How to properly mop a floor?
01
Cause
A dull, shiny, stained or streaky floor is often caused by the use of the wrong cleaning products. Mopping te floor with just water, water with a dash of vinegar or ammonia, or with an all-purpose cleaner.
02
Explanation
Water, water with a dash of vinegar, ammonia or an all-purpose cleaner are not specifically suitable for cleaning a hard floor (such as laminate, vinyl, PVC or LVT, cork). James products are tailored to the specific top layers of these floors. Cleaning with the wrong cleaning agents causes a number of negative effects:
- Water does not have enough cleaning power to keep a floor nice and clean, particularly with today’s embossed (textured) floors.
- Mopping with vinegar or ammonia can damage the top layer of the floor in the long term. A haze may also remain on the floor that is difficult to remove.
- An all-purpose cleaner or soap will leave soap residue that will make your floor dull and sticky, making it extra dirty and unsightly. If you also have a carpet or rug, they get soiled faster because of the soap your shoes transfer from the hard floor onto your carpet.
03
Solution
Step 1: First clean your floor thoroughly with James Basic Cleaner.
James Basic Cleaner will bring your floor back to the basics, the way it was meant to look originally. Also with a new floor: issues such as floor haze, sweat and skin grease from the flooring contractors or the grease layer from a vinyl floor must be thoroughly removed. This prevents longer-term maintenance and cleaning problems. The residues of old cleaning agents and present dirt should be removed from a floor that has been in use for some time. Important with James Basic Cleaner: do not let product dry up. Remove the loosened soil and clean the floor thoroughly using clean water and a clean mop. Result: a streak-free floor with no stains! Clean at least twice a year (or more often if desired) with James Basic Cleaner to keep the floor perfectly clean.
Step 2: mopping daily or weekly with James Floor Cleaner Clean & Quick Dry
Mop at least once or twice a week with James Floor Cleaner Clean & Quick Dry . This cleaning agent is specifically suitable for hard floors and is alcohol-based, which means it cannot cause streaking or staining; in fact, no residue is left on the floor, even when overdosing! A major advantage of cleaning with James Floor Cleaner Clean & Quick Dry: the floor dries very quickly and the room smells pleasantly fresh.
Important
The above advice focuses on keeping the floor clean. Do you suffer from superficial scratches or deeper damage? Then read our FAQ article Can I protect my (hard) floor from scratches/stains? And/or repair them? Or use the James hard flooring buying guide for tailor-made advice. If you have stubborn stains on the floor (including shoe marks, glue residue or paint drops), use our product James Remover.
General tips
Use entrance mats at the door to avoid walk-in dirt (sand) as much as possible.
Make sure to remove sand and dust several times a week (daily if necessary) with a vacuum cleaner or dust mop to prevent damage to the floor. Use Scratch no More floor protection products to prevent scratches from chair and table legs.
For even more information, read our blog post: “All you need to know about floor cleaners. Facts and fables“.
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