zeeky
New Member
Joined: August 2008
Posts: 38
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Post by zeeky on Sept 6, 2008 12:02:05 GMT -5
Don't laugh at me; I'm serious.
I've been working on my kitchen (like I did with the living room -- bit by bit by (rancid, smelly, horrible) bit, & I've finally dealt with the worst of the dishes (i.e. everything smelly &/or rotten is either washed or gone, so I can actually stand to spend time in here) but now I'm facing the thing that ALWAYS undoes me ... or, it always did, but NOW -- I just realized -- there are people I can ASK for HELP ... because really, how many places are there where you can admit that you really have NO IDEA how one goes about getting a tile floor clean ... especially one (like mine) that hasn't been cleaned for well over two years (though I have, on occasion, scooted a broom over it, or picked up some big chunks of stuff with my hands). I cook a lot, & I used to smoke, & my kitchen floor is really, really dirty.
But I don't know how to clean it. I know that sounds stupid, but my parents never taught me how to do anything (their technique in regards to teaching me anything consisted of two steps -- 1) Tell me to do it. 2) Beat me every time I do it wrong. Eventually, by trial & error if nothing else, I'd figure it out ... or maybe they'd just get bored with it & find something else to punish me for.
A lot of things I've learned how to do by watching other people do them ... but the problem with floors is whenever somebody starts getting ready to clean them, the first thing that person ALWAYS does is kick everybody else out of the house ... which makes sense in that you can't have people tramping around & undoing all your work & slipping in puddles of water & killing themselves, but it makes it really, really hard to learn through secret observation all the ins & outs of a sponge mop & what the mop bucket is actually FOR, & how in the heck do you rinse the soap off, & what do you do with the water afterwards? siphon hose through the window? seven thousand rolls of paper towels? It's a mystery to me, I'm totally serious!!
So, educate me, nice people. Please start at the beginning (i.e. tools & products) & proceed very slowly, using baby steps. I realize that different people will likely use different methods, & that's perfectly fine -- I don't require consistency. I just need to be able to grasp the process as a whole. Because right now, it seems like some sort of magic that I'm not privy to.
THANKS SO MUCH!!
zeeky
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Post by moggyfan on Sept 6, 2008 12:22:34 GMT -5
Okay, I'll give it a shot. Method A is for "normal" times when floor is "reasonably" clean; Method B is for times when the grunge and crud have grown completely out of control. Believe me, I've been in both situations! (Also, I'm assuming the floor is vinyl or linoleum.)
Method A
Materials needed: Broom/vacuum, bucket, mop, cleaning product (Mr. Clean or other similar)
1. Either sweep or vacuum up loose crumbs, fur, food bits, etc.
2. Fill a bucket with HOT water & Mr. Clean or some other cleaning product--I don't think it matters a whole lot which.
3. With a sponge mop, clean a smallish (maybe 3'x3' or 4'x4') area at a time. Re-dip mop in bucket, squeeze, and repeat till you've done the whole floor. Important: Work backwards towards a doorway or you'll find yourself trapped in a corner :-)
4. Let floor dry. (I guess some people might let it dry and then repeat the whole process with clear water to rinse it, but I am not one of those people).
Method B
Materials needed: Broom/vacuum, bucket, SOS pads (or similar), paper towels/sponges, plastic garbage bag
1. Sweep or vacuum floor to get rid of loose debris.
2. Fill a bucket with hot water. Have a few SOS pads and a roll of paper towels and garbage bag on hand.
3. Choose a starting point and plonk yourself down on the floor.
4. Dip SOS pad in hot water and scrub one small area (like 1'x1'). Dip paper towel or sponge in water & wipe small area clean. Deposit used paper towels in plastic garbage bag.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 till whole floor is done.
In Method B, you may need to stop periodically and refill bucket with clean water as it grunges up pretty fast.
I'm sure others may have other methods. These have worked for me. Good luck!
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masmom
New Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 32
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Post by masmom on Sept 6, 2008 12:25:35 GMT -5
Here's how I do it..... I watch my dh do it  I hate mopping floors and that is one chore that he doesn't mind doing and since he's home with the kids now and I'm working I'm happy with that  . His technique is really similar to mine. One small section at a time. First declutter the floor and sweep the loose stuff up. We then get a bucket of soapy water (we use Dawn) and a sponge and put water on the floor and wipe the dirt and stuff up with the sponge. After that we use an old towel and dry that section off and then move on to the next section. We have never been successful in finding a mop that does the job. |
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Post by Script on Sept 6, 2008 13:14:31 GMT -5
This is how I clean my floor NOW;
*first: I vacuum it
*I have never EVER ever swept a floor: too hard on my hands
*if I vacuum it regularly (twice-three times weekly) it can stay 'clean looking' for a loooong time
*then I get a Veleda mop and bucket and mop it.
