Exercise by cleaning the floor by hand
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
United States
March 16, 2013 9:58am CST
Yesterday I took everything out if the kitchen and swept and mopped. Mopping just doesn't get all the stains up off the floor. There are still tiny white specks here and there on the floor from when they painted before we moved in. I've been scraping them up from time to time as I see them.
Anyway, I haven't been walking the last two days because my back and hips have been giving me fits. So I've been working extra hard inside and iutside of the house. Yesterday I mopped with the Magic Eraser Mop by Mr Clean. It's not all that good. The floor did look good and smelled good when I finished.
Today I took everything out of the kitchen except the two tables. I did half of the floor by hand and it looks nice. I'm resting right now before I do the other half. I can't get on my hands and knees so I have to bend down and do it that way. I did some of it with my feet too. I have a scrubber sponge I keep for getting up stains on the floor. My floor is a pretty almost blond looking hardwood pattern laminant flooring. It's not real hardwood but it looks like it.
After this post I will finish the other half of the floor. I enjoy doing this as a form of exercise for me. It's especially good when I can't get about enough to walk the hills. When I'm done I will go back outside and sweep down the patio, carport and driveway. I did it yesterday, but the wind blows those little golf ball sized seed things all over the place again. They come out if those yuka plants we have. They just bust out of the middle part if them. They look like a cross between balls and cacti. They blow all over the place. They imbed themselves in the cracks in the sidewalk and driveway.
So do you like to clean house the hard way for exercise? It keeps me busy and I know it's good for my muscles and bones.
2 people like this
17 responses
@celticeagle (159105)
• Boise, Idaho
16 Mar 13
Keeping busy is good. I do that on here. I found a new site where you can post stories you have written. Just sgned up today. I love hardwood floors. I'm not big on cleaning house. It irritates me that after you have everything all nice and clean it just gets dirty again. That might be part of my depression though. Our place needs painting and alot of work. Renting is the pits that way. So did you get all your cleaning done?
2 people like this
@celticeagle (159105)
• Boise, Idaho
17 Mar 13
We are getting 60 degree weather here. Sure is nice. You sure have a lot of energy. That's great! I am really happy for you.
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
17 Mar 13
It's been warm for 3 days now. Cold mornings but 70 degrees when the sun warms everything up. We had the AC on for the past 3 days when needed.
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
17 Mar 13
Yep I got it all done and did two loads of laundry. I'll do it again Monday whether it needs it or not. I love it and it makes me feel good. It's up in the 70s now in the days so I can go out in my short sleeves now and sweep the carport and driveway and patio. I also cleaned the laundry room.
1 person likes this
@MADAPAGMD (36)
• India
16 Mar 13
YEs I do it but not regularly as me and my younger sister do it alternately and it works a löt as excercise
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
17 Mar 13
I hate cleaning period lol, but I don't do floors now since my back is always sore that job is left for S.
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
17 Mar 13
My back gets painful but it helps to get the exercise. Not doing it would be worse on me than doing it because just sitting around weakens my back.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
17 Mar 13
oh how i wish i had your determination and stamina. before i was disabled like this, i used to NEVER use a mop. every floor i done , including clients floors got scrubbed on hands and knees. its one of the things my clients loved. 
these days im often lucky if i can get through sweeping the floor
much less how long it takes me to mop. just the same, i do it as often as possible a little at a time, like you. some of whats been wearing me out is cleaning my son that lefts room. my youngest moved in with my daughter and left a stinking nasty room and i think is either to lazy or afraid of getting bald out by my oldest son to come clean it. as my son here said he was mad because of the nasty stink and mess, being afraid of getting bugs in his house and already raised heck about it to wes. so i have been wading through and picking up and packing things in it, etc. its exhausting. 
