Sometimes the old ways are the best.
Sure, we live in an age where you can schedule robots to whip around the house and do your chores for you (thanks to the invention of robovacs), but if you’re particular about your cleaning, it might be a job best left in your own hands.
While a step forward in tech terms, a robot vacuum may still need fine-tuning when it comes to cleaning dirt and grime off hard floors, especially in high-traffic areas of the house like the kitchen and the bathroom.
If your home is a busy one full of children and/or pets, things like mud, outside dirt and hair can collect and form pockets of grime that can be hard to shift. Avert those hovel-like scenes and get into the habit of putting a mop and bucket whiparound into your cleaning routine.
Filled with hot water with a splash of cleaning fluid if needed, you can bring your floors and surfaces like cupboard doors back up to gleaming new with one of these classic cleaning devices.
We’ve rounded up the best options to invest in now to get your home looking and smelling a whole lot cleaner - leaving you with more time to get on with better things.
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Vileda 3 Action Supermocio Mop, Bucket and Wringer
There’s a 10L capacity in this bucket, which means plenty of water to thoroughly clean all your hard floors. The mop’s bristles are made from strips of microfibre, offering a greater level of pick-up and more efficient cleaning. Get rid of excess water with the Torsion Power wringer to make giving floors the once over a faster, easier process.
Buy now £13.33, Argos
Costway 360° Flat Squeeze Mop and Bucket Set
Ideal for cleaning corners, the tops of cupboards, doors and floors, this flat mop is the self-cleaning kind, which means you won’t have to get dirtier than necessary when doing basic household chores. The clever design allows you to rinse off grime and dry the mop at the same time, keeping unpleasant odours under control. This set is packed with helpful features: think a pole hook for hanging, a plug at the bottom of the bucket to drain dirty water and space to store a bottle of detergent.
Buy now £51.99, Wayfair
Dunelm Spin Mop
Why mess with a classic? If it’s a simple cleaning set you’re looking for, Dunelm has it in the bag with this spin mop set, which comes with a foot pedal to help you ring the mop head more efficiently (not to mention sparing your back from repeated bending over in the process). The adjustable mop is an excellent budget buy if you’re watching the pennies but still want your home looking neat and tidy.
Buy now £19.00, Dunelm
Hetty SprayMop
This spray mop means you don’t need to have a bucket of dirty water sloshing away next to you as you move about the house. Instead a water tank, operated by a foot pedal, spritzes out just the right amount of water for the mop head to wipe up, taking dirt along with it.
The head is fitted with a removable microfibre pad that can be machine washed too, allowing you to use it time and again, saving cash and the environment too. It’s made to be used on wood, tile, laminate and vinyl surfaces.
Buy now £39.99, My Henry
Leifheit Clean Twist Disc Mop & Bucket Set
Boasting handle-spin technology that rotates the mop head in the special chamber to get water out, this mop offers more control than most. The more you press, the drier the mop’s fibres get, making mop wetness a far easier thing to adjust depending on how dirty your floors are. The mop head is machine washable for getting all the gunk out, and it can lie flat too - handy for getting under big pieces of furniture like sofas and bed frames.
Buy now £55.00, John Lewis
Russell Hobbs RHSM1001-G Steam and Clean Steam Mop
Not your traditional mop and bucket set, this mop uses the power of steam cleaning alone to return your floors back to their gleaming best. Fill with water and after a 25 second heat up time, you’ll have just under half an hour to go over laminate flooring, wood planks or bathroom and kitchen tiles, which should be plenty for most homes.
Move the microfibre pads over stubborn stains and spots to ease them off, and once you’re done throw the pads in the washing machine for cleaning and to use again next time. Genius.
Comes with a one year guarantee.
Buy now £34.99, Amazon
Casdon Hetty Mop & Bucket - Branded Toy Cleaning Set For Children
Kids love copying adults, so you may as well get some help with your cleaning while they’re playing. This mini toy cleaning set is from the friendly Henry brand, best known for its fire engine-red vacuums. The pink model is Henry’s pal Hetty, here in mop-and-bucket form. The set includes a bucket and wringer with a matching mini mop so they can shadow you around the house and learn your expert mopping techniques.
Buy now £8.00, Amazon
Ourhouse Essentials Spin Mop
Drain excess water from this mop with the help of its accompanying bucket, which comes with a spinner feature to get as much water from the highly absorbent fibres as possible. The mop head can be rotated 360 degrees and the handle is adjustable too, allowing you to reach awkward spots and corners.
Buy now £14.99, Robert Dyas
Minky Reflex Sponge Mop
Ever since cleanfluencer Mrs Hinch professed her adoration for Minky cleaning products, the brand has gone from strength to strength and reached a whole new audience. This sponge mop is part of the line-up and comes with a wringing mechanism that gets out twice the amount of water so you’re not sloshing it all over the place. The larger head also means more floor space is covered quickly, resulting in a faster clean.
Buy now £12.00, Argos
