Once in a while, a customer will come to us with questions about the type of mop to use on their brick tile floor.
For the assiduous mopper, the typical sponge mop might not hold up to frequent scrubbing, especially on our more rustic tile styles, such as Wright’s Ferry. Trying to address this problem, we came across microfiber mops, a relatively new development in the floor cleaning sphere.
Microfiber mops use static electricity to trap dust and dirt, allegedly getting floors cleaner with less effort. They also are much more durable than the typical sponge or loop mop. We were intrigued by the possibilities of this product and purchased a heavy-duty microfiber mop that could be used wet and dry to test out on our home’s brick tile floors.
Read more about the product and our assessment of its usefulness below.
Heavy-Duty Dust/Wet Microfiber Mop kit
Price: $25-$30
Self-description:
This description of the product is from Shopmicrofiber.com, the website from which we purchased our mop kit. Microfiber mops are sold on many different websites– shop around for the best deals and features.
The Microfiber Heavy-Duty Mop is a top-quality, industrial-strength alternative to our classic Microfiber Standard Mop. Specially built from sturdy, resilient aluminum hardware, it will easily stand up to continuous, intense use.
The Microfiber Dust Pad is made from supercharged, electrostatic Microfiber that quickly attracts and holds dust, dirt, pet hairs, lint, crumbs and more, removing it from your floors and keeping it out of the air. The powerful Microfiber Mop Wet Pad easily tackles even the dirtiest floors, cleaning away dirt and grime, oils and spills, smears, smudges and scuff marks, leaving floors clean and streak-free
Microfiber Mops are a safe and economical alternative to traditional mops because they provide a thorough clean using only water – no harsh or expensive chemicals needed. The microscopic, split, wedge-shaped fibers draw in and attract dirt and stains, leaving behind only a clean and sparkling floor. Microfiber Mop Wet and Dust Pads are machine washable at least 200 times, saving you money and saving the environment from needless disposable waste.
Microfiber Mops are also easy to use, effortlessly surpassing all other types of floor mops. Microfiber is super absorbent, able to hold up to 7 times its weight in liquid, so mops won’t drip. Plus, they are lightweight and easy to maneuver, enabling you to cover large spaces in a short time.
Because Microfiber is safe enough to use on any hard floor surface, including hardwood, tile, marble, linoleum, stone, and painted surfaces, it is ideal for every room in your home. Make a quick pass through the room with the Microfiber Dust Pad, quickly removing dirt, dust, hair and more. Then use the Microfiber Mop Wet Pad to wash floors for a bright, clean finish. Quickly clean up spills in the kitchen and bathroom, wipe away mud in your entryways, and more.
Our Assessment:
I first tried our microfiber mop dry on our most rustic floor– our entryway brick tiles are much more pitted than anything Inglenook Tile sells today, meaning its success on this floor would be a good measure of success on all others.
The mop is very light and glided across the brick tile surface easily, not catching on any of the rugged grooves. As advertised it did, indeed, do an excellent job picking up the dirt and other small particles. The larger particles were left behind, however, indicating to me that the dry microfiber mop is best used for maintenance cleaning during the week with a thorough vacuuming on cleaning day. I removed the microfiber pad and shook it out well outside when I completed the floor, an action that seemed to restore it fairly well to its original pristine white state. Machine-washing is also an option.
The next test, wet mopping.
I used a warm, dilute solution of water and Stone Logix cleaner to wash our brick tile floors with the microfiber mop. Again, the mop worked well to pick up dirt and dust, leaving the floor with a pleasant, clean gleam. The logistics of using the mop were a bit complicated, however.
First, my bucket could not accommodate the 18″ wide, rigid mop head, so I removed the microfiber pad (an easy task– it’s attached with Velcro), dipped it by hand into the warm cleaning water, wrung it out a bit, and then re-stuck it to the mop. All those familiar with mopping see the obvious problem here. Every time the mop needs to be rinsed and wrung as you mop the floor, the pad must be removed and the whole task done by hand. A specialized microfiber wringer bucket I have since located online has the potential to ellievate this troublesome part of the mopping process, though.
One other complaint– the little metal slides that attached the mop head to the handle of the mop slid out of place several times when I moved the mop suddenly in one direction, leaving my mop in 2 pieces. I would then have to reassemble the unit; again, not a hard task but a somewhat annoying one.
When I finished mopping, I did one final rinse with fresh water, wrung it out and hung it up to dry. No problems there.
Bottom Line:
The hype about microfiber mops has merit. They are indeed excellent at catching dirt and very resilient to the texture of our brick floor. I doubt I will need to replace the microfiber pad for a long time. However, wetting and wringing out the microfiber pad by hand each time the pad needs to be rinsed is a daunting task. I will likely need to buy one of the microfiber mop wringer buckets before I undertake a major mopping project. If you are a frequent mopper and are concerned about a sponge mop on your brick tile floor, this is definitely the mop to buy. But do yourself a favor and buy a wringer bucket at the same time.
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