these days im often lucky if i can get through sweeping the floor much less how long it takes me to mop. just the same, i do it as often as possible a little at a time, like you. some of whats been wearing me out is cleaning my son that lefts room. my youngest moved in with my daughter and left a stinking nasty room and i think is either to lazy or afraid of getting bald out by my oldest son to come clean it. as my son here said he was mad because of the nasty stink and mess, being afraid of getting bugs in his house and already raised heck about it to wes. so i have been wading through and picking up and packing things in it, etc. its exhausting. @PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
17 Mar 13
That's too bad your son left that. I'd be calling him to tell him to come clean his mess. I like to do mine every other day. When I do it so often I don't need to scrub. I can just use an old dish towel. I don't throw away the old stained ones. I keep them for mopping. In gonna throw out that mop. It's not good.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
18 Mar 13
we have called and told him. he always promises then dont show. today he said he would be here wednesday after he gets paid.
i wont hold my breath
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
17 Mar 13
They did the perimeter. Put sheets down next to the walls. I don't know how these little splatters got in the middle. I don't think they painted the ceilings. There was paint splatters in the sink I've been scrubbing. I think I got it all now.
@Laurenlynn (715)
• Canada
17 Mar 13
Hi Pointless I love getting on my hands and knees to scrub a floor, to me it gets it really clean and you are right it is really good exercise. I too tried the Magic Eraser Mop and I did not care for it all either. I am glad you are enjoying cleaning however don't over do it ( I have a habit of that). When you talk about the yuka plants it reminds me years ago they had a shampoo called Yuca Doo. I am not sure if you remember this or not but I do.
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
17 Mar 13
no I don't recall that shampoo. That mop is the pits. I do like mopping in between as a way of getting most of the dirt off the floor but that doesn't truly clean the floors. I can see that when I clean by hand.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
17 Mar 13
I know that you just can't get a floor clean without getting down there and doing it by hand. I do it sometimes but not often enough. I get so busy with things that I just don't think of it.
I do as much maintenance and repair here as I can, as well as cooking, cleaning, mending, shopping, etc., and trying to make a little money at the same time, so sometimes I have to cut corners when it comes to cleaning.
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
17 Mar 13
When I use the mop I'm just not satisfied. I do the cooking here also but I make things that last for a few days so I don't cook every day.
@AmbiePam (85551)
• United States
17 Mar 13
I've read it a lot of times in various books and magazines that house work is the best form of overall exercise. Because you work so many different parts of your body. Apparently, it burns calories fast than several traditional ways to exercise. Mopping by hand always takes a lot out of me as well.
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
17 Mar 13
I wish I could get down on my hands and knees but I can't. It feels like I burn a lot if calories too.
@lynboobsy11 (11343)
• Philippines
16 Mar 13
I do it all the time I hate using mop because it is hard for me to squeeze I don't have the mop with squezer. I normally used my feet while cleaning the floor and hands when the stain is hard to remove.
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
17 Mar 13
My mop has the squeezer but it isn't efficient like doing it by hand (and foot).
@much2say (53958)
• Los Angeles, California
16 Mar 13
My mom always said that's the only way to get the floors clean - doing it by hand! She never bought a mop - she didn't believe in mops - hee hee. But yah, it can be hard on the knees (someone told me to use one of those gardening knee pads, whatever you call it). These days it's hard for me to get any cleaning done period, so I have to do whatever I can to clean quickly . . . I use those wet Swiffers and if time permits, use the steam cleaner. But really, I do need to get down and work on the floors to get every bit cleaned. Our floors are that a medium brown color - so everything shows up on our floors (even right after we clean them!!). Good for you for doing the floors that way - and getting that exercise in (um, something I need to do too!!).
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
16 Mar 13
I tend to agree. I mopped yesterday and thought I did a good job. Today I did it by hand. I had both sinks with clean water. One side was for my scrubber sponge and the other sink was for my raggedy little towel I rinsed the floor with. Both sinks got dirty water and I emptied both sinks after half the floor was done. Then I refilled and both sinks got gray and dingy again.
The floors are sparkling now. There is a couple of small stains in the foyer that won't come up. They are light and not too noticeable.
@LaDeBoheme (2004)
• United States
16 Mar 13
I hate cleaning house and I am a big believer in the 'miracle' time-saver devices -- Swiffers, Magic Erasers. (Still haven't gotten a RoboVac yet. That's next on the agenda.)
