Arguement RE: Mopping

senordingdong

Here's one for all to take part in.

In work yesterday, I allocated an apprentice to cleaning duties and told him to clean the canteen area. When I went in for an inspection I found that he had mopped it, but that he and I have some very different views of what mopping a floor involves.
All I could see was a layer of water covering every inch of the floor. And a bucket with now dirty water and a now dirty mop resting in.
I asked him what he did and he told me that he filled the bucket with warm soapy water and essentially ran the mop over the floor.

I insisted that this was the wrong way to do it.

When I was thought how to clean/mop a floor many many years ago in my first job as a lounge boy, the method was, we used soapy water and a brush to 'scrub' the floor, then used a clean mop to DRY the floor. Squeezing the dirty water out of the mop and into the bucket.
It is my understanding that a mop is drying utensil/tool, not a cleaning or scrubing tool.

All this went straight over the lads head so I had to explain it to him as such (and in case anyone else would take his side, you should take note of this too)...if this is the way they have been doing it for some time now, then we can guarantee that the mop is filthy. And he is continuously dipping it into pregressivly dirtier water, and then spreading a layer of it over the already dirty floor. Whats more, since he doesn't use a mop to dry the floor, that means that this layer of filth water just stays there untill it dries itself. Then gathering more filth off peoples feet as they walk over it in some cases.

So what say yee, Boarsdsters. How do you mop yours?

chopperbyrne

Warm soapy water, with something like Dettol in it too.

Dip mop in water, squeeze excess water out, clean floor.

Then when you're done, empty the mop bucket and clean the mop head.

connundrum

In my days working in the local Centra, we'd spill a bit of soapy water over an area to make it look wet and then dry it with a clean mop.

In and out in 10 mins flat. Bobs your uncle

faceman

im with your apprentice on this.

Mopping is for old ladies

senordingdong

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Warm soapy water, with something like Dettol in it too.

Dip mop in water, squeeze excess water out, clean floor.

Then when you're done, empty the mop bucket and clean the mop head.

But all you are doing is coating the floor in a layer of water.
Mops don't have any scrubbing or cleaning power and as I said they are made for drying, not cleaning.

Whatsmore, you haven't dried to floor.

You have just used the drying utensil to clean the floor, then didn't bother drying the floor.

faceman

but we dont eat meals off the floor so unless its a hospital or somewhere where kids will be crawling along does it really matter?

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

5starpool

I agree with The Scientist. If part of my job involved mopping I can't imagine enthusiasm would be too much in evidence either.

Kids today. Tsk.

cance

The Scientist wrote: »

Meh, I can see why he did a poor job.
If i was getting lectured about 'how to mop a floor properly', i'd purposely do a sh.it job too.

Idd,

and for the great mopping debate, i was under the impression you:

swept floor clean.
used a slightly damp mop to remove caked on dirt.


if the water was evaporating while mopping then you were suckin diesel so to speak. thats how i was taught back in the butchers i would imagine leaving the floor like a fooking aquaplane was against the theory.

Archeron

Clean the floor with the mop and soapy detergenty water.
When no-one is looking, wrap a clean tea towel around the head of the well squeezed mop. Use THAT to dry the floor.
When no-one is looking, hide the manky soggy tea towel in the bin.
Ta da.

beans

Next time you tell him to make you a coffee, you may want to check it for foreign matter. Mopwater, urine and the like.

cance

Archeron wrote: »

When no-one is looking, wrap a clean tea towel around the head of the well squeezed mop. Use THAT to dry the floor.

wheres the fun in that?

you have to stand on the towel and do the shuffle across the floor!

Zulu

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Warm soapy water, with something like Dettol in it too.

Dip mop in water, squeeze excess water out, clean floor.

Then when you're done, empty the mop bucket and clean the mop head.

+1
The mop does clean the floor.
Are you a captain? I never worked on a ship before so I don't know anything about scrubbing a deck.

Maximilian

I let the foreign help do it.

