There's no need to rinse your vinegar-mopping solution from your floors. Keep in mind that your floors should be drying very quickly if you've wrung out your mop sufficiently.
Vinegar + Water is the safest combo for cleaning. If you're facing a tough spot while you mop, sprinkle a little bit of dry baking soda onto the area and scrub at it by hand. Undiluted vinegar will have some reactions to the baking soda, though not enough to cause an issue.
Create a mopping solution of ½ cup of vinegar and one gallon of warm water. Proper dilution is important, since vinegar's acidic, abrasive properties can have a stronger effect on some materials than others—tile being one of those. When mopping, less is more; make sure to wring out your mop thoroughly after each dip.
To ensure there is not film build-up left behind the floors should be followed with a quick plain water rinse and a quick-drying to eliminate the chance of filmy residue left on the floors.
The one aspect of cleaning and disinfecting that is the same is that both chemistries must be rinsed. Very seldom does any chemistry get rinsed off the flooring material, let alone disinfectants. So if it isn't rinsed, that means it is still working.
Just attach a towel to the floor brush and wave it over your floors to clean and disinfect. No need for an extra rinse, and since steam vapor doesn't use a lot of water, your floors will dry quickly. Simply put: steam vapor will save you time, cut down on water usage, and both clean and disinfect in one step.
If any stubborn soil remains, remove it with a scrubber before rinsing. To rinse, go over the floor with a mop dampened with clean water. Rinse the mop frequently and don't let the rinse water get too dirty.
Mop water is full of germs and dirt, so the worst thing you can do is to dispose of it in a place where you're apt to drop a toothbrush. Dump it into a toilet or down your shower drain instead.
If you're working with low-quality cleaning equipment, it might be the cause of your sticky floors. Mops that don't properly absorb water and cleaner are common and, in cases of sticky flooring, can often be the cause. If you're still using that decades-old mop, consider switching it out.
Flooring
Non-carpeted floors are typically vacuumed/swept and mopped with a floor cleaner diluted in either cold or hot water. For most floor types, this is doable because heat does not damage the surface while working on the same principles as mentioned above (with regard to agitating molecules).
Vinegar is a natural disinfectant that works well as a mopping solution without leaving any chemical residue on your floors. Although some people don't like the scent, this odor is evident only as you mop and clean—it will fade away rapidly as the solution dries. The results left behind are a gorgeous, clean floor.
Cleaning vinegar can be used undiluted or mixed with water, depending on the job. For tough stains on fabric furniture or clothes, use it alone on a sponge or rag to wipe away the spot.
Grout that hasn't been sealed, needs to be resealed, or is in poor shape should not be cleaned with vinegar. The vinegar penetrates into the pores of the grout, further weakening the material. Over time, vinegar will deteriorate the condition of the grout by etching or wearing it away.
There's no set time that the vinegar smell will linger. It depends on the air flow in the space. However, vinegar actively looks for things to bind to. In most cases, it won't take more than 5-15 minutes for the smell to go away.
Sticky floors happen when you have not passed the mop to remove too much cleaning solution or the wrong cleaning solution. It can also be due to dirty water used in rinsing your mop.
Avoid Using Too Much Soap
Soap only lifts dirt and oil into water, making them suspend in water. Therefore, the more soap you use, the more your mop gets saturated with dirt. So, if you do not remove all the soapy water from the floor, the dirt remains, forming streaks on the floor.
As soon as your bucket becomes murky, replace it with fresh water—but never dump dirty water down sinks, where it can spread germs and contribute to clogs. Flush it down the toilet instead. When you've finished, mop again with clear water to remove any cleaning-solution residue.
Healthcare | 4/01/2020. Water in a mop bucket can quickly become dirty. Infrequent bucket changes can reduce the effectiveness of the mop and actually cause contaminants to spread. In healthcare and hospitality settings, mop water should be changed frequently.
Any high-traffic areas in your home should be wet mopped once a week. Rooms in your home that are not frequently used—such as a guest room—do not need to be mopped weekly. Mopping every other week or monthly should be sufficient.
The best solutions for mopping a floor include using white vinegar, dish soap, window cleaner, or rubbing alcohol methods. These floor cleaners are easy to make at home and keep your floors clean. Before you use these methods, you'll first need to know how to care for your flooring type.
Oils such as Lavender, Wild orange, Lemon, Tea Tree, Pine, and Peppermint have effective cleaning properties and will leave your home smelling good. Grapefruit, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon, and Thyme essential oils in your mop water will effectively clean your floors, leaving a pleasant smell in your home.