VACUUM OR DUST MOP HARDWOOD FLOORS

I’ve spoken to several customers over the years who have mentioned that they vacuum hard wood floors before they wet mop. I’ve asked many of them why they don’t dust mop the floors. Usually the answer I get is that they’re just used to doing it that way. Occasionally they say that they don’t believe dust mops do an adequate job of picking up pet hair, dirt and grit. I imagine them using their upright vacuum or a small battery powered vacuum with no brush. It should go without saying that they’re not using a commercial vacuum designed for hard surface floors.

In the interest of full disclosure I have been selling dust mops my entire adult life, as did my father and my grandfather. It’s in my blood. When I clean, I use them. I can’t imagine why I somebody that doesn’t have a vacuum designed for hard surface floors wouldn’t use a microfiber dust mop. The drawbacks to using a vacuum seem obvious, I can think of three just off the top of my head:

4 Drawbacks to Vacuuming Hardwood Floors

1. Scuffing: I would worry about scuffing or possibly even scratching the floor with the vacuum. It would be almost impossible to damage a floor with a microfiber mop.
2. Spreading Dirt: It seems to me that a vacuum with a rotating brush would fling as much dirt as it would pick up. A microfiber dust mop, such as our Mojave Microfiber Dust Mop, will do a great job of collecting dust, dirt, sand and debris such as pet hair rather than flinging it. If you use the figure eight method of mopping (described here: How to mop with microfiber) you’ll quickly cover the entire floor surface will leaving nothing behind.
3. Time: It would take a longer time to vacuum than it would to dust mop. Our most popular size microfiber dust mop is 18” (and are available to sizes up to 50"), most vacuums aren’t more than 12” wide. That means the 18" dust mop would cover 50% more area than a vacuum. Also, when vacuuming most people go back and forth with it rather than continually moving forward (or backward) like you would with a dust mop.
4. Harder to Use: Vacuum cleaners are much heavier, require more maintenance, have less range of motion, and we all hate when the cord gets in the way. None of these are issues when using a microfiber dust mop! They're easy to maneuver around furniture, are much more lightweight, and glide across your floors. Watch just how easy they are to use below.

Interested In Microfiber Dust Mops?

If you’re currently using a vacuum to clean hardwood floors before wet mopping or for maintaining floors between deeper cleanings, give a microfiber dust mop a try. If you’re already using microfiber wet mop pads you can get a microfiber dust mop pad for as little as $5.48 for a 2 pack that will work with the handle and frame you already have! It's way cheaper than buying a new vacuum.