Is there any mop that's as good as using a cloth and betting on your hands and knees?

[DappledOliveGroves]

Our last mop (basic string head) broke. I've never been a fan of mops as I find they don't clean, merely push the dirt about. Even if I vacuum the kitchen floor first, I've never found a mop that's as good as me getting down on my hands and I was with a wet cloth, cleaning spray and giving the floor a good scrub.

That said, I loathe washing the floor and would be thrilled if there was a gadget that would make my life easier. Our flooring is hard wood and cork (in the kitchen). We have three cats, their cat food sticks like glue to the kitchen floor and there's fluff everywhere. Can anyone recommend a mop that actually picks up dirt, cleans brilliantly, is sturdy and is comparable with scrubbing a floor by hand? Whether a steam mop or more conventional sort. I've been googling all morning but just don't know what to go for.

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Obviously the title should read 'getting' on hands and knees, not betting 🙄🙄

Sadly, I have to say I agree with you that cleaning by hand is so much better. Also sadly, I am of the age when getting down on hands and knees is not as easy an option as it used to be.

We have three cats, their cat food sticks like glue to the kitchen floor

Put newspaper under their dishes and chuck out when dirty. Or you can buy little wipeable mats for under cat dishes. Easy to wipe after every meal.

I like my mop. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's as good as hands and knees but I can't do that anymore so it's the next best thing. It's better than my old steam mop too. Its a vileda turbo mop with the spinny thing in the bucket and I use it with normal flash floor cleaner. I need to push down quite hard for sticky cat food but it does come up

Half the time the cats take their food to the hallway and drop and eat it there so sadly any kind of newspaper or mat would have limited effect!

I was going to say that the Vileda spin mop is as near as I've found to a scrubbing brush and bucket so far. I think it's better than the steam mop too.

Does the spin mop 'lift' dirt from the floor, though? Imagine, for argument's sake, a small piece of courgette or a baked bean. Would the mop just move those bits around the floor or somehow pick them up release them into the bucket?

A broom and bucket of soapy water?
I give my floor a scrub now and then using this method as normal mops are useless!

We have a Bissell Spin Mop, it was £££ but its very good!

leifheit
the square one
was it ones with a bit more soapy water to loosen dirt then squeeze as dry as possible to clean it all off.

@DappledOliveGroves it definitely lifts small pieces, they kind of stick to the mop then wash into the bucket - I'm not sure about the courgette - I suppose it depends on the size. It's really good for little random bits the vacuum has missed though!

I’ve just bought a Bissell Crosswave. It vacuums and washes the floor at the same time, and supposedly dries it too, but have to say that function isn’t so great.
I have two male dogs and at the risk of TMI their willies drip and leave creamy coloured drips on my charcoal grey kitchen floor tiles. We hadn’t even realised before we got a new floor as the drips didn’t show up on the old floor! And my kitchen is 25ft long so hands and knees is out I’m afraid.
Therefore I clean the floor with my Bissell twice a week. It could probably do with more often but I refuse to be a slave to it!
Seems to be a great gadget and I’m really pleased with it. It gets the dried up drips off the floor.

I find the Bissell Crosswave works well on my kitchen floor - it's never looked so clean. However, this only works if used frequently - twice a week wouldn't be enough for us.

If I have time, I spray sticky bits, especially at the edges with cleaner and then mop with hot soapy water before crosswaving. The floor isn't left dry, but drier than the mop alone. If I do this every couple of weeks, the Crosswave keeps it looking clean. I really like it because it's a) quick and b)leaves the floor damp rather than wet.

Surely you would always hoover before mopping? Else you would just be pushing wet bits around in the floor

Do the cats have to be fed inside? My cats have a big bowl outside they eat from, I don’t like the smell of cat food!

Six cats and three dogs in this house, with an off white kitchen floor. I find the JML super mop pro is one of the best, and any hard pieces of food that have stuck I use the hard plastic edge to scrape up and then wipe over. It leaves the floor much drier, especially if used with method spray cleaner.

I wouldn't feed my cats outside unless absolutely necessary, I like to monitor what they are eating, and avoid attracting rodents/flies or food getting damp and rancid, which I imagine would be an issue.

It would never occur to me to use a mop for removing bits of food etc. I would either sweep or hoover first, then mop when the floor is completely clear.

I'm a big fan of spray mops. You can get washable pads so they can be changed after every use, it feels much more hygienic than wiping a dirty string mop across your floor.