Mopping with dirty water usually causes that buildup and dirty appearance, even though it was just mopped. Dirt is added to a mop bucket each time the mop is dunked into the water, if you don't change the water you are just transferring the dirt and grime around the floors through the dirty water.
Avoid Using Too Much Soap
Soap only lifts dirt and oil into water, making them suspend in water. Therefore, the more soap you use, the more your mop gets saturated with dirt. So, if you do not remove all the soapy water from the floor, the dirt remains, forming streaks on the floor.
Dirty hard surface floors are usually caused by the environment, an overuse of chemicals, and a large volume of traffic.
Mix one gallon of hot water, one cup of vinegar, and a few drops of dish soap. Mop the floor with the solution, using the scrub brush to remove stubborn dirt, or in high-traffic areas. Once the entire floor has been cleaned, mop once more using clean water to remove any remaining traces of baking soda or soap residue.
Floors often look streaky after mopping without vacuuming immediately beforehand. Vacuuming one day and then mopping the next allows dust to settle on the floor, along with any dirt tracked in on peoples' shoes, and both will turn to muddy streaks when mopped.
Final Verdict. Our top pick for the best overall laminate floor cleaner is Bona Hard-Surface Floor Cleaner for its expert approval, quick drying time, and impressive cleaning power. For those who prefer an effective cleaner with plant-based and eco-friendly ingredients, we recommend AspenClean Natural Floor Cleaner.
For a deep clean, probably every week or so, mix 6-7 drops of a mild detergent (dish soap is usually fine) with one gallon of warm or hot water. Use the mixture to dampen a mop, and clean the floor in sections. Make sure the mop is damp and not dripping wet, since standing water can damage linoleum.
To put it simply, you should mop when the floor looks dirty. For small households, this may be every other week; for households with kids and pets, it may be once a week or more.
Favorites include pine oil mixed with water for disinfecting properties or a simple mixture of water and vinegar and lemon for that clean smell. There are many different types of mops that pros use, such as the sponge mop or a traditional cotton string style mop.
At this point, your floor should now be quite clean, with little or no detergent residue left. But for an extra cleaning step, you can mop over the entire floor a final time using nothing but fresh hot rinse water. If your rinse water gets at all dirty or sudsy, you will know the final rinse has been necessary.
Vacuum, dust or wipe with a lightly dampened mop – never use soap-based detergents, as they can leave a dull film on the floor, and avoid over-wetting. Don't use wax polish either, as this will make the floor slippery. To remove marks and stains, use a dilute solution of water and vinegar.
To keep your house clean, you may want to consider mopping with two buckets. Keep plain water for rinsing in one bucket and detergent in the other bucket. Start with the detergent bucket, mop the floor, and then dip the dirty mop into the rinsing bucket.
Fabuloso® Professional can be used with a sponge or a mop. Mix 2 ounces in a gallon of water to remove grease, grime and dirt.
Floor Mopping
Mild dish soap is a surprisingly good floor cleaner. All you need is 1 to 2 tablespoons of dish soap mixed in with a bucket of water. Floors will be clean and shiny in no time. Dish soap is very effective on resilient floorings, such as linoleum and vinyl, and also works well on ceramic tile.
Playing it Safe
In this case, we recommend giving your floors sweep and mop sessions once a week. Dust and dirt can accumulate over time if no one is going in and out of different rooms. Use a day off or the weekend to sweep floors so that your floors don't absorb this material and lose its prime condition.
Since vinegar is an acid, it will actually break down the finish on the surface of your floor, and over time it will reduce the shine, and leave a dull appearance. Using vinegar and water to clean floors can also lead to an excessive amount of water on the floor, which can cause swelling and discoloration.
Your bathroom's or kitchen's tiled floors will love a vinegar wash. Put half a cup of vinegar into one gallon of warm water, and away you go. Swish, swish, swish away all the germs, dirt, and grime. Proper dilution is definitely key here.
Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner is safe for use on laminate floors. Just choose your favorite scent — we like using Original Pine on laminate floors. Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner also comes in other scents, like Lemon Fresh®, Lavender Clean®, Sparkling Wave® and Tropical Flowers™.
Yes, you can use a wet Swiffer or Swiffer WetJet on laminate floors. "The wet Swiffer is best for quickly cleaning small spaces," Forte says.
Using Vinegar as a Mopping Solution
Vinegar is a natural disinfectant that works well as a mopping solution without leaving any chemical residue on your floors. Although some people don't like the scent, this odor is evident only as you mop and clean—it will fade away rapidly as the solution dries.
The best way to clean laminate floors is to use products made especially for them. If you don't have laminate floor cleaner, you can use a teaspoon of unscented clear dish soap in a gallon of water.
You'll want to remove any dust, dirt, or debris. These fine particles of grit can act like sandpaper and may dull the laminate. Follow with a floor cleaner and a damp, not wet, mop with a microfiber pad, Meska suggests. Then, dry mop to absorb any extra moisture on the floor.