How often should floors be mopped?

1. Vacuum:

   Before mopping, sweep or vacuum the floor to remove grit, hair, and other large particles. Removing the everyday accumulation of dirt first makes the task of mopping less arduous. Be sure to blot dry any wet areas before sweeping or vacuuming; otherwise, you'll dirty the floor further by spreading the grime.

2. Fill Your Bucket:

   Fill a bucket with warm water (unless your floors are waxed; in this case, you should use tepid water) and a small amount of cleaner designed for your floors—generally, a squirt or two is sufficient. Using too much can leave behind a residue, which will make floors look dull.

3. Dampen Your Mop:

   Dip the mop in the bucket, remove it, and wring it out well. The mop should be damp but not sopping wet. No floor benefits from copious amounts of water, which can seep between cracks and under baseboards, causing serious damage. A mop that's too wet will also merely swish the dirt around, instead of lifting it off the floor—and will leave water marks as it dries.

4. Begin Mopping:

   Start in the corner farthest from the entrance and work your way backwards, stepping only in areas you haven't cleaned yet. Begin mopping along the edge of the baseboard in back-and-forth strokes. Move to the open area of the floor, overlapping the back-and-forth strokes as you work.

5. Clean Stubborn Areas:

   Remove any tough scruff marks with a light-duty nylon pad (be sure to keep separate pads for floors and dishes). If you can't get into tight corners without hitting baseboards, wipe them by hand with a damp cloth.

6. Continue Mopping:

   Make two passes over each area—once to wet and to spread the solution, and again to remove it. If you don't pass a second time, detergent may remain, leaving the floor sticky and cloudy.  If you're working with a two-sided sponge or string mop, turn it frequently to avoid redepositing soil onto floors. As soon as your bucket becomes murky, replace it with fresh water—but never dump dirty water down sinks, where it can spread germs and contribute to clogs. Flush it down the toilet instead.

7. Rinse Your Floors:

   When you've successfully cleaned your floors, mop again with clear water to remove any cleaning-solution residue. Let dry.
   

Choosing a Mop

Sparkling floors begins with selecting the best-possible mop. We prefer Libman's Wonder Mop, which can tackle virtually any surface, including vinyl, wood, linoleum, laminate, marble, stone, and ceramic tile. Its microfiber strips lift stubborn dirt with ease, while the power wringer helps remove excess water. Best of all: The head is machine washable—making it an eco-friendly addition to your home—and composed of antibacterial material.

How to Clean Your Mop

Keeping your mop clean between uses is essential. "Failure to do so can leave your clothes with an undesirable musty odor, grow mold, and even bacteria," says Melissa Poepping, the founder of The Chemical Free Home. To clean yours, rinse the mophead thoroughly in a bucket of clean, hot water immediately after mopping. If the mophead is detachable, you can rinse it in a utility sink instead. To avoid spreading germs, never rinse mop heads or other tools used for cleaning in the kitchen sink. Hang the mop to dry in a well-ventilated area. The quicker a mop dries, the less likely it is to become malodorous. Most importantly, do not set mops on the floor or put them in closets while damp.

When to Replace Your Mop

When your mophead has reached the end of its lifecycle—indicators of this are stained fibers, a permanent odor, or rips in the fabric—dispose of it appropriately. When shopping for a new one, be sure to choose an option that's machine-washable (and launder it about once a month).

Natural Cleaning Alternatives

Rather than using a household cleaner, consider mopping your floors with a natural alternative (so long as it suitable for your floor type). "I will forever be a fan of vinegar, water, and essential oils for cleaning my floors," says Poepping. "Nearly every floor surface can tolerate it (with the exception of wood) and the cleaning power of vinegar has long stood the test of time. For hardwood floors, I use a mixture of hot water, olive oil, and orange essential oil." Always test your solution on an inconspicuous area of your floor prior to cleaning.

Keeping your home clean is a major chore. Heavy traffic, pets, and living in dusty environments can make it even worse. Who has time for it all? It may leave you wondering how often you should mop your floors or dust those shelves. 

The answer is, "It depends." We know that's not super helpful, so let's dig into the question of home cleanliness and how often you should dust, sweep, vacuum, and mop your floors. 

Factors to Consider in Your Cleaning Schedule

First, understand that no one-size-fits-all cleaning schedule will work for everyone. Quite a few factors will play into what you need to do when including the following:

• Pets – The presence of pets in a home automatically means you need to clean more often, particularly if they go outside to do their business or play. The more pets you have, the more often you need to clean. That's particularly true for high-shed dog and cat breeds.
• People – The more people there are in your household, the more often you’ll need to vacuum, dust, sweep, and mop. 
• Environment – Do you live in a dry, dusty environment? Maybe you live somewhere relatively rainy and must always deal with tracked-in mud. Your environment will play a significant factor in your cleaning schedule.

Vacuuming

We recommend that you vacuum at least once per week. Even if you live alone, weekly vacuuming helps pick up the dust that falls on carpeting and reduces health hazards. However, you may need to vacuum more often than this, depending on the number of people and pets in your home. If you live in a home with four people and multiple pets, you may need to vacuum twice to thrice weekly to keep up with dirt and pet hair.

Dusting

Dusting is one of those thankless jobs that no one wants to do, but it's obvious when you haven't done it. It would be best if you broke your dusting up by room, as well as by area. Here are a few pointers:

• Light Fixtures – Monthly
• Little-Used Rooms – Monthly
• Frequently-Used Rooms – At least weekly
• Kitchen – Weekly
• Living/Family Room – Weekly
• Dining Room – Weekly or monthly, depending on the use
• Picture Frames – Monthly
• Ceiling Fans – Monthly
• Bathroom Fixtures – Weekly, depending on the use

Pro Tip: Always dust before you vacuum and mop because at least some dust will fall to the floor. Depending on the room and the level of dirt, you may be able to use a floor duster to capture this, and you might not need to vacuum afterward.

Sweeping

How often should you break out the broom and dustpan in your home? Again, it depends on the level of traffic, the number of pets, and your geographic environment. The best rule of thumb here is to sweep as necessary, which for many people works out to a couple of times per week. 

Keep an eye on your hard floors. Watch for visible dirt and pet hair, then sweep it up as necessary. Of course, you'll need to do spot sweeping for accidents – like when the kids spill the cereal all over the counter and the floor or the dog knocks his food bowl over.

Mopping

We recommend you break out your spin mop at least once monthly. That helps you tackle dirt and grime and keep your home safe and clean. However, you may need to mop more frequently depending on the weather, your environment, and the number of people and pets in the home. 

You should also be ready for spot mopping in specific situations. For example, if Fido has to go out in the rain and then tracks mud all over your kitchen floor, you need to be ready with the spin mop. 

Some areas of the home will need more frequent mopping, as well. Kitchens, entryways, and mudrooms usually have the most significant cleaning requirements. 

How Often Should You Mop and Clean?

How often should you mop your floors? There’s no single answer. Keep an eye on your traffic levels and dirt build-up, and then clean your house before it becomes problematic. Based on that, Many simply create a schedule and vacuum, dust, and mop.

You can get as detailed as you like with your cleaning schedule. We recommend breaking it down by cleaning type (vacuuming, mopping, dusting, etc.) and by room. That way, you're not wasting time cleaning guest rooms that don’t see much use and can focus more of your energy on cleaning high-traffic areas. 

It's also important to have the right tools for the job. A high-quality spin mop, a reliable vacuum, and a good broom and dustpan are all must-have items to keep your home spic and span.