Does anyone know a quick & efficent way of cleaning hard floors?

[mumof3monkeys]

We have gone form lots of carpet to a mix of polished concrete & bamboo floors and it takes 1 hour to vaccuum & mop (I dread to think how disgusting tha carpet was .

Does anyone know a magic gadget that can do both at once?

You can get microfibre flat mops that are supposed to pick up dust and clean at same time and they can be used wet or dry. I have one as have laminate floors throughout flat, I find I still need to sweep and hoover but I do little often, never the whole area or it gets too overwhelming. I sweep and mop bathroom and corridor in morning, kitchen in evenings, and livingroom everyother day. I hoover once/twice a week as have carpet in 2 bedrooms and I wizz around the rest of the flat then (normally a tues and a thurs as are bedchange days and I like to hoover mattresses)

I sweep then mop. If you get a long handled brush and dustpan thing it's no problem. Then I mop with a vileda blade mop (it's just a big sponge you can squeeze through the handle). All surfaces get one teaspoon of washing up liquid, one tablespoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of disinfectant (we have a 10 month old who is constantly eating things found on the floor).

I brush up the messy bits then go round with a damp flat headed "mop". I have a cleaner who vacuums once a week. After that I only sweep and mop unless it is terrible.

If I'm mopping and there are scuzzy bits I spray first with ecover green spray, and leave for a bit.

You're right, though, that carpets are rank .

I push those wet floor wipes round under the mop

scooba by irobot

Looks like I'll have to live with it

Thanks for your advice

Definitely get a scooba for hard floors. I just got a roomba and it has transformed my life! V sad I know. I am now going to get a scooba just as soon as we have paid off our hols...