Is It Better to Mop with Cold Water or Hot Water & Why

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Mopping the floor regularly is the easiest way to keep the floor free of any dust or dirt. Even in mopping, there are many methods and many materials to use. Some people use steam mops, some use natural cleaners, and some use artificial cleaning materials. But, one thing is for certain, most people need to use water with all the other materials, whether it is hot or cold.

Hot water vs cold water cleaning – both have their benefits, and today we are going to discuss Is it better to mop with cold water or hot water?

Why is it better to mop with cold water?

Cold Water carries a lot of benefits when it comes to cleaning. The floor is one of those things that we touch or interact with every day, and we do all these without acknowledging this fact.

The floor collects dirt and smudges regularly. To keep it clean and germ-free, you need to clean it regularly. The easiest and fastest method to clean your floor regularly is to vacuum it and then mop it with cold water.

Cold Water all by itself collects dirt, dust, and some smudges. But, mixed with any cleaning chemical or solution, it becomes a great cleaning agent.

When it comes to cold water, just use the water from your tap at room temperature, and use that to clean the floor. If you live in someplace that has a freezing temperature and the water is close to the ice temperature, warm it up a bit to prevent freezing.

For wooden floors, cold water is the one to choose from. Cleaning the wooden floors from dirt, dust, and spillage is work that needs to be done carefully, and cold water is the one to go for in these cases.

Applying hot water on wooden surfaces will damage them, so cold water needs to be used here. Coldwater mixed with vinegar creator a perfect cleaning solution for all the surfaces, apart from marble and stone floors.

Any cleaning solution can be mixed with cold water, like bleach or artificial cleaners. Don’t put too much chemical into the water. Putting too much chemical in the cold water and then using that to clean the floor might harm you or your kid’s or pet’s health.


  • Good for all types of floor and surfaces
  • Can mix with any cleaning chemical
  • Easy to get and no hassle required to collect
  • Creates good natural cleaners
  • No risk of any accident unlike hot water


  • Cleans less dirt on its own
  • Plain water does not get rid of germs

How to Mop with Cold Water

Mopping with cold water is easy as it sounds. You can use the plain water on its own for regular cleaning, or you can use it with come natural cleaning materials or even artificial ones.

Using Cold Water to Mop the Floor

This is simple as it sounds. First of all, vacuum the floor to clear the loose and excess dirt or dust. Then, pour cold water onto a bucket. Soak the mop into the bucket, wring it, and then mop the floor. When the mop gets dirty, soak it in the water, and move it around a bit to clear any excess dirt. Then, wring the mop again, and continue cleaning again. If the water in the bucket gets too dirty, replace it with more cold water.

Using Cold Water with Natural Cleaners to Mop the Floor

Pour half a cup of white vinegar on one gallon of cold water. Soak the mop on this solution, wring it, and mop in the regular style. This solution Will clear all the dirt and dust, and also remove all the germs from the floor. After mopping, let the floor dry on its own by the air, this will remove any extra germ or bacteria.

Using Cleaning Solutions with Cold Water to Mop the Floor

Artificial cleaning solutions always instruct to be put with cold water. Pour 1 gallon of cold water, put a very little amount of artificial cleaner onto the water. Remember, most of the artificial cleaner is very concentrated. Therefore, a very little amount mixed into the water will give out good cleaning. Dry the wet floor with air.

Why is it better to mop with hot water?

Hot water or cold water cleaning both have their perks, and mopping in hot water is a popular and vastly used technique in most households. Hot water has the properties to clean dirt and marks quicker than cold water. But, along with its perks, it also has some drawbacks in cleaning.

Hot Water can range from warm water to the point where it is boiling. Many people use boiling water to mop the floor, and it is really dangerous and an accident waiting to happen. When it comes to hot water cleaning, use warm water that will help with the cleaning, but won’t do much damage in case of any spillage or accident.

Warm water has its benefits in cleaning, especially on kitchen and bathroom surfaces. Kitchen surfaces usually have spillage and stubborn marks that are hard to get rid of using cold water. In these cases, warm water provides a much easier clean. And on bathroom surfaces, warm water helps to get rid of watermarks and smudges.

Cleaning with warm water requires proper knowledge about your floor. If it is a wooden floor, warm water is a really big no for cleaning. Warm water by itself or mixed with natural cleaning solutions does a lot of damage to any wooden floor. But, for ceramic tile or porcelain, warm water is a good cleaning liquid.

Another thing that needs to be beware of is the cleaning solution. You need to use specific natural materials with warm waters to make a proper cleaning solution. You can use things like baking soda, lime, dishwashing soaps, etc.

Using artificial cleaners with hot water is another straight now. Hot water can break down the molecules of the artificial cleaner, and it will result in bad cleaning. Also, in the worst-case scenario, it may lead to health issues.


  • Cleans dirt more easily than cold water
  • Helps to ease and clean up any stubborn spillage
  • Creates great floor and surface cleaner with household materials
  • Eliminates more germs than plain cold water


  • Harmful to wooden floors
  • Cannot be mixed with artificial floor cleaners
  • Takes effort and hassle to warm up the water

How to Mop with Hot Water

Make hot water in a pot or something. Make sure the temperature is in a state that even if a spillage occurs, you or anyone won’t get seriously hurt. Fill the bucket with hot water, and soak the mop into it, and wring it. Then, start mopping the floor in a regular manner.

How to Mop with Hot Water and Dish Soap

Dish soap is a relatively natural cleaner and cleans every surface well. Pour dish soap in hot water, and then soak the mop in the solution, and mop the entire floor. When you are done mopping the entire floor with a soap water solution, replace the solution with cold water, and clean the entire floor from the soap solution. At the end of this process, you will end up with a clean, shiny, and germ-free floor.

How to Mop with Hot Water and Baking Soda

Baking soda is an effective cleaning material that is available in every household in the country. To clean the floor with baking soda and hot water, put baking soda into warm water and dissolve it. Then, use this solution to mop the entire floor.

This baking soda and hot water floor cleaning solution will not only help the floor to get clean from every dirt and dust, but also make it germ-free.

What Should I Choose to mop, cold water or hot water?

Hot water vs cold water cleaning has its own benefits and downsides, and you need to know them all. It depends on your floor type, the cleaning agent type, and your time that whether or not is it better to mop with cold water or hot water.

If you have a wooden floor, mopping with hot water is strictly prohibited for you. The same goes for if you have a hot water-friendly floor but kids and pets, as accidents could happen. You need to use cold water to mop the wooden floor, and also to keep your kids and pets safe.

In terms of cleaning solutions, things are really straightforward. If you prefer to use artificial cleaning materials, always use cold water as it will give the best result. If you prefer to use natural materials like lime or dish soap or baking soda, you can use hot water to mop your floor.

Final Words

Both hot water and cold water provide good cleaning to your floor, depending on the surface and the cleaning solution. Is it better to mop with cold water or hot water? The answer is, they both are better, for different reasons and needs. Hopefully, now you know which water will be better for your floor and cleaning solution.

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