I thought my mop was just OK – until a professional cleaner taught me the right way to use it

Whether you use a Swiffer Mop, or your trusty traditional one, exactly how you use it makes a world of difference to the results you'll get.

Like most people, I thought I was mopping correctly, and that my mop was the problem when I ended up with poor results. This led to me replacing mop heads far before their time. As it turns out, it was my technique that was prolonging the task and leaving my floor looking lacklustre.

I spoke with a professional cleaner for her cleaning tips, and since adopting them, my mop is cleaning my floors better than ever.

Why are mops so frequently misused?

Ok, I can't be the only one who thought that out of all household tasks, using a mop to clean a floor without streaks is among the easiest.

As Karina Toner, cleaning expert at Spekless, says 'Mopping feels like it should be foolproof. Dip it in water, drag it across the floor, and you’re done. It’s so straightforward that no one really questions whether they’re doing it efficiently.'

But as Karina stresses, just because a floor looks clean, doesn't mean the mop has done its best work, which is something I've now learned. In fact, failing to make the most of your mop is actually a common habit making your floors dirty, leading to a build-up of dirt, dust, debris and grime, and wasting your energy and time.

Luckily, assures Karina, the right way to mop isn't at all complicated. 'It’s just not something you’d normally think about unless someone points it out,' she says.

How to mop correctly

While there are a whole host of brilliant and surprising ways to clean with a mop, my focus was getting my tiled floors to sparkle. As I'd realized that mopping in long straight lines really wasn't doing the trick, I asked Karina exactly why.

The answer, she explained, was simple: 'This technique tends to shove dirt toward the edges, and scatter debris into areas you've already cleaned.'

Instead, I should have been using the 'figure-8 technique' all along.

'It will set you up for a more thorough clean,' advises Karina. 'Think of it like a slow, looping "infinity" symbol on the floor. Each curve of the figure-8 motion helps guide dust, crumbs, and grit toward the center of the mop head, trapping it rather than pushing it away.

'The movement also keeps both sides of the mop in contact with the floor, so you’re cleaning with every inch of the surface.

'Honestly, it feels quite a bit odd at first, but it quickly becomes second nature once you get the hang of it. You’ll also notice fewer streaks, fewer missed spots, and cleaner corners without much effort at all.'

My verdict

Karina was right, at first, using the figure-8 technique did feel a little unusual, but I very quickly got the hang of it, and noticed how much cleaner my floors were looking, and how much less time mopping was taking, too.

In turn, I've also had to replace my mop head less often, and now feel confident that I'm clued up on the very best way to mop hardwood floors, which, handily, can also be applied to cleaning marble floors in the bathroom.

So, what do you know – sometimes even the simplest of household cleaning tools can prove to be the most commonly misused. Do you use the figure-8 technique in your home? I'd love to hear in the comments below!

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Meet our expert

Karina Toner

With numerous contributions in Homes & Gardens, Real Homes, The Spruce, and many more, Karina has extensive knowledge of both commercial and residential cleaning, and knows better than anyone how to mop a floor correctly for the best results possible.

Do you know how to clean a mop head correctly?