*with water and vinegar or water and gentle floor soap.
That's it. I now do this whole thing semi-regularly (at least monthly; during better healthy periods, weekly)
Here is how I USED TO clean a floor:
*do nothing for weeks
*or maybe months
*wring hands and moan
*finally get around to vacuuming it
*moan some more
*scrub on hands and knees
*curse, swear, sweat
*rub knees which are now sore
*promise myself that I will do this more often
*don't do this more often (memory of sore knees)
*do nothing for weeks
*or maybe months
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Post by Chris on Sept 6, 2008 13:24:35 GMT -5
Hi Zeeky,
What kind of floor do you have? Do you have ceramic tile? I don't know much about ceramic tile but I do know about vinyl and linoleum flooring. Not that I'm an expert but I will tell you what I know that has worked for me at home and in other homes I've cleaned.
Materials needed:
Broom/dustpan and/or vacuum
Bucket
Mop
Pinesol (or something similar)
Sponge scrubby pad (sponge on one side, scrubby on the other) - get the one that says gentle or safe for pots and pans)
Rags (towel type best)
SOS pads (optional but really helps)
Knee pad or a towel to put under your knees
Straight razor for scraping up stuck on stuff.
Step one - get everything off the floor that isn't stuck on by sweeping, and or vacuuming. If possible move out the chairs and trash can and anything small that is on the floor into a nearby room.
Step two - fix warm water and pine sol in a bucket. I use about 1/2 a cup of pinesol and a gallon or two of warm water.
Step three - mop and see how much comes up
Step four - let floor dry then get something to put under your knees and get on hands and knees (important to protect your knees) to use SOS pad/or scrubby pad and or rag to scrub off stuck on goo and spots. Use the straight razor blade scraper (can find a little plastic holder one in Walmart or Walgreens or Ace Hardware) to get off stuck on stuff -- hold it flat so it won't harm the floor. Paper towel is useful to pick up the scraped gunk as you go so it won't readhere to the floor in a new place. Rags work too but are more messy.
Step five - Dump water either outside (if possible) or in sink (make sure you have a basket type strainer to catch the icky stuff don't let it go down the drain).
Step six - Prepare new warm water and pinesol and do a final mopping. If you need/want to you can start by scrubbing the baseboards along the edge of the floor/wall with a rag as this will greatly improve the looks of the room. Walls may need to be wiped down too and cupboards. When I do this I usually use one final clean bucket of water/pinesol to finish the final mopping afterward.
Step seven - dump final water, rinse mop and wring it out to hang dry (I use a cotton rag type mop).
Notes: You can use a variety of stuff other than what I've listed here to clean with. Use what you do have! You can use Clorox softscrub which is excellent at getting off stains and so on. I avoid regular Clorox cause I hate the smell of the fumes but many people use it in the mop water to boost cleaning power. I stick mainly with milder cleansers because I am so allergic to fumes (sinus trouble) and I rely more on scrubbing than harsh chemicals. My mother used to use ammonia to clean with and it nearly killed me.
Oh and I'd never never laugh. I have to have step by step info on anything new I try. I can't handle regular recipes because they don't say exactly what to do. I don't know if anything here will be helpful but hopefully something will. Good luck to you and I hope you get a lot of replies because I want to learn more too. I have been on the phone with my son while writing so there may already be replies now that I have not seen yet.
Best of luck to you!
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Post by DJ on Sept 6, 2008 16:08:26 GMT -5
i'm going to tell you my really *** and really easy way to have imperfectly clean but presentable floors at all times... ok. here we go....
every morning when i do maintenance, 'cause yeah, that's where i'm mostly at now... ok.. be afraid.. here's the process..
i stick a wet swiffer cloth on my wet swiffer cleaner and run it over the floor.
ok. that was it. it takes about 2 minutes, 120 seconds..
sometimes it doesn't get up every spot on the floor. but i'm just going to do it again the next day. so whatever.
it doesn't get the corners and against the walls perfect either... but hey, if someone's down there inspecting or decides to lick the crevices in my kitchen.. well they have bigger problems than my floors.
it leaves the floors presentable, clean, smelling nice. and i don't go bonkers cleaning.. i've got perfectionist tendencies so it's sort of important for me to just call it good enough sometimes and not take pride in being obsessive and spending all my time making something perfectly clean that really.. i'm just going to have to do all over again, and fairly soon at that.
