Just as dirt mixed with water turns into mud, mop water turns dust on your floors into muddy streaks.
The first step to mop your floor is vacuuming it. Work wall to wall, and if it's very dusty go in two directions.
Use hot water and 2-3 drops of liquid dish soap. (Or try my homemade floor cleaner for germ-fighting abilities.) Too much soap leaves streaks and attracts dirt!
If you're using a bucket of mopping solution, keep a separate rinse bucket. Dunk and wring your mop to extract dirty water, then dunk it in the clean solution.
To avoid cross-contamination and keep your mopping solution fresh, save the dirtiest parts of your floor for the last.
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