We all love and feel comfortable being in a clean place, specifically the floor. However, the floor cannot be hygienic without cleaning it, and for that, you need a mop. However, you might notice a smell and mold on the mop, which might have health risks.
Healthy Risks that a Smelly and Mold Mop Cause
If your mop has a smell and mold, it poses health risks to you and your family. You will be subjected to problems like nasal stiffness, cough, throat irritation, eye irritation, and skin irritation.
Additionally, there is an increased risk of health problems for people with asthma, allergies, and other immune system compromises if they are exposed to such mops.
This is because the mold in the mop produces mycotoxins, well known as toxigenic mold. If a person is exposed to this mold might suffer severe problems, which might result in death.
Why Do My Mop Smell Terrible?
If you have not been cleaning and leaving your mop in the sun to dry after mopping, you must have noticed a terrible smell that you cannot explain. Well, there are various explanations for why the mop smells. Here are five reasons.
- Refusing to clean the mop after use
Every time you use the mop, it gathers dirt, and if it is not cleaned, it accumulates, producing odor.
- Storing the mop while still wet
After mopping, you should clean your mop and leave it in the sun to dry rather than storing it while still wet. Therefore, you should leave the mop to dry before storing it for subsequent use.
- Bacteria growth in the mop
Floors contain bacteria that stick to the mop while mopping. Even if you use disinfectants to clean, bacteria will stick to the mop leading to odor.
- Hard water
Combination of salt from the hard water and other components like food residue, then failure to clean and dry the mop can lead to odor.
- Storing the mop in wet places
You might clean and dry your mop but store it in a wet place where it will become wet, leading to odor.
How to Get Rid of the Smell from Your Mop?
Mops can get smelly very quickly, which can be a significant problem. Luckily, there is a way to get rid of the smell instead of the mop. Here is how you can get rid of the smell from your mop.
Create a clean solution for the mop to soak in. The most recommended solution consists of one cup of white vinegar and a bucket of hot clean water. White vinegar or hydrogen peroxide is most preferred because it has no powerful smell. Moreover, you should avoid using powerful cleaners to clean your mop.
Dip the mop in the solution and give it a few minutes to soak the disinfectant. Wring the mop and rinse it with clean water as many times as possible till the water is clear. When the mop is clean, leave it in the sun to completely dry and store it in a clean, dry place.
If the mop is washing machine safe, put it in the machine after rinsing its head in the sink to remove the big pieces and subject it to the hottest temperature. Store it in a dry place.
How Do You Prevent the Mop from Smelling?
We have observed that the mops smell due to our negligence. Therefore, if you take the necessary measures, your mop can never smell. Below are the measures.
Clean the mop thoroughly after every use to get rid of the bacteria using the above method, but if it is safe for the washing machine, clean it with the hottest settings.
Allow the mop to dry in the sun completely. Storing the mop while wet or in a damp place creates a conducive environment for bacteria to thrive, encouraging the odor.
Store it properly in a clean, dry place.
Why Does My Floor Smell After Mopping?
Do you notice a smell from the floor after mopping? Sometimes the floor can produce odor after scouring due to various reasons why your floor smell.
Smelling mop
One of the common reasons why your floor might smell after mopping is cleaning it with a smelling mop. If your mop is smelling and you use it to clean your floor, the floor will remain with the odor.
Source of water
The water you use to clean could be contaminated and leave the smell on the floor, making the floor smell even after washing.
Humidity
If the humidity in the house is high or the floor stays wet due to water leakage or whatever reason, the floor will start to smell, especially if it is a wooden one. For wooden floors, if you try to clean them with clean water and disinfectants and leave it to dry and it persists, you will have to change the floor.
Cleaning Tips to Stop and Prevent the Floor from Smelling
It is pretty easy to stop and prevent your floor from smelling with these common tips.
- Use a clean and non-smelling mop.
- Use clean hot water with vinegar or other bleach substances to eliminate the germs from the floor and rinse with clean water.
- Use fresheners after cleaning.
- After cleaning, give the floor time to dry
- Trace the source of the odor.
FAQs
- Why does my mop smell like fish?
Public water sources use chloramine compounds to disinfect water. The compound consists of ammonia and chlorine, and unfortunately, ammonia can lead to a fishy smell.
- Why does my mop smell like feet?
Hard water contains sulfur contaminants that can make your mop smell like feet when continuously used with bleaches.
Conclusion
A smelly mop, for various reasons, can lead to health problems that might lead to severe problems or even death for those with other immune issues. However, you can prevent these problems if you keep your mop in good condition and clean after every use.
