Which type of mop should I use for my office?

When it comes to keeping your office clean, the type of mop you use is an important factor. To help you figure out which type of mop is best for your office, here is a comprehensive guide to the different types of mops, their benefits, and how they can be used in an office setting.

String Mops

Having fun keeping your workspace clean! (with the right mop)

String mops are made of a cotton or synthetic string that is wrapped around a cotton-covered sponge. They are best used in larger areas, as their absorbent properties allow them to quickly pick up dirt, spills, and other debris. They can also be used on a variety of surfaces, including tile, linoleum, and hardwood. Using a string mop will require a mop bucket, and a way to fill the bucket with 4-8 gallons of water and a place to pour the dirty water.

Spin Mops

Spin mops are designed with a spinning mop head that can quickly and easily pick up dirt, dust, and other debris. They are great for small to medium sized areas. Spin mops are more for residential cleaning, so you should be able to find them at your local department store. One thing to remember about spin mops is that even though they are convenient (you can fill it in a sink, and pour it out easily), they are far less ergonomic. Mainline spin mops usually don't come tall enough, therefore you might stress or strain your back when mopping a large area. Also, since the container only fills to about 2 gallons, you will most likely be switching the water out for a larger floor area.

Microfiber Mops

Microfiber mops are made of a special type of microfiber fabric that is designed to pick up dust, dirt, and other debris quickly and easily. The fibers of the mop attract dirt, dust, and other debris, trapping it in the mop head. Microfiber mops are great for any surface and they do not leave behind streaks or lint. There are two kinds of microfiber mops, flat or similar to string mops, except these are strands of microfiber cloth material. If you choose to use a string-mop style microfiber mop, you will need a standard mop bucket and all requirements thereof. If you choose to use a flat mop, see section below.

Flat Mop

Flat mops come in a few different varieties. Usually they all have a long handle and a flat plastic or aluminum base which you can attach a velcro microfiber flat mop pad to the bottom of. Usually they are more convenient, especially in more cluttered areas and require less set up and clean up time. You can use these for small to large areas. The downsides to flat mops is that they are not good at doing heavy cleaning like a string mop would be good at. When you are cleaning large areas, you often have to switch out the mop pads in order to continue properly cleaning the floor. It is often very expensive to properly stock a large amount of mop pads, just look up the prices on google! Lastly, if you want the floor properly cleaned, you usually have to put a little muscle in your mopping technique with a flat mop.

Steam Mops

Now people say steam mops are a great way to sanitize your floor, but i'm not buying it. Scientifically, it would take > 10 minutes of steam directly applied to a floor to kill of the germs, and by this point you will have done irrepairable damage to the floor! The steam from the mop can loosen dirt, dust, and other debris, making it easier to pick up, but this is only in a very specific use case. Steam mops are good for spilt foot that is not fully hard crusted on the floor yet. To be honest, we are not the biggest fan. The upkeep and keeping new pads for it, and how little you can clean with it until you need to switch your pad out, makes it a no for us.

Disposable Mops

There are a bunch of one-time-use mops available. The primary two are the Swiffer wet jet and the swiffer wet pad. We recommend using the swiffer wet pad on areas that are extremely small, let's say < 100 square ft. The sweet spot is when you can just use 1 pad and clean the entire area. It's cost effective, reliable and convenient. Now when would you want to use the wet jet? Well, first, we would not recommend the wet jet. The proprietary cleaning liquid refills will cost you a lot of money, same with the pads you are required to use. However, if you have one already or are bent on getting one, you should only use one of those up to about 300 sq ft, before the pad starts getting dirty. Our recommendation here, is to us a flat mop in such a small space. The soap is cheap, and plus you can just wash the pad in the laundry or by hand.

No matter what type of mop you choose for your office, it is important to remember to regularly clean and maintain your mop heads. Check the manufacturers packaging. Most often you can wash your mop heads and pads in order to reuse them. Regularly cleaning your mop head will help to ensure that it stays in top condition and can help to extend the life of the mop.Now that you know about the different types of mops available for your office, you can make an informed decision about which type of mop is best for your needs. Whether you are looking for a dust mop, spin mop, microfiber mop, or steam mop, there is sure to be a mop that is perfect for your office.