Mopping tiled floors

[Zaphodsotherhead]

New house, never had tiled floors before. It's tiled throughout downstairs, which is great and very practical.

But I am currently cleaning by sweeping the floors and then mopping (rubbish brush too, can't get out to buy a better one, but it works!). I used to hoover first but the hoover didn't cope well with the tiles.

What do I do about the 'bits' that the mop finds? I've got dogs and cats and I'm in and out a lot; the brush takes up most of the stuff but there are always 'bits' (the odd cat biscuit, bugs, bits of dog hair) that I haven't noticed and haven't brushed up. The mop finds them and wets them but then just sort of swirls them around and leaves them wet and stuck to the floor. They're too wet to sweep up and too 'bitty' to lift.

How do people clean tiled floors? (Please don't say 'steam mop' I can't afford anything just yet - recently moved!)

I know, Leighwalk, the things we are driven to in lockdown, eh?

I do try to make sure all the bits are up before I mop, but there always seem to be some that have gone invisible and only pop up once the mop comes out!

I use this: www.bona.com/en-GB/Consumer1/Care2/Care/Tools/Spray-Mop-Tile--Laminate-Floors/ . The cartridges last for ages but are pricy though. I also have lots of wooden floors so I can interchange the cartridge for cleaning the tile floors with one for wooden floors.

I have decent Addis soft brush v close to hand and sweep every other day or so. Mop with cheapo vile day once a week with diluted flash. Quite often just do it on my knees with a micro fibre cloth...

Did do a panic buy in early lock down for a hand held hoover which has been amazing for quick pick ups. 12v from black and decker. Don’t have lots of pet hair though.

Sorry, the 18v

Another for cross wave for everyday cleaning got it on amazon reduced and in instalments.

Wish I had a robot mop at moment though

A robot mop sounds amazing - are they a thing? Probably wouldn't cope with the dog though.

Nunchuck - I have wondered about a hand held hoover. It would be useful in the kitchen I think, where the crumbs are at their worst, and would help on my very narrow and steep stairs which are awful with a big hoover!

I use the straight and hard floor attachments on my handheld Dyson to get into corners. A proper vacuum should pick up crumbs. For pet / human hair something specific like a microfibre mop or a tumble dryer sheet should be enough provided you have clean carpets / rugs / door mats. If you don’t then the hair on them will go everywhere so make sure you clean them.

I don't have any carpets, rugs or doormats. Just the tiles.

I am leaning towards a handheld hoover if it can get into all those nooks. And mopping in a shape to gather all the loose bits. It's not so much hair and crumbs on the main floors, it's small hard bits (it was cat biscuit the other day, that had got between the skirting and the wall and the mop had got it out but wouldn't pick it up).

Ibrava robot £199

Wouldn't do a deep clean but okay for everyday marks.

I have a dog though so would need to hoover too - would end up having a robot vacuum and mop

I'm an utter slob so I don't worry about 'every day marks'. I clean through about once a week, and that's only because the dog is white so the hair shows!

My black and decker 18v is here and def picks up cat biscuits! Also use it on my own steep skinny stairs. Basically means house is tidier as it’s less of a commitment And faff than getting my Henry out. And the little hose is really useful. I think you can get one with a long bit to attach it to as well. I researched endlessly and it hasn’t disappointed. Runs on ful whack for about 20 mins but I do clean it out every Time

ao.com/product/pd1820lgb-black--decker-18v-flexi-dustbuster-handheld-vacuum-cleaner-white-55865-58.aspx?&WT.z_PT=SDA&WT.z_AT=Handheld%20Vacuum%20Cleaners&WT.z_BR=Black%20%20%20Decker&WT.z_FT=Free%20Standing&WT.z_PC=PD1820L-GB_WH&WT.srch=1&WT.z_MT=Affiliate&WT.z_RTM=PHG&WT.srch=1&WT.z_MT=cbances&WT.z_RTM=PHG&WT.z_CN=1011l14190&WT.z_AG=Comparison&WT.z_AT=15909871668410841813412011000008005&WT.z_KW=cbances

Just bend down and pick random big bits up.

@MaidenMotherCrone

Just bend down and pick random big bits up.

This

I can pick up the random big bits, but when it's fluff that the mop has fetched out from somewhere (not really any idea where it's coming from or I'd be able to get hold of it beforehand), and the skirting boards are all skew whiff so stuff can get behind and not come out with the hoover or the brush (because the hoover isn't great on my floors where the tiles aren't all even) - that's when I end up with a pile of crap that's now all wet and stuck to the floor!

I'm going to try mopping in a pattern so that they all collect in one place and then kitchen roll them up. There's just quite a lot of floor and I was hoping someone would have a magic solution so I could just sweep and then mop and not have bits. It seems that there are varied solutions but it all comes down to 'mop and then pick them up'.

In that case maybe try wrapping a load of sellotape around a stick to make a sticky blob at the end and twiddle it in the gaps etc.

I vacuum, mop, and then go over with either a dry mop or get on my hands and knees with a paper towel. This almost always picks up a LOT of dust that doesn't come off from the vacuum/mop combo, and leaves the tiles incredibly clean

That's a good point, rockyvuong. Sweep, mop and then go over again with a different mop or a softer brush. There's rather too much floor (and I'm too bone idle) to go over it on my hands and knees, but another sweep through once it's dried might work.

I don't need the floors to be spotless - I've got a dog so it only stays clean for seconds anyway, I just like them to look as if I've done something to them!