The floor becomes more and more smelly the more I mop it, and I finally found the reason!

Review expert: Zhu Guangsi, member of Beijing Science Writers Association

Have you ever noticed that after mopping the floor at home, you can smell a strange odor coming from the floor? Where does this odor come from? Is it because the floor was not mopped thoroughly?

Source | pexels

If you think about it carefully, it is not difficult to find the source of the odor. Before mopping, the floor usually has no odor. After mopping, a fishy smell wafts out. The problem probably lies in three places: the mop, the floor tiles, and the water quality.

1 Water quality

With the development of my country's tap water system, the water used by every household will go through many disinfection procedures and generally will not contain more bacteria.

Unless the water used for mopping the floor is untreated or is water stored in the home, the water may contain a lot of bacteria and mold , which will be brought to the floor every time the floor is mopped. The mold itself will emit an odor, causing the floor to also smell.

2. Mop

If you can ensure that the water quality is good, then the problem may be with the mop. The odor of the mop is related to the material used. If you use a cotton mop, it is easy to breed mold.

Due to its material and shape, cotton mops are difficult to dry before the next mop, even if they are hung to dry after each mop, and even if the place where they are hung is well ventilated. In addition , it is impossible to ensure that the mop is completely rinsed after each mop, which provides a natural culture dish for mold . When you mop the floor next time, these molds will be brought to the floor, causing the floor to emit an unpleasant odor.

Source | pexels

Even if you use a sponge fiber or other easy-to-dry mop instead of a cotton mop at home, and the mop is water-free and clean every time you mop the floor, you may still smell an unpleasant odor on the floor after mopping the floor. Why is that?

At this point, we need to discuss the relationship between tiles and odor.

3 Tiles

There are many types of tiles.

According to the different materials used, tiles can be divided into clay tiles, stone tiles, etc. Normally, finished products that meet factory requirements will not produce odors and other problems. However, if the merchant replaces inferior products with black or yellow tiles, these tiles are prone to produce sulfides during firing due to poor materials, and sulfides are one of the sources of the rotten egg smell.

These sulfides accumulate in the tiles, and when the water from mopping the floor mixes with these sulfides, it may produce an unpleasant odor.

Here we need to distinguish between the concepts of ceramics and tiles. The tiles we use in our homes are generally not ceramic products. The raw materials used for tiles are different from those of ceramics. The raw materials for tiles include quartz sand, clay, etc. The raw materials for ceramics are relatively complex, including silicates, aluminum silicates and some other metal oxides. In addition, the processing technology of ceramics is more complicated than that of tiles. Ceramics are made of clay after a series of processes, and then fired at a certain temperature, coated with glaze and other steps. Ceramic tiles are made of raw materials such as clay through extrusion molding, drying, and firing.

Source | pexels

According to the firing temperature, tiles can be divided into high-temperature fired tiles, medium-temperature fired tiles and low-temperature fired tiles.

Ceramic tiles fired at low to medium temperatures have a low density because they are not fired for a long time or the firing temperature is not high enough. When water seeps into the tiles after mopping the floor, it mixes with the clay and breeds fungi and bacteria . Among them, there is a type of prokaryotes called actinomycetes, which produce an earthy smell when in contact with water . Ceramic tiles fired at high temperatures are completely transformed into porcelain, so they will not emit odors due to clay problems after mopping the floor with a wet rag.

In addition, the odor of tiles may also be related to the craftsmanship and techniques used when laying tiles. If the tiles are not laid tightly, the gaps between the tiles can easily allow moisture to seep under the tiles . Over time, more bacteria and mold will grow under the tiles. When these bacteria come into contact with water, they will produce odor and are more likely to cause the tiles to bulge and warp, thus damaging the floor.

Source | pexels

Of course, the floor tiles in the kitchen and bathroom are different from those in the bedroom and living room. Due to the special location of the tiles in the kitchen and bathroom, they are more likely to be stained and difficult to mop clean. Since the kitchen often handles food, some food crumbs will inevitably fall on the ground, especially some meat products will be rotten on the ground, which will produce a lot of bacteria and fungi , giving off an unpleasant odor. If they are not mopped and cleaned every time, these bacteria and fungi will become the most difficult problem.

3 Solutions

The first is to solve the problem of mops. Try to use mops that dry easily, wash the mops clean and hang them to dry after each mopping, to ensure that the mops are dry and clean before each mopping, and to minimize the growth of mold in the mops.

Second, when decorating, choose tiles that are fired at high temperatures . Choosing relatively high-quality tiles is the key to ensuring that there is no odor in the room. Some manufacturers sell black-hearted tiles to customers. These tiles that are not fired thoroughly or made of poor materials have the hidden danger of odor. The sulfide in the tiles will produce a chemical reaction and release a bad smell when it comes into contact with water. Therefore, you must keep your eyes open when buying tiles. Don't just go for cheap. Try to choose tiles of better quality within your budget.

Third, if the floor tiles have been laid, you can use caulking agent to fill the gaps in the floor. The development of caulking agent for floor tiles is rapid. Many years ago, the gaps in floor tiles were filled with low-density materials such as cement. If you want to solve the problem of odor when mopping the floor at home, you can re-caulk the floor tiles at home. At the same time, you can also check whether there are any bulging tiles in the process, replace the broken tiles, and clean the mold that has already grown under the tiles.

Source | pexels

In addition, studies have shown that mopping techniques are also important. When mopping the floor, wet mopping first, then dry mopping with a dry mop can greatly reduce the generation of odor on the floor at home. Timely ventilation and keeping dry can also reduce the growth of microorganisms and reduce the occurrence of odor.

Therefore, there may be many reasons why tiles smell after mopping the floor at home. This requires us to find the source of the problem bit by bit. We can start from water quality, mop, and tiles layer by layer, analyze and solve the root cause of the problem layer by layer. Strive to create a warm, comfortable and beautiful environment at home.