Software
Houzz Logo Print
lssqueeze

Show Me Your Dust Mop

3 years ago

I've never had nor wanted a dust mop. I've thought of them as old fashioned and not needed. Well, now I want a dust mop. NOT a Swiffer or Swiffer-type - I have had and hated those. They don't work for me.

I'm thinking of a mop for the dry floor that does not use disposable sheets, but has a mop head that gathers up dust (what a concept), pet hair, other small and light stuff. Then you shake it out (outside) to get all of that stuff out of it. My broom does a decent job of taking care of a lot of it but leaves behind the smaller, lighter stuff that moves around.

I guess at some point the head has to be replaced or washed.

This would be in addition to my spin mop that I use to wash the floor. Help!

Comments (49)

  • 3 years ago

    No idea what ours is as we bought it over a decade ago. It's a swivel mop with washable microfiber pads. Looks something like this one. It does a good job of getting the cat hair and crumbs off the vinyl flooring, and we use it with the "larry"...the dust bin thing that's connected to our central vac...called larry after the fellow who recommended we put it in when we were building the house.



    Suzieque thanked Annie Deighnaugh
  • 3 years ago

    I have a libman with microfiber pads which can be used wet or dry. The pads are machine washable and I really like it.

    Suzieque thanked satine100
  • 3 years ago

    Suzie, I understand what it is that you are looking for and i am looking for the same.

    I want a fuzzy headed loose dust mop of the old fashioned variety that you would take out and shake the dirt and dust off of . I dont see them anymore.

    I think that one reason is that many people dont have anywhere to shake a dust mop anymore. So many more people live in apartments, condos and townhouses where they cant do that.

    I know exactly what it is that you want and I want one too!

    Once the market diverts to a new product, the older ones just dont get made anymore.

    Those that just have the napped surface are not the same, at all. You cant shake the dust and dirt off of them without taking the whole thing off! To be fair, they do take up a lot of debris and hold it in there. But you still have to clean it out of the pile of the mop.

    I think those swiffers are about as polluting and wasteful as coffee pods. Highly convoluted things that keep you coming back for more pads and cleaning liquds and keeps the company's coffers full. An old fashioned dust mop is, basically , a one time purchase and years of service. And, as we consumers know, there is no profit in that! They have to keep us coming back for disposable refills and magic liguids.


    Suzieque thanked claudia valentine
  • 3 years ago

    I have something similar - I think it was from Libman. I have 2 removable, washable microfiber covers for it.

    I also have a little vintage dustmop with a removable cotton head. The microfiber works better tho, IMO.

    We have the big institutional ones at work. They're great for large spaces. There's a spray to make them more efficient at attracting dust.

    Will post a pic later...


    Suzieque thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I agree about the swiffer with the liquid...my Mom bought one for her tile floor and all it ever did was make the floor sticky. Not a fan.

    Suzieque thanked Annie Deighnaugh
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    FWIW, I use a whisk broom to clean my microfiber dustmop outside after each use. It works very well.

    I have a basic Swiffer with both wet and dry cloths and it works fine on our terrazzo floors, but the head is too tiny to be very efficient in large areas.

    Suzieque thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
  • 3 years ago

    Well...mines some hoity toity thang sold by independent dealers with purple loops. It velcros onto the end of my O'Cedar mop. I looked it up after I purchased it for $1.50 from a thrift store...unreal! This looks like it would work just as well. Link


    Suzieque thanked User
  • 3 years ago

    I neglected to mention that I don't want microfiber. I have used those and find that, while they hold the dust, they don't release it. I don't want to have to wash it every time (or else clean with an already dirty mop).

    Claudia, you COMLPETELY get it! Everything that you said is spot on. If anyone has one like Claudia describes, please post (with a link/brand if possible).


  • 3 years ago

    A web search for “old fashioned dust mop” will show you options from Lehman’s, Sladust, and others. O-Cedar still makes them, too. If you want to shop locally, see if you can find an industrial hardware supplier near you. Vermont Country Store seems to be selling the Sladust.