when the floors were really gross and i wanted to get them clean so i could maintain i'd
sweep
throw a hot rag with cleaner of choice and seriously, how much does it really matter? use something viciously caustic if you want to sacrifice your lungs in the name of clean, use something by mrs meyers and feel ecologically friendly and have a pleasant odor.. for the most part you want the hot and the damp and the rest makes you feel good.. walk away, come back 15 or 30 minutes later and scrub for a few minutes at what comes up. you can use a bristled scrub brush, an old diaper, a rag, a sock you have lost the mate for, again.. it's all just variations and if anyone's going to complain... they probably need to find something else to do.. and repeat til the nasty spots are gone.
if i wanted to get them really clean to have a fresh start after i got the worst spots i'd get a bucket of hot water and some old rags and yeah, i'd scrub it on my hands and knees with hot water, some cleaner and rags.. but if it doesn't come up with a wipe, it just gets a hot rag thrown on it and i walk away til i finish my cup of tea or whatever and come back.
life's too short to scrub things that can soak away. set a timer if you think you'll forget. i just use old terry cloth rags, old towels i use for cleaning.. and i scrub with one towel and wipe up with another and toss those into a garbage bag as they get grody/soaked and when i'm done huck them into the washing machine and let them soak for 15 or 20 minutes with some oxyclean before i let the wash cycle actually start.
whatever.. but you're a grown adult, you can of course get all the support, suggestions and help that you want here.. but i figure what you need to hear most is.. no one's going to yell at you for however you decide to do it, and god forbid.. no one here is going to come and find you and hit you over it.. and if all you can handle is sweeping up over the icki sticky whatever they are like floors.. you're still going to get a gigantic cheer from people. you're doing good. and you're working on it.. you've got a ton of people telling you an equal number of different ways you can do it.. but seriously.. you're ok however you do it. you're doing wonderful. and everyone's proud eh? as always, ignore me if i'm too obnoxious
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Post by butterflyrider on Sept 6, 2008 16:25:59 GMT -5
I have one of those swiffer mop things, and I like it. But I forget to buy the pads to put on the bottom. One day I went to put a new pad on, and they were all gone. I stuck a washcloth on the bottom, tucked it into the slots on the top and it worked great. I can put any kind of cleaner on it, or just use it wet and when I am through, I just toss it in the washing machine.
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Post by angelinahedgehog on Sept 6, 2008 16:29:21 GMT -5
I would NOT use an SOS pad on the floor, unless the floor is brick or slate. If it's vinyl or wood, it'll scratch the surface and make it easier for more crud to build up.
For quick moppings after sweeping, I do this:
1. Get a spray bottle, some water, some liquid cleaner (ammonia, dish detergent, whatever), a swiffer, and an old wash cloth.
2. Mix the water and a LITTLE cleaner in the spray bottle. (Really. Just a little. Like 1:10 for the ammonia or a tiny squirt for the dish detergent.)
3. Dampen the washcloth, put it on the swiffer.
4. Spray floor, mop with swiffer. Repeat. If the washcloth gets dirty, remove it, rinse it, and replace it.
If there's stuff stuck on the floor, I will use a mesh scrubber or a plastic putty knife to remove it. Lots of water, blot it up.
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zeeky
New Member
Joined: August 2008
Posts: 38
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Post by zeeky on Sept 6, 2008 17:49:44 GMT -5
THANKS SO MUCH EVERYBODY!!
I cannot begin to tell you how helpful these posts are to me. MY KITCHEN FLOOR FILTH IS TREMBLING IN MY PRESENCE!! I am God.
