Choosing Between Cotton And Microfiber Mops - CleanLink

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When it comes to mop heads, buyers face two choices: cotton string or microfiber. Both products come with their own set of benefits and drawbacks. Choosing the right material depends on the task, but &#;in general, microfiber does a better job of trapping and removing soils,&#; according to Schneringer.

The synthetic material does this by design. Made from polyester and polyamide, the fibers are split and split again until they are much finer than a human hair. This tangle of material increases surface area, allowing the fibers to absorb up to eight times their weight in liquid. The material also generates a static electric charge when moved across a surface. These charged fibers act like a magnet, picking up and containing dust and dirt instead of spreading it around.

The material can also cut down on chemical use. &#;There are Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies that demonstrate that microfiber picks up about 95 percent of soils without any added chemical,&#; says Schneringer. This means microfiber cloths and mops can save time, money and help eliminate any risks associated with cleaning chemicals.

Microfiber also lasts a long time. The tool can be washed &#;between 200 and 500 times as compared to a cotton mop &#; which only holds up for 15 to 30 washes,&#; says Silverman. There are a few caveats, however. Microfiber should be dried at low temperatures to avoid melting the fibers and fabric softeners will ruin the tool. Cleaning crews should also avoid using bleach or other acidic chemicals with microfiber products.

The material is so long-lived that it may be hard to keep track of all the washings. Workers will know their microfiber needs replacement when the mop or cloth no longer grabs particles, if the edges begin to fray or the tool no longer works as well as it used to.

It may take some careful observation to determine if microfiber needs replacing. Meanwhile, figuring out if a cotton mop has reached the end of its usefulness is not nearly as nuanced. If the strings appear frayed or break off during use, it is time for a replacement. Teach end users to also use their nose. A mop that smells bad, even after laundering, is ready for the landfill.

Despite all of microfiber&#;s benefits, there is still a place for the good old cotton mop. Available with cut ends or looped and banded fibers, a cotton or other natural fiber mop is a solid choice for picking up a big spill, &#;like a dropped bottle of soda in a grocery store,&#; says Silverman. They are also the recommended tool for stripping floors.

However, cotton or other natural textiles should not be used with disinfectants that contain quaternary ammonium chloride, also known as quats. &#;Over time the quats get bound up in the material and don&#;t make it to the surface,&#; explains Schneringer. This means the mop isn&#;t delivering enough pathogen-killing quats to the job.

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You can sweep and vacuum all you like, but if you have hardwood, vinyl or tile floors in your home and run into sticky residue or stuck-on grime, you&#;ll need a mop. There&#;s good news, though. Mops have come a long way since the bulky, stringy, soggy swabbers of old, and are smaller, tidier and easier to use than ever. Most will be able to tackle a wide range of flooring types, making it easy to get your entire home clean with fewer tools and a minimum of fuss.

We put 11 popular mops, including string, spin, spray and pad models, to the test, evaluating them on how they performed while tackling three challenging cleaning tasks as well as on overall build and durability. We were able to confidently land on three favorites that should let you tackle any cleanup large or small, on any surface in your home.

Alex Rennie

Wringing out a mop head is generally messy, but the new generation of spin mops has made the task a lot simpler. The O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop has the process dialed in, making it easy to keep your mop head clean and ready to go. It&#;s also a solidly built mop with a smart, easy-to-handle design that did a great job scrubbing dirt and grime in our tests.

A manual foot pedal on the rear of the EasyWring bucket powers a spinning basket that, when a wet mop head is placed inside, quickly removes excess liquid. It works extremely quickly, and since you don&#;t have to bend over or even use your hands, it cuts down on overall cleaning time. It felt solid and durable, even when pumping away as hard as I could, and never felt vulnerable to cracking or snapping.

The mop is comfortable to use and its lightweight design means it&#;s easy to carry around and maneuver while you mop. You can even adjust the length from 24 to 48 inches to suit your height or the reach your job requires. The mop head is made of microfiber strings that are more absorbent than they appear and can soak up large amounts of liquid in a single pass. The head&#;s triangular design makes it easy to get into corners and clean around furniture legs without being a full 360-degree swivel head. I found that the relatively short length of the strands also made it easy to spin and dry out the head, unlike the longer loops of the Libman Wonder Mop, which were messier and more challenging to control when soaking wet.