I'm curious though - There is such a thing as an apprentice mop-cleaner? How long is the apprenticeship? Are there therefore more experienced artisan moppists or moppticians or whatever?

If you are foreign help, I apologise.

cance

cance wrote: »

wheres the fun in that?

you have to stand on the towel and do the shuffle across the floor!

I agree. Especially if you get one for each foot.

View Profile

Yep, worked as a barman in a hotel for 7 years.

Encountered many different mopping methods over the years.

The best is like you mentioned.

Pour a moderate amount of hot water with a cleaning agent(detol etc) over the area to be cleaned. Not much water is needed, just a splash here and there.
Get a strong bristled (clean) brush. Vigourously scrub all the area, creates nice black puddles.
Then use a "squeegy" (like a window cleaners rubber blade) to move the dirty water to a drain.
Using a clean dry mop, absord any remaining moisture.

No matter how its done, the mop should be as dry as possible. And be regularly cleaned!

View Profile

View Profile wrote: »

Yep, worked as a barman in a hotel for 7 years.

Encountered many different mopping methods over the years.

The best is like you mentioned.

Pour a moderate amount of hot water with a cleaning agent(detol etc) over the area to be cleaned. Not much water is needed, just a splash here and there.
Get a strong bristled (clean) brush. Vigourously scrub all the area, creates nice black puddles.
Then use a "squeegy" (like a window cleaners rubber blade) to move the dirty water to a drain.
Using a clean dry mop, absord any remaining moisture.

No matter how its done, the mop should be as dry as possible. And be regularly cleaned!

We used to deck-scrub like that all the time in the restaurant I used to work in, was always good fun for some reason.

ejmaztec

One dark night, Senordindong, your erstwhile assistant is going to be waiting outside to mop your face all over the car-park:D

Dord

cance wrote: »

Idd,

and for the great mopping debate, i was under the impression you:

swept floor clean.
used a slightly damp mop to remove caked on dirt.


if the water was evaporating while mopping then you were suckin diesel so to speak. thats how i was taught back in the butchers i would imagine leaving the floor like a fooking aquaplane was against the theory.

+1 I worked in a convenience store for 4 years and that's how I did it. The mop would be wet but not dripping wet. Its ridiculous mopping a floor and just leaving a puddle of water all over it. WTF is that gonna do?

Siogfinsceal

a mop does clean a floor. I fill the bucket with boiling water and dettol/cillit bang. Dip mop in, squeeze out excess water, mop, redip mop etc etc. It does leave my floor cleaner than it was I dont care if thats because of a layer of water or whatever I have better things to be doing now than sitting on my arse scrubbing the floor with a bristled brush ffs its not like I eat off it

2 stroke

As I read things you allocated an employee to duties he wasn't trained to do then critized him/her for not doing the work properly. That says something about your staff management skills. What if the guy had an accident with the cleaning chemicals or somebody slipped on the wet floor.

View Profile

Deleted User wrote: »

We used to deck-scrub like that all the time in the restaurant I used to work in, was always good fun for some reason.

Yeah deck-scrubbing. Thats the word I was looking for.

Yep its was always very satisfying doing it. The squeegy part was the most fun. Jez, how said am I?!

I have better things to be doing now than sitting on my arse scrubbing the floor with a bristled brush ffs its not like I eat off it

I wouldnt do it at home now. But its necessary in a large public eating area.

BlitzKrieg

how I remember from my younger days working in a small chipper was that you poured clean *hot* water and cleaaning fluid into the bucket and then dipped the mop in get a good soak then twist and rinse and mop the floor.

Due to the water being hot it cleans the floor and quickly dries soon after, no need to go back and dry the floor afterwards. But you need to firmly rinse the mop because it wont dry if there is a layer of water covering the floor.

humanji

You only really need to scrub the floor if it's a kitchen in a restaurant or bar or somewhere than needs to be squeeky clean. But a damp mop and dettol does the trick, easily. in the original post, I'd of just been pissed off that the guy left the floor wet. There's no need for that, it's just lazy.

kevmy

Well again it depends where you are/ what surface.

