Mopping is more fun when you finish the job, stand back and the floor looks amazing. Achieving that amazing result quickly and with little effort may not be as difficult as you think. Whether your floor has a super shiny or matt finish, if it’s timber, vinyl or marble, there is a microfibre floor mop that’s perfect for every indoor floor cleaning job.
The problem with the traditional wringer mop and bucket system
We all like to stick to what we know but traditional floor-mopping systems are now getting left behind. They reach capacity fast and tend to evenly spread the dirt and muck around rather than remove it.
That's why some people call traditional wringer mops, 'mud spreaders'.
Traditional mopping systems use lots of water and chemical too. And we can never change the water often enough. Streaky floors and chemical residue build-ups are often the results and that’s not what we want.
Why a quality flat microfibre floor mop wins every time
Microfibre flat floor mops have noticeably better performance, and superior durability and they clean fast with little or no water and chemical. These tiny microfibres gently get in and clean the low points of the floor that normal mops skip over. And that means a deeper, better clean.
Sure, as with any product there are good and not-so-good microfibre floor mops.
But when you get your hands on a good one you won’t look back. Everyone wants a better floor mop that will clean and care for their floor. Microfibre flat mops are a great place to start your search.
Microfibre floor mops can be used effectively dry or damp. Cleaning dry or damp is basically the same process except when you clean damp you add water. Here are some instructions to get you started.
How to clean floors using a professional microfibre floor mop in 7 easy steps
Before you start mopping, it’s always best to give your floor a quick dry dust mop. This will help remove any surface dust and debris.
We recommend the same process for traditional wringer mopping.
Dust mopping first allows the damp mop to do a deeper better clean. This is only a recommendation and if time is of the essence you can get straight into your damp mopping.
Let's get into it. Here are the 7 steps...
1. Use the right amount of liquid (or no liquid).
Do not over wet your floor pad refills. The mop should not be dripping and be wrung out firmly. You can moisten mops by hand in a sink with a cleaning solution or just water.
For professionals and facility cleaning departments, to improve productivity for larger jobs, use a microfibre mop bucket. Usually, the correct amount of water is 100ml-125ml per 40cm-45cm mop refill. Allow time for the moisture to wick through. About 1-hour minimum is OK or overnight is ideal. Then the mops are ready for use. No further wringing out should be required.
2. Place the microfibre mop face down on the floor first.
Then gently place both the frame and handle in the central position. The mop handle should be adjusted to be just below chin height. At all times, keep your back straight.
3. Start mopping at the furthest point from your exit.
Always use ‘Caution Wet Floor’ safety signs when needed. Carefully and systematically work backwards to make sure all areas have been cleaned. We don’t want any dirty footprints! It’s also an idea to clean detailed edges and corners first before mopping the open larger areas. Similar to how you would if you were painting.
4. Mop in a figure 8 motion, not back and forth.
Do not mop back and forth. Instead, mop in a figure-eight motion. Twisting the handle helps to turn the mop. Mopping in a figure-eight motion keeps the same leading edge throughout the process of mopping so that nothing is left behind. The path of the mop should be 1Mt to 1.2Mt wide. You shouldn’t need to stretch or reach if the path of your mopping process is the correct width.
Wax on, wax off, Daniel San. We can't guarantee you'll learn karate, but the floors should look pretty sweet.
5. Change the mop refills often.
Regularly change mops when changing zones or areas so that cross-contamination is prevented. If you are cleaning for a facility that has colour-coded mop refills be sure to use the right colour in the right area. Even if you don’t use colour coding it can still be a good idea to use blue mops for your general areas and red mops for bathroom areas. It’s a much more hygienic way to organise your floor cleaning.
Important: For areas where hygiene is important we recommend using disposable microfibre floor mop refills. This is especially the case for critical area floor cleaning in healthcare and cleanroom/laboratory applications. The disposable microfibre floor mop covers are economical, eliminate the risk of cross-contamination, there's no laundering and super easy for staff to use.
6. When you've finished mopping, remove the frame from the mop.
You may want to do this with gloves on. Any mess can be reduced if you do this step over a bin or sink. Give the frame or handle a quick wipe if needed. And ensure the dirty mop refills are laundered separately.
7. Before opening the area to traffic, allow the area to dry.
If you are using a high-quality microfibre mop and the correct amount of liquid, it should not take long for the floor to dry.
Frequently asked microfibre floor mop questions
Which is the best microfibre mop?
