verb [ with obj. ] make (something or someone) free of dirt, marks, or mess, esp. by washing, wiping, or brushing
I’m not a fan of mopping floors. In fact, one of the reasons I don’t like having all hardwood floors in a house is the amount of mopping that it requires. Well, beggars can’t be choosers, as they say, and my apartment is filled with tile and hardwood floors. No carpet – anywhere. Add bare floors to the amount of mud and dust one accumulates on their shoes here in the jungle, and you have yourself a mopping marathon.
However, I have learned a mopping method from my sweet sisters here in Ecuador, that I will forever employ no matter where I live. It’s cost effective, time effective, and for all you environmentalists out there, it employs the method of reuse and recycle:)
Here’s a quick tutorial with pics and all!
Step One: Gather your supplies: broom, dust pan, old t-shirt, and spray bottle of cleaner. (Yes, I realize that I failed to put the cleaner in the pic. Take an old spray bottle fill it with 1/3 floor cleaner, like Pine Sol, and then the other 2/3 with water.)
Step Two: Sweep the area that needs to be mopped. (Wish we could skip this part, but alas it’s inevitable. (Please notice my snazzy apron and sock feet;)
Step Three: Wet your ratty old t-shirt, wring it out, then fold it in half.
Then fold it in half again.
Step Four: In the center of the t-shirt, on the folded corner, cut across the corner diagonally. That should give you a small hole in all layers of the shirt. (Gotta love my kiddie sized scissors.)
Step Five: Open the t-shirt back up and slide the broom handle through the hold in both layers.
Step Six: Spray a small area (4’x4′) of the floor with your cleaner.
Step Seven: Mop over the area as shown using one side of the t-shirt.
Step Eight: Continue spraying small areas and using the t-shirt mop. When you find one side of the t-shirt dirty, simply flip over and use the other side. (Yeah, I know my floor looks like I haven’t mopped in weeks, but remember I live in the jungle.)
The great thing is you can switch sides 4 different times by simply removing the dirty t-shirt and turning it inside out. Now you are working with a clean mop once again. Notice we have not returned to the sink to rinse and wring out our mop. That’s some serious time saving for me. And look at how the floor shines! ( I’m serious. I didn’t photoshop that reflection in this photo.)
Step Nine: Now you have a clean floor and a dirty t-shirt. The good news you simply wash the t-shirt and have it ready for the next time you need to mop.
Let me know how what happens when you go all Latin America with your mopping skills.
Here’s to a cleaning-free weekend,
~a
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Unpacking Life 
Very interesting. Makes one appreciate the conveniences of modern day products with batteries. Great article.