What are these strange and wonderful objects? They're certainly a great gift. This is a useful invention. It does the mopping for you. But how? Is it magic? Not exactly! You may have recently read something about these types of helpful devices. What are they called? There are few names for them depending on the task: electric mops, electric spin scrubbing mops and robotic vacuum cleaners, each of which are convenient for people not particularly fond of this chore. So. Are you a mopping enthusiast? Not really? That's alright. Few are enthusiastic about mopping and who can blame you?

The prices? Typically, they range from quite reasonable to less affordable depending on the particular type of task, the living space and the budget. Presumably, you may wish to read of few of the reviews before you start shopping for them. Let us start with a cursory review of the popular electric mops. Obviously, these are not all of the electric mops available:

The iRobot Braava 380t Robot Mop is ideal for hard surfaces, large kitchens and sizeable bathrooms. It's equipped with sweep, dry mop and wet mop functions. Fill the quart sized water tank and insert the pad. This is a self charging device. No charging stations required! Battery run time? About 90 minutes. Cleaning capacity? Up to 1400 square feet of space depending on the cleaning mode. The NorthStar navigation system within the machine makes it self-aware of its location, its progress and the remaining surface space that has yet to be cleaned. It is self-aware of the prohibited surface areas that should not (nor ever) be cleaned (carpeted rooms). The waranty? Two years. Downside? This device isn't ideal for small and tight spaces.

The Bissell SpinWave Plus Floor Cleaning Mop is equipped with a 23-foot power cord and a large water tank: 28 ounces. Twin rotating cleaning heads. One turns clockwise. One turns counter clockwise. These heads turn toward each other. The sprayer nozzle is above the cleaning heads and is not at the bottom of the tank. The benefit of this configuration? The water you spray on the floor reaches the floor and not elsewhere; other brands without this feature reportedly spray the water all over the machine. Microfiber cleaning pads are ideal for most surfaces especially ones prone to scratching. Extras? A set of scrubbing pads with stiff bristles is included with the purchase, which removes stubborn messes easily. The Plus model provides a bottle of the trial sized Bissell floor cleaner for a single use. See how well the machine works with a cleaning solution in the tank. This machine cleans any type of hard surface flooring. Downsides? The Mopping pads and more moving parts require attention and care after each use. It takes about 5 minutes to clean the machine. 6 cleaning pads are included. But the price is higher than similar models. The warranty isn't exactly generous? Only 1 year.
 

The iRobot Braava 240 Jet Robot Mop is made for larger spaces and the tiny Braava Jet 240 is made for smaller spaces. While it is pricey, it can clean areas that can't be reached even with a handled mop. It uses a spray jet instead of soaking the mopping pad like the 380t. It takes cleaning solutions and can sense if a dry mop, damp mop or wet mop is required; based on the type of pad that is installed on the machine. How is this achieved? The machine uses color coded pads. Important downside? Since there's no navigation system, the device must be manually placed in the room. Anything else? The machine's wall boundary system prevents the machine from wandering onto the carpet but it doesn't discourage it from going onto rugs in the room. Specialty? This machine is ideal for smaller spaces such as the bathroom and kitchen. It is ideal for cleaning under furniture, behind toilets and under the counter edges. The disposable pads are removable. Simply press the eject button. This feature's ideal for people averse to having physical contact with a soiled cleaning pad. Problems? It is a manual machine with a runtime capacity of 75 minutes so it may not clean the room on a single charge. 

The Shark Steam Pocket XL Corded Electric Mop cleans and rids homes of unwelcome bacteria with a steam process. This device simultaneously cleans and sanitizes a lot of space with easy to use controls and dual-sided mopping pads. Downsides? The 18-foot power cord, about two feet shorter than the average cord, may be a problem unless your home has numerous electrical outlets. The machine gets hot really fast. So be prepared: it is ready to steam within 30 seconds. The steam's sent throught the mopping pads and based on your cleaning motions. Another problem? Filling the reservoir can be a complex task. Use the fill and pour cup. Don't worry about spills. The mopping pads soak up the excess water. The dual sided microfiber pads are sewn on three sides to create a pocket and the cleaning heads slide into that pocket. The purpose of the pocket? It's an assurance that the pads will not inadvertently detach from the device during use. Another convenience? The devices' 360-degree swivel head allows users to flip over the pads; when one side gets dirty.

