There’s nothing more satisfying than living in a house that always has a shiny clean floor and smells nice, right? Nobody deserves to come home after a long day at work and not be able to take off their shoes because the floor is dirty.
But to take advantage of this liberating moment, you need to know why your floor remains dirty after mopping and work on it accordingly. There are various reasons why your floor remains dirty after cleaning.
Why Is My Floor Still Dirty After I Mop?
The first reason might be that you did not rinse your mop properly, making the dirt remain stuck on it.
The second is water overflow while cleaning, which leaves a layer of dirt on your floor.
Thirdly, the culprit might be failing to vacuum the floor before mopping it.
Why Is My Floor Still Dirty after Steaming Mopping?
A steam vacuum cleaner is a precious piece of equipment to help clean the house. With it, you can remove dust and dirt or clean the surfaces.
However, during the cleaning phases, serious mistakes are often made that can undermine all the efforts made or, worse, cause damage to the home.
Suppose this is so for the most old-fashioned and traditional cleaning methods. In that case, steam cleaning requires some other resource that allows you to obtain impeccable results without great efforts or sacrifices.
Here are reasons why your floor may remain dirty after steam mopping;
1. Not cleaning the filter often
Forgetting to clean the vacuum cleaner filter is undoubtedly one of the most serious mistakes that can be made.
Cleaning the filter is essential not only for the suction function to work properly but also for the good results in hygiene and cleanliness in the house.
Cleaning the filters is not that complicated: in most cases, just run them under tap water and let them dry. You should do this regularly to preserve the performance of your steam cleaner to serve you for as long as possible.
2. Not using the proper accessories
Each steam cleaner model is accompanied by a series of very useful accessories, specifically designed to make cleaning certain surfaces easier and more effective.
One of the things that can make your floor look dirty after steaming mopping is not using proper accessories.
For example, brushes for delicate floors, carpets, upholstery, or even suction nozzles are useful for vacuuming dust and other residues from hard surfaces.
3. Failure to remove dust and dirt before steam cleaning
Before cleaning floors, the best advice is to first remove dirt and dust.
When using a steam vacuum cleaner, it is necessary to first pass the vacuum to remove the most important dirt and then finish by activating the steam and vacuum to clean and dry the surfaces. In this way, you will guarantee better results.
Why Is Your Floor Still Dirty after Swiffer?
While a Swiffer is a great tool for everyday cleaning (especially if you vacuum first), don’t use it if there’s a lot of dirt or other debris on your floors. Here is why your floor may still be dirty after Swiffer;
1. Not vacuuming first
The Swiffer pads will better pick up dirt on the floor when the larger dust bunnies are out of the way, so a quick pick-up or vacuuming job beforehand can help your mop get a more powerful punch.
2. Quick cleaning
Cleaning quickly often means doing it superficially and with little attention to hygiene. If time is short, the best way to clean is to choose just one room to be thoroughly cleaned, rather than poorly cleaning the entire house.
3. Cleaning the floor wrongly
When cleaning a surface following the horizontal direction, you move the dirt back and forth. Try to form an S or a Z while cleaning the floor for the best results.
Dirty Floor Problems after Mopping
Floors give a beautiful and refined touch to the house or apartment, but above all, it provides comfort and a more pleasant environment.
This is the case when they are cleaned properly without leaving any dirt. Due to one reason or another, your floor might still remain dirty after mopping it. Here are some problems while mopping and how to fix them;
Why Is the mop just pushing the dirty around?
1. Failure to rinse the dirt out of the mop
You may find your mop pushing the dirt around because you did not rinse the dirt out of the mop while mopping. This will just make the floor wet while pushing the dirt around. A mop can’t hold much as you mop, and it gets full of dirt, leaving the others on the floor.
2. Incorrect mopping
Another cause might be you are not mopping correctly by pushing dirt rather than removing it. You have to wring water out in the bucket frequently as you mop to dilute the dirt on your mop in the water. If the water is too dirty, you have to change the water.
Why is the floor greasy after mopping?
1. Stubborn leftover residue
Some residues are more challenging to remove from the floor than others. For instance, cleaning after spilling soft drinks is quite hard than removing some other liquids.
When you go with the regular way of mopping tiles, the chances are that you won’t thoroughly clean the place. This case is the same for liquids that aren’t water.
So, you have to ensure you mop thoroughly and several times to remove the stains.
2. Wrong cleaning techniques
The issue might also be incorrect cleaning. You might be handling the problem the wrong way, like:
Using the incorrect cleaning product. You have to ensure you use the correct floor cleaning products since the wrong product can do more harm than good.
Using too much cleaning product is a common misconception that people think they will get cleaner floors. But, in the long run, leading to the leftover residue that’s harder to clean.
Dirty cleaning water. While mopping, always be mindful of how dirty the water becomes inside the bucket. Using dirty water while mopping will transfer dirt on the floor, thus messing your floors.
Why is the floor still sticky after mopping?
Your floor might still be sticky after mopping due to two reasons. One is that you have used a lot of cleaners and the sticky substance is from the leftover residue, and two is that you have used the incorrect cleaner for the flooring type.
So, you must ensure you use a good amount of cleaner which will not leave residue on the floor and use the proper cleaner for your type of floor.
Best Ways to Prevent Dirty Floor When Moping
The floor gets dirty after mopping because you use the wrong cleaning process on the particular floor type. Below are different floors and cleaning tricks to avoid your floor remaining dirty after mopping.
1. Wood Floors
Start by sweeping or dusting the floors well. After that, use the right amount of cleaning detergent. You can use a few drops of dish soap or vinegar and 4 cups of warm water. Don’t shake, but just mix gently and mop in small sections at a time.
2. Tile Floors
We have various tiles used for floorings, such as marble, stone, ceramic, etc. These tiles contain minerals content in each, and thus, you have to remember the following every time you mop.
Do not use acidic components like vinegar which might damage the tiles
Use a neutral cleaner like detergent soaps and mild water while cleaning.
3. Hardwood Floors
Dirt on the hardwood floors after cleaning is due to using the incorrect type of cleaning product. Some floor cleaners have additives and chemicals which can put residue on the floors.
The trick to preventing dirt from remaining on hardwood floors is to use a runner first in the hallways. This will remove any dirt and debris on the floors which might get into the hardwood.
Besides, you also have to use the right cleaning agent. You can mix warm water and vinegar in the right quantity, and your floor will be spotlessly clean.
4. Laminate Floors
Water cleaning isn’t advisable on laminate floors since it can seep through spaces and destroy the wood layer. When you’ve laminate floors, then try to do the following while mopping;
Usage of less water when cleaning. Do this by placing the mop underwater, then rinse to make it damp and mop correctly.
Use less acidic contents to clean the floor. The acidic substance may destroy the laminate’s finish and make it look like it still has dirt on it.
5. Vinyl Plank Floors
The vinyl floors are great water-resistant and good for long time usage. But, it’s hard to clean vinyl floors with only water.
Use the correct cleaning product on the vinyl floor to prevent dirt from remaining on the floor. It’s advisable to use high-quality vinegar or apple cider vinegar since they will cut through the oils effectively.
Use damp mops to clean the vinyl floors. A wet mop will allow water to go through the planks to remove all dirt.
FAQ
1. How many times should you mop the floor?
You should mop your floor frequently, like 2 times a day.
Conclusion
You may have often cleaned your floor, but it remains dirty. The answer to “why is my floor still dirty after I mop” is that you might be using the wrong cleaning detergent, the wrong quantity of the cleaning detergent, or mopping it the wrong way.
So, you have to use the right cleaning product in the right quantity and mop the correct way.