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Post by DJ on Sept 6, 2008 18:01:47 GMT -5
i had a very frank herbert dune series moment.. if you've read the trilogy... if not. well. it's a pretty ----- fierce image  hooah! |
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Post by BDG on Sept 6, 2008 19:08:10 GMT -5
Mop bucket/mop Hot water, not boiling but hot enough to barely put hands in. bleach approx. 1 cup laundry detergent approx. 1 cup dip clean mop in and wring out loosely soap a three - four foot area, mopping back and forth until the floor is clean, rinse mops several times if necessary and then rinse until it is satisfactory, rinse last time with tightly wrung mop to dry up water and let air dry. start on next section, empty and use clean water serveal times if necessary. Be careful wet tile is slippery. The bleach will help clean the grout too. Once you get done, look for simple ways and tools to clean on a regular basis that you like. I use a clorox mop for little spills (cheap refill is 1.00 window washing stuff from dollar store), day to day and a a scooba, but even after getting the scooba I have had times, due to illness, that I had let my floor get bad and wanted to clean the floor the old fashioned way. but the scooba would have done just fine the old fashioned stuff is just in my head, thanks Mom.  |
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Post by keepinitklean on Sept 6, 2008 19:30:40 GMT -5
Here is how i do mine when really icky (works well for linoleum or tile): Equipment: 1 broom and dust pan 1 mop bucket 1 bottle spray cleaner: i use pin sol brand since i use pine sol floor cleaner 2-3 really old but clean towels: I use medium sized bath towels 1 small hand scrub brush: I get mine at the local walmart located hanging above the kitchen sponges Hot from tap water Pine sol 1 mop of your choice sponge or string type 1 laundry basket for dirty towels I also have a towel to pad my knees. For Cleaning the Floor: 1. Pickup all large objects and sweep. (I remove my kitchen chairs and table to another room to make this process easier) Note: I have fur babies so i also use a swiffer dry cloth to remove the fur from floor before hand. 2. select a area about 2 by 2 feet to scrub or the largest area you can reach comfortably to scrub at a time. 3. (Optional) Spray Grimmy parts of square with spray cleaner. Let set a minute or two. 4. Fill bucket with 2 to 3 gallons of hot water and add 1/2 cup pine sol. 8. Get down on floor by area to be scrubbed. Dip Scrub brush in mop bucket and then scrub pretreated area throughly. 6. Wipe down scrubbed area with towel. 7. Repeat process as many times as it takes to clean the whole floor. 8. Be sure to switch out towel as it gets dirty and wet, placing towels in laundry basket. 9. Dump Dirty water either down the toilet (if nothing chunky in there) or dump in backyard away from the house (if Chunky). 10. (Optional) Get clean mop bucket of hot water. Using mop Go over floor with wet clean mop to finish. 11. Throw towels into wash 12. Admire floor then have a cup of tea and relax. For maintenance i use a Clorox Mop thing. It has pads and a liquid it squirts out. Just squirt liquid and run pad over floor and your done. I Hope this helps Zeeky |
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Sept 6, 2008 20:46:04 GMT -5
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Important safety info (not just for floors).
NEVER mix bleach AND ammonia.
Check ALL the ingredients of WHATEVER products you buy and make sure you don't mix a bleach-containing item with an ammonia-containing item.
Read all labels. Many things contain either of those chemicals. You'd be surprised.
When mixed together, ammonia and chlorine bleach give off fumes dangerous fumes that you might not detect ... and you could pass out.
Generally, you won't need strong chemicals.
If you find that whatever soap you're using isn't working, it's best to let the surface be thoroughly rinsed and dried and ventilated for a day... before trying something else.
Ventilation is always a good idea.
But ... the hot cloth idea is miraculous! Just wet a towel -- with WATER ONLY -- and put it in the microwave, get it steaming hot. . Then lay the hot wet towel on top of the difficult spots ... and walk away. Come back a half hour later, peel up the towel, and the spots will be easy to wipe up. No chemicals needed.
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Post by crazycatlady on Sept 6, 2008 21:07:33 GMT -5
I always made a huge deal of mopping, including removing EVERYTHING off the floor - chairs, rugs, etc. I even move the table and portable dishwasher to one side, and mop the other side, then move them back. In this way every inch of my floor was scrubbed. I have been known to use a toothbrush to clean crevices. I would do this about once every 6 to 24 months.  This is a crazy way to clean - don't do it!
But now I have a housekeeper who comes every two weeks. Once I asked her if she wanted me to move the chairs for her, and she said that she just moves each one, and mops under it. She also follows behind the mop by drying with a rag on a swiffer, so any moisture is removed, along with the final bit of dirt. She does not pick up the rug to clean under it (heavy rubber backed rug), nor does she pick up the tray with the pet food and water bowls on it.
My method used to take hours, and I am inclined to go ahead and mop the bathroom and laundry room while I'm at it. Now this lovely lady makes quick work of the job, and does it every two weeks! I think quick is definitely the way to go!
The first time, cleaning a very icky floor, even if you use the boiling water on rags, some ick might be left. My rule of thumb for scrubbing icky messes is to use 10 swipes. So if 10 quick swipes won't clear the ick, the ick stays. You will clean it again, and maybe the next time it will come a little cleaner.
Go, Zeeky, go!
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glorianna
New Member
Joined: July 2008
Posts: 42
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Post by glorianna on Sept 6, 2008 22:31:55 GMT -5
My Mom puts a bit of Clorox softscrub or Mr. Clean or just about any cleaner on the floor. Plops a wet towel (dishtowel size) on the floor and uses her barefoot to scrub the floor and swipe it all around. She occasionally rinses the towel out in the sink. She often does this while talking on the phone or chatting with one of us kids. She's always had a spotless kitchen floor and great looking legs for a 72 year old lady. |
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