Question: What is the best way to clean kitchen linoleum/tile? I use a mop and pine sol and clean off the mop really well after each use with extremely hot water, but I still feel like I'm just spreading germs around even though it looks clean. Answer: This is a tricky one. Linoleum is not a friend of mine and I have spent many hours scrubbing it on my hands and knees. My best suggestion would be to get a really good mop that has a pretty rough spounge on it. You can find a pretty decent/inexpensive one at either Target or Wal*Mart. Then for your water mixture I would fill a bucket with about 1/2 cup of bleach, 1/2 cup Pine Sol and then fill it the rest of the way with really hot water. This is what I use on my tile floors and it does the trick pretty well.
The other thing that's very important is that you switch out your mop head at least every other month. If you don't you will end up just spreading the germs.
And lastely since linoleum has all of those bumbs and places for dirt to hide, if you are really motivated, I would suggest getting down on your hands and knees about once every 6 months to give the floor a really good scrub down. Good luck and happy mopping! :)
Candace and I were just talking about this. Thanks, Anna, for your insight. I appreciate your expertise since I DO NOT have the gift of cleanliness.
ReplyDeleteSweet! Thanks Anna. I wasn't using bleach or switching the mop head. Yucky. I'll have to do that for sure. And as much as it is my favorite thing to do, I'll get down on my hands and knees and scrub! Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteSo good to know! I oddly love to clean my house, but HATE moping because I know that I'm usually just pushing the germs around my tile floors. I'm determined to find a new mop now... THANKS! I love this little "Ask Anna" idea you've created. Very useful.
ReplyDeleteIf you use a microfiber cloth around the mop head, it also works amazingly. I am learning all the amazing things you can do with microfiber.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, Anna. Read Amy's green cleaning book. I think Emily has it. You may not be a convert like me, but I would love your insight.
Rosetta, I want to read the book but you gave it to Emily and now I need to wait until she is done with it. I will not give up bleaching the floors but I did buy Clorox Green all purpose cleaner for my sinks the other day. It smells nice. :)
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