I've owned quite a few mops over the years. I was ecstatic back in the day to get to trade in my old-fashioned sponge-type mop for the new Swiffer one. It was so handy, so quick and so much less icky.
But then, as I kept having to buy new pads and new spray stuff, over and over, I began to see the ridiculous outlay of cash it truly required. So, I saved up a little money and bought the Bona mop for wood floors. It had a washable pad and no spray thingy at all. I just had to put floor cleaner in a spray bottle with some water and spray by hand as I cleaned, tossing the pad in the wash afterward. I loved that I didn't have to keep throwing cash in the trash, literally. Alas, after a number of years it eventually broke.
I knew I wasn't going back to the Swiffer type mop, so I checked around to see what was available. I decided I'd go with the Shark steam mop. Sure, at $99 it was a large outlay in the beginning, but it promised nearly sterile floors, super amazing cleaning power and no need to purchase ANY cleaning fluid for my floors. And I was happy with it. Especially considering that no cleaning spray equals no possible allergy flare-ups in my allergy-prone family. I soon realized that it was a pain in the behind to have to fill the water reservoir and drag a cord around. And I also realized that while it did a good job, no, it did NOT do a miraculous job like the ads claimed. Years and years of hardcore build-up did NOT magically lift off my floors. It was as good as my Bona at cleaning, but not really any better, if you don't count the sterile factor (and who licks the floor, anyways?).
But after about a year and a half, it broke. It had broken in a minor way already, but I got a replacement part for free because it was under the one year warranty. This time, it wasn't under warranty and it was broke-broke. As in no steam happening...the motor died...graveyard dead.
So I started to buy another one, reluctantly, but my mother happened to have the same exact Shark steam mop and when she heard me complain about needing to save up for a new mop, she offered me hers. She said she'd had it for over a year and never even used it once. You see, she had hired a maid who had used her own mop.
So, excited to have a brand new freebie, I didn't worry about picking up a new one, but took hers home with much gratitude. When it was time to mop the thing didn't work. It showed power, but when it should have steamed out the bottom, it squirted water out of the wrong place entirely. And it was past its one year warranty, so we were completely out of luck. It was so sad, like throwing away $100. Ouch.
I went to the store wondering what on earth I would buy. I knew it would not be another steam mop. They just don't seem to be made well enough. I scanned the choices and noticed the O Cedar Pro Mist Mop. This is a lot like the Swiffer type mops, but with two big differences: a WASHABLE microfiber mop pad and a REFILLABLE misting solution container.
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| Notice the little black ovals on the mop head? That's where the Swiffer dusting pads attach. |
You can get you a couple of the pads (or reuse the same one if you do laundry enough to wash it before its needed again) and not have to keep on buying expensive throw-away pads. By the way, did I mention that this is also better for the environment because of the reduction of trash?
And you can pick whichever floor cleaning solution YOU like best and put it in the container. I happen to like good 'ol Lemon Scent Pine Sol, so that's what I use. Works great, smells great, multitasks and is cheap to boot!
Hoping it would be well made, I bought the O Cedar. I've had it for about 3 or 4 months now and I must say that it is by far my favorite mop yet. The trigger function is big and easily fits the whole hand, not just a finger, and would benefit the arthritic; the circular handle is well designed, easy to grip comfortably; the rotating head allows the mop to go in a variety of positions effortlessly; and the sprayer head is attached to the handle, not the head, so you can position the spray to go close in or far off, depending on how you hold the handle. By the way, if you're a fan of using the dry Swiffer mop cloths to dry dust/sweep, this baby has the necessary attachment ports to use those as well.
O Cedar really outdid themselves when designing this baby!
The mop is not as inexpensive as a Swiffer, but it's not that much higher. And you will definitely save in the long run. I noticed them at Amazon.com for only $33.13 with free shipping (price may change at any time, of course). I picked mine up at the local discount big box store, but I don't remember the cost. Seems like it was somewhere around $25??
If you're interested in getting your own O Cedar Pro Mist Mop you can get a $3 rebate HERE. They also have $2 off coupons for the mopping pads at the same site.
If you're due a new mop, or yours breaks any time soon, be sure to check out O Cedar's Pro Mist. I think mine is just stinkin' awesome!