Tiles/lino/semi solid wooden floors at home.
All you need to do is hot water + cleaning agent. Dip mop and rinse. Use to clean floor. Spread over large enough area so there are not puddles of water. Repeat.

Since your at home and on shiny surfaces you don't have large areas or long drying times so it get around both the dirty water + drying thing.

Slate/actual wood floor in large restaurant etc.

Then scrubbing method probably better. Needs to be cleaner and floors won't dry as fast.


Scrubbing at home or in a place not needed to be exceptionally clean waste of my time

Archeron

View Profile wrote: »

Yep its was always very satisfying doing it. The squeegy part was the most fun. Jez, how said am I?!

Not sad at all. I get a buzz out of painting. (as in walls, not pictures)

2 stroke

humanji wrote: »

There's no need for that, it's just lazy.

That may not be fair. It may have been the first time that guy held a mop. The op admits that he himself was trained to clean a floor, looks like he never learned how to train others though.

BlitzKrieg

I get a buzz out of painting

you sure its not the paint fumes giving the buzz?

Cathmandooo

Definition of mop

To clean a floor, the mop is soaked in a bucket of water or cleaning fluid and scrubbed against the surface. Some buckets include a wringer to strain excess water from the mop, so as not to saturate the floor. Mops are also often used to clean up liquid spills

That's exactly how I use a mop. As others have said, scrubbing with a brush first would only be used for hospitals, bars and restaurants etc.

View Profile

Lisa: Dad, what's a Muppet?

Homer: Well, it's not quite a mop and it's not quite a puppet... but man (laughs). So to answer your question, I don't know.



???:D

Shiminay

Having been a hotel worker for 4 years, my method involved near boiling water and sometimes a cleaning agent (unless it was a marble floor in which case you had a film of the cleaner left on the surface which meant you had to "buff" it out) and a CLEAN mop (this one is hard to fathom that people don't think it important). By using really hot water, like Blitzy mentioned, the floor dries in no time (point of reference, if you're familiar with the Alexander Hotel in Merrion Square, I used to have that floor in the lobby mopped and dry in 10 minutes and it always sparkled).

Also, it baffles me as to why people would use the same mop on a kitchen floor as a bathroom floor. This is actually against the law in the service industry, but the logic of it shouldn't require a law.

Then you'd get the new lads who'd take the greasy mop from the kitchen and ruin the lovely marble floor with it... :rolleyes:

RedPlanet

I think the OP is presuming there are other tools available for the job.
Did he for example, give the apprentice a deck scrub?
No?
Very well, then i suggest this method:
Fill the mop bucket with hot water and suds (whatever cleaning agent you prefer)
Swish the mop around in it and without squeezing any water, lash it onto the floor. The idea is to cover the floor with the sudzy water then let it steep for like 5 minutes.
Then rinse your mop, wring out excess water and use it as a scrubber and drying tool.

2 stroke

I've actually seen a guy cleaning a mop by flushing it in the toilet. Thank god he wasn't cleaning the kitchen.

senordingdong

2 stroke wrote: »

As I read things you allocated an employee to duties he wasn't trained to do .

Trained to do? I asked him to clean the floor, it's not ****ing brain surgery.
Accident with the chemicals, slipped on wet floor? Are you serious. Get a grip.

2 stroke wrote:

I've actually seen a guy cleaning a mop by flushing it in the toilet. Thank god he wasn't cleaning the kitchen.

And I suppose that was his bosses fault for not 'training him properly'?

It's bad enough the people can get to this age nowadays barely knowing howto wipe their own arse, but you are actually trying to justify such bull****.
Hahah, you're priceless.

