The Best Spin Mops (Review) in 2020

Features to Look for in a Good Spin Mop

• Maintenance

Since they can come apart in multiple ways, you’ll want to ensure that your new mop is easy to fit together, take apart and clean. Without this, you could end up with some rather dirty poles, which won’t help the end game is really to get your floor sparkling clean.

• Ability to clean

As well as being able to clean your spin mop, the best spin mops make cleaning as easy as you like. They should effortlessly capture dust and debris when dry, and soak up spills and leaks easily, without multiple trips to the spin mop bucket, which can really slow things down if you’re doing a deep clean.

The spinning section should also work so that you can decide on the wetness of your mop head, since different dampness can have different benefits when cleaning around the home. If your spin bucket doesn’t allow for a little personalization in this area, it won’t be as good as it would if you can choose between how wet and dry you want your surfaces to be.

• Ease-of-use

A good spin mop will be easy to fit together without too much hassle or pinched skin, and should come apart just as easily so that you can store it away, should you so choose. More importantly, you should be able to access and use the spin bucket just as easily- otherwise, you need to put in extra effort to wring out your mop, which negates all the spin mop benefits.

• Material

If you’re looking for a heavy-duty spin mop then first consider your spin mop bucket, which will need to be made of heavy-duty material such as stainless steel or tough plastic, able to withstand near-constant use. Domestic users can get away with fewer hardcore materials but should consider the material of their head, which can range from microfiber to basic strips of absorbent fabric.

• Size

Spin mop buckets take up a little more space than traditional buckets, since they need the extra room to handle the spinning mechanism and need to match the head size so that you can soak the head, when necessary. Remember that, the bigger the house/area you need the clean, the bigger the spin mop you’ll need to clean up, faster.

• Spin mop reviews

Easily the best way to tell whether a spin mop is any good is to look at reviews from previous buyers, since it’s likely you won’t know just how good- or bad- a spin mop can be until you’ve used one yourself. First time buyers should take special heed to this, as you can easily be fooled into buying a bad spin mop that has some great marketing tactics.

Why You Should Buy a Spin Mop

Spin mops work better in two very different ways. Firstly, they are created with a flat base and the material stands out horizontally. Compared to traditional mops, whose fibers hang from the pole vertically, they work to pick up dirt and debris that has splayed across a greater area with more ease. The flatter head also makes it easier to go under couches and in awkward places with less effort in your part. In essence, the first benefit to these mops is that they pick up a lot more mess, with a lot less effort on your part.

The second benefit comes with the bucket, which utilizes a basic mechanism that spins the mop easily, thanks to the movement of the mop head- these usually come in a pair with the mop itself, which means you can save money with the bulk buy. However, the biggest benefit to the spinning mechanism is that you can dry out the mop without having to readjust regularly to try and match the level of retention in the mop head.

Instead, you simply use a pumping mechanism which can give the level of dryness you require in your mop- meaning you can completely dry the fibers out to create a duster or have a level of dampness which makes it easier to pick up dirt on the floor or soak up messes from slips and spills.

Types of Spin Mops

• Material

Materials for spin mop heads usually come in a variety of fabric types, from microfiber, which is arguably the best as it is the most absorbent type and dries quickly, through to coarse strings and yarn, which is one of the worst types. This is because they are not designed to absorb considerable amount of water unlike sponges and microfibers.

• Manual

A manual spin mop bucket will usually have a pump mechanism on the side, which you’ll have to pump with your foot. The benefit of this is that you have complete control over how wet or dry you want your mop head and they are less likely to break. If they do break, for whatever reason, they are very easy to fix and there’s no danger of any electrical components being required, making the job of replacing the broken component much safer.

Motorized/Electric

Much more rare than the manual pump is the electric or motorized varieties of spin mops and spin mop buckets. The benefits to these are that they require far less effort than the manual versions, since they do all the work for you- all you need to do is push your mop forward.

The main issue, of course, is that they can’t soak up large quantities of liquid and they don’t work with water too well. On top of this, the cordless mops don’t tend to have a long battery life- although you can always go for the corded version if this is a big negative for you.

Meanwhile an automated spin mop bucket will simply register when you need to dry your mop as you push down gently on the pole, which causes the basket to spin and therefore shake-off any dirty water and liquids that have been absorbed. The main issue here is that, if a part of the motor breaks, you’ll need to send the basket off to be fixed- or buy a new one, which can be more costly in the long-term.

How to Use a Spin Mop

Before you begin, you’ll need to put your mop together. There may be some variants in this process, so consult your manufacturer’s manual if you’re concerned at any point- but, for the most part, it’ll simply be a case of clicking the pole together in the right order, with the pivoting head at the base of the pole, which usually comes pre-attached.

