Great ally for house cleaning, even the mop needs cleaning from time to time. There is a trick to make it shine like right out of the box. The mop is the great classic when it comes to doing our weekly round of cleaning. Armed with a bucket of water and detergent, this tool is perfect for removing dirt from hard surfaces like floors and tiles when we don’t want to use other systems like a steam mop. However, it is clear that even the mop accumulates dirt over time, until in the worst cases it turns completely black. For example, let’s think of those moments when it is used to clean outdoor areas such as a balcony, or in emergency situations when we had to perform an extraordinary cleaning.
However, this does not mean that every time you have to go to the supermarket or store we trust to buy a new mop. With a few tricks it is possible to make it like new again : the classic remedies of grandmother that come in handy when we want to reuse what can still be put in excellent condition.
How to clean the mop: the secrets to make it look like new again
If we assume that laziness does not make us clean the mop every time we finish our cleaning cycle, sooner or later we will find that a refresh is also necessary for the tool. The first step to make your mop look like new again is to soak it in a bowl of clean water with a pinch of baking soda. Leave it there for a couple of hours or so to give the baking soda time to work on stubborn stains. If that’s not enough, you can use a whitening cleanser as an alternative. Once this is done and we’re sure we’ve done a good portion of the job, we can put the mop in the washing machine. Depending on the type of plastic you find on the back, you can rely on a high temperature program to ensure that every trace of dirt is removed.
Now comes the trickiest moment. It may seem paradoxical, but the drying phase is the most important. Because a mop that dries too slowly and incorrectly can become a breeding ground for mold and bacterial growth: then it really belongs away. The solution then is to untangle its strips of fabric as best you can and, if you have the option, leave the mop in the sun. A task that will certainly be easier during the summer season. In the colder months, on the other hand, it is good to let it dry near a heat source, be it a stove or a heater.
After following the entire procedure to perfection, you will find that once you open the package, the mop will be practically as you found it, ready to keep you company for more cleaning sessions.
