Frugal suggestion: spend a little more on a mop

Scanner · #1 (**permalink**) 09-05-2007, 09:10 AM

I just bought one of those industrial string mops - you know - the old fashioned kind they use to swab decks or greasy resteraunt floors. They are usually the most expensive in the Home Depot/Lowes aisle.

Oh, my God - I did my floor in like 1/4 of the time compared to a sponge mop, which seems to wear out anyway like every 9 months.

My only downfall - DW (who doesn't know her mopping so I have to show her

) didn't let me buy the squichey thingie and said I could wring by hand. It's just too big and I have big hands so I'm insisting on the squichie thingie with wheels.

When I get that. . .I'll really be in business.

Arrrrrrr. . .I'm swabbing the deck.

Joan.of.the.Arch · #2 (**permalink**) 09-06-2007, 09:57 AM

I like those really big, heavy mops because they put pressure on the floor as you move it along. I have never owned one for my home, though. I used them at work as a teen. The other young women complained about the wet weight of them, but I thought they were much more efficient. If I had a big house, especially a big kitchen, I'd like to have the kind of mop you're talking about.

simpleyme · #3 (**permalink**) 09-06-2007, 11:08 AM

I use one at work and it is great ,about 5 years ago i was going to replace the mop bucket as it looked icky ,I priced them and was shocked at the price for the wheeled bucket with the wringer so we still use the ugly old one ;-) sorry I just cannot recall what the price was

on the oposite note, I was at walmart in another town and needed a mop( I my renter left the floor dirty so I decided to mop the floor there)and was shocked that there was a mop for under 2 dollars,it had like 10 strings on it LOL

Aleta · #4 (**permalink**) 09-06-2007, 12:17 PM

I think that they do a good job too, but find them to hard to wring out. They also weigh a ton and harder to lug around.

PrincessPerky · #5 (**permalink**) 09-07-2007, 09:24 AM

I seem to spend more time on my hands and knees scrubbing than mopping, so I use a rag and a swiffer..or some brand holder pole. It works well, With all the hard to reach tomato spots, and blueberry trails, I doubt a bigger mop would help me, but I do see the need for a mop that works, no sponges ugh, they fall apart on the floor...

We had a string mop when I was a kid and as far as I could tell after you mopped you then had to go sweep...to collect all the strings that fell off!

Coleroo · #6 (**permalink**) 11-20-2007, 05:52 PM

i grew up watching my mom use a "string mop" and its the only kind i will touch. i abhore those silly spong mops and squirt mops with the throw away rags. those, in my opinion, can't hardly get a window clean, much less a dirtied-by-pets-people-and-food floor! I have a string mop and a bucket with a twisty squeegie thing on it to wring it out. works great and it doen't make my stomach churn like a dirty spong mop does.

mom-from-missouri · #7 (**permalink**) 11-20-2007, 06:45 PM

I use a yarn mop and the big yellow bucket with a squeezer on wheels. I had it years ago when I used to own a preschool and I kept it when I sold out. I love it, except it is a bear and a half to store. Takes up a large amount of space in the kitchen closet. I also have an electric mop where you put the cleaner or floor polish in it and scrub--but the old fashioned mop is faster.

kimiko · #8 (**permalink**) 11-23-2007, 10:43 AM

I don't like both type of mops. The sponge mop doesn't clean well. As for the string mop, whenever I push a bit too hard, the strings separated and the end of the stick scrapped the floor. Hated that. I now scrub the floor by hand. It's quicker, easier, cleaner and my arms get a workout.

FrugalFish · #9 (**permalink**) 11-24-2007, 06:57 AM

My Dh uses a string mop in the garage (he has an epoxied floor). He bought it at a restaurant supply store and they had a large selection of quality string mop heads, so he was able to buy one that is high quality, but still easy to wring by hand. We use to have one of the standard string mops, but hated it because it was too hard to squeeze out by hand, plus we lived in a humid location and the thing never dried and ended up mildewing a lot.

I've considered going to a higher quality string mop in the house. Since we put in tile floors 5 years ago I've used a libman wonder mop, which holds up pretty well and gets into the grout lines, plus it's easy to wring, but the heads definitely don't last like a good old fashioned string mop.

leggzz66 · #10 (**permalink**) 11-24-2007, 08:59 AM

you may want to concider the mops with the terry cloth. they pull off, held on by velcro, and throw in the laundry. they clean well and leave it virtually dry afterwords. i got mine at a mom/pop firestone shop locally. it was 15 dollars and still use it, been since they came out to the stores, a few years now, when they started out they were tv ad buying only.

shelbylovesmelby · #11 (**permalink**) 11-24-2007, 06:40 PM

I'm totally hating my sponge mop, never used a string mop before.

My mom if she didn't have the sponge dealie would use my old cloth diapers to clean the floors by hand.

Hot dog · #12 (**permalink**) 12-10-2007, 01:43 PM

I have a rubbermaid string mop that I am afraid to admit my renter left. I was remopping the floor there and liked it so much that I brought it home It did look brand new anyway it is nice and thick and has a wringer that you just twist to wring out so you don't have to touch it. I don't know where it came from but I definitely want another