Who's that flashing across the kitchen floor? It's me! (Flash Power Mop)

Member Name: lulu2004

Product:	Flash Power Mop
Date:	02/12/08 (475 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: So quick to clean tiled floors

Disadvantages: Expensive to run

I feel like an old maid writing this review! A review about a mop!? Its hardly glamorous really, is it? But then I mostly have Baby Brain, so my life has taken a drastic change in the past two years. But this mop is great. I love cleaning the floor with it! What on earth has my life become?

In Asda a few weeks back they were promoting the Power Mop at £10, so needing a new mop I popped one in my trolley to give it a go. It was in a rather large purple box and I assume they weren't selling very well as there were lots left on the shelf. But I'm always open to trying things that will make my chores quicker When I got home and unpacked the groceries I thought Id give it a whirl, so I opened the box and began to build the mop. When I got to popping in the batteries I saw that the date they expired on was in 2005; so it was a huge clue that the power mop had been sitting in Asda for a LONG time. I popped them into the mop anyway just to see if they worked, and they were fine so everything was ready to go.

A few swooshes around and I had an immaculate floor in less than 5 minutes. Wonderful.

What the idea behind it is:
+++++++++++++++++++

The mop has a bottle of floor cleaner attached to the handle and essentially the idea is to spritz the floor with the cleaner by pressing a button on the mop handle and then wipe the floor with the cleaning pad. Simple, but effective. I find cleaning the floor is a really horrible job. It is possibly my least favourite of all the household chores. I suppose no one really enjoys chores, but I particularly find mopping to be a pain. The whole ritual of boiling the kettle, lugging in the mop bucket, finding floor cleaner, filling the bucket, dragging the bucket around the floor as I mop, really annoys me. We only have 2 rooms that need mopped- the kitchen and bathroom which are tiled. So its not as if I have loads of mopping to do, it is just that I am incredibly lazy when it comes to starting it. With the power mop there is none of that tediousness I have just listed. You don't even have to turn it on! Simply clange the absorbent cleaning bad before you begin to clean and spritz the cleaner until your heart is content.

Flash Super Absorbant Cleaning Pads
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For the power mop, you will need to buy a box of cleaning pads. These come in a box of 6 for around £2.99. They stick on to the bottom of the mop by a Velcro strip and they do not come off while you are cleaning. They are very simple to attach and remove, and I also find them highly effective at cleaning. They have a lock-away core (sounds like a sanitary towel and the truth be told it looks like a humongous one too!) and there are two loose wings at the side. I often wondered what these spare bits of fabric were, but I have the box in front of me now and I can see that they are called 'Cleaning cuffs' to trap the larger dirt and hair particles.

One power pad is advertised to clean up to 3 rooms and the * states '*Based on average European room size of 15m2 with on average 50% of the floor unfurnished and requiring cleaning' What a mouthful! Personally I use one pad to start my kitchen and when the kitchen is done I take the mop to the bathroom and clean up there. After that I throw the pad away. It lasts beautifully and I would imagine if I needed it for another room it would be perfectly fine. You cannot flush these pads down the loo.

Flash Power Mop Solution
+++++++++++++++++++

The power mop came with a small bottle of power mop solution but it was quickly wasted while I played with my new gadget. I have only ever seen this in the lemon fragrance, which is quite nice and very fresh smelling. When people come around and the floor has been cleaned they often comment on the lovely smell. The bottle costs around £2.99 for 1 litre. It does last quite well when you are using the mop sensibly, although I find myself having fun with it and spraying much more solution than I should (it makes a cute humming sound when you spray)

The bottle clips into the shaft of the power mop and I find that the spray cuts through grease and dirt very effectively. It is no less effective than the way I used to clean the floor. It dries quickly leaving no marks or residue. I ran out of the solution once and tried every other bottle I could find and none would fit, then I tried to refill the old bottle and it was completely shut... so you are stuck with buying only flash.

Mop Ergonomics
++++++++++++
When the mop arrives in the box it is only a few poles, a rubber handle and a plate, but when you have it all assembled it looks like any other modern floor cleaner. It is a good height for me at 5foot 4, my husband has never ever, ever, ever, tried to mop the floor, so I have no idea of how good the height is for a taller person. However my hubby showed interest when he first heard the little whirling buzzing noise of the spray. I tend to spray far too much as I love watching it squirt out in little droplets. However it can sometimes be hard to judge where the spray is landing and so I have missed the odd patch which is fine, but when it dries you can see the droplet marks.

There is a rough section on the top of the mop and it is designed to scour away rough dirty marks. I have never used this part and frankly I have no idea how I would ever manage to use it as it is in the most awkward part of the mop possible!
Recommend the mop?
++++++++++++++++

I really love my Power Mop. As silly as it sounds, it makes cleaning fun. It's a laugh to wizz around the floor with the buzzing noise and my little boy also finds it hilarious. Although little boys find lots of ridiculous things funny. I love how instantly the floor dries afterwards and I love the smell. So if anyone out there is looking for a quicker way to clean up then this is it! It's so manoeuvrable that it makes everything effortless. Two thumbs up from me.

Lulu2004©

Summary: Flash Power mop is extremely convenient