Once your pole is put together and working well, you simply need to move your mop across the floor- preferably in an S-shape pattern, that allow the head of the mop to rotate as you go. You can encourage this with a little spinning from the handle as you move.

Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Spin Mop

• Sweep the floor you want to mop BEFORE mopping. This will pick up any larger pieces of dirt or debris that has been scattered and will allow your mop water to last longer. It also stops dirt from simply being spread around by your mop
• Work from the least used corner and go backwards, so that you can avoid stepping on areas that you have just mopped. It also gives time for family members and friends, who have suddenly realized they have something urgent to do, to run around the more frequently used areas and get out of the way before you get to those spots.
• Work on small areas at a time and wring out your mop before moving on to the next area, so that you’re not moving the dirt from one area to another.
• Hold the mop vertically- especially if you have a pump-action handle, as this will allow for the best spinning motion to be performed and a better cleaning process, overall.
• When washing the mop heads, don’t use a fabric softeners- this will hinder the absorption qualities of your mop’s fabric and mean the ability to do its job of soaking up spills will be greatly affected.
• They are also great for dusting. Simply dry off your mop head fabric until it’s a little damp- or completely dry, depending on your preference- and wipe your new duster over blinds, high areas or awkward spaces to really capture all the dust that gathers in these areas.

 - You can also clean up grease on your kitchen tiles if you first soften the areas with some kitchen cleaner. If you’re able to invest in some appropriate mop heads, this will make the job much easier, otherwise you will need to give your mop head a wash before it’s next use after doing this, since it will capture stubborn grease that may not come off the fabric with a rinse in your new bucket.

Spin Mops FAQ:

Q: How do spin mops work?

A: Spin mops work by using a rotating head as you move, which covers a greater surface area. It is also better at picking up dirt under couches and hard-to-reach areas, as the head has a flat surface, making it much lower to the ground and therefore slimmer.

They also work through their drying abilities. The spin mop buckets use a spinner in order to dry out the mop head, by rotating the fabric quickly, which causes the water to leave the fabric much faster and more efficiently than a standard mop.

Q: Are they suitable for any type of flooring?

A: Spin mops are best used on harder flooring, such as wood and laminate. However, they also work brilliantly on other surfaces and can be used as a duster and window cleaner, too. If you have spills on your tiles in the kitchen, you can also use your spin mop to capture the grease and dirt on your walls- although it isn’t suitable for wallpapered walls or those covered with matt paints.

Some spin mops claim to be just as good on carpets as well, although it is best to buy a spin mop that is suited for this purpose, as some materials in spin mop heads may not be able to absorb spills as well on these surfaces.

Q: How often should I change the water as I mop?

A: While this depends on how large an area is that you’re working with, it is a good idea to soak and spin your mop between each area, with each section being between 1 and 2 square meters, to avoid spreading dirt from section to section. If you have a particularly large house, you will likely need to change the water in the bucket itself regularly, unless you are looking to soak up liquids, in which case you shouldn’t need to soak the mop head in the dirty water, at all- simply spin and go.

Q: How often do the mop heads need to be washed?

A: This can depend on a number of factors, including:

- How dirty your floor usually is when cleaned

- How often you clean your floor

- Whether you’re cleaning any other surfaces with your spin mop

- How well looked-after your mop head is

Presuming that you clean your floor 2-3 times a week, based on domestic usage of having 2-3 people walk over the floor every day, and take good care of your mop (it is of good quality and is dry between uses etc.) it’s likely that you’ll need to change your mop head between once a fortnight and once a month. Try to keep 2 or 3 on rotation so that, when one mop head is being bleached and/or washed, the other can easily be attached, giving the first mop head time to dry completely before being used again.

Of course, if your mop has become extra dirty for whatever reason- such as cleaning up after a party or you have a particularly dirty floor due to pets or similar, you may need to change your mop more frequently.

Our Top Pick

The O-Cedar Easy Wring Spin Mop and Bucket hits our top spot thanks to it’s amazing ability to work with its user to clean up mess, whether it’s mopping up spills or wiping down floors- and multiple other surfaces. This is a flexible, durable and high-quality bit of kit that can make cleaning an absolute dream- not something you can usually say when it comes to mopping floors!

The triangular mop head allows you to really reach into corners with your mop, without messing around with angles, and the push-pedal gives you total control over how damp you might prefer your mop to be. Of course, the deep-cleaning microfiber is a huge help here, too as this soaks up mess quickly, while drying out efficiently as you spin your basket.

The design of everything in this set has been thought out, right through the telescopic handle, which makes things much easier on your back, no matter how short or tall you might be. Meanwhile, the high reviews speak wonders of this choice- even for commercial users, making this one of the best-rated choices online, today.

Sources:

1. The woman who invented the steam mop - BBC