The following blog article was written for New Sunrise Cleaning and Restoration.
Keeping your beautiful home clean and tidy is a full-time job, and anyone with kids or pets knows this all too well. Even those who keep a relatively tidy and orderly home have to accomplish a select group of repetitive tasks in order to maintain the standard upkeep on a regular basis. In my opinion, this involves 5 different tasks: Dishwashing, dusting, vacuuming, carpet shampooing, and finally, mopping your floors. Let’s focus on mopping, shall we?
Mopping is a task that often gets overlooked in a number of households. Much like carpet shampooing, some of us are only inspired to do it when we notice a large stain or blatant dirty spots on the floor. Others only clean their floors when they drop spaghetti sauce all over the kitchen tile or after a reckless puppy decides to marks the household plants.
All too often, we simply become too busy with other more important tasks which take priority, leaving things like regularly-scheduled mopping for the days when we find ourselves with little or nothing to do. Unfortunately, normal cleaning of your stone, tile, and grout is imperative to keep your house looking presentable and maintaining a healthy home. But is mopping really enough to get the job done? Could you be doing more?
Your Floor is Really Gross!
It shouldn’t really surprise anyone, but for those that aren’t in the know, your floors are pretty gross. In fact, between all the random things we drop, pet hair, mold spores, dirt, skin flakes, and dust particles, our floors are a hotbed for all sorts of nasty things to build up, grow, and thrive.
Even those of us who mop regularly and use effective cleaning products can only do so much to combat the filth on our floors. Like many regular cleaning tasks, trying to fend off the messes, molds, and germs which develop there seems to be a never-ending battle of brains and brawn.
Between dirty feet, muddy paws, dusty countertops, spilled food, and many other hosts and carriers that tramp through our kitchens, a number of nasty microscopic critters can end up on the tile and in the grout. The common household tile floor has been found to contain a multitude of bacteria and viruses, and the 5-second rule is just a myth. Studies have shown that within seconds, upwards of thousands of the bacteria on your floor can make their way onto any object which comes in contact with them, and the longer they remain, the more they spread.
It Gets Worse!
When it comes to mopping tile, bleach (a household cleaning staple developed more than 200 years ago) seems to be the go-to solution to break up dirt and kill bacteria. According to a 2008 study facilitated by the University of Michigan, bleach works in much the same way to destroy bacteria that very hot water does. In fact, it was discovered that sodium hypochlorite (the active ingredient in bleach) serves to break down the bacteria’s protein makeup, effectively destroying it and protecting you and your family from infection and disease. Consequently, this is why using hot bleach water is such a common cleaning method, and all in all, a relatively effective one!
However, it doesn’t take a scientist to realize that bleach can be a dangerous cleaner to use on the floor when you have small children or pets spending extended time in contact with it. A missed puddle could end up a costly trip to the emergency room for anyone unfortunate enough to consume it. There are other chemical cleaning solutions that are available, but too many of them carry similar risks to vulnerable members of your household and don’t discount the effect these solutions have on the quality of air in your home over time. So what choices remain? Using eco-friendly products, or just plain old hot water.
Your Mop is as Bad as Your Floor!
Things can get even more disturbing when you realize that most people rarely consider the importance of cleaning their cleaning devices! All mops should be cleaned and sterilized on a regular basis. However, who among us hasn’t finished mopping the kitchen floor and just set the mop out to dry without a second thought?
This may be the easy way out, but it’s not the cleanly way, and if we fail to do this, we may just be wiping more dirt, grime, and bacteria all over our floors when we go to clean in the future. Even worse, you may be spreading germs from one area of the house to another when we fail to properly clean our mops.
After 3 or 4 uses, and often when the mop starts to smell weird, it’s advised to use a deep soak solution either made of hot water and bleach, or a combination of hot water, hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar. After allowing your mop head to soak for 15 minutes, it is imperative that you hang the mop head and allow it to air dry completely.
Make sure not to let it soak for too long, as doing so will allow bacteria growth to occur all over again, defeating the purpose of this activity. Eventually, the head should be completely replaced when it is heavily stained and shows considerable wear. Properly doing this will cut down on cross-contamination and help you keep a cleaner, healthier home.
Is There More I Can Do to Keep My Tile and Grout Clean?
Homeowners and renters alike should keep in mind that if they want to maintain clean, presentable floors, it’s best to have them professionally cleaned and sealed, and when it comes to making your tile and grout or stone floors sparkle and shine, New Sunrise Cleaning & Restoration is the best choice you can make in the Reno/Sparks area!
Deep cleaning and sealing your floors is a fantastic way to remove built-up dirt, grime, stains, and residue. In addition, sealing your floors allows for easier cleaning and mopping when you do need to take on tasks by yourself. It will also help to prevent acidic stains from destroying and discoloring your grout in the future.
This is imperative to do if you have mischievous pets and you want to maintain the look and quality of the tile in your home. Failure to do so could result in permanent damage to your tile and grout, as well as a loss in home value. One of the most valuable selling points of a home is the kitchen, and one with nasty, acid-damaged grout can be a hard sell as well as an expensive, time-consuming repair.
Professional sealing of your stone or tile and grout flooring should be done about once per year. While sealants often last longer than that, the protection they offer can break down and degrade over time when exposed to harsh household cleaners, heavy foot traffic, harsh weather conditions, alkalinity, and acidity. For those of you who attend Burning Man and make frequent trips out to the Black Rock Desert, plan for faster sealant degradation.
Let’s Seal the Deal!
In this case, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Deep staining and corrosion last forever, and standard cleaning products and methods only go so far. If you’ve never had your floors professionally cleaned and sealed and you feel like now is the time to get it done, contact the local pros at New Sunrise Cleaning & Restoration for a free estimate today! We’re here to make your life easier, happier and healthier.
Contact us now and see why we’re quickly becoming the highest rated professional cleaning companies in the Reno/Sparks area. We’re a local company helping local families keep their homes in the cleanest, shiniest, safest condition possible. Give us a chance to earn your trust and loyalty for life! We guarantee satisfaction!
You can reach us by phone at 775-800-1429 or by email at services@newsunrisecleaning.com.
We look forward to booking your next tile and grout cleaning and sealing appointment today!
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