How To Clean A Mop? A Step-By-Step Guide To Get A Clean Mop

Last Updated on April 27, 2022

Mops have become a part of the regular cleaning routine in many households. Even after vacuum cleaning, people preferably use mops to give their floor tiles an anti-bacterial, clean, and flawless outcome.  

However, if you do not clean the mops regularly, they may get smelly, mildew may grow, and ultimately dirty mops will spread bacteria and germs all around your house. If you are worried about the funky smell of your mop or want to deep clean, you are on the right page. In this article, you will get a step-by-step guide about how to clean a mop.

Fortunately, this article has enlisted the best methods and items to clean the mop and get off its stinky smell.  

To maintain sanitary conditions all around your house, you need to adapt the best mopping techniques. For this purpose, you need to rinse the mop regularly and deep cleanse the tool to increase its efficiency and longevity. 

Follow the step-by-step guide given below. 

You cannot ignore this step. Whenever you clean your house, do not let the dirt sit in the mop. For example, if you have mopped spilled milk in the kitchen or cleansed dirt particles from the shoes, you need to rinse it instantly. Otherwise, the dirty material may sit in your mop giving rise to mold and bacterias. 

Taking the head of the mop and rinsing it under warm water is the best practice. There are many mop cleaning solutions available in the market as well. You can deep cleanse your mop at least once a week based on the utility of your mop. 

A small amount of mild dish soap while cleaning the floor can clean the floor substantially. This step keeps the floor germ-free and does not let the bacteria settle in the mop. 

There are many commercially available mop cleaning solutions. All you need to do is soak the mop in a mixture of water and cleaning products. However, these solutions can be expensive. Do not worry; you can use household hacks by using products already available at your home. 

Here’s a list of household items you can use for mop cleaning. 

Dishwashing liquid is used multi-purposely in many households. These liquids can work great to disinfect the mop. Bleach also carries disinfecting and cleaning capacity. Your mop will turn into a newly bought one after this DIY. 

Things you will need:

• Dishwash soap/liquid
• Bleach
• Warm water
• Bucket

Steps:

• Take out a bucket, fill half of it with warm water. 
• In the next step, add a gentle amount of dishwashing liquid into it.
• Now soak the mop in the mixture and move the mop. 
• This step will make foam in the water. You can proceed with spinning the mop gently in the bucket. 
• Make sure that the head of the mop is soaked in the water mixture completely.
• Now, take out the mop, squeeze extra water and change the water. 
• In this water, add a small amount of bleach and soak the mop again. 
•  Spin for a few times and take it out. You should not squeeze the mop directly with your hand as it contains bleach this time.
• Fill the bucket with clear warm water again, soak the mop in it, spin, and now you can squeeze out extra water. 
• Your mop is disinfected, clean, and ready to use. 
• Never store a wet mop and try putting it under sunlight or until it is dry.

Note: Do not use bleach on sponge mops as it can damage the quality of the product. 

Vinegar is used as a great household item to clean and disinfect the cleaning mops. The product is considered non-toxic and is used as a traditional household cleaning tool. You can kill bacterias in your mop by using vinegar. 

Things you will need:

• Vinegar
• Warm water
• Bucket 

Steps:

• Take half a bucket of warm water. 
• Add half a cup of vinegar to it and mix it. 
• Soak the mop head in the water, spin it a few times, and leave it for some time.   
• Now take out the mop, fill the bucket again with clear warm water, and spin the mop head. 
• Keep the mop under sunlight or at a dry place and store it once moisture is dried out. 
• Some people also use hydrogen peroxide instead of vinegar. You can always preferably choose natural and non-toxic items as they do not carry any health hazardous issues.

Detergents are another useful tool, especially for sponges, microfibre, and synthetic mops. The mops made with fiber get the best cleaning with detergents. Detergents contain anti-bacterial, sanitary, and stain removing qualities. You can always get a germ-free and clean mop with detergent powders, soaps, or liquids. 

Things you will need:

• Detergent 
• Warm water 
• bucket

Steps:

• Take out a bucket, fill half of it with warm water. 
• Add 1-2 tablespoons of detergent to it. Mix it well. 
• Soak the mop in water, spin, and damp in a way that the stick of the mop touches the bucket base. 
• Repeat the process a few times. Take out the mop and squeeze in extra water. 
• Now take the clean water and rinse the mop properly with it. 
• Dry the mop. It is ready to be used again.  

In case your mop stinks badly, deep clean it by using vinegar, bleach, detergent, lemon, or dishwashing liquid. Add a gentle amount of any of these products in the warm water according to the need. Soak the mop in the mixture for some time and rinse it off with clear water. 

This step will eradicate the funky smell from the mop and keep it germ-free and stainless. Moreover, you can also use mild dish soap regularly in your mop water to keep the odor away from your mop. 

You can also wash your synthetic mop in the washing machine. Mop heads are easily washable in dishwashers. However, make sure you are washing only fiber-based mops under these appliances. Detach the plastic body before throwing it in the machines.