The best microfibre floor mop in Australia is the 40cm Squirt Microfibre Floor Mop. It has a hidden 600ml solution tank in the handle! There's no bottle or bucket. With a push of a button, it applies a solution of water or a diluted floor cleaner like Bobby Dazzler and mops floors in one quick and easy step. It's used by professionals everywhere and smart home users are getting on board. The Squirt mop is both the best flat microfibre mop and the best spray mop on the market in Australia.
Is a microfibre mop good for floors?
Microfiber floor mops clean better, clean faster and remove germs more effectively than traditional mops. Microfibre mops can reduce floor bacteria by up to 99%. The old-school wringer mop and buckets are lucky to remove 30% if you're changing your bucket water often. Microfibre mops are used dry or damp which eliminates streaking due to over wetting and helps reduce residues rather than spread them. You can expect to use about 20 times less water. So the 600ml capacity of the Squirt microfibre floor mop is equal to about 2-3 commercial wringer buckets. And some surfaces like timber much prefer less water when cleaning.
Do you need to wet a microfibre mop?
No. Microfibre mops don't need to be wet. They are best used damp or dry. The tiny microfibers are so effective you don't need to wet the floor. Dry dust mopping may be all that's required for maintaining your floors to remove dust, dirt, hair and crumbs. A regular damp microfibre mop may be more helpful for higher traffic and more heavily soiled areas.
What's the best mop to mop your floors with, in Australia?
Best All Round (For professionals and home users): 40cm XO2® Squirt Microfibre Floor Mop
Best For Hygiene: 45cm XO2® Disposable Microfibre Floor Mop Cover
Best Large Mop: 60cm XO2® Pro Microfibre Floor Mop Kit
Best Spray Mop: 40cm XO2® Squirt Microfibre Floor Mop
Best For Dry Dust Mopping: 45cm XO2® Dust, Polish & Laugh Microfibre Floor Mop Cover
Best All Purpose Colour Coded Covers (For dry or damp use): 45cm XO2® Clean, Dry & Smile Microfibre Floor Mop Cover
Is mopping just spreading dirty water?
Traditional mopping with a wringer mop and bucket is often called mud spreading. Regardless of how often you change the mop bucket's dirty water, removing a high percentage of soil is almost impossible. Microfibre solves this problem by using its special fibres to trap dirt and soil. It does this either dry or with very little water.
Can you wet mop with microfibre?
Using a damp to wet microfibre mop will often give a deeper and more thorough clean than dry mopping would. You can pre-wet the microfibre mop covers before you start mopping or use a
spray/squirt mop to deliver moisture to the floor. Using cleaning chemicals is often unnecessary however in professional applications the right cleaning solution concentrate at the right dilution can be helpful.
What is the most hygienic microfibre mop?
For areas where hygiene is important use a disposable microfibre floor mop refill.
Disposable microfibre floor mop covers are economical, eliminate the risk of cross-contamination, there's no laundering and are super easy for staff to use.
Do spray mops and squirt mops work?
Yes, the good ones do. Spray mops don't need a bucket. They are quicker because you don't need to wring them out or change dirty bucket water. The solution is often in a bottle connected to the handle or in the case of the XO2's Squirt spray mop the solution is hidden in the handle. No more heavy buckets of water. No more spreading dirty water around. The microfibre along with a small amount of solution do all the work. Having several clean microfibre mop covers handy so you can change the dirty ones over regularly is recommended.
What liquid do you put in a spray mop?
High-quality microfibre floor mops can remove over 99% of bacteria. They can do this without chemicals, just water. For normal floor cleaning using water may be sufficient. If required, professional cleaning products like Bobby Dazzler, Disso, 5 in 1 or Odour Kill, when diluted correctly, are safe to use and highly recommended.
Can you use microfibre mops outdoors or on rough surfaces?
Yes, if the surface is smooth enough. On rough surfaces like some concretes and natural stones, a traditional wringer mop, deck scrub brush, hose or pressure washer may be a better cleaning tool to use. A flat microfibre floor mop has a huge surface area with very fine fibre so on rough surfaces the mop will tend to catch or be difficult to move across the surface. Microfibre floor mops are most popular for indoor applications.
How good are XO2 microfibre floor mops? Try one and see!
One of the many benefits of using microfibre products for mopping is that less effort is needed. Microfibre is the sought-for answer to the age-old question: “Isn’t there a better way to mop?”
What’s your experience been like with microfibre floor mops?
Whether it’s good or bad we’d love to hear about your experience. Maybe you’ve got some tips we could add to this page to help others. If you do please get in touch.
And if you have any questions or would like more advice about XO2’s microfibre floor mopping systems please give the team a call on 1300 123 499, or visit XO2's microfibre floor mops online.
Happy mopping!
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