Mopping!

[Goodwitch9]

I don't mind doing any other housekeeping jobs but for some reason I absolutely loathe mopping! At the moment I have one of those blue and red Vileda mops. I've just had to throw yet another mop head away as it smells to high heaven. Where am I going wrong?

Do you rinse it out after use?
Or most importantly sticking it outside to dry thoroughly inbetween uses?

Get a steam mop and chuck the ‘mop heads’ in the washer.
If finances allow, get the Shark steam mop with 2 rotating heads and a light.
Game changer.
(QVC have the Shark on offer and on 5 payments. )

Mops are gross. Use washable heads. Steam cleaners are great but I like the E-mop and wash the removable head. Use an anti bacterial cleaner too.

Chuck all the new fangled mop type things away they all just spread dirt around .
Go back to a traditional mop and bucket, ( preferably a steel bucket) one where you regularly dunk and rinse the mop while mopping .

Once your finished mopping rinse the mop well in clean soap free water , then pour a kettle full of boiling water on it and let it stand in the bucket for a hr or so.
When that's done wring it out as hard as possible and stand it upside down to dry out.

I’m with @caramac04 I have a Shark steam scrub mop brilliant pads go in the wash and the floor actually feels clean

I’m supposed to - mop? What is this thing? I guess it’s the squeegee I give my kitchen floor once a month? Vinyl? I don’t breed pigs on it!

The rest is sweeping and spot cleaning my (engineered, darling!) wooden floors.

I'm not sure what type of wooden floor I have but it has a light layer of varnishy stuff on top of it. Would a steam mop work okay with that?

Does this dry streak free? Or do you have to dry it after

Aircraft fan here
had mine for 6 years now .
I have purchased lots of mop heads for it so use 1 per floor and rinse as go. Wack in washing machine
it is expensive but it takes the hard work
Out of scrubbing floors properly. I had cleaners for years that used to say “wiping” hard floors with mops! No wonder they were never clean

steam cleaners are ok but I found they damaged any floor that was laminate, real wood or vinyl tiles …good for sheet vin and tiles though.

I totally agree even my DS uses the steam mop without complaining and throws head into washing machine. It really is a game changer and you don't even need detergent so good for environment too.

Streak free unlike my old steam mop. No matter how I tied the fabric bit there always seemed to be marks from the tie.

Thanks everyone, ordered a Shark as it was on special offer. Will report back!

@Goodwitch9 - how are you finding your Shark steam cleaner. I’m just looking at buying a steam mop and hoping to grab a bargain in the Amazon Prime deals.

I love it! Very light to use and no streaks. Get one!

What pisses me off most about mopping (and I have tiled floors) is the bits. I hoover first, then sweep, then mop. And then I turn around and there are the 'bits' all over the floor - again. Even when the mophead is brand new or fresh from the washing machine - bits. Bloody bits.

@Goodwitch9 - 😀 thanks.

I know! Bits are the worst.

I find the Shark with the rotating heads picks up the bits. For me it’s mostly persistent dog hair (I have a German Shedder). I can just pull the fur and bits off in one go, bin it and out mop heads in the washing machine.

Can I just clarify with a steam mop user how exactly it works? Does it always have to be plugged in and isn't that a faff with reaching into bathrooms etc? Really keen to find a better mopping solution like OP and I had heaving a bucket of water around but wary of committing to a bit clunky plug-in item if it's not going to do the trick

My steam cleaner has a really long lead but yes it does need to be plugged in whilst using.

Oh, and my steam mop actually cracked some of the tiles in my bathroom, so beware...

@Vroomfondleswaistcoat ooh thats upsetting. I use mine on tcv in kitchen, karndean most of downstairs except for toilet which has laminate, laminate in bedrooms and ceramic tiles in bathroom. I’ve not had any problems.

It's horrible. The steam mop cracked the moulded tiles which form a ridge between the smooth white tiles which line the upper walls and the textured blue tiles around the bottom. I didn't notice for a while and now as I can't afford to retile the whole place, I just have to live with cracks!

So it might be worth anyone testing their steam mop first before they run it around generally. Let me be a terrible warning!