Mopping Made Easy

What comes to mind when you think of procrastination? What tasks do you have to reach down to your toes to find motivation for and it still takes everything within you to get started? For me? Mopping and ironing.  I don't ever seem to mind them once I'm started but somehow the initial time getting prepared and started is an eternity and one that can wait a little longer. Yes, that means there are usually spots on my floors that the broom did not pick up and stacks of clothes set aside for that someday when I decide to do all my ironing at once while the lingering garments wait their way out of our wardrobes.  
But today! Today was different! At least one of these dreaded, tedious tasks will not be so neglected anymore! Goodbye old sponge mop and bucket! So long floor cleaner and countless rinses! Hello Steam Mop. Welcome to my Cleaning Closet! 

Last month during a ladies retreat, a staff lady recommended the Shark Steam Mop in one of our sessions. Hers was much bigger than the one pictured here with lots of pads and attachments... and also was admittedly expensