September 12, 2022

Guide to Washing Floors & Favorite Floor Washing Tools

Washing floors is one of the most gratifying homekeeping tasks there is—don’t you just love clean, shiny floors? The right tools and products make washing floors easier and effective. In this post I’m sharing some tips for washing floors and my favorite floor washing tools.

If you’re new here, you might not know that Thursday is Floor Washing Day for the Clean Mama Routine – it’s a day that we wash the floors of our homes. Every day CHECK FLOORS is a Daily Task – so we check and sweep or vacuum as necessary. See more about the Clean Mama Routine here.  Want to see my Favorites for Vacuuming?  Head to this post.

My recommendations are based on my own experience, testing and research, recommendations from readers, and ratings from retailers and Amazon.

MY FLOOR WASHING MUSTS/RECOMMENDATION CRITERIA:

• Durable
• Compact and easy to store
• Easy to clean after using – washable (not disposable) cloths
• Can use my own solution to clean with (not necessary, but my preference)
• Works without having to re-wash and leaves floors CLEAN

I’ve pulled together a couple favorites in 3 categories – these are floor washing methods and products that I recommend based on the above criteria in a variety of price ranges. I hope it helps you in your search for the perfect floor washing system!

Microfiber mops are great for weekly cleaning and quick floor washing or for washing small areas.

1 Full Circle Mighty Mop – Easy to use and effective.
2 Bona Hardwood Spray Mop – Great for wood floors and if you want a cleaning solution.
3 E-Cloth Deep Clean Mop – Love this mop, best microfiber mop pad!

Mop & Bucket floor washing is what I use for deep cleaning floors and baseboards. I do find that they leave more water behind than I like on my hardwood floors so I follow with a dry mop as I go.

1 Favbal Spin Mop – Great for deep cleaning and washing baseboards as you wash floors.
2 Bosheng Flat Mop & Bucket – Love this system, no mess and works great!
3 O-Cedar Easy Wring – Fan favorite!

Great for tile and linoleum and for other deep cleaning tasks. Steam mops sanitize without chemicals – love that!

1 Bissell Power Fresh – Great for tile and linoleum.
2 Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner – My must-have and only steam cleaner – you can use it all over the house on furniture, windows, etc. as well as on floors.
3 Bissell Crosswave Cordless – Great for convenience, doesn’t sanitize but cleans well – can be a little cumbersome to clean the parts.

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is about what tools I use for washing floors. I hope that this detailed favorites list is helpful! You can see all of my homekeeping favorites on my Favorites Page and you can also see my favorites on Amazon as well. Truth be told, one of my favorite methods is with a microfiber cleaning cloth – especially in the bathrooms because I think you can get a better clean but most weeks I only have time for a quick wash and mops are great for that! I split up vacuuming and washing floors on purpose in the Clean Mama Routine – this post will detail some ideas for making this easier. 

Try this DIY Recipe for ANY floor – this recipe is for a 16 oz spray bottle and is super easy to mix up. Use it in a spray bottle or in a refillable mop. With just three simple ingredients, this just might be your new favorite way to wash your floors. Mix up a batch today and mop away. Head to this post for the full how-to.

Glass Spray Bottle / DIY Cleaning Recipe Labels / Cleaning Cloth Kit / Essential Oil

If you’re new to DIY cleaning recipes, you’ll love this easy to make floor cleaner. It’’s so simple and a great all-purpose recipe that really works. 

My favorite application for deep cleaning is with a spray bottle and microfiber cloth but you can also spray and use a microfiber mop or spray mop or pour the solution into a small bucket and wipe up with a microfiber or cleaning cloth or with a mop.

Tip for Microfiber Mop Pad: Dampen the mopping pad before starting and add a drop or two of essential oil to give your home an uplifting scent as you mop.

Looking for mop and bucket cleaning solutions? This post shares some favorites.

What do you think? What’s your criteria for washing floors? Have a favorite to share?

Want to see all my floor care favorites? Head to my Amazon shop!

Daily Maintenance:
Every day of the week I have ‘check floors’ as part of my routine. This means that after meals we check the kitchen floor and sweep or vacuum as needed. If I see something on an another floor in the home, I do a quick sweep or vacuum. This checking of the floors is something that I do, my husband does, and the kids will also grab a broom and help out. It’s not intended to be a full-on floor sweeping or vacuuming, it’s a daily dirt clean up. With 3 kids and 2 dogs, this is necessary.