Most importantly, the O-Cedar&#;s scrubbing capabilities were superior to the pad-based mops we tested. The mop head fared well in my bathroom tile tests, easily taking care of soap residue, soaking up cleaning liquid, and capturing loose dirt without moving it around. The head cleaned up easily in the laundry using a regular wash and dry cycle too, and was ready for action again the following day. And for a few extra bucks, you can opt for a mop that includes three microfiber scrubbing heads so you&#;ll be able to tackle extra-large cleaning projects without waiting for a wash cycle to finish.

The only real drawback to this mop is the large bucket size. At 20 inches long it might be too bulky to store in a  bathroom closet, although this large size does make it practical for larger, whole-house mopping jobs.

Best mop for smaller jobs: Oxo Good Grips Microfiber Spray Mop Kit

Alex Rennie

While it wasn&#;t quite as effective in handling dirt as our top pick, the lightweight, hassle-free design of the multifunctional Oxo Good Grips Microfiber Spray Mop makes it a perfect choice for tackling quick cleanups and spills.

The manual trigger was large enough to use comfortably, and also felt nice and sturdy when pumping away; we preferred it to battery-powered sprayers like the Swiffer WetJet Hardwood and Floor Spray Mop. At 2.4 pounds it was effortless to carry around the house and up and down the stairs.

Alex Rennie

Our favorite feature of this mop is the detachable mop pad. If you come upon a stubborn spot that it can&#;t remove, you can detach it with a simple latch, revealing a small scrubbing head. The small size of the scrubber allows you to lean into it as you work, and the rougher texture takes care of even the toughest sticky residue. Often, features like this feel like gimmicks &#; unreliable, ineffective or just out of place in the overall design of the product &#; but not in this case. The scrubber pad is both useful and honestly fun to use. We found ourselves searching for spots and stains to use it on.

The wet mopping pad was absorbent enough to work well on hardwood, and the spray trigger made it easy to control the precise amount of cleaner being dispersed. The pad didn&#;t do as good a job at capturing and removing the potting soil mess on the bathroom tile as the O-Cedar, however, and ended up spreading it around more than actually picking it up.

The Oxo kit includes a great selection of accessories and attachments, especially considering the low price. You get three wet mopping pads, three scrubbing pads and two reusable bottles, and thanks to the hanging loop on top of the handle, it won&#;t need to take up any valuable floor space. The instruction manual even includes a pair of recipes for making your own cleaning solution.

Best mop for hardwood floors: Bona Hardwood Floor Premium Spray Mop

Alex Rennie

If your priority is cleaning hardwood flooring, the Bona Hardwood Floor Premium Spray Mop is a great choice. It includes a 34-oz bottle of Bona hardwood floor cleaner &#; a product that we&#;ve used on hardwood flooring for years &#; which can easily be refilled with large Bona refill jugs. This bottle was simple to pop in and out too.

The manual trigger makes it easy to dispense a precise amount of cleaner, so we never had to worry about too much soaking the flooring. The mop was very comfortable to use, thanks to a soft foam grip on the handle, and the extra wide pad &#; 16.5 inches &#; let us cover a lot of area in a short time.

For more information, please visit microfiber hard stripe mop manufacture.

This pad can be used to dry mop as well, so there&#;s no need to pull out a separate broom and dustpan to prep your floors. The kit only includes a single pad, however, so we suggest grabbing an extra to have on hand for large jobs.

How we tested

Ease of use

• Grip and build: Regardless of the type and size of the mop, it should be easy and comfortable to use. We paid close attention to how the mop felt in our hands. We also checked whether the mop itself and any parts were made of quality materials, taking note if any components were flimsy or felt like they could fail with frequent use.
• Accessories and refills: In using each mop, we looked at everything from attaching pads and heads, removing filling and inserting cleaning reservoirs to how well the head could pivot and rotate around obstacles.
• Assembly and instructions: We noted if any assembly was required when unboxing each mop, and if so, how straightforward or complicated it was. We also reviewed the instruction and use manuals for each mop, making sure they clearly explained how to put their product together.
• Storage and washing: If mop heads were machine washable &#; nearly all of them were &#; we ran them through a full wash and dry cycle according to their instructions. We noted how well they held up during washing, examining if they began to unravel or fall apart, appeared to lose their structural integrity or felt like they lost any of their absorbance or scrubbing texture.