Jackz

I did a hell of a lot of mopping when I worked in this bar/lounge/restraunt/function room place my technique was as follows:

Fill the industrial mop bucket with boiling water (from boiler used to make tea).
Add some stuff from a can (cleaning agent or whatnot)
Take mop (cleaned after last mopping) and dunk into the boiling water.
Use the squeezy thing (which had a handle) to squeeze out as much water as possible, the mop looks semi dry and has steam coming off it.
Mop the floor and as you do the floor drys almost immediately.
Making the floor very clean and meant that people coming along after would not wreck your floor.

Plenty of surfaces would not appreciate a rough scrubing with a brush.

Dord

Kharn wrote: »

Having been a hotel worker for 4 years, my method involved near boiling water and sometimes a cleaning agent (unless it was a marble floor in which case you had a film of the cleaner left on the surface which meant you had to "buff" it out) and a CLEAN mop (this one is hard to fathom that people don't think it important). By using really hot water, like Blitzy mentioned, the floor dries in no time (point of reference, if you're familiar with the Alexander Hotel in Merrion Square, I used to have that floor in the lobby mopped and dry in 10 minutes and it always sparkled).

Also, it baffles me as to why people would use the same mop on a kitchen floor as a bathroom floor. This is actually against the law in the service industry, but the logic of it shouldn't require a law.

Then you'd get the new lads who'd take the greasy mop from the kitchen and ruin the lovely marble floor with it... :rolleyes:

I couldn't agree more! The most important part is the clean mop, otherwise all your efforts have been in vain. I used to use very hot water also, it was great because the floor would be dry in moments. Less chance of a customer slipping on it.

Rob_l

Op I get what your saying about the mop being used for drying but Im afraid Websters dictionary disagrees

Main Entry:
Pronunciation:
\ˈmäp\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English mappe
Date:
15th century

1: an implement made of absorbent material fastened to a handle and used especially for cleaning floors 2: something that resembles a mop; especially : a thick mass of hair

Terry

What sort of apprenticeship is this?

arybvtcw0eolkf

senordingdong wrote: »

So what say yee, Boarsdsters. How do you mop yours?

I'll ask Miss Mairt as soon as she finishes washing the window's.

senordingdong

senordingdong wrote: »

Here's one for all to take part in.

In work yesterday, I allocated an apprentice to cleaning duties and told him to clean the canteen area. When I went in for an inspection I found that he had mopped it, but that he and I have some very different views of what mopping a floor involves.
All I could see was a layer of water covering every inch of the floor. And a bucket with now dirty water and a now dirty mop resting in.
I asked him what he did and he told me that he filled the bucket with warm soapy water and essentially ran the mop over the floor.

I insisted that this was the wrong way to do it.

To be fair the guy mopped up so what are you moaning about, if his style of mopping isn't up to your standards well you should of shown him how you do it :rolleyes:, or even better instead of trying to save a few euro hire qualified cleaning staff.
My god if you moan about something like that you must be a right old git to work for, your lucky he didn't smack you one !

Reku

Quite simply: mopping is a required part of "scrubbing a floor" but scrubbing is not a required part of "mopping a floor".

Rob_l

farohar wrote: »

Quite simply: mopping is a required part of
"scrubbing a floor" but scrubbing is not a required part of "mopping a floor".

again not according to Webster's on-line dictionary its not

mopping
One entry found.
Function:
verb
Inflected Form(s):
mopped; mop·ping
Date:
1709

transitive verb1: to use a mop on; specifically : to clean or clear away by mopping <mop the floors> —often used with up<mop up the spillage> 2: to wipe as if with a mop <mopped his brow with a handkerchief>intransitive verb: to clean a surface (as a floor) with a mop

senordingdong

Jackz wrote: »

Plenty of surfaces would not appreciate a rough scrubing with a brush.

You're absoloutly right. But in this case, it's the canteen of a garage. It's a tough floor that can get very filthy, very quickly, with some tough dirt if it's neglected or not done properly.

And as many people are pointing out, the clean mop is the most important part. And I am pointing out that if it is done in this half assed way, then there is no way te mop is clean.

