How Do I Mop The Floor?

How Do I Mop The Floor is perhaps one of the most important aspects of cleaning an Airbnb. If you haven’t yet asked yourself this important question, read on. It’s not as easy as you may think and I have spent a ton of time and money to get to the correct and the incorrect answers so you don’t have to.

When I started my business, my first stop was at a local cleaning supply store. I thought this was my best option. After all the pros buy their supplies there, right? My first purchase was a recommended flat mop with a fancy bucket. I think I spent around $130 for this thing and upon my first clean, I knew I had made a mistake.

The pad kept coming off, there was no way to ring it out, so it just covered the floor in water. It didn’t take long to begin my quest. Then a cleaner told me that she uses nothing but a steam mop so I bought one of those. I was so excited to get this thing. The day it was delivered, I impatiently unpacked it and set it up. I mopped my kitchen floor with it, and while it did a good job of cleaning, it was bulky and required a regular filling of the water reservoir. I haven’t used it since, and my search continued.

Hold The Spray Mop-These Do Not Answer The Question Of How Do I Mop The Floor

I then moved on to a Bona mop. You know, the one with the bottle of stuff on the handle. Not only did this thing leak in my truck, but more importantly, it didn’t clean the floor. This is the mop that I laugh at every time I see it now. A lot of cleaners use these types of mops as they don’t have to use a mop bucket. I can promise you that no type of spray mop will clean a floor and what’s worse is they leave behind a waxy residue that simply attracts more dirt that normal mopping will not clean up. It didn’t take long until I was on the mop hunt again.

There Were Cleaners Everywhere I looked

I live in a tourist town, so it is very common to see cleaners all over the place and I noticed that they all had an Ocedar Mop. When looking at them in the store I realized that there were 2 different versions. One has a single tank and the other has 2 tanks, so I had more research to do. Some say they like one version, while others have a different opinion. The thing I don’t like about the 2-tank system is that the mop head is smaller, which is why it’s a different color.

Decisions Decisions

I decided on the single tank system, and I got my first one and I loved it. One day about 3 months in with my wonderful mop, I pushed on the pedal, and it went straight to the floor as if the gears were stripped. I looked at it and the gears looked fine. I threw it in the trash and off to Sam’s I went. This one lasted about half the time as the first one when it began doing something similar to the first, so I began doing some research.

No Need To Throw Your Money Out With The Mop Water. All You Want To Know Is How Do I Mop The Floor

At first, I figured if I must buy 4 or 5 a year it wasn’t that bad, but I ended up finding out that wasn’t necessary at all. As it turns out, there is a small plastic gear inside the pedal. Inside that gear is a one-way bearing. It’s this part that is defective, not the gear itself. I believe the bearing that the factory is using is simply defective.

Anyone with a screwdriver can replace this part in about 2 minutes, it’s a very simple and cheap fix. I found these bearings and bought 5 of them as it was assumed they would be replaced on a very regular basis. The first was replaced over a year ago and it’s still going strong. I also began using silicone spray lubricant every could of months on the moving parts and haven’t had one problem since.

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When The Question Is How Do I Mop The Floor, This Is One Of The Best Tools To Have In Your Cleaning Arsenal

You will notice when pricing these mops that there are different prices and generally that is because there are different things in the box.

Here is the single tank system that comes with 4 mop heads.

Get yours by clicking right here!

I suggest keeping a few of the one-way bearings handy as well and you can get those by clicking right here!

Some say they don’t like Ocedar Mop because the handle is too short. Here is the answer to that problem. This handle is not only more durable, but it’s also 10 inches longer than the standard handle.

Click here to upgrade your handle and get 4 extra mop heads at the same time.

Not sure what chemical you like to use to clean floors? Ocedar has you covered there too with their very own floor-cleaning pods. Just drop one in your bucket with hot water and you’re off to the races. Check them out right here!

Always Carry Spares Of Everything

You will want to have plenty of extra mop heads, so you don’t have to do laundry every day. You can get 6 of them by clicking right here

If you got all 3 of the mentioned packages, you would end up with 14 mop heads and that will last you for quite some time. These microfiber mop heads are machine washable and easy to maintain. I wash mine with a laundry pod in warm water and put them in the drier with NO DRIER SHEET or fabric softener.

Now that we have everything mop out of the way, let’s move on to How Do I Mop the floor.

The next thing to consider is what type of cleaning chemical you should use. You could sit and read people’s thoughts on this one for weeks. The bottom line is you will want something that is PH-neutral. This will enable you to use 1 type of flooring cleaner for all flooring types. Beyond that, it is a matter of personal preference. We started off using one from the local cleaning supply called DMQ. Loved this smell and performance, but got tired of going there to get it.

I began using Pine Sol quite a while back. Some people don’t like the smell of Pine Sol, and others say it leaves a residue. If used properly, it does a great job. I use a ¼ cup to a gallon of hot water.

What In The World Did They Do To These Floors And How Do I Mop It

When you take on new properties, you don’t know how the floor was cared for by the previous cleaner so it’s not a bad idea to start by using something a little different to make sure you are starting with a clean floor. If you are unsure, sweep and mop, then take a white microfiber and wipe a spot on the floor. If it comes up black, you will end up with complaints eventually.

This is a solution that will allow you to do just that, and you can use it all the time if you like. Mix a gallon of hot water, 1 cup of vinegar, and a few drops of Dawn. Before we just start mopping everything, we will want to get all the loose stuff up first.

Generally, I will do a very thorough sweep with a broom, but this may not always be enough. If you have a lot of hair or sand it is often a good idea to vacuum, then sweep, then mop.

Mastering the Art of Floor Mopping: A Professional’s Guide That Answers The Question-How Do I Mop

Once you have a clean slate to start with, now we can get busy mopping. I always mop myself out the door so as not to step on the floor that I just mopped. Keep a close eye ahead of you as you go to ensure you don’t miss anything. I constantly rinse and spin my mop. We don’t want to mop dirt with dirt. Depending on the size or the level of dirt you are dealing with, it may be necessary to change the mop head and water as well.

Conclusion

It doesn’t matter if the question is How Do I Mop the Floor, or how do I clean the scum from the tub. Always find and invest in the best cleaning supplies as the proper tools always make the job easier and faster. For more of our tips on other great cleaning supplies to keep handy click here or check out our comprehensive Airbnb Cleaning Checklist here.