt is too restrictive or near pointless. Your best option is to clean up dirt tracks and spills as soon as possible.
This is easily done with the use of mild detergent, warm water, and cloth or mop. Also, be sure that you do a “spot test” on your tiles before using a household detergent extensively as it might cause damages.
Another preventative measure you can do is to do regular maintenance. This just means doing the regular vacuuming and sweeping.
When it comes to the actual cleaning, you can use the DIY cleaning solutions I mentioned above. However, the biggest tip is to use warm water as much as possible as this can help in bringing out the color, shine, and gloss of your tiles.
If you want to eliminate the odor coming off from the tiles, a mixture of white vinegar in a gallon of water works really great. This is also a great option if you have pets or children as hash chemicals may become a health hazard for your loved ones.
Tiles are often set into place using grout. Grout is a very porous material, which means it can attract and “store” a lot of dirt, debris, and grime. The best way to prevent this is to have your grout sealed regularly, so these nasty elements doesn’t have the chance to enter the grout.
If your grout already accrued stains and dust, then you can use equal parts and hydrogen peroxide. Just pour small amounts of the solution and use a toothbrush to clean out the stains.
So that’s it. Again, it’s best that you do the mopping right, so you don’t have to do it very often. And, with our tips mentioned above, you are already equipped on how to achieve such goal.
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