Spray Mops, Crud Scrubbers - and Angry Mama
SPRAY MOPS
People really fell in love with Swiffer spray mops when they first came on the market. So convenient! No more filling up mop buckets with water! No more wringing out the mop! But I have issues with Swiffer:
1) You can't refill the reservoir - you have to just buy another one of their refills for the mop. Not very environmentally friendly or cost-friendly.
2) You can't reuse the pads. You just toss them out after you mop. Convenient, but expensive and not very environmentally friendly.
3) The Swiffer brand cleaner contains synthetic fragrance.
Other companies are now making spray mops that have refillable cleaner reservoirs and reusable mop pads. You can fill the reservoir with whatever cleaner you wish (you can even make your own cleaner, or just use water). You can simply wash the mop pad and reuse! It's a good idea to keep more than one on had, so you have one available when the other is in the wash.
OXO, Rubbermaid, Lysol, Bona, and Libman are just a few of the well-known companies now making spray mops with reusable, replaceable parts. Prices range from $20 to over $75. Read the reviews, however, before deciding which mop to purchase. I noticed that the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop had dozens of bad reviews on Rubbermaid's website; however, I also saw that the updated product photo indicated "New and Improved". I see on Amazon that there is a 'new model' of this mop available. Bona's mop comes with its own cleaning solution, but you don't HAVE to use their solution, as the reservoir is refillable. Here's a link to a review of spray mops on the market: http://cleaninsider.com/best-spray-mop/
Of course, you can put both our Wood Floor Cleaner and our Laminate/Vinyl Floor Cleaner in the reservoir of a spray mop with a refillable reservoir. The Rubbermaid Reveal Mop has a two pack of reservoir bottles - you can fill one bottle with our wood floor cleaner and the other with the laminate floor cleaner!
There are also steam mops which operate with simply water, but I didn't have much luck with a steam mop (I had the Shark brand, but I don't recall the exact model). I found that my steam mop really didn't do a good job with actually cleaning the floor. It seems a steam mop would be fine for a floor that really isn't all that dirty, but for cleaning actual messes, I much prefer a spray mop. Here's a link to a more complete review of steam mops on the market:
http://bestreviews.com/best-steam-mops
RUBBERMAID REVEAL POWER SCRUBBER
I'm not a neat freak by any far stretch of the imagination. And I'm generally not a gadget nerd. But the Rubbermaid Reveal Power Scrubber is one gadget I get excited about. Yes, you can use an old toothbrush to scrub grout and other hard to reach places. But this is why you shouldn't:
1) The grout brush on the Power Scrubber is far pointier and smaller than a toothbrush head. It can get into places your toothbrush can't. I found this to be really useful on the soap scum and other crud that collects around the faucets on my bathroom sink.
2) The Power Scrubber requires less effort, gets surfaces cleaner, and gets the job done faster (60 scrubs per second, to be exact!)
3) There's always the possibility you'll forget which toothbrush it was that you used to scrub around the toilet. That's not a mix up I want to take a chance with!
ANGRY MAMA
And last but not least...the Angry Mama microwave cleaner! (I think I look like just like Angry Mama more than I'd care to admit). This little device makes caked-on gunk far easier to remove from your microwave. Simply fill up the Angry Mama's plastic body with vinegar and water—measurement lines marked inside—and an optional spritz of lemon juice for a nice scent. Set the microwave for 7 to 10 minutes on full power (more or less, depending on your microwave). After a two-minute cooldown, I removed Mama by lifting her out by her little plastic arms. Then, wipe the microwave clean! That's it!
Do you have any favorite cleaning gadgets? Share with us at info@pinkelephantproducts.com or on our Facebook page!