# How can I make this cleaning go FASTER?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 2, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-make-this-cleaning-go-faster/243182 "2004-05-02T19:40:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Satyricon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f05b48/32.png) [@Satyricon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satyricon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-make-this-cleaning-go-faster/243182/1 "2004-05-02T19:40:11Z")
I just moved away from home into an apartment recently. I now have hardwood floors, after spending my whole life previous with carpeted floors. The problem with them is that every little thing that gets on them seems to make the floor gritty and it sticks to my feet and drives me crazy. Once a week I sweep which yields a pile of assorted yeech, hair, etc. Then I go around with a swiffer - which picks up an astounding amount more of yecch considering I just swept. Then I get out the ol’ mop & bucket and give it a go-over. Problem is this process takes me about 2 hours!! And it seems to be the only way to get my floors really clean! We have a vaccuum but all it manages to do is pick up the “small dirt” and push the “big dirt” around. Anyone have any techniques, ideas, etc. as to how to get my floors cleaner, faster? Yes, I once enlisted my fiance to help, but it’s like giving a chimp a bag of sand. I somehow wound up with a bigger mess than before. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![MercyStreet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@MercyStreet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MercyStreet)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-make-this-cleaning-go-faster/243182/2 "2004-05-02T20:25:31Z")
You need a $20 electric broom. You’d be amazed what these things pick up. They seem to be designed especially for bare floors. Well, duh. That’s why it’s called an electric “broom.” Anyway, yeah. On hardwood my electric broom does a better job than my bazillion-dollar vacuum. ---
**Author:** ![Satyricon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f05b48/32.png) [@Satyricon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satyricon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-make-this-cleaning-go-faster/243182/3 "2004-05-02T20:35:32Z")
> [@MercyStreet](#): > > You need a $20 electric broom. You’d be amazed what these things pick up. They seem to be designed especially for bare floors. > > Well, duh. That’s why it’s called an electric “broom.” > > Anyway, yeah. On hardwood my electric broom does a better job than my bazillion-dollar vacuum. Electric broom! Never heard of it before! How exactly does it work? ---
**Author:** ![MercyStreet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@MercyStreet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MercyStreet)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-make-this-cleaning-go-faster/243182/4 "2004-05-02T21:07:36Z")
Please tell me I’m not a member of some weird electric broom generation. You can pick up one at Target, Sears, etc. [http://hectorshardware.com/bosbagelbroo.html](http://hectorshardware.com/bosbagelbroo.html) ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-make-this-cleaning-go-faster/243182/5 "2004-05-02T21:15:03Z")
You may be doing damage with your mop and bucket. That is not generally recommended for hardwood floors. I suggest doing a google or askjeeves search for proper care tips. Also, as some of these sites will point out, take steps to prevent the floors from getting dirty, like not wearing outdoor shoes in the rooms where you have these floors. Either get slippers or walk around in your socks. ---
**Author:** ![Satyricon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f05b48/32.png) [@Satyricon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satyricon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-make-this-cleaning-go-faster/243182/6 "2004-05-02T21:47:55Z")
> [@Harriet the Spry](#): > > You may be doing damage with your mop and bucket. That is not generally recommended for hardwood floors. > > I suggest doing a google or askjeeves search for proper care tips. > > Also, as some of these sites will point out, take steps to prevent the floors from getting dirty, like not wearing outdoor shoes in the rooms where you have these floors. Either get slippers or walk around in your socks. I did not know this. Thanks. I never wear shoes indoors, I mostly go barefoot, so at least I don’t have to worry about tracking dirt in that way. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-make-this-cleaning-go-faster/243182/7 "2004-05-02T21:54:59Z")
As long as you’re using Murphy’s Oil soap or something similar, the mop and bucket are perfectly fine. Don’t use bleach or Pine sol or anything like that obviously. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-make-this-cleaning-go-faster/243182/8 "2004-05-02T21:57:06Z")
THrow rugs in key areas might help. also I would suggest going from vaccume to mop, bypassing the swiffer, since the mop will get everything the swiffer will anyway. > [@](#): > > Yes, I once enlisted my fiance to help, but it’s like giving a chimp a bag of sand. I somehow wound up with a bigger mess than before. Not sure of the gender, but in general males will have this tendancy (actually surpassing chimps w/ sandbags on a good day), your best option in tis case is to try to restrict his access to said floor. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-make-this-cleaning-go-faster/243182/9 "2004-05-02T23:48:04Z")
the nifty new robotic vacuums are fantastic for wood floors. just set the robot and off you go, when you get home the room is cleaned.