However, I know that these clean-and-go methods don't always do a thorough job and sometimes, I am resigned to the old elbow-grease methods, but I don't do it for exercise necessarily; I do it just because I have to.
That does not mean I don't try to incorporate a little workout into cleaning. I like to stick in my earplugs, crank up the music, and go at it. I do lunges while vacuuming, squats while dusting, dance with my Libman mop around the kitchen. deadlift furniture out of my way.
OK, I understand that not everyone can do jump-squats over the ottoman, but it is good strategy to think that not only are you cleaning your home, but you are also benefiting your own health with exercise -- sort of like multi-tasking. Everyone and everything benefits.
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
17 Mar 13
I enjoy it. I like the feeling of a spotless floor. If there is one piece of grit on the floor my bare feet will find it. I hate that. I have to have it feel clean. I don't care anything about those labor saving devices. Life has gotten too easy and gaining weight is too easy too.
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
16 Mar 13
That's the same with me. I can't get corners clean with a mop. It just doesn't get in there. I moved the tables out of the way and did half the floor and then rested. Then I moved the tables to the clean side and did that half. I also did the foyer the same way. There is a stain I can't get up in the foyer. I scrubbed and scrubbed. It's like something spilled there and won't come up. I used Dawn dish washing detergent to scrub the floors and there a couple of light stains that won't come up. It's like it's inside the flooring itself. Maybe no one else will notice but I do. The mop didn't get it and my scrubbing didn't get it. Maybe tomorrow I will spray a little Clorox on those stains and try again on those stains. Then Monday I will do the same thing over again with the cleaning the floors again. I like to walk barefoot sometimes and I don't want to feel any grit on my feet.
I sweep after each meal but it seems I still always find something on the floor. I'm glad to do it by hand. I think it will help to an my muscles, especially when I move all those chairs and tables around.
@RitterSport (2451)
• Lippstadt, Germany
24 Mar 13
hi dear PQ I have a herniated disc and thats why my husband and I have adjusted household chores. He will wash the floors and I do the ironing cause I can stand while doing that.
He is in the hospital right now and as we have the shoes off rule here, i.e. outdoor shoes off before entering our apartment, there only is a bit of dust but no dirt in here. I am vacuuming the place regularly and thats enough so it looks good. Wheeeew......
@blackrusty (3519)
• Mexico
16 Mar 13
well is that why i never gain weight s I do that every single day of the week
1 person likes this
@PointlessQuestions (15397)
• United States
17 Mar 13
I'm doing it again Monday. I'll do it all week too. On days that I have breathing problems I get a bit lax. Still the house never really gets dirty. Not to look at, but my water in the sink got dirty twice.
@artemeis (4194)
• China
18 Mar 13
I hope you've managed to remove the stains on the flooring and that your flooring aren't marble which are porous and stains easily if you do not cover them with a layer of protection. Other than that, you may consider using paint removing agents where you will need to determine the paint base before deciding which solvent agent to use.
Where I live, I do not use my hands but vacuum cleaner and mop on my granite slab flooring with a coating of anti slip to prevent slips when the floor is wet. I enjoy cleaning the house because that's when my husband will join me where one of us either vacuums or mops. The children will be in charge of their bedrooms, folding the laundries and dust wiping. It is a family affair.
@kprofgames (3091)
• United States
24 Mar 13
I'm not fond of mops because don't think they get the floor clean enough. Maybe I am doing it the hard way 
lol
Sometimes wish my laundry room was on the main floor. I'm up and down the stairs several times a day throwing something in or taking something upstairs to the bedrooms. Stairs are good exercise but they get old after a while.
I do stretch though so more limber so the heavier cleaning doesn't effect me so much when go in for the big overhaul.
lol
Sometimes wish my laundry room was on the main floor. I'm up and down the stairs several times a day throwing something in or taking something upstairs to the bedrooms. Stairs are good exercise but they get old after a while.
I do stretch though so more limber so the heavier cleaning doesn't effect me so much when go in for the big overhaul.