Blackswan
Banned
Joined: October 2008
Posts: 6,388
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Post by Blackswan on Nov 9, 2010 19:38:34 GMT -5
My current chore at the sober living house is cleaning the dining room.
I do not know how to mop or sweep. Please explain these things to me like you would to an alien that has never been to Earth before. From how you are supposed to hold a mop or a broom all the way up until what you do after the floor is clean.
Questions:
How do I not hurt my hands? I think I holdthe mop and broom wrong.
Do I wring out the mop after I stick it in the bucket? with my hands?
Do I stick the mop stick down on top of the mop strings for added leverage?
etc. etc. etc.
I am totally clueless, at 29 years old. I've done these things before, but never where somebody checked my work after, and I've been not passing when I get checked, and I dont really get why. Thanks for your help!
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Post by blossoming on Nov 9, 2010 19:49:05 GMT -5
okay.
most peole hold one hand towards the top ad one hand about half way down. you hold it at an angle and swsih or sweep back and forth. it does hurt to mop adn sweep, at least me.
sweep first. if you do not, you will just make mud.
put some cleaner (a capful is usally fine) in the bucket then fill up about half way with warm water. half way is so you do't spill as you move it along.
you do need to wring it out. if htat is gross, put on rubber gloves. or you can wash your hands afterwards. if you do not wring it out, you will need to wipe up the floor with towles for an hour as it will sling about three gallosn of water on the floor.
yes, you can sort of scrub the floor by pressig the stick on teh mop strings. taht is a good idea.
if an area is very dirty (i'm thinking it wont be as it's done reguarly( then you change waer severa times) but probaby you wont' need to if it's done each day.
if you want it to look extra good once you're done, go back over wtih a clean rag or paper towels, either on your knees or pushing back and forth with your foot. this will pick up stray hairs, weird splotches etc.
also, remember that you do not walk on an area you ahve just mopped so you want to go backwards as you do this. if you must walk on it which hapens sometims, then you wipe up any footprints with a rag or paper towel.
good luck. keep at it. you'll get it.
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Post by blossoming on Nov 9, 2010 19:50:56 GMT -5
ps. if you have a mop bucket iwth a roller on top, then that is to wring the mop out with and no need to use hands. but tah wold be hard to miss.
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Belle
New Member
Joined: November 2009
Posts: 24
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Post by Belle on Nov 9, 2010 19:51:20 GMT -5
If you google up the phrase "how to mop properly" interesting hints and videos come up.
I wish you luck, and to encourage you wanted to chime in and say I'm 45 years old and never could clean a floor well. And, yes I was paid for it at one time when I worked maintenance in an Air Force chow hall.
You certainly should NOT have to wring a string mop out by hand. In the old days, they always came with a bucket that had a wringer inside it.
Don't freak out. With your level of caring, you'll do an acceptable job. And with a little practice, you'll get great at it and it will go quicker.
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Post by moggyfan on Nov 9, 2010 19:52:41 GMT -5
youtube is your friend! They not only tell, they show. Here's one sample: Here's one on how to sweep a floor: If you put "how to mop (or sweep) a floor" in the search line, you'll find lots of others. Good luck! |
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Nov 9, 2010 20:04:02 GMT -5
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Post by OnTheMend on Nov 9, 2010 20:24:46 GMT -5
It's always good to remember that there is not one right way of doing most of things. Many people do think that their way is the one and only right way and all other ways are incorrect, but that is very restricted way of thinking, and incorrect to boot!
Good luck on developing your own technique, you can do it!
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Post by messymimi on Nov 9, 2010 20:33:52 GMT -5
Dear Blackswan,
First, remove anything from the floor that will get in the way. Rugs, furniture, etc. If you are sweeping a kitchen, pick the chairs up, flip them over, and balance them by the seat on the table so they are out of the way.
Next, grab the broom. A comfortable grip usually means each hand grasping it firmly but not so hard that you are left with a hand cramp, right hand on top if you are right handed, left hand if you are left handed, with a good 12 inches between your hands.
