Cleaning Tip: Stay On Top of It

We're still staying with family and have now seen how they keep the floor clean. At first we were shocked (and mildly appalled) and then we realized that there was something to their method:

The kitchen floor is encaustic tile and gorgeous when it's clean so what do they do? They mop it at least once a day, if not twice (morning and night). As we mentioned, at first we were completely appalled at that level of cleanliness (we're the once a week or once a month type) but then we saw that because they do it so often, it takes almost no effort and a space that's 200 square feet takes only a minute or two to pass the mop over. And then the floor is always gleaming. We wouldn't want to do this on wood, but on a tile floor in a kitchen or bath (a place that gets a lot of foot traffic) it's starting to make sense.

The other part of being able to do this somewhat effortlessly is that the mop is always handy. There's no digging in a closet to find it. It's right inside a closet in the kitchen and they use a soap that doesn't need rinsing.

Staying on top of the floor with the habit of cleaning it daily (this could be applied to sweeping which is something we do every other day or so) is similar to flylady's method where the idea is to stay ahead of the buildup. So would you be willing to mop so often? Do you already?

[Image from Living Etc.]

Comments (29)

I have a swiffer vaccum, usually once a day right after cooking dinner I just do a quick once over the whole ktichen with it. And about once a week I use a "Wet Swiffer" pad to mop it down.

Everybody wants to be green but nobody wants to give up their Swiffer, do they? I'm disheartened by the number of new disposable cleaning products that have come on the market in the past few years.

I do something pretty similar to A bomb. Quick pass with a light vacuum over my kitchen, bathroom, and entryway floors and an equally quick pass wih a wet swiffer every night. No need to do a hardcore, break your back scrub and it keeps the place looking (and smelling!) fresh.

I vacuum the stone floors every day in the kitchen and family rooms to stay on top of the dog hair and tracked in paw dirt. I think of mopping for wet spills and accumulated ground in dirt. Mopping every day seems like a bit much.

I use the flylady system - and it rocks! By staying on top of things, I am free to spend only a few minutes a day instead of those "all-day-cleaning-marthons" of the past that ate up my precious free time on the weekend. To get ready for company, I simply swipe a few surfaces, put on some coffee and relax knowing my house is ready to go. I especially suggest it for anyone trying to sell a house. It forces you to keep your home picked up, organized and clean. Then you can say "no problem" when your realtor asks for that last-minute showing.
Is my house ALWAYS perfect? Of course not. I have a husband and three very active little boys. It is just not so totally out of control that I can't reign it in in a reasonable amount of time.

Growing up... my mom swept the kitchen floor after every mean as a part of doing the dishes. Three times a day!

When I first lived with roommates in an apartment - I was frustrated they NEVER cleaned up after themselves and complained to a friend saying... "I end up being the one to sweep and scrub the floor. I mean that floor should be swept three times a day."
My friend instantly pronounced me insane! Her mom had a day job - sweeping three times a day was out of the question. My mom was a farm wife with a husband and three kids tracking dirt through the house all day long.

Now... sweep about once a week - and scrub every couple months... but I'm single, don't cook and live on the third floor so dirt doesn't really make it that far.

mean = meal

I have one of those swiffers but to be greener I use microfiber cloths I got in the automotive section - about a dozen for 10 bucks... they work great and are washable, and you can mop with them.

Thanks for that, Lesley. Could not agree with you more.
There is some good stuff on this site, but far too many of the posts leave me with that same sentiment.

Me too superchou, I use microfiber cloths on my swiffer as I don't like all the waste created by disposable products.

I think about how great and easy it would be if I could do a quick swiffer over the floors once a day, but have not quite gotten there yet :) For now I have dust bunies, but it IS my aspiration!

And there was me thinking my saturday swiffing earned me brownie points. clickchick's mom puts me to shame...

Superchou, I'm going to try that - I was wanting to find a greener way to swiffer..thank you!

My boyfriend cleans the floors. I clean pretty well everything else (Bathroom, dusting, vacuuming etc), but his responsibility is the kitchen and the floors. Our lino in the kitchen/hallway/bathroom is absolutely disgusting. Not because we don't mop regularly (probably ever 2-3 weeks), but because it is old and was never taken care of. Ew.
I wish I could rip it up and live with bare subfloor.

