(ゆかみが)

ゆかみがき
noun
floor polishing; scrubbing the floor
1. floor polishing; scrubbing the floor
The act of polishing or scrubbing floors to clean them and restore their shine. Can refer to both the cleaning activity and the practice as a discipline, especially in traditional Japanese settings like temples and dojos.
毎朝(まいあさ)床磨(ゆかみが)きをする。
I polish the floor every morning.
道場(どうじょう)床磨(ゆかみが)きは修行(しゅぎょう)(ひと)つだ。
Polishing the dojo floor is part of one's training.
年末(ねんまつ)大掃除(おおそうじ)では、家族(かぞく)全員(ぜんいん)床磨(ゆかみが)きをして新年(しんねん)(むか)える準備(じゅんび)をした。
During the year-end deep cleaning, the whole family polished the floors together in preparation for the new year.

Composed of (ゆか) (floor) and (みが)き (polishing). In traditional Japanese culture, 床磨(ゆかみが)き — especially the act of running down wooden hallways with a wet cloth (雑巾(ぞうきん)がけ) — is a common practice in temples ((てら)), martial arts dojos, and schools. It is valued not just for cleanliness but as a form of discipline and mindfulness.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 床磨(ゆか��が)きをする: to polish the floor
  • 床磨(ゆ��みが)(よう)ワックス: floor polishing wax
  • 床磨(ゆかみが)(): floor polishing machine

RELATED CLEANING TERMS:

  • 雑巾(ぞうきん)がけ: wiping with a floor cloth — the traditional hands-and-knees cleaning method
  • (ゆか)掃除(そうじ): floor cleaning — more general term
  • ワックスがけ: waxing — applying wax to a floor surface