I am something of an old pro when it comes to scrubbing. In my youth I was the cleaner of casinos. I swabbed down the gaming area, restaurant and croupiers changing rooms. What with the slopped drinks, overflowing urinals, greasy kitchens and industrial strength makeup  spills, theres not a thing I don’t know about  mopping up.

I can tell you that a cotton mop and galvanized mop bucket  are the only things that can take the strain. Plastic tubs and sponge heads are crap (that is a technical term used by cleaners). Only the strength of galvanized steel allows you to get a good squeeze on your mop essential for good scrubbing action.

Cotton mop heads are also replaceable. The old ones can be safely burnt on the bonfire or used to make Guy Fawkes hair – it makes him look really rascally. If you think Guy had the right idea and you don’t want to burn an effigy of him,  put the old mop head on the compost heap. The wooden mop handles last for ever, but should they ever break they too can be burnt or composted.

So give up on plastic mop buckets and sqidgy sponges and get down with the old school charlady look. Its really cool, plastic free, biodegradable and lasts for ever.

So you want to use a cotton mop? There are a few things you may wish to consider before you purchase.
Firstly, not all mop heads are not created equal. They come in different ply which means that the strands of cotton come in different thicknesses.

Which mop head should you use? 

Thinner twines will wear away quickly leaving your mop head scraping on the floor, but dry quickly after use.

Thick twines are better for heavy duty mopping but a thick head takes longer to dry and a damp mop head can very quickly become a stinky mop head.

Drying out, or getting stinky, is not an issue if you use the mop every other day.

If you don’t need to mop every day the 16PY is a good choice. It is a medium weight so thicker than your average mop head but not so heavy it takes forever to dry out.

Changing a mop head

Remove old head put on new – as easy as

You can nail the head into place but we have never bothered.

Works fine for us

Buy Mop & Bucket

Mops and buckets can often be found on markets and in hardware stalls.

You can also buy them on line here from independent sellers operating through Amazon.

Amazon is a very dirty word at the moment and I thought long and hard before suggesting them.  Heres why I went ahead…..