anyone have a mop they really like?

[rubidoux]

I have bought so many mops over the last few years and I've hated them all.  I don't even mop very much, so I cannot believe how I've gone through them.  For one thing, I think we need his and hers mops because dh seems to think you need a lot of muscle to mop and he will literally shred the mop head on one go.  Gah!  (I suppose I should just be happy he's mopped a couple of times.  lol)  I don't have a lot of room, though, so I'm hoping to find a mop that doesn't need its own ringer bucket.  

If it matters, I've got linoleum (I think) in the kitchen and bathroom and the rest of the house is hard wood.  I rarely clean the hard wood, but I'd like to start doing it more.  I sweep it a ton, but it never feels well swept, which may be more about my dogs than my floors.  If anyone has tips on how (how often, what to use, etc) to take of my hard wood, that would be greatly appreciated, too!

[Oliver's Mama]

What you should get is just a swiffer-- just the basic $10 one.  I let the kids have at it during the day, which picks up loose crumbs and pet hair (use swiffer disposable cloths, or a microfiber rag) then when it's mopping time I put a microfiber cloth on it, and I have a squirt bottle with water + vinegar, and I squirt the floor as I go along, or I even let my 4 year old do it- no risk without a bucket around. (the nice thing about swiffers is you don't have to put all the parts of the stick together, making it as short as you want to, if you have little ones who want to push it around.  When done, the rag goes in the laundry, all done. You can buy all sorts of resuable mop heads for swiffer-like mops, that can vary in how coarse/shaggy they are, but a microfiber with some elbow grease works for me.

As for wood floors, I'd google what kind of homemade cleaning solution is safe, but I know there's a storebought product, I think it's called Bona, or something. They sell squirt bottles, and their own sort of swiffer mop. 

happy cleaning!

[~Adorkable~]

i have a basic 

Shark® Steam Mop  and it has really changed mopping for me. fast easy, steam only no product on the floor and it cleans everything really well, even though i leave stuff on the floor too long and it really get to be a big job.

[texmati]

libman wonder mom. I love that it's not disposable, but I *can * buy a new mop head whenever one gets too grungy. And I can still mop without getting my hands dirty. My husband was in love with it the first time he mopped. Sooooo much easier, faster and more effective than the swiffer.

[clutterwarrior]

I love my Enjo mop....must admit I don't hate mopping anymore now that I have this, as I don't need a bucket and it is so quick and easy.

[rubidoux]

Thanks for the ideas!  I have a swiffer (still in the box, lol), so I'll have to start with that.  I hadn't thought of it as something I could use wet, but that's a great idea.  I am going to have to get a shark or an enjo for xmas.  I love the idea of the enjo.  It looks so easy.  I wish I could pick one up at target, though...

[zebra15]

I have both a swiffer and a steamer.  Both work fine however I still miss my hoover floormate.

[rebirth]

I love my shark so much!

[rubidoux]

Okay, I'm a dweeb!    It says right on the box you can use the swiffer wet!  I have had this swiffer in the box for like 2 years probably.  I had one a few years before that and used it twice and decided it wasn't any good.  Then we moved to this house where all the floors are wood, so I bought this current one and never opened because my hopes weren't high for it.  But I just swiffered the living room/dining room dry and that is so quick and I do think it looks better in here.  Then I did the kitchen wet and I'm not so impressed but maybe that's because I just used the wet pad that came with it.  I need to get some reusable microfiber pads.

If I manage to keep my house looking as good as it does right now, I'll have to get myself something funner before xmas.  :)

[SavannahK]

Sh-Mop from the Clean Team. I use the Sh-wipes on our tile and linoleum, and the microfiber sh-wipes on hardwood, dry for dust patrol, slightly wet for cleaning. Like a swiffer, but with a bigger head (so it goes faster!), and the wipes are washable/reusable. Our original mop lasted 10 years, finally broken by one of the kids; the wipes last for 5-6 years with weekly laundering -- I air dry to preserve the elastic. 

