Why was swabbing the deck so important?
Why was swabbing the deck so important? The term actually refers to washing the floor of the ship. Swabbing the deck is usually performed in order to keep the mold and moss from growing over the wooden deck, while at the same time it also helps in keeping the planks swelled up. Thereby leaving very little room for the water to get under the lower decks.
Do sailors still swab the deck?
Some sailors do. Aboard ship, the Deck Division is responsible for cleanliness - chipping away rust, then priming the bare area and lastly painting it with topcoat. There are also sailors who swab the decks.