Reku

Rob_l wrote: »

again not according to Webster's on-line dictionary its not

mopping
One entry found.
Function:
verb
Inflected Form(s):
mopped; mop·ping
Date:
1709

transitive verb1: to use a mop on; specifically : to clean or clear away by mopping <mop the floors> —often used with up<mop up the spillage> 2: to wipe as if with a mop <mopped his brow with a handkerchief>intransitive verb: to clean a surface (as a floor) with a mop

That doesn't disprove what I said, there's no mention of scrubbing being a part of mopping there.:p

senordingdong

Rob_l wrote: »

again not according to Webster's on-line dictionary its not

mopping
One entry found.
Function:
verb
Inflected Form(s):
mopped; mop·ping
Date:
1709

transitive verb1: to use a mop on; specifically : to clean or clear away by mopping <mop the floors> —often used with up<mop up the spillage> 2: to wipe as if with a mop <mopped his brow with a handkerchief>intransitive verb: to clean a surface (as a floor) with a mop

That may be but the dictionary describes that it has to be made of an absorbant material....why is that? I would say it is to absorb all the water after you've cleaned the floor.

leninbenjamin

to the OP: i would suggest attending a training course on staff management and communication. as already suggested, if you want him to deck scrub the floor you tell him to "deck scrub" it, not "mop".

as for the best methods of cleaning floors, deck scrubbing would be pretty pointless on some floors, especially wooden floors. mopping is all down to the mop head used, not just how clean it is. some mop head fibre types don't actually pick up dirt effectively.

Canis Lupus

I'm with the apprentice.

I brush up surface dirt first cos a mop just spreads that around.

Then soapy water, squeeze excess out. Mop floor vigorously. This cleans away ANY every day stain/spillage on normal moppable floor that I've ever had the pleasure of mopping. The floor does not get soaked and dries quickly.

One question I'd like answered is apart from the excess water was the floor dirty after the lad mopped it? What gets split on your canteen floor that requires a scrubbing everyday?

EDIT: And yeah, you want it scrubbed you tell the lad to scrub it then mop it. I'd be thinking you were just being an awkward boss if you pulled me up about not scrubbing the floor after I mopped it.

The Hill Billy

Hi! I'm Barry Scott!!!
Get your apprentice to use Cillit Grime & Lime!
Just rinse & the dirt is gone!

Archeron

Whatever happened to the old trick of pouring Bovril all over the floor and then getting your neighbours dog to come in and lick it clean? Let him do all the hard work.

keen

Why didn't you ask him to scrub the floor and mop it when he was finished?

moco

senordingdong wrote: »

Here's one for all to take part in.

In work yesterday, I allocated an apprentice to cleaning duties and told him to clean the canteen area. When I went in for an inspection I found that he had mopped it, but that he and I have some very different views of what mopping a floor involves.
All I could see was a layer of water covering every inch of the floor. And a bucket with now dirty water and a now dirty mop resting in.
I asked him what he did and he told me that he filled the bucket with warm soapy water and essentially ran the mop over the floor.

I insisted that this was the wrong way to do it.

When I was thought how to clean/mop a floor many many years ago in my first job as a lounge boy, the method was, we used soapy water and a brush to 'scrub' the floor, then used a clean mop to DRY the floor. Squeezing the dirty water out of the mop and into the bucket.
It is my understanding that a mop is drying utensil/tool, not a cleaning or scrubing tool.

All this went straight over the lads head so I had to explain it to him as such (and in case anyone else would take his side, you should take note of this too)...if this is the way they have been doing it for some time now, then we can guarantee that the mop is filthy. And he is continuously dipping it into pregressivly dirtier water, and then spreading a layer of it over the already dirty floor. Whats more, since he doesn't use a mop to dry the floor, that means that this layer of filth water just stays there untill it dries itself. Then gathering more filth off peoples feet as they walk over it in some cases.

So what say yee, Boarsdsters. How do you mop yours?

I mop the same way as you.

I'm a great mopper.