Performance

• Hardwood flooring: We used each mop to completely mop a large section of sealed hardwood flooring, paying close attention to how well it removed dirt as well as absorbed excess liquid. We noted how dry (or not dry) we were able to get the mop head, since too much liquid can easily damage hardwood flooring, especially older planks like mine. We also checked how the floors looked after drying, making note of any leftover swirls, streaks or cleaning residue.
• Linoleum kitchen tiles: After pouring 1/4 cup of soda on the linoleum kitchen tiles we allowed it to dry for a bit, then used each mop to clean it up. This helped to see how effective each mop was when it came to moderate scrubbing, as well as how absorbent they were in terms of removing excess liquid.
• Bathroom tile: To test each mop&#;s ability to clean up stubborn bathroom floor messes, we rubbed a bar of soap on hard bathroom tiles, then rubbed in a handful of potting soil, creating a challenging mess. Each mop was judged based on its ability to both scrub up the soap residue, absorb the cleaning liquid and capture and contain the dirt without pushing it around the room.

Everything to know about mops

Mop, broom or vacuum: how to pick the right tool for the job

Large liquid spills and stuck-on grime, dirt and other residue on hard floors that sweeping and vacuuming just can&#;t handle call for a mop. By combining a liquid cleaner with a textured scrubbing head, mops can dislodge the spill or residue, as well as absorb and contain it, leaving you with a clean floor. It&#;s worth noting that for small spills, a cleaning spray and a rag or paper towel should suffice, but it&#;s not practical to clean a whole room or even a large area that way.

How to choose the right type of mop

There are three basic types of mops to choose from: traditional &#;string mops&#; with a shaggy head that you wring out in a bucket, squeeze or spin out; spray mops that have a flat pad and use a built-in reservoir to spray cleaner onto the floor; and basic pad-and-handle designs that require you to apply floor cleaner from a separate container.

String mops are good for larger cleaning jobs, since their buckets provide a large supply of cleaner, meaning you can clean large areas (there&#;s a reason you&#;ll see these used by professional cleaners). With longer handles designed to be used without bending over (many newer designs are even adjustable), they are much more comfortable to use than old-school options and new materials like microfiber make the pads easier and faster to wring out than older string mop heads. The buckets can still be bulky and heavy to move around, so keep that in mind.

Pad mops are just that: a pad, typically microfiber and either disposable or washable, connected to a handle. They don&#;t often come with a bucket or cleaning reservoir. Some pad mops are meant to be used dry on hardwood surfaces, while others can be used with a cleaning solution, though you&#;ll need to apply that from a separate container. Some are available in wide sizes and can be effective and efficient for lighter cleaning in large rooms without many obstacles.

Spray mops are akin to pad mops, but have a built-in cleaner reservoir and applicator, are relatively low maintenance and typically provide everything you need to get mopping right away. Their pads don&#;t have as much surface area as string mops and thus aren&#;t able to absorb as much liquid, and you don&#;t have a way to easily wring them out when they get saturated, so they are better suited for smaller mopping jobs like tidying up a single room unless you have a supply of pads ready to switch out during big projects. Some spray mops, like the Swiffer WetJet Hardwood and Floor Spray Mop use disposable pads, which are convenient for those who don&#;t want to hassle with laundry, but are less eco-friendly than reusable pads.

How to mop effectively

Mopping is essential to cleaning any home with hard floors, but it takes planning. First, make sure to clear the floor of dry debris like pet hair and dirt &#; whether you do that with a handheld vacuum or cordless vacuum or by sweeping, or dry mopping (some mops are designed for or include a separate pad specifically for dry mopping). If using a string mop, fill your bucket with your cleaning solution (choose one designed for your specific flooring type), dunk your mop head and then wring it out until it&#;s damp but not dripping wet. If it&#;s too wet, you can damage your floors and increase the drying time.

Then, using a figure-eight pattern, work from one end of the room to the other, pushing the mop but walking backward so you don&#;t tread on the newly damp floor. If you encounter stubborn spots, apply some extra downward pressure and go back and forth a few times. Once your mop becomes dirty &#; this will depend on the state of your floors to begin with &#; rinse your mop head in the bucket, wring it out, and continue mopping. For dirty floors, you may need to employ a second &#;rinsing&#; bucket (or use your sink) to keep your mop head clean enough to work effectively.

