Are You Cleaning Your Floors Properly?

It is possible that you have been cleaning your floors improperly. This may lead to germ build-up and illness-causing bacteria.

The floors of a house are often noticed last, unless you have very less furniture. This means that if the floor is unclean, it might have an accumulation of dust, dirt and hence germs that you may not be aware of. Merely purging the floor off dust and grime is not the answer – you will have to ensure that it is completely rid of germs and bacteria as well.

The floors must be in pristine condition especially in homes that have very young children and pets in them. Pets tend to drool or drop food on the floors, and this may contaminate the floors and create a risk for your child. Further, children just learning to crawl tend to put everything in their mouths – if your floor is unclean, you can be sure your child will pick up undesirable things to eat and carry around all the floor’s germs on his clothing!

It is not difficult to keep the floor clean, provided you use the right cleaning products and allow the products sufficient time to work. Using them as directed with clean mops and wipes is important to ensure their maximum efficacy. 

Here is a simple floor cleaning ritual for you to follow:

* Sweep the floors clean before you begin. Get a good broom to sweep off tiled surfaces and vacuum carpets and rugs clean. Get into room corners where dirt tends to accumulate.

* Mix the floor cleaning liquid in water as directed. If you like, you may mix your cleaning liquid in hot water for added germ-cleaning action.

* Wring out the mop entirely before bringing it in contact with the floor. Too much water on the floor will increase the risk of accidents and will take too much time to dry.

* Use a brisk left to right or right to left motion when mopping, starting from the farthest end of the room. Do not wipe over the same patch of floor again, or you will only smear dirty water all over a just-cleaned area of the floor.

* Use only one pail of cleaning water per room. Discard the pail once a room has been mopped and prepare a fresh solution. Doing this ensures that every room receives an equal amount of cleaning, and that germs from one room are not spread to another. This is important especially if there is illness in the family. 

* Use different floor cleaners for kitchens, bathrooms and toilets. The floors in these areas see the maximum contamination and require stronger cleaning action.

* Let each mopped floor air dry, preferably in natural air and sunlight. Sunlight kills bacteria and clears the air in the home.

* If necessary, use a dry mop to clear away excess water. Ensure that the dry mop is thoroughly washed with disinfectant liquid and dried before its next use.

* Discard dirty water in the toilet or sink and clean out the toilet bowl or sink with disinfectant solution immediately.

* Set aside time for floor cleaning every alternate day to keep diseases and illness at bay.