BISSELL Crosswave Pet Pro Vacuum and Mop is able to vacuum and mop floors with a standard upright vacuum base. The twin-tank mopping vacuum cleans wood floors. It washes and clean smaller area rugs but is not a carpet shampooer. It shouldn’t be used on carpeted floors. It cleans hard flooring surfaces with a brush roller made of nylon and microfibers that will not scratch softer surfaces. However, why a dual tank? One tank is for clean water. The other is for dirty water. Dirt collected with the vacuum suction goes in the dirt water tank. A pet hair strainer make the disposal process easier. The strainer separates hairs and larger debris from the water tank. But the mop and vacuum can't be used separately. Why? The clean water tank cools the motor to prevent overheating. It can't replace a vacuum but it outperforms a mop. Anything else? The dual tank does allow cleaning solutions. The power cord length is 25 feet. Bissell Waranty is 3 years. 

Shark Genius Hard Floor Cleaning System uses a no-touch design and reversible cleaning head with jet steam and an extra thick microfiber cleaning pads that disinfects your floors, as you clean them. It is an innovative design that locks the microfiber cleaning pad in place with a sandwich style folding cleaning head. It also functions as a 2-sided cleaner that can be flipped over when the first side is too dirty. How does it work? The steam is jet sprayed through the cleaning head to evenly distribute through the cleaning head. With three steam level settings, it is ideal for all hard floor types without leaving too much water behind. When you are finished cleaning, the head-control switch on the machine will open the cleaning head and drop the pad so you don’t need to touch it when it is dirty. The downsides? This doesn’t always work. Sometimes the clasps will hold onto the pad and you must manually remove it. Other sour tastes? The machine doesn't allow for the use of cleaning fluids. The one-year warranty seems a bit brief, but is sadly becoming the industry average. However, Shark is known for superior customer support. Should you have any issues, they're a phone call or email away. Saving graces? The jet steam sprays directly on stubborn messes. Cleaning pads are thck and the power cord is 22 feet.

 
Bissell SpinWave Cordless Floor Cleaning Mop is powered by a lithium-ion battery. Convenient, durable and easy to use, but the limited usage time compared to the corded model is a sour note though the cordless model can be used in places the corded model can't reach and no more worries about tangling the cords. Time limits of the corded model? 20 minutes. This machine is ideal for single rooms with small spaces. However, if you have multiple rooms that require deep cleaning, it is likely you will have to stop and recharge the battery, which requires up to four hours. The spray control feature allows you to determine the amount of water or cleaning solution required (yes, it accepts cleaning solutions). Not much unlike the corded models, the cordless mode sports twin rotating cleaning heads, which spreads water around without flinging it. Something else: the cleaning heads are compatible with the soft mopping pads and scrubbing pads, which Bissell offers, enabling the user to effortlessly mop hardwood and scrub your tiles. Downsides: Obvious charging time for larger tasks. Only a year warranty. Upsides: Machine has a precision sprayer control. Storage tray holds machine and cleaning pads.

Homitt Rechargeable Electric Spin Scrubber Mop is a handheld unit that uses 4 cleaning heads for many cleaning tasks, even in your bathtub or deep in corners. The flat brush is for large areas. The other three brushes? Specialty cleaning. This devices's 3000 RPMs of power gets into grout, removes stubborn debris and buff shines a surface after cleaning. Dual batteries provide an hour of runtime per charge. Charging requires only 3 hours instead of 4, faster than the others. An adustable cleaning head allows you to angle it and clean problem areas. A 21-inch extendable handle allows the user to avoid bending and stooping, which improves efficiency and reduce fatigue or strain. The easy to use cleaning heads are easy to change but isn't suitable for mopping large area and projects with multiple rooms. Use it almost anywhere; even ceilings. What about the downside? It can scratch laminate and hardwood flooring and an hour runtime per charge.

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