Experts warn that these 5 mopping mistakes are making your floors dirtier — and damaging your floors in the process

Worried you’re making a few mopping mistakes? You’ve come to the right place. As Ideal Home’s editor for all things floorcare, I understand the importance of mopping your floors correctly, especially if you want your floors to last.

As I’ve had the pleasure of testing some of the best mops out there, I’ve had a lot of practice mopping my floors. However, during this process, I’ve realised that knowing how to mop every type of floor the right way isn’t as clear-cut as it may seem. Sure, the process isn’t exactly rocket science, but incorrect technique could result in some expensive repercussions.

As Clare Bolland, cleaning expert from Vileda, explains, ‘Achieving sparkling floors can be quick and simple – as long as you ensure you aren’t making common mistakes which can spread dirt around or leave behind a dull residue.’ So, these are the 5 mopping mistakes to avoid at all costs.

1. Using too much water

Just as wet dusting is better than dry dusting, using a wet mop is always better than using a dry mop. But one of the biggest mopping mistakes you can make is using too much water, especially if you’re cleaning plank flooring.

This is echoed by Liam Cleverdon, Flooring expert at Flooring King. He explains, ‘Surprisingly, your mop doesn’t need to be soaking wet to be effective in cleaning your floor. This may feel like you're giving your floors a deep clean; however, using too much water on wood or wood-effect floors can cause excess moisture to seep through the surface and cause lifting or warping.’

The last thing you’ll want to do is damage your flooring beyond repair, so you should use a damp mop that won’t leave your floors soaking wet afterwards. You can control this by using a spray mop or by using a mop and wringer bucket set, like this Minky Opti-Clean Spin Mop from Argos.

Ideally, your floors should air dry in under 15 minutes. If it takes longer than that, you’ve likely used too much water.

2. Mopping against the grain

When mopping your floors, technique is everything, including mopping with the grain if you want to clean certain types of floors. In fact, cleaning experts warn that mopping against the grain causes dirt and particles to get stuck in the crevices.

Lily Cameron, cleaning expert at Fantastic Services, commented that 'going against the grain may leave scratches or marks on the surface of the wood flooring, which can make it look less clean even if it's actually free of dirt and debris.' This mopping mistake is just the case when looking to clean wooden floors, though.

For other types of flooring, you can generally mop in any direction as long as you’re using the right tools and technique. Most experts, including Clare from Vileda, would suggest avoiding straight lines and using the figure-of-eight technique, however.

‘Many of us mop in straight lines to cover the floor. However, this approach can sometimes leave streaks or miss areas where dirt has accumulated,’ she says. ‘Instead, adopt a figure-of-eight with overlapping strokes. The curves of the figure eight help to gather and trap dirt within the mop head more effectively.’

3. Using a dirty mop head

It’s incredibly important to keep the things that clean for you clean too, and a mopping mistake that’s definitely making your floors dirtier is using a dirty mop head. In fact, the whole thing is counterintuitive, which is why it’s always important to regularly clean your mop head.

Clare explains, ‘In the same way that you wouldn’t want to clean your dishes with a dirty sponge, it’s important to avoid cleaning your floors with a dirty mop head. This spreads dirt back onto your floors and compromises your clean.’

Because of this, it’s well worth taking your time to research the different mops out there and opt for one that has a reusable head, like this Joseph Joseph CleanTech 2-in-1 Spray Mop, which can be popped in the washing machine when you’re done.

It’s also a good idea to get into the habit of washing it after every use, so you’re ready to mop your floors when you need to and you don’t accidentally clean with a dirty mop head.

4. Using too much cleaning solution

Everyone wants their floors to be squeaky clean, but there’s a fine line between good squeaky and bad squeaky, and using too much cleaning solution is definitely on the bad end of the spectrum. So, use it sparingly if you want to avoid a mopping mistake.

‘It can be tempting to be heavy-handed with cleaning solution when tackling a very dirty floor. However, more isn't always better when it comes to cleaning products,’ warns Clare. ‘Using too much can leave behind a sticky residue that actually attracts dirt over time and can dull the finish of your floors.’

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t use a floor cleaner at all. Flooring expert, Richard McKay, Managing Director at Sprung, advises, ‘Opt for a ph-neutral cleaner that’s diluted and avoid strong chemicals, especially on wooden, vinyl and rubber floors. A light mist of the cleaning solution with a microfibre mop is all that is needed.’

Personally, I chop and change between this Miniml Eco Floor Cleaner Liquid from Amazon and this Zoflora Bouquet Concentrated Multipurpose Disinfectant from Amazon - both of which are gentle and effective.

5. Using cold (or ice) water

Temperature is everything when cleaning floors, so most experts would advise steam mopping over regular mopping if you want to give your floors a deep, sanitising clean. In fact, I recently tested the Vileda Plus Steam Mop and can vouch that it was highly effective. But if you don’t have (or want) a steam mop, you need to avoid using cold (or ice) water with your regular mop.

The trend of using ice water has recently gone viral on social media, but Yarl Christie, flooring expert and founder of Stories Flooring advises against this. He says, ‘When using ice water for mopping, these harmful microorganisms can be easily transferred to your floors, especially in high-traffic areas like kitchens and bathrooms, where sanitation is critical.’

He adds, ‘Cold water does not effectively kill or neutralise germs, and adding ice cubes - especially if they come from an unfiltered source or are not made from clean water - can risk introducing additional contaminants.’ So, you should always use warm-hot water when mopping your floors.

This is one of the reasons I added the Lakeland Spray Mop with 2 Aluminium Bottles to the best mops guide, as the aluminium bottles have been designed to safely be filled up with hot water. It’s not as safe to do that with plastic bottles.

Everyday mopping essentials

FAQs

Does mopping damage laminate flooring?

Mopping can be an effective way to clean laminate flooring, but it can also damage it if you're not careful. That's because laminate floors are sensitive to moisture, and being exposed to too much moisture during the mopping process can lead to mould growth, warping, swelling, and more. This means you'll need to replace it sooner than you'd like.

So, if you want to mop laminate flooring safely, you need to make sure that you're using a damp mop rather than a wet mop. If you accidentally use too much water, make sure you dry it with a cloth as soon as possible.

Why does my floor feel weird after mopping?

If your floor feels sticky or 'weird' after mopping, it's highly likely that you've used too much cleaning solution. When you use more than you need and fail to clean it off properly, this can often leave behind a sticky residue that will then feel strange under your feet.

Alternatively, using a dirty mop head can also make your floor feel weird after mopping, as you may have simply spread the dirt from one place to another, creating a layer of debris that you can feel under your feet.

Because of this, it's crucial that you always use a cleaning solution sparingly (or at least rinse it off) and always use a clean mop head to avoid any mopping mistakes.

Are you guilty of any other mopping mistakes? Let me know in the comments!