dweilen

Dweilen is a Dutch verb meaning to mop, that is, to clean and dry a floor using a mop and water or cleaning solution. The action is commonly associated with household cleaning as well as janitorial work in public spaces. The standard object of the verb is the floor (de vloer).

Etymology and usage notes: Dweilen is derived from the noun dweil, which means mop. The verb form is the common way to describe the act of mopping in Dutch and is used across the Netherlands and Flanders. It appears in everyday language as well as in manuals and instructions for cleaning.

Conjugation (present, past, and past participle): Present tense forms are ik dweil, jij dweilt, hij dweilt, wij dweilen, jullie dweilen, zij dweilen. The simple past forms are ik dweilde, jij dweilde, hij dweilde, wij dweilden, jullie dweilden, zij dweilden. The past participle is gedweild, used with have/has in perfect constructions (e.g., ik heb gedweild).

Equipment and technique: Dweilen is typically performed with a mop (dweil), a bucket, and a wringer, though modern variants include microfiber or sponge mops and spray or flat mops. The procedure usually involves damping the mop, applying cleaning liquid as needed, passing the mop over the floor in straight or figure-eight motions, and wringing out excess moisture to avoid over-wetting, which can damage certain floor types.

Variants and context: While primarily a household term, dweilen also appears in commercial and institutional cleaning contexts. The word is standard Dutch and widely understood in Dutch-speaking regions. Related terms include dweil (the mop itself) and related cleaning verbs such as vegen (to sweep) and schoonmaken (to clean).