It’s time that we say goodbye to the traditional rag mop. Hand mopping is the most effective way to clean your floors. It will leave your space feeling sparkling clean and will look cleaner for longer.
This approach will help you maintain your floors, even if you do this task on an occasional basis and use a spray mop in between hand mopping days.
Here’s why you should get rid of your rag mop (if you have one):
A rag mop holds dirt, debris, and bacteria. Every time the rag mop gets wrung out and dipped back into the dirty mop water, you’re just spreading dirt around — not actually lifting it.
In floor cleaning (or cleaning in general!) the goal is to lift dirt and debris up and off of the surface. Instead, the rag mop pushes the dirt back and forth. This is counterproductive to the results you’re seeking.
Our hand mopping methodology at The Tidy People approaches floor cleaning in such a way where you’ll lift and remove buildup vs. spread it around. Here’s the top 3 reasons why you should try hand mopping :
#1 - You’re Always Using Fresh Clean Towels
The Tidy People
No double dipping!
Our hand mopping method applies the use of clean towels.
As you methodically mop your floor, you’ll grab a fresh towel and use it until it gets too dirty or too dry. Dirty towels can be discarded into a dirty rag pile (to be washed later ----> this is eco friendly).
#2 - It’s More Detailed
The Tidy People
Hand mopping allows you to get the sticky spots.
When you’re down on your hands and knees hand mopping, you’ll easily notice sticky spots on the floor.
This will allow you to scrub a little harder or use a tool (such as a floor friendly scraper) to remove tricky buildup.
#3 - Your Floors Will Stay Cleaner for Longer
The Tidy People
Because hand mopping is the most thorough approach in floor cleaning, you’ll notice that your floors will feel cleaner for longer. This is because you’re thoroughly lifting the layers of dirt vs. pushing the dirt back and forth.
Your floors are the largest continuous surface in your home. By effectively and thoroughly cleaning your floors with a hand mopping method, you’re essentially cleaning 1/3 of your space. If you have limited time, invest in this ONE task to get the BEST results to create a cleaner home.
We've created a step-by-step hand mopping guide just for you! This guide includes information on the tools & products you need to get started - including the use of The Tidy People Floor Cleaner.
PRODUCTS & TOOLS TO GATHER
hand mopping guide
..so it's no longer mystery on how to mop your floors using a hand mopping method.
Better yet, you'll receive exclusive access to The Tidy People cleaning library portal, where you'll start to build your own cleaning library with lifetime access to the digital products you've acquired.
floor cleaner
The Tidy People Floor Cleaner is a super concentrated floor cleaner that comes in the scent Space Forest 🍊🌱🫐🌲🌾 🪐
We developed this after cleaning houses professionally for 15 years. This floor cleaner is safe for all types of floors - including wood, marmoleum, linoleum, tile, stone, and more! We may be biased since we made it...but this is an excellent choice of cleaner for hand mopping the floors.
Each bottles makes anywhere between 16 - 32 mop water solutions when diluted with water (depending on how much mop water you're making).
bucket
A bucket is an absolute essential item for hand mopping...unless you want to run back and forth to the sink to grab fresh mop water towels.
This makes your mop water mobile and go with you wherever you go throughout the house.
terry cloth cleaning towels
Terry cloth cleaning towels are another essential item that you'll need for hand mopping.
This specific type of towel is going to give you the scrubbing power that you'll need to get the hand mopping job done. The magic is in the little terry cloth loops: they work as an abrasive
They're also super absorbent, which means that after you dip these towels into the mop water solution, they'll hold enough mop water for you to do the job.
skrapr cleaning tool
This scraper tool is optional and isn't an absolute requirement for hand mopping. But trust us...you'll want to invest in this small but mighty tool!
We like it because it's less likely to damage any surfaces that you use this on, but it's built to actually WORK. When mixed with a mop water solution or our all purpose spray, it can get even the most stubborn sticky spots up.
grout brush
Also not a requirement, but this grout brush is super helpful in cleaning tile grout, tight corners, and crevices when hand mopping.
You know that space between the floor and the baseboard? The one that you always say you're going to get to...but you don't? Having this tool is literally the difference between efficiently doing a once over with these areas vs. fighting tooth and nail to get a complete hand mopping job done.
hand brush for textured flooring
This hand brush is for you if you have textured flooring. This would apply if you've got linoleum, wood, or stone floors with little crevices in them.
If your floors are flat, this tool isn't necessary for this hand mopping method.
kneepads
Hand mopping requires you to crawl around on your hands and knees. Don't forget this essential item!
It's a great overall item to have in your cleaning toolkit for all sorts of cleaning (or even gardening) activities.
Looking to simplify your home cleaning practice? Try The Tidy People whole-home cleaning system. These 5 products are almost everything you need to clean your entire house.
The Tidy People is the FIRST cleaning product line that teaches people how to clean. Our cleaners are non-toxic, eco friendly, and vegan. We are also woman owned!