You use a spray mop or flat pad mop essentially the same way &#; working your way backward &#; but instead of figure-eights, work in straight lines. When the pad becomes too dirty to clean effectively, either rinse it off in the sink and wring it out by hand or replace it with a fresh one.

Is a mop safe for my floors?

Although some flooring materials &#; namely hardwood and some engineered laminate materials &#; require a more delicate touch, most hard flooring should be safe to mop.

Ceramic tiles and linoleum are sturdy and are typically sealed well enough to be mopped without incident, but floors with more seams, like hardwood and vinyl plank can be more vulnerable to excess moisture. For these floors, make sure to use only the least amount of liquid possible to get the job done, and never allow water or cleaning solution to sit or pool for any length of time.

You should also use the proper cleaning solution for your specific type of flooring. You&#;ll find many cleaning solutions formulated for different surfaces, though a dish soap and water solution works well for many surfaces. You&#;ll want to avoid abrasive cleaners, keep oil soaps on wood floors and only use bleach-based cleaners on tile floors. If you&#;re not sure what to use, or whether or not your mop can be used on your flooring (especially if you&#;re dealing with materials like cork or bamboo), take the time to review the manufacturer&#;s recommendations.

If your floors are severely worn, cracked or buckled you might want to consult with a flooring professional about repairs before beginning a mopping routine.

Other mops we tested

The Oshang Flat Floor Mop&#;s distinctive bucket features two slots, one for dunking your mop head and the other, a narrower slot for squeegeeing the dirty water off and drying the pad. You can run the mop head through the drying slot as many times as you like, depending on how much water you want to remove. This made it effective for hardwood floor work and tasks you&#;d want more water for, like the soap residue on bathroom tiles (though the pads weren&#;t the most effective scrubbers we tested). It also includes two wet and two dry pads, so you&#;re set for larger tasks. The compact footprint of the bucket makes this a good option for those who don&#;t have a lot of storage space.

Bosheng Mop and Bucket

Amazon

An intuitive bucket design was the only plus on this mop that otherwise ranked lower in our testing than the Oshang mop.

$50 $40 at Amazon

The Bosheng&#;s slotted bucket design is great for getting your mop head dry without bending over, but it wasn&#;t as easy to use, durable or effective as the otherwise very similar Oshang Flat Floor Mop and Bucket Set, which we would recommend in its place unless you&#;re on a very tight budget.

This mop features an extra-large head &#; 15 by 5 inches &#; and a nearly 60-inch handle, making it well-suited for covering large areas quickly and efficiently. The clamping mechanism that attaches the pad to the mop head was impressive as well and allowed for attaching and removing the pad far more easily than other pad mops that used Velcro attachments. The thick, heavy-duty stainless steel handle makes it easy to maneuver the mop around the floor, and the pads can be used to dry the mop, so no need to break out the broom and dustpan. The main drawback of this mop was the connection between the handle and the mop head itself, which felt flimsy and unstable. This was a shame because the rest of the unit had a nice, sturdy feel. The large size of this mop head could also be inconvenient for those with tight or cluttered spaces.

The Libman Wonder Mop&#;s substantial microfiber strips were good at scrubbing and long enough to reach around furniture legs and into tight spaces (between the wheels of a mobile kitchen island, for instance), and Amazon sells the mop with three extra heads. But the mop head popped right off during use and required reattachment several times, so we&#;re unsure it would stand up under regular use.

The O-Cedar cloth mop is well-built, with a sturdy metal pole that threads right into the mop head while remaining extremely lightweight at just 1.3 pounds. The microfiber loops are absorbent, but more importantly, you can perform aggressive scrubbing on problem areas with them. This made it one of the standouts in our kitchen and bathroom tile testing, and the looped design was ideal for capturing and containing dirt and debris. It didn&#;t fare too well on hardwood flooring though, as it didn&#;t have the surface area to efficiently cover larger rooms. If you prefer a simple looped mop head and are willing to purchase the separate quick-wring bucket needed for wringing it out, this could be a great choice.