    Suzieque thanked amystoller
  • 3 years ago

    I've had this wool mop from the Vermont Country Store for years, and it's held up really well: https://www.vermontcountrystore.com/big-wooly-swivel-head-dust-mop-with-telescoping-handle/product/88092

    Suzieque thanked Bookwoman
  • 3 years ago

    I see walmart has a chenille dust mop with a triangular shaped head. Our wet mop has that shape and it's wonderful for getting into corners.

    Suzieque thanked Annie Deighnaugh
  • 3 years ago

    We use The Eufy (x2) weekly, and damp or wet mop kitchen/bath floors weekly and wood floors monthly. Gets under all the furniture and into the corners. Depending on the amount of dust in your home, a dust mop will only pick up so much. They don’t work for our farm lifestyle.

    Suzieque thanked ShadyWillowFarm
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    You can get cotton dustmop heads, and use a dust attractant spray on them. You still have to wash them, tho.

    Here are pics of what I mentioned:

    Style I have - it's a terrycloth material like the photo, not the big loops.


    How you remove and replace the cover - I have 2 so I can switch out when one is being washed.


    What I use to clean the cover after dustmopping


    My old school style - this one's @ Fuller.com. It's nylon, mine is cotton.


    Industrial style we use at work with dust spray. Heads are sent out to be laundered.


    IMPE, synthetic fiber terrycloth is more efficient than cotton or wool at collecting the smallest particles, and brushing it with a stiff bristled broom/brush removes the dirt, so I only need to launder after several uses, rather than every time. As I stated, cotton or nylon still needs washing too.

    A broom and dustpan is necessary to pick up the pile of debris and dispose.

    Suzieque thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I have the Norwex mop with dry and wet microfiber heads (you wet the one with water and wring out). Yes, it does hold dirt but I always vacuum first and then just have to rinse it out and reuse. I wash all when finished. If I just have 1-2 rooms to refresh or need to get under furniture, I use the dry mop first, then the wet mop. It has angled corners, large head, and is great for corners. My housekeepers love it and they have it themselves.

    I also have one of those old-fashioned cotton mops. I maybe use it once a year, and I can’t even tell you why. It’s really a pain to use compared to the Norwex. I’d say the O’Cedar is probably comparable.

    Suzieque thanked OutsidePlaying
  • 3 years ago

    I'm not OK adding indestructible microfibers to the environment.

    I seldom mop for dust, and use Swiffer when I do. I know, still 'landfill', but I think the paper decomposes. I do use the central vac a lot. (I regret not having a Larry to sell me on a toe space outlet in my kitchen.)

    Suzieque thanked chisue
  • 3 years ago

    I have this system:


    24" Professional Microfiber Mop System - Wet & Dust Mop Pads Included — Microfiber Wholesale


    I have 8 or 10 dust mop heads, I wait until they're all used then just toss them in wash; I throw the corresponding wet mop heads the wash, too:


    24" Mojave Microfiber Dust Mop | 24" Dust Mop Pad with Fringe Yarn — Microfiber Wholesale


    They are terrific at picking up dog hair -- my biggest issue -- and floor dust. What they are NOT good at is picking up debris. Debris just gets pushed around rather than sticking to the mop head, so you have to clean up debris some other way. But, super-quick to dust mop to pick up dog hair and dust, I can get the whole ~2100 sq foot house done in 10-15 minutes tops. And it's amazing the amount of hair these actually pick up....

    Suzieque thanked porkchop_z5b_MI
  • 3 years ago

    Ooop, I just saw you don't want microfiber. Well, maybe someone else reading will benefit from the post.


    I also have this lambswool floor duster, but the microfiber works better for me because I just have so much dog hair:


    Lambswool Dust Mop (Wedge-Style) - Wool Shop

    Suzieque thanked porkchop_z5b_MI
  • 3 years ago

    We bought one of these in an earlier remodel where we took out carpet and replaced with hardwood flooring. Industrial Dust Mop

    Suzieque thanked jrb451
  • 3 years ago

    Hounds_x_2 . I love those slippers! I need a pair like that.