I'd sweep every day if my broom wasn't hidden away in our back entry hall... I have no broom closet in the house and it gets really annoying. *sigh* tough life, eh?

i do the same as superchou
swiffer refills are expensive and a literal waste. I just save up all the dirty microfiber cloths and wash 'em in the laundry.

with 4 four legged friends I have to sweep more than 3 times a day with all the dirt they track back inside.

I've always been a clean daily person - people dread the idea because when you clean monthly it is gross and takes much much longer. but, when you do it on a daily basis, it is quite quick and painless.

this is JUST what my BF was complaining about- we were so clean in our half of the two bedroom we were sharing with another person. He was so excited that when we moved in, everything would be clean all the time. This morning he "noticed" the bed hasnt been made, cat poo not removed and dishes still in the washer. (all MY jobs). *sigh* In my defense, I work longer hours and we have just moved in- there are still boxes in the living room. The thought of cleaning multiple times a day is insane to me. Cleaning up after kids, yes i get that. But cleaning up after two people who work full day jobs and one cat? meh. I'll take my after dinner cleaning and once a week cleaning fest. Our families are just so different. We werent the cleaning type. We did cleanings like once a month- i mean GOOD cleanings.

Microfiber on the swiffer is a great idea! i dont like those junky disposable pads anyway- they never actually pick up anything- just move it around the floor. An effort will be made on my part to keep a clean fresh positive household! Just let me sleep first.

i have to admit, i do like the convenience of those disposables - however there are now biodegradable cloths available (i use method) that i can just throw in the backyard compost. voila!

I use my method o-mop compostable dry pads daily and do a every other week wet cleaning on my floors

i like the bottle of gin by the bathtub. ;)

growing up my mom never made me clean.. now, grown with my own family and place to take care of, ive had to learn the hard way. the bathroom tile is in bad shape. once i get my hands on a spare toothbrush ill be cleaning each and every grout line to its original shade of white, or as close as i can get it, hahah. anyone know of a less time consuming way of getting the job done?? same goes for the kitchen tile. all i can say is EW and ICK.

Bed, Bath and Beyond has microfiber mops that are very light, maneuverable, and effective. The mop head can be washed in the washing machine, too. I love mine and use it every day.

i love this bathroom image. every time i see an image i like, it's always credit to living, etc. why oh why must their magazine be so expensive state side? it is my indulgence!

so many good things, the tulip table with marble top, the floor tile, the beautiful bottles (inspires me to transfer everything over but am afraid i would have foggy morning mixups over shampoo/conditioner), the towel casually tossed over the tub edge that you know smells like it was dried in the sunshine and is fluffy fluffy fluffy.

I have a little red dustpan and brush for daily use, I guess that's old fashioned, but it's less wasteful.

It seems really un-sustainable to clean everyday with a mop or a microfiber (throw away swiffers too, obviously) that have to be washed. I'm all for cleanliness, but I thought the goal was to waste/use less......

I agree with this method - I think it's also the routine that helps make cleaning seem less like a chore (like brushing your teeth is a habit and not a chore). I clean the whole apartment once a week, the same day every week. That way I don't have to think about it all the rest of the week and it takes half an hour to an hour max.

deeboyaya,
try renting a steam cleaner on your grout. I've heard they work miracles.

there is a simple solution to avoiding swiffers -- Swedish microfibre mops like this (works best if you dry mop and then wet mop -- it's a breeze)

http://www.actnatural.net/product/index_products.htm

and I think it's easier to keep clean -- every day or two (and this system is fast)

I sweep the kitchen every night after doing the dishes, and mop probably every other night. It takes maybe 5 minutes tops, and then I get to enjoy a clean kitchen! We have a washable mop head that I just throw in the machine with the towels about once a week.

about microfiber mops, I tried this one and am in love!

using this along with a soap that I don't have to rinse has made mopping go really quickly and with much less irritation and resistance.

What soap do they use that doesn't need rinsed?

i keep a microfiber cloth at every sink so that when i am done splashing H2O all over the place, i can just wipe it up. the cloth keeps my fixtures shiny and prevent mildew/soap scum.