Utterly filthy floors

[Muppet7410]

As the subject says I have utterly filthy floors . I have a big, hairy, dirty German shepherd but no matter how frequently I Hoover (everyday) and mop (unfortunately not so often) my floors remain filthy.

We have slate effect tiled kitchen floor and karndean throughout the rest of the downstairs. The floors look clean to the eye but when you wipe up a spill with kitchen towel it always comes up black.

I use a spray mop as it's quick drying, and fill it with diluted disinfectant.

Aside from the filth, the floor always seems to have a sticky grimey finish when you walk round in socks (which I never do as it feels so gross!)

What can I use to strip back the filth and get them spotlessly clean?

[Fere]

I use few drops of bio laundry liquid, I think it works best.

[Jenb2104]

Diluted disinfectant will disinfect but won't necessarily clean the floor. Try using a product specifically for floors.

[Walkamileinmyshoesbeforeujudge]

Cif. Rub all over with a damp mop. Rinse off with a cleaner you love the smell of! Great on your sort of tiles ime.

[InterchangeableEmma]

A spray mop and disinfect won't really clean, it's not being rinsed every few square meters so you're effectively just wiping a dirty, damp cloth about.

Try mopping with a proper mop and a multi cleaner, or bio liquid or a floor cleaner. This is an excellent mop and really easy to wring out properly www.amazon.co.uk/Leifheit-Clean-Twist-Active-Bucket/dp/B01HPLAG64?psc=1&linkCode=xm2&SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&creativeASIN=B01HPLAG64&creative=165953&camp=2025&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

I usually go over the floor twice, once with a cleaner and then with plain water

[InterchangeableEmma]

Hot water in the bucket will work better than cold, obviously

[Mrsjayy]

Disinfectant doesn't clean i wish people would stop advertising it as a cleaner anyway stick some liquid flash in your bottle instead .

[Aquamarine1029]

You need a floor steamer. Works miracles.

[SuzieQ10]

Forget the mop. Get down with a big sponge or a soft brush, some warm soapy water (with disinfectant maybe?) and some elbow grease. Get them scrubbed properly all over.

After that, just try and keep on top of it my mopping / steam clean after hoovering every 3 days. It doesn't take long to give it a light mop. Bit of disinfectant and drops of Fairy or just use Flash for floor.

[Muppet7410]

Some great ideas which I'll try out! Thanks, think I need to get stuck in with some elbow grease

[CarolinePooter]

In your situation I would get a decent steam cleaner with several mop heads. Keep changing them until they stop looking filthy! Then clean them in the washing machine. I use our steam cleaner on vinyl floors too, it doesn't seem to harm them.

There is a specialised Karndean cleaner which is quite a strong detergent, but I would have thought any floor product would do. Good luck!

[Rashatash]

Bleach , fairy liquid and boiling water 👍
In a big steamy bucket

[theconstantinoplegardener]

I have a muddy dog too. I find my spray mop is great for spot-cleaning dirty pawprints during the week, but I still have to mop the floor with a proper mop and bucket of hot water every week to get it really clean. Also, don't forget to wash your mop head and the pad of the spray mop regularly!

[notangelinajolie]

Agreeing with the steam cleaner. And no more cleaning products! It's all the cleaning products that are making it sticky.

[NoParticularPattern]

Proper mop and bucket with hot water and some sort of detergent. Washing up liquid is something you probably already have which will do a good job of cleaning. If my floor is super filthy I have been known to go round once with a really really soapy mix and then keep going round with plain water again after until all the bubbles have stopped.

[Fibbke]

Hot water, fairy liquid and a couple of drops of bleach as above. Marvellous.

[NutButterNutter]

Stardrops in hot water, Elbow Grease spray and physical elbow grease with a scrubbing brush. Then steam mop weekly and use the spray thing daily as a quick go over high-footfall areas. It'll only be hardwork for that first clean and then you'll be on top of it.

[Nicpem1982]

Method floor cleaner, squirt and mop is great and smells delicious

[grannycab]

you are not supposed to use steam on karndean

[itsabongthing]

Yes was also going to ask about steam cleaner with karndean. I’ve always been afraid to do it as I heard you are not supposed to as it can lift it. Anyone got any experience?

[mommybear1]

I'm with @SuzieQ10 I'd give it a good clean by hand and then to keep on top of it I have a Karcher Hard Floor cleaner fc5 and I love it - it’s brilliant on tiles takes far less time than mopping and vacs as well so no need to do double the work! Love the fact you can machine wash the rollers too.

I had a hard time justifying the price with the reviews as they were critical and some amazing. I asked on MN and had some good reviews I was going to get a refurbished one but figured I'd get a new one try it and send it back if no good.

I've had no problem with the Karcher picking up bits I've been quite surprised at how good it is tbh - I used to vac then mop now this does the two jobs I've never had to go back and vac. I will say though as per a mop sometimes it doesn't get stubborn stains I tend to notice them when going round with it and give them a quick spray with fairy and water then go back over them with the Karcher or give them a quick scrub by hand.

[Chasingsquirrels]

I've got Camero (I think it's called) in the hall, which is very similar to Karndean, and tiles in the kitchen.
I got a steam mop about a year ago having got a dog a few months earlier and mop between 2 and 7 days a week depending on the weather etc.
I was wary about using the steam mop on the LVT at first, and still just run it over quickly not letting it stand on the spot at all.
It doesn't seem have had any adverse effect on it in terms of the structure at all.
It does however seem duller than when mopped, so very occasionally I will do a proper mop which gives it a nicer finish, I find the same is true of the tiles.

[TheFaerieQueene]

A karcher steam cleaner is your friend

[e1y1]

Ditch the mop pad, all you're doing is spraying a pad with cleaner and then smearing cleaner (and dirt) around, the small percentage of dirt you're removing is what is left on the pad.

This is where you need water, detergent and a mop and bucket, you need to agitate, remove, flush and rinse the dirt away.

The reason a mop and bucket has been around for over 500 hundred years and is still around, is that it works the best.

[Prokupatuscrakedatus]

Genuine question: Why does one disinfect a floor?
Even in hospitals correct hand sanitizing and glove use is more effective against spreading infections than disinfecting the floors.

Apart from that I am with the "bucket, really hot water, eco friendly all round cleaner, lots and lots of elbow grease" team. It works - especially the elbow grease part.

[Mrsjayy]

No offence to the op but so much advertising is about killing bacteria disinfectant and also bloody zoflora sales are high and people are "cleaning" with it.