KEY PRO TIPS
-
-
- Wet does not equal clean! More soap and water does not mean you are cleaning more effectively.
- Always use the Napkin Test to see if your floors are clean.
-
KEY PRO TIPS
Do you know what the key to mopping your floors is? Most cleaners believe that they know how to mop a floor, just add more soap and that is the answer to all their cleaning problems. According to MaidPro's Chief Cleaning Officer, Melissa Homer, this couldn't be further from the truth. If you want to know the best way to mop your floors, see what Melissa Homer has to say on the subject. She teaches you
Read below and start cleaning like a pro today!
Contrary to what many out there believe, soap does not make more room in water or mops! The only thing soap does is lift dirt and oil into water, making them suspend (aka float) in the water by using the power of something called surfactants. Surfactants have a hydrophilic (water-loving) tail and a hydrophobic (water-hating) head and look like chemical sperm, no really! The head sticks to the oil and dirt and the tail pulls it up into the water. The longer dirt sits in soapy water the more covered it becomes with little surfactants, till it is coated on all sides. This is why when you pour dirty rinse water into a sink, the dirt does not stick to the sink and slides down the drain instead.
The water you use when mopping, whether it be on the floor, in your mop pad, or in your mop bucket will eventually get saturated with dirt. Adding to the problem, the mop pad you use when mopping will eventually get saturated with soapy water as well, often well before the water is saturated with dirt. At either of these fail points no extra amount of soap will be able to lift dirt into water or force more water into the mop pad, meaning you will just be smearing dirty water around. What this also means is that if you don't properly absorb all the soapy water on the floor, you aren't removing all of the dirt and soap residue and it may then form streaks on your floor (if you have laminate floors check out this guide on how to safely deep clean laminate floors without streaks)
Many cleaners spray a ton of floor soap, believing "wet equals clean." Thinking that wet equals clean, they then forget to rinse out their mop pad, resulting in a mop pad that is fully saturated with dirty water. Continuing to use the mop pad on the floor leads to smearing dirt, not lifting it. The end result, dirty water dries back onto the floor.
Many cleaners, when they encounter a very dirty or porous floor, correctly spray more floor soap to capture the higher dirt load, but forget to increase their rinsing to match the increased soap and soils. Rinsing out their mop pad at standard intervals, instead of checking to see that their mop is full faster than usual, results in an excess of dirty water being left on the floors.
Follow these simple washing instructions to ensure your microfiber mops continue to clean and absorb great without fail!
Despite best efforts, some floors are beyond the reach of standard mopping. Inform your manager immediately if you encounter a floor too dirty to mop well! Your manager will explain to the customer that they need a deep scouring of their floor and standard mopping will not work till all embedded dirt has been scrubbed out. Your manager will send you or a coworker with a motorized scrubbing tool (like the MotorScrubber or Oreck Orbiter ) to deep clean the floor so that it can be mopped normally going forward.
The basic steps of a motorized scrubbing tool deep scour are:
To mop your floors use a microfiber mop system! They are easy-to-use because you don't need a bucket or extra equipment. They are lightweight and microfiber is much better at picking up dirt and absorbing water compared to cotton alternatives. Plus, microfiber cleans great with just waters, so you don't even need chemical cleaners.
To mop a floor properly with microfiber mop start with a dust mop to collect dust and larger debris, then switch to a microfiber wet mop pad for a deeper clean! When mopping make sure to adjust the handle so that it’s right under your chin. Start mopping by working your way backwards by starting in the furthest corner of the room and work your way towards the door in a figure eight motion so that the leading edge moves forward and you are able to collect large debris.
Melissa Homer is a professional cleaning expert with over 20 years experience in the commercial and residential cleaning industry. She is a highly trained cleaning professional, business consultant, and educator that specializes in cleaning product testing and research, premium surface care, cleaning safety, cleaning procedure efficiency, training documentation, and cleaning damage repair. Melissa has worked for some of the biggest names in the professional residential cleaning industry, including P&G Professional and MaidPro. She has been interviewed and quoted in numerous leading publications such as Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, Consumer Reports, Better Homes & Gardens, U.S. News & World Report, and The Washington Post.
The Buff™ Pro Multi-Surface 16x16 Microfiber Towels are a game-changer. These towels are more durable, more absorbent, and heavier than other all-p...
View full detailsGet ready to clean like a pro with our Microfiber Wet Mop Pads. Trusted by cleaning professionals, these pads are the most effective and efficient ...
View full detailsGet professional cleaning results with our Microfiber Mop System! This kit includes everything you need to clean hard surface floors, including 18"...
View full detailsEnter your discount code here
✔️ Discount code found, it will be applied at checkout.
Discount code cannot be applied to the cart. Restrictions may apply or the cart may not contain the correct items to use this discount.
Please provide a valid discount code.
Discount code cannot be combined with the offers applied to the cart.