Start on one edge or corner of the room and sweep in overlapping strokes toward the center of the room, pulling it against the floor. When it gets to the end of one stroke, lift it, put it back near where you started, and sweep it toward the middle again. Each stroke should overlap the one before.
Work your way around the room, collecting the debris into a small pile, from one side of the room to the other.
Once you have it all in a pile, sweep it into a dustpan. If you try to sweep into the pan and have a line of debris that "misses", pull the dustpan back a bit and sweep toward it again. Keep doing that until you get all the debris into the dustpan, and then empty that into the trash.
If you are going to mop after that, sweep a second time, because you always miss a few crumbs, or things loosen up after you go over them a second time.
Next, to mop. Place the cleaner of your choice in a bucket and add enough warm to hot water to cover the mop head completely when you dip it in.
Dip the mop in the cleaning solution and let it fully absorb the cleaner. Wring out the mop until it is damp, not soggy. If you have a wringer built into the bucket, put the mop head in there and push down and twist to get out the excess cleaner.
Grip the mop the same way you gripped the broom, then start in one corner of the room. Move the mop in small figure 8 circles over an area, and when it begins to look dirty, dip it back in the cleaner and wring again. Then do another section of the floor.
If there is a great deal of ground in dirt, you want to leave the mop a little bit wetter, damped the floor, let it sit to loosen the dirt, and move on to the next area. Then go back and mop again, making sure you have wrung out the mop so it can pick up the extra cleaner you left down before.
Work your way around the whole floor this way. Go toward a door so you won't have to step back over an already mopped area.
When you are done, rinse the mop and bucket, and let the floor, bucket, and mop, which you have hung up, dry thoroughly.
Do yourself a favor, too, and ask the people you live with to give you some pointers. Remind them that your mom never taught you this, and they will probably be happy to show you how they do it.
messymimi
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Post by BetsyMarie on Nov 9, 2010 20:34:47 GMT -5
I did not grow up learning how to keep house and I doubt I would 'pass' sweeping and mopping either. If after trying to learn here, if you don't 'pass' again, perhaps you should explain your concerns to the person judging you. Tell her exactly what you told us, and with an open heart, ask for her guidance in how she expects it to be done. Good luck to you in your new home.  |
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Post by eagle on Nov 10, 2010 9:28:50 GMT -5
I strongly suggest watching the videos.
Re: sweeping: Get the corners, along the baseboards, under furniture & applicances as far as you can reach with the broom. Use the dustpan often & don't be afraid to bend over. After you are done, tap the broom lightly on the floor to loosen any debris that adhered to the straw and keep the dustpan clean: wipe it out with a wet paper towel or rinse it out in a utility sink.
Re: mopping: A lot depends on the kind of mop you have. Techniques with an industrial style mop are really a lot different that techniques with a swiffer type mop or a sponge-head mop.
So if those videos don't show you how to use the style of mop in your situation, look for videos more fitting to your mop.
And don't forget to ask for help from the ladies in your home. I am sure several of them do have the experience and that they could give you clear instruction.
