MOP UP DIRT WITH TRENDY DEVICES

Mop up dirt with trendy devices The traditional floor mop gets sophisticated with its adaptation into several devices, writes JAYNE AUGOYE

For generations, the floor mop has remained a constant object in many homes. The household tool made up of a mass or bundle of coarse string, yarn or a piece of cloth, attached to a pole is used for cleaning surfaces.

Its history dates back to 1837, when American inventor, Jacob Howe, received a US patent for a mop holder. Many years after in 1893, Thomas W Stewart also got a patent for inventing a mop up dust.

Over time, this simple yet effective tool has undergone refinement, with manufacturers adding some technological twists to it. Of all the mop devices, the steam mop is becoming a favourite amongst many because it saves time. However, applying some of its features may be time-consuming. One such characteristic is the need for the steam mop to be cooled between every fill up. Also, several models require some three to four minutes to heat up before the mop can be used.

Although the Scooba Mop is quite similar in function with the traditional mop, it differs due to the absence of a stick. It works best on hardwood, tiles and linoleum floors. Because of its design, it is easier to reach areas and corners the mop cannot get to. It also works using a four-stage process of prep, wash, scrub and squeegee and eliminates the need to sweep afterwards. The robotic device comes in a box with NorthStar Navigation Cube with 2 C batteries, two dry sweeping microfiber cloths, one wet mopping microfiber cloth, power adapter, quick start guide and a user manual to help the user find his or her way around it.

The Mint Automatic Floor Cleaner is strictly for dusting off and mopping hard surface floors. Because it is small and thin enough to get under coffee tables and most couches, the user can choose to attach either the dry cloth to dust off an area or pre-moistened cleaning cloths to wipe the floors in the kitchen or bathrooms.

The Mint includes two white microfiber cloths intended for dusting and one grey microfiber cloth intended for wet mopping. Another advantage the device has is that it has three simple buttons – power, sweep, or mop which makes it easy to operate. It can also clean up to 1,000 square feet when the robot is set to 'sweep' mode. In 'mop' mode, however, when the cleaning cloth is wet, the Mint can cover only 250 square feet. You can switch modes anytime with the push of a button on the front of the robot.

Magic Click Floor Mop, on the other hand, is a tool anyone who is used to the traditional mop will welcome because it does not require being held to operate. As soon as the user removes his or her hand from it, its automatic handles will be activated and start working. If you want to use, simply move the handle to one side.

Thanks to its dirt and water-trapping microfiber which is able to turn hard floors into really clean surfaces, the Steamboy Floor Map carries out the cleaning job well. It cleans a surface using nothing but powerful bursts of steam.

The powerful 1,500 watts heating element in the easy-to-manoeuvre mop turns ordinary water into 20 continuous minutes of sanitizing steam. It also lifts dirt and grime from floors in just seconds according to the makers. They also add that it even kills dust mites and bacteria. It can be used on linoleum, sealed hardwood, parquet, stone, ceramic and marble. The swiveling head reaches into corners and tight spots. It is lightweight and easy to handle and includes 6 washable microfiber scrubbing pads that soak up moisture as they clean.

Just as its name implies, the Magic Twist Mop works by simply turning the handle left, then the ultra fine microfiber cloth is automatically squeezed. The device provides good cleaning performance due to ultra fine microfibre cloth .When it is used as a wet mop it can clean grime, fine dust, hairs, and stains. It also does not leave any bad smell and is quite hygienic since it is quickly dried after washing. The Magic Twist Mop is also light and convenient with good cleaning performance due to ultra light aluminium pole. It also has a height adjustable telescopic handle.

When the user wants to rinse the mop, all that is required is to dip it into the bucket several times, then spin and mop in the rotating basket to remove the excess liquid. The mop head can also be easily used to clean by rotating the mop head without using one's hands.

You detach the mop head by putting your foot on top of the brush head and unscrew the pole with your hands. Finally, with the Swiiffer Steam Mop, all the user needs do is to attach absorbent cleaning pads on its moveable head to reach under counters, around toilets and into corners. It has a lightweight wand and rotating head which uses absorbent cleaning pads to hold in dirt and moisture. Its starter pack comes complete with a cleaning wand, a bottle of cleaning solution, and 6 cleaning pads. This works on 4 AA batteries.