Now this is going to sound like a really really stupid question.

Toomuchdebt

But I'm going to ask it anyway.:o How exactly do you wash your floor?:o:o:o I have been using a mop but it never seems to get as clean as I would like.So inspired by watching "Call the midwife" I thought maybe washing it by hand would be better. But do I use a rag or a brush? Do I leave it to dry naturally or do I dry it with a cloth? I know this sounds really really silly but I don't ever remember my Mum doing it(we had carpet everywhere except the kitchen which was tiny and 2 people literally wouldn't fit so all I ever did in there was make tea or coffee). Oh-the kitchen is lino that looks like laminate and the corridor and living room are laminate(one old one new).The bathroom is lino. Are there different methods for each surface? As you can tell I've never been very houseproud or interested in housework tbh and it's about time that changed.

cheerfulness4

Using a brush might make quite a lot of water and scratch your flooring. Mum used to use a cloth and start by the backdoor and work backwards towards the hall door so when finished she could have a rest in the lounge while it dried.
She used Vim scouring powder (still available) on stubborn stains applied direct to her cloth.

There was much rinsing and wringing of the cloth as she went. The kitchen smelt wonderfully fresh I remember.

Today I used a steam mop and a long handled pair of tongs with a soapy cloth for any edges that I feel are missed. Tongs are due to arthritus and not being able to kneel anymore. Also the tongs help me get down the gaps between appliances were bits gather.

FairyPrincessk

We mostly use a mop that has a microfibre pad that can be chucked in the wash. We use hot soapy water or spray with vinegar. However, if it needs a good clean (and I agree mops never get it as clean) it is down on the hands and knees. We use a cloth as the laminate scratches easily. Again, hot soapy water or vinegar in a spray rinsed away with hot water. I tend to dry it if I do it, but OH tends to let it air dry, I don't think the drying matters as long as it is dry before you walk on it (or let the cat walk on it!) I'm just more impatient than he is!

One key thing, which I suspect you know, is to avoid using those commercial surface sprays unless you rinse them away really well! They'll leave a sticky residue and the floor will be dirty again in moments.

Skint_yet_Again

I have a tiled kitchen floor and use a long handled stiff bristle brush and a bucket of hot water with stardrops and a drop of bleach.

Then I go over it with the long handled mop to dry up any excess water. I then mop over with a bucket of clean water to get rid of any soapy residue as this can make tiled floors slippy.

My bathroom is lino so I mop over with hot water, bleach and stardrops, then rinse with clean water.

I leave both to air dry - mainly because I have a bad back and knees and cant get on the floor easily

DigForVictory

What's really stupid is not to ask.
I'm no champion homemaker & have read all the info with fascination - thank you all!

snoozer

I struggled with this as well - eventually I went for the not very OS option of a steam cleaner (my knees wouldn't let me get down to scrub). It has a built in vacuum which you can use at the same time as steaming and it's brilliant and the floor gets cleaned more regularly because it's so easy to use.

rockm87

There is nothing more satisfying than using a nice soft cloth and getting on your knees to wash the floor!

use nice hot water, and it will evaporate and dry quickly. (maybe leave a window open).

nice soapy bubbles and scrub the floor and the bottoms of the cupboards.

Marmaduke123

Microfibre cloth on hands and knees for me. No detergent, just hot water and a damp cloth.

I use a garden kneeling pad as I can't kneel on a hard surface now.

No need to dry as it doesn't get very wet

Gigervamp

And remember, start at the far end of the room and finish at the door!

Sam2476

Gigervamp wrote: »

And remember, start at the far end of the room and finish at the door!

But starting at the door and working your way into the middle is a much funnier exercise.



I use the good old hands and knees with some hot water.
I also run over with a cleaning towel after to buff it up a bit.

mashedavocado

We have this thing called a spray mop. It has a spray bottle attached so you squirt water/cleaning solution as you go. (It's like this but I definitely did not pay twenty quid for it: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/8551159.htm)

So we sweep the kitchen floor and then use that.

The bathroom I tend to do on hands and knees with a cloth as it's so tiny it'd take longer to go downstairs and get the mop