    I sweep, vacuum, and use a swifter sometimes. When she was three, my granddaughter loved pushing the swiffer around. It was so funny. I would even point out where she needed to get under chairs, etc. where the dog hair accumulates. Now she is five and I have lost my floor sweeper. Maybe I can get her to help wash the car.

    Suzieque thanked cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Like Mxk3 I have an industrial size microfiber mop with plenty of replacement mopheads. In addition I have the Rubbermaid commercial microfiber mop bucket (with wheel and a drainage plug) that makes it easy to rinse the mop and also has a perforated mop rest on top allowing one to press down and remove excess water. I vacuum first but the microfiber is awesome at mopping. With Clementine there is plenty of dog hair to go around for any cleaning system.


    Suzieque thanked lucillle
  • Suzieque thanked chloebud
  • 3 years ago

    Go to Amazon and type in Old fashioned dust mop into the search bar. There are several that come up. I agree with you 100 percent on no microfiber.

    Suzieque thanked cat_ky
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    FWIW, I've had mine for many years now and the pads still look almost like new and come very clean in the wash. I believe synthetics pick up dust better because they hold an electrostatic charge, which cotton doesn't - that's why a dust attractant spray is used with cotton.

    I understand the reluctance to buy plastic. When you think about it, it's everywhere.

    Suzieque thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I highly doubt that the swiffer thing is bio degradable. Those paper looking ones are actually a polyester fabric that cant be composted. It can be mailed to a special recycler to be dealt with, but municpal waste collections dont deal with it. So, it is a limited use and into the trash and to the landfill where it will remain for all of our lives and an unknown number of future generations..........a sobering thought, for sure.

    Swiffer has tried to get some greewashing cred by advertising then with Terracycle, which is a service where people mail their trash out to some enttity that claims to have some place for it to go. Call me a complete cynic on this!!

    Suzieque thanked claudia valentine
  • 3 years ago

    I don't think that's so very cynical, claudia. Those Swiffer cloths are certainly not regular paper, they're definitely some type of plastic - like dryer sheets, I think

    Suzieque thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
  • 3 years ago

    Yes, you are a complete cynic on this.

  • 3 years ago

    I dont think they are like dryer sheets. Dryer sheets fall apart when they get wet, those swiffer ones, do not fall apart, even if they are wet.

  • 3 years ago

    Isn't microfiber one of the worst 'modern' synthetics, because it never decomposes and is now detected in human bodies all over the planet? It's in ponds, the ocean, and the water we drink.

    Suzieque thanked chisue
  • 3 years ago

    I just looked up "Microfiber Polution". It's so serious that washing machines will be required to have microfiber traps by 2026 because so many clothes, blankets, etc. are made with these polluters. I didn't know they were THAT pervasive!

  • 3 years ago

    I brought this mop over from my mother’s house. Marshall Field! I’ll let you know how it goes, but already I am liking the 18” mophead!


    Suzieque thanked bpath
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Check your clothing - I think it's impossible for anyone to have only 100% all natural fibers any more.

    Think about it - do you wear glasses - or contacts? How about shoes & socks? Credit cards, purses, wallets - even if made from leather, there are often plastic components - like the stitching, even. And how about furniture and mattresses - or vehicles? Seems there's no escape from plastic.

    And I saw this earlier today - it seems apropos...



    Suzieque thanked carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10
  • 3 years ago

    I use lamb's wool on my wood floors in L.A., but in Cathedral City, all floors are tile, and so I use a microfiber cloth (which I realize you do not want) that a attach to a sponge mop using diaper pins. I have a large collection of microfiber cloths (cheap from Amazon), and so I always have a clean one to put on the mop when needed. When dirty, they go into the washing machine with clothes, aprons, and kitchen towels.

    If you have a baby, you can buy onesies that have dust mop attachments. I originally saw this in a Chindogu book that my brother bought 20 years ago.

  • 3 years ago


    I love this rubber broom so much. I deal with lots of fur. Pet hair and dust do not fly away. it works a bit on my sisal-type synthetic rug or upholstery if i don’t want to vacuum, the handle telescopes, i put it in the category of life changer :)

  • 3 years ago

    I have an old fashioned dust mop, but I rarely use it - I vacuum my floors with a floor attachment that I've kept from my very first Hoover bought 40+ years ago. I have an adapter that lets me use it with my current vacuum. I use it to "dust" my ceiling fans too.

