Wet Mops

Mop History

The mop was first patented in 1893 by Thomas Steward of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Links to the mop date as far back as Roman times. The mop patented in 1893 was made up of a clamping system that allowed the mop to be secured to the handle and released with a simple flip of the lever. Stewards mop in very close in style to the screw type mops we have today In 1950 the sponge mop was born making the everyday household chore a little easier. The quick action lever system allowed for easy wringing on the mop all done from a standing position. Peter Vosbikian the inventor of the mop used a sponge attached to a piece of metal connected to a lever. When the lever was pulled the sponge would be compressed by the two pieces of metal.

wet mop handle

A screw type wet mop

Types Of Mops

Mops are generally categorized into 5 categories:

Wet Mops - Primarily used for soil cleanup on hard flooring. Uses a liquid solution to cut through dirt. Some wet mops can hold up to 10 times their weight in water making them great for picking up spills or just drying wet areas. The most common sizes in mops 16oz, 20oz, 24oz, 32oz; the lower the number in oz's the smaller the surface area of the mop. The two main types of wet mops are lopped end and cut end. Wet mops are usually made of cotton or a cotton rayon blend.
Dust Mops - Used to pickup larger debris mostly used on hard flooring. A treatment called dust mop treatment can be applied the dust mop fibers to statically charge the fibers to attract dust. Sizes can range from 12" to over 100". Dust mops are usually made of cotton with a nylon or rayon backing.
Floor Finish Mops - Used for applying floor finish when recoating floors with wax or floor finish. A finish mop is used because of its non-linting properties. Floor mops are mostly made of rayon or a rayon and nylon blend. A good finish mop should distribute the floor finish or wax evenly on the floor and must not lint. If you use a mop that lint's the lint will become embedded in the floor finish and cannot be removed unless you apply wax stripper or buff the floor finish down
Micro-fiber Mops - A new type of mop that has fibers up to 1/16 the size of a human hair. Microfiber mops come in two styles ones that can and ones that cannot be used with water. The microfiber wet mop can hold up the 6 times its weight in water. Microfiber mops can reach into tight areas and are relatively quick to use.
Sponges Mops - Used in residential applications to clean up in tight and small areas. Compact and easy to store. Some sponge mops use sponge refills that can easily be replaced. Sponge mops use a lever system to wring out the sponge.

Types Of Wet Mops

The three main types of wet mops are:

Looped End Mops - Looped end mops are probably the most common wet mop used today. The looped ends on the mop give it extra surface area allowing it to hold more liquid and cover more of the floor with one swipe. The lopped ends on this type of mop also stop the mop from snagging and catching on corners or under furniture. Looped end mops are typically a little more costly than cut end mops but last a little longer and do a better job. The looped ends on the mop also will make it unlikely that the mop will fray or unravel. Some of these mops are launderable and can be cleaned and reused countless times.
Cut End Mops - Cut end mops are great for spill cleanup, home use or as a disposable mop head. Cut end mops are usually less expensive that lopped end mops because the strands just attach on the mop band end. These mops will usually fray and unravel over time and are not recommend for machine washing as the strands will tangle in the washing machine.
Microfiber Wet Mops - Microfiber mops are great for residential use or for areas that need quick and constant cleanup. Microfiber mops can be easily thrown into the washing machine after each use for easy cleanup. These mops are generally smaller in size than dust mops and re color coded blue for wet mop and white for microfiber dry mopping.

looped end mop

Looped end mop, notice the strands are looped back toward the mop band.

cut end mop

Cut end mop. The strands on the end are cut.

close up microfiber

Microfiber mops use fibers 1/16th the size of a human hair. These mops are usually statically charged to attract dust.

What Are Wet Mops Made Of?

Cotton - Cotton mops are the least expensive to purchase. These mops are used for general mopping needs and have a relatively short life expectancy. Cotton mops can pick absorb up to 3 times their weight and are great on hard surfaces or lightly abrasive flooring such as granite. Cotton mops tend to lint more than the other kinds.
Rayon Mops - Rayon mops are quick to absorb spills and can absorb up to 8 times there weight in liquid. Rayon mops don't lint a lot making them washing machine friendly. Rayon mops can't hold water as long as cotton mops and tend to dry faster
Blended Mops - Blended mops are usually blended with different fibers for a specific types of mopping. Some blended mops can retain up to 10 times there weight in liquid which make them the most absorbent of the wet mops. Blend mops are more expensive but can last up to 4 times longer than rayon or cotton mops.

Wet Mop Extras

Wide Band Mops - An extra consideration to make when buying a mop is the type of banding that holds the mop together. The two main types of mopping headbands are called wide band and narrow band. Wide band mops can give you and abrasive surface at the top of the mop to remove tough debris like gum and labels off the floor. Narrow band mops generally have just enough banding to hold the mo to the handle.
Scrub Pad Wet Mops - A new type of wet mop head has an abrasive scrub pad built into the band at the top of the mop. The becomes extremely useful when mopping floors with debris stuck to it.
Rough Floor Wet Mops - These mops have wider mop strands so they don't catch on rough surface edges. Rough surface mops are made to lint less and are a blend of stronger fibers.
Color Coded Mops - Some types of mops come in an assortment of different colors. You can color code that mop for different tasks or for mopping a different areas. These mops are popular in food handling facilities, hospitals and schools.

colored mops

These are wide band mops. Mops can also come in an assortment of colors one each for a specific task.

scrub pad mop

Scrub pad mops have an abrasive pad sewn into the headband.

rough floor wet mop

Rough floor wet mops have large strands to prevent catching.

Proper Wet Mop Maintenance

Proper mop maintenance can make your mops last up the 5 times longer and help you do a much better job of cleaning your floors. Here are some simple steps to follow:

Before using a mop head clean in warm water to make sure that any chemicals that were used on prior used are rinsed out.
Let the mop wringer rinse the mop. Do not twist the wet mop in the wringer this can loosen the wet mop strands.
Try not to leave the mop in the mop water over night, this can bread bacteria and also weaken the wet mop fibers.
After using your wet mop heads soak in hot water for up to 10 minutes and then rinse thoroughly.
Hang mop heads to dry after soaking, this prevents mold forming on the mop.
Try to have a mop a different mop head for different types of jobs especially if your using more than one type of floor cleaner.
Launder your wet mops heads on a regular basis this will prevent your mops being broken down by chemicals and should prevent mold. Make sure to use a mop head laundry bag so that the mops don't tangle
When washing your wet mop try not to use bleach. Bleach will break down your mop fibers over time. Use a mild disinfectant that is suited to mop laundering.

Wet Mop Safety

Safety is an important part of mopping. Safety for the person mopping and people that might be around the immediate area are always at risk when the floors are wet. Some steps to follow while mopping are:

Use a wet floor mobile barrier to block off any wet areas.
Use wet floor safety signs to alert people to hazardous walking conditions.
Use a brightly colored mop bucket that people can see from a distance.
Use barrier tape to cordon off wet areas.
train the person mopping how to properly mop a floor using a mopping system.

By following some of these precautionary measures you will ensure that your employees, clients and customers are safe from mopping related accidents.

wet floor cone

Wet floor cone

neon tall wet floor cone

Neon tall floor cone

mopping barrier

Mobile wet floor barrier