[rubidoux]

Originally Posted by SavannahK 

Sh-Mop from the Clean Team. I use the Sh-wipes on our tile and linoleum, and the microfiber sh-wipes on hardwood, dry for dust patrol, slightly wet for cleaning. Like a swiffer, but with a bigger head (so it goes faster!), and the wipes are washable/reusable. Our original mop lasted 10 years, finally broken by one of the kids; the wipes last for 5-6 years with weekly laundering -- I air dry to preserve the elastic. 

That's really tempting!  The whole system w/ 3 each of the wipes is only 40 bucks.  I'm gonna try to wait until next pay period...  So you don't need any cleaning products beyond the wipes for normal cleaning?  When I clean my floors I don't use anything besides vinegar, but I can't say they look all that awesome.  lol

[SavannahK]

You can use the cleaner of your preference. I'll do dilute vinegar on the hardwood. For tile, vinegar (for mild cleaning), or Method/Meyer Clean Day/other eco cleaner. I'll usually mix about 2 cups water, and a teaspoon to tablespoon of cleaner.

[Imakcerka]

It's one I made.  I always have towels that look like they've been through hell and back.  So I save them up, tear them up and sew them into my old mop head.  I feel like it works better and I don't get as mad if it falls apart.  I have wood floors too so it really helps with not scratching.

[rubidoux]

Omg, you guys!  I am never, never, never using a sponge mop ever again!  Yesterday I bought that big huge thing of yellow microfiber towels in the costco automotive section and I'm in love!  I wouldn't be surprised if I could find much better microfiber, but this satisfied my *need it now* mentality, and was cheap.  So, I cut one in half and tried it on the swiffer dry and it was a no-go.  If just wouldn't stay on and didn't seem like it was picking up much at all anyway.  But wet on the kitchen floor, it was a dream!  I hadn't realized what a huge pita it was that the sponge mops just don't ring dry enough.  Because they leave so much water on the floor, it never seems clean.  Either it gets walked across or it seems like you've left slightly dirty water on your floor.  I went over the kitchen floor twice with just a wet microfiber towel (cut in half to fit the swiffer), each time took about two minutes, and the floor looked way better than a mop ever leaves it looking.  I always feel like mopping is a big production, I guess since you gotta do it at a time when nobody's around and I put the dogs out or close them in my husband's office or something.  This was not a production and it didn't matter where anyone else was.  Woot!  :)

I'll try vinegar next time.  And Imakcerka, I still have my most recent sponge mop acquisition, so I'll have to check that out to see if it would make a better handle for my microfiber towels.  The swiffer handle could probably be improved on.  I may, though, just get that sh-mop package, since I would also love something that works dry on the wood for dog hair and such.  

[rhianna813]

Originally Posted by ~Adorkable~ 

i have a basic 

Shark® Steam Mop  and it has really changed mopping for me. fast easy, steam only no product on the floor and it cleans everything really well, even though i leave stuff on the floor too long and it really get to be a big job.

We also have this and purchased it as a used show model from Goodwill, so we saved money too. We really love this mop, especially because the pads are washable. I also like that the floor dries very quickly after use. DH likes this mop and has mopped for the first time since we starting living together. All hail this mop LOL
 

[kayleesmom]

i love the shark steam mop.

[t2009]

I just started using the O'Cedar spray-micro-fiber-mop-thingy & I love it. It's great because you can fill the spray bottle with whatever you want (commercial cleaner, vinegar + water, whatever). Also, no batteries or anything fancy. You can use it wet or dry (like a swiffer). Someone above said that mopping usually feels like a big to-do & I totally agree (which is why I usually put it off as long as possible...) but I can leave this thing filled with water & vinegar & just use it whenever so it doesn't feel like a big deal anymore.

ETA: I had a steam cleaner (Han brand) & it pretty much destroyed the floor in my old place. We were renting & the owners clearly had not sealed or waxed one room in a long while, so the steam cleaner did a number on that floor. On the better-maintained floors it was fine.