  • 3 years ago

    I dust mop when I don't have time for full vacuuming and mopping. I also have an old school carpet sweeper.

  • 3 years ago

    I have been following along with this thread, because I regularly sweep with a broom, vacuum and have been using a steam mop for tile floors. I love the steam mop.

    However, since I put in vinyl plank in most of my first floor, I can't use the steam mop there. So I mostly take my old sponge mop, wrapped with old cotton tshirts, and not a lot of water, and mop.

    In between, I have been dry swiffering. The problem is the dog hair, especially this season. My dog sheds somewhat but in the summer, it's been a lot.

    With the dust mops you all are showing (cotton, microfiber whatever), HOW do you get the dog hair off?

  • 3 years ago

    I vacuum first. Any wayward hairs that are picked up by the flat microfiber mop with the 1/4 inch long microfibers mostly wash off in the bucket or when I wash the mophead by hand after I'm through.

  • 3 years ago

    Hair does not penetrate my microfiber terry mop heads, but collects on the surface/leading edge. I take it outside and use a stiff whisk broom to brush it off after use.

    Mine are this kind of fabric:




  • 3 years ago

    "With the dust mops you all are showing (cotton, microfiber whatever), HOW do you get the dog hair off?"


    I have the microfiber ones. You can shake them off outside, but not all the hair will come off. I throw them in a basket in the laundry room until it's time to wash the lot of them. The hair comes off in the wash. I vacuum out the hair that remains in the machine. More will also come off in the dryer, but that is readily trapped by the lint filter and easily thrown away.

  • 3 years ago

    If you have a wool dustmop, don't wash it! I have my mother’s, which is at least 70 years old, and I love it. However, i washed it after storage and the wonderful fibers shrank.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I totally agree about microfiber mops and I have two of them. Long narrow unshakable things. Many years ago I had a Fuller Brush man stop regularly and I loved the brown shakable mop they had. I guess I threw the last one away and now they're gone. With an MC who has hair longer than me, I miss it. Run it thru and then shake it out the back door or the upstairs windows. People don't have windows anymore to shake mops?

    Edited to add. The Fuller Brush link above showing their mop is not like the ones I used to get. Those were bigger, not shaped like that and brown.

  • 3 years ago

    Bookwoman, I'm tempted to buy that one from Vermont Country Store. In addition to great reviews it's made in the USA.


    I had a Swiffer and hated it.

  • 3 years ago

    It has served me well for a very long time. Then again I don't have pets, so it's just regular dust around here.

  • 3 years ago

    I’ve been using my Marshall Field one for a couple of days. I like what it picks up and shakes out, but it’s a little big. Fine for expanses, but not when there are area rugs and furniture to get under. The handle is a bit long, and the whole thing is heavy.

  • 3 years ago

    Last I checked, I do have windows but I don't find shaking the mop will get the dog hair off. I see it with my broom that the hair gets caught and is tough to remove totally. I guess my short haired dog is really putting me to the test.

    Some of these do look promising.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Experiment:

    I vacuum and then wet mop with my flat microfiber mop. I used to have a string mop and still have the mop part that closes over the string mophead (which I don't have any more) and has a plastic screw thing to screw in and keep the mop in place.

    So I was reading above about shake mops.

    Remember some years back there was a decorating thing where one put fuzzy fake sheepskins over the back of dining chairs? I have a fuzzy fake sheepskin and folded it in thirds lengthwise and put it in the mop. I just did a quick mop and it picked up all these tufts of Clementine dog hair. Took it outside and shook it out. Some of the dog hair shook out, it is hard to see how much because the fake sheepskin is sort of off white and Clementine is a beigey light yellow.

    Hopefully it will keep on working (I might try misting it with water next time) and thank you to the shaker posts.

  • 2 years ago

    Suggestion: Cuban mop with dampened cotton diapers, all natural.
    I tried it, works ok. I prefer my HEPA filter vacuum.