The Humble Mop

Hi There,

Can you believe February's nearly over already and the days are getting longer and brighter.

I bet you have not given much thought to the use of a cleaning MOP, or even what is the best mop to use when cleaning. Perhaps this weeks blog will help.

 Which Mop Should I Use?

Wet Mops - Generally used for cleaning soiled hard floors, wooden, tiled, terrazzo, amtico or other brands. They are used with a liquid solution to clean the dirt. Wet mops are usually made of cotton or a cotton rayon blend. Wet Mops come in different forms, a microfiber flat mop, or as a looped or cut end mop (these are the shaggy variety used with a bucket).

Microfiber (which are the type used by Pristine Home) mops are great for residential use or for areas that need quick and constant cleaning.  Microfiber mops can be easily thrown into the washing machine after each use.  These mops are generally colour coded blue for wet mop and white for microfiber dry mopping.

The shaggy looped or cut end mop (which was patented in the US 1893) is still very popular when used with a mop bucket and squeezing mechanism. Looped end mops are probably the most common wet mop used today.  The looped ends on the mop give it extra surface area allowing it to hold more liquid and cover more of the floor with one wipe. The looped ends on the mop also will make it unlikely that the mop will fray or unravel.  Some of these mops are washable and can be cleaned and reused countless times.  Cut end mops on the other hand are great for cleaning spills, home use or as a disposable mop head. These mops will usually fray and unravel over time and are not recommend for machine washing as the strands will tangle in the washing machine.

Sponge Mops - Used in residential applications to clean up in tight and small areas.  Compact and easy to store.  Some sponge mops use sponge refills that can easily be replaced.  Sponge mops use a lever system to wring out the sponge.

Floor Finish Mops - Used for applying floor finish when recoating floors with wax or floor finish.  A finish mop is used because of its non-linting properties.  Floor mops are mostly made of rayon or a rayon and nylon blend.  A good finish mop should distribute the floor finish or wax evenly on the floor without lint becoming embedded in the floor finish which  cannot be removed unless you apply wax stripper.

So now to cleaning - You will need

• Mop
• Mop bucket
• Floor cleaner
•  Fill the mop bucket with cold water and the correct amount of floor cleaner stirring solution to get proper dilution. Check instructions on the bottle for the dilution rates, it may vary depending on the cleaning fluid used.
•  Now put your mop into the solution and then wring out any excess water with a wringer or by hand or using the mop lever on a sponge mop.
• Start working in the corner furthest away from the door, cleaning a section at a time with a figure of eight motion. Use the same leading edge of the mop no matter what direction you drag the mop. Going backwards and forwards only spreads the grime and does not collect it in the mop.
• Rinse the mop in the bucket regularly so as to clean the mop and get fresh cleaning solution. If you have a large or very dirty floor you may need to get fresh solution to clean the whole floor.
•  When the floor is complete then empty out the soiled solution into a sink or toilet. Wash and rinse the mop in cold water and refill the bucket with cold water only.
•  Now repeat the moping just as before but this time with water only, making sure to ring out the mop so it is damp and not saturated. You again may need to refill the bucket with fresh water if the floor is larger. This process is to remove any cleaning solution that has been left. This is the critical process in floor cleaning because cleaning solution will remain on your floor otherwise and leave it sticky and unclean.
• For a wooden floor it is now necessary to go over the floor with a dry mop to remove any moisture. Wooden floors left wet will eventually warp .
•  Now empty and clean the bucket and most importantly clean your mop. Replace any damaged mops with a new one. Only a clean mop can clean a dirty floor.
• A few pointers while mopping would be to cover a small area at a time working in squares from the corner to the exit door thus covering the whole area.  Also remember your back, this is hard work, so bend your knees and do not lean on the mop.

The MOP Fair

An old custom or fair that prevailed in towns and villages across England in the 1700’s.This is where labourers who were looking for employment attended the Fair dressed in their Sunday best and carrying an item signifying their trade. A servant with no particular skills would carry a mop head. The 'tassle' worn on their lapel was the emblem of the employee's trade was known as a 'mop' — hence the phrase The MOP Fair.

This in fact was a hiring fair that happened around October of each year or the end of the harvest.  Michaelmas Day was celebrated on the 29th September but Mop Fairs were tied to the seasons and the harvest, not the calendar. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted in 1752 and eleven days dropped from that year events associated with the end of the harvest moved eleven days later to 10 October. This date is known as "Old Michaelmas Day" and since has been the date Mop Fairs take place and can still be found today.

And finally

According to John Lennon

“Life is what happens when you are making other plans."  

So if you want to live life then Pristine Home would love to help you with all or any of your home cleaning needs, outside or inside your home, and this will ensure that not only is your home kept neat and tidy on a regular basis but will leave you time for life. Please call  1890252309 or info@pristine.ie  or visit our web site and avail of our many cleaning services. Let us do the planning and leave you the time for yourself.

Looking forward to hearing from you       Diana