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Post by vega on Nov 10, 2010 9:32:37 GMT -5
Best tip I ever got about sweeping came from an older lady at a restaurant I worked at: the tips of the straws do the work, not the sides of the straws, so brush lightly to let the tips work. Don't press down hard, as if to scrub, bending the broom so the sides of the straws touch the floor. This is excellent advice. One thing I've learned is that I have always tended to turn housework into WORK and it is usually best done, as cricket says, with a light touch. It may also explain why your hands are hurting. You are likely tense already and it's making you grasp the broom and mop with a death grip. Sadly, not only does that not really help with the cleaning, but due to the feedback loops in our brains, it also intensifies the feelings of tension and fear. Try to loosen up a bit and get your shoulders out of your ears (you know that thing where your shoulders creep up and all the tension goes into your arms and neck... yeah, you don't need that). Also, since these folks have already shown themselves to at least grasp the concept that you may need more help in this area than others, do question them on what you can do better. Ask what they're seeing that you are not. To those of us not long out of serious squalor any counter without a pile of dishes and any floor without trash on it looks clean. To others, things like some crumbs or a scuff mark may mean it's still dirty. That's fine. It's just a progression. Doesn't mean you're bad, or even that they're obsessive, it's just a set of standards you may need to learn to share a space with them. You might even want to mention that you watched some videos on the subject (and I really enjoyed some of those myself... is that weird, to think it's fun to watch other people clean house?) because although it might seem embarrassing to not know how, in a sober living house I would hope that being open to learning would be deemed of far greater importance than knowing how to do any particular chore. Also, the shear number of videos and instructions that can be found on the subject means you're certainly not the only one having difficulties in this area. That first "how to mop" video that moggyfan posted has been viewed over 22,000 times! That's a lot of people who don't quite know how to mop. You're in good company. |
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Post by mouseanne on Nov 10, 2010 11:39:55 GMT -5
only scanned these posts quickly, sorry if I am duplicating.
Yes, there are mop wringers for buckets, but for home tasks, I prefer a selfwringing mop.
I have a Libman and an OCedar, both the string kind. Both heads remove to launder, to use, you pull the head up into the wringer and twist. I get the mop wet, wring it out tight, then dip it back into the water about 1 inch, this is enough water on the floor to scrub with. Then I wring out, and dry the floor. Then, I wash the dirt out of the mop in the mop water & re-mop. Last swipe is with as dry a mop as I can wring it. If you let the hooks catch some strings, you can wring tighter. When I am done, dump water, rinse bucket, refill and a bit of cleaner, then I "wash" the mop in clean water. Dump & re-rinse bucket. That way the mop stays realitively cleanish. Leave the bucket clean for next use. Dont leave the sludge.
There are also self wringing sponge mops. They also sometimes have "scrub pads" on one edge.
Vega's point about holding too tight & working too hard was spot on! Pretend the tool is a dance partner. Make it fun!
hugs! girlie!
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Post by Chrysoprase on Nov 10, 2010 11:54:11 GMT -5
What sort of mop are you using?
I hate mops! I really really hate mops! I hate everything about mops. I hate how they make the floor wet. I hate the dirty mop water. I hate having to either wear socks and get my feet damp or shoes and be tracking footprints over the floor when I'm mopping. I hate the stinky smelly mop left afterwards. I just hate mops and everything to do with mopping the floor. So my methods of cleaning the kitchen floor is going to be a bit different.
So first I vacuum the kitchen floor. None of this sweeping stuff up. I hate sweeping stuff up too. As long as the floor's dry the hoover works just as well as the brush does and there's no clouds of dust in the air.
Then I get down on my hands and knees with disposal disinfectant floor wipes and I've been using those to clean the floor. No water everywhere! No mucky floor water! No soap suds everywhere! No mucky water on the floor! None of the horrors I usually have with mopping the floor.
I have a 'mop' with attachable disposal wipes which I do mean to use at some point. It's definitely more expensive than doing things the normal way but anything that gets my floor clean is a good thing I think.
Look at the various methods and then do whatever one works best for you. There's no right and wrong as long as you get it clean at the end.
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Post by penguinectomy on Nov 11, 2010 17:59:57 GMT -5
OMG, how awesome to be in a place where I don't have to feel stupid for needing to hear this. And how nice to realize that there are other people like me for whom this is actually a difficult thing.  |
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Post by ClutterBlind on Nov 12, 2010 13:45:33 GMT -5
If the sober living house has a string mop, don't they also have a mop wringer around somewhere, too? You shouldn't be needing to wring the strings out with your hand. Perhaps someone took the wringer off the bucket and placed it somewhere else and you just need to look for it and place it back on the bucket. It should look like any of these: www.grainger.com/Grainger/mop-wringers/ecatalog/N-cqp/Ntt-mop+wringer |
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