There&#;s a lot to like about this electric mop, as well as a few things that kept it out of the top spot. First, it&#;s well-made, and the unit feels sturdy and solid. It came nearly fully assembled, too; you attach the top part of the handle to the base, and that&#;s it, you&#;re ready to go. The twin rotating pads Velcroed easily to the base, and when turned on, worked almost like a self-propelled lawnmower, requiring almost no effort to push forward.

Unfortunately, even though this mop did fairly well in our testing, this rotating action did end up leaving some faint swirl patterns on the hardwood and kitchen tile. These were fairly easy to remove with another mop, but that defeats the purpose altogether. The automatic operation also means that you can&#;t add extra pressure if you encounter stubborn spots, so it&#;s only suited for lighter-duty cleaning. Given those drawbacks and its $100 price tag, it&#;s hard to recommend this electric mop.

Microfiber Wholesale 18-Inch Professional Mop

Amazon

Many of the same pros and cons of the large mops we tested exist on this unit: It can cover lots of hardwood floors quickly, but it's not made for the nooks and crannies of mopping a bathroom. Bonus points for it being the only model to include a dust mop head.

$45 at Amazon

This large head makes it perfect for cleaning a large room with minimal passes &#; it worked incredibly fast in our hardwood floor testing &#; but it is inconvenient to use in tighter spots, like in the bathroom. That said, it did perform well overall and was absorbent enough to soak up a decent amount of liquid.

It did suffer the same problem as other large pad mops, like the Mr. Siga Professional Microfiber Mop, in that its large surface area made it difficult to apply direct pressure to stubborn grime and sticky residue. It&#;s better for lighter work. Putting a foot on the mop head and pressing down does the trick, but that&#;s certainly not an ideal solution, and likely not great for the overall longevity of the mop. It&#;s worth noting that this mop includes a dedicated dust mop head (no other mop we tested had such an accessory), which worked well for clearing dust and pet hair.

Swiffer WetJet Starter Kit

Amazon

The Swiffer WetJet is solidly built, and there's an element of convenience of not having to wash the disposable pads. Just know that the cost of replacements will add up unless you opt for reusable pads from a third party.

$28 at Amazon

It&#;s hard to deny the convenience of the disposable pads of the Swiffer WetJet Hardwood Floor Spray Mop. Instead of dealing with reusable pads that need to be laundered after every use, you use these until they get dirty and toss them in the trash. This may not be the most eco-friendly approach, however, and several third-party providers offer reusable pads.

Just remember the more you clean, the more pads and cleaning solutions you&#;ll need to purchase, which can add up if you have several floors to mop. The pads included with this model were not as absorbent as we would like, and struggled in our bathroom tile tests &#; they felt too slippery to capture and pick up the soap residue and dirt. That said, the mop is solidly built, and the dual sprayers cover an impressive amount of flooring. The dispenser is battery-operated. which could be a nice perk for those who don&#;t want to continually squeeze a trigger every time.

FAQs

It depends on the type of floor you&#;re cleaning. The O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop, categorized as a string mop or spin mop, is our favorite mop overall because it can tackle messes on any type of floor. Go for that or another mop in that style if you want something that can handle most surfaces in your home. If you&#;re trying to clean hardwood floors, a spray mop with a flat pad like the Bona Hardwood Floor Premium Spray Mop is best-suited for it. This is because it dispenses cleaner specifically made for that kind of flooring and then goes to work with a wide pad that can cover a lot of ground quickly.

Yes. The top string mop from our testing &#; the O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop &#; was also the best overall, easily capturing dirt and washing away soap residue. Don&#;t let the concept of wringing out the mop into a bucket deter you, because it&#;s hardly a hassle with a foot-pedal triggered wringing mechanism that removes excess liquid from the mop. While some pad mops have a role in cleaning your home, we prefer several over the Swiffer WetJet.

Dish soap and warm water are often enough for kitchen and bathroom floors. There are plenty of commercial formulas available as well but always review the recommended surfaces for any solution you purchase for floor cleaning. We&#;ve long been fans of Bona&#;s options, but there are differences between their hard-surface floor cleaner and their hardwood floor cleaner. In general, avoid abrasive cleaners, only use oil soaps on wood floor and break out bleach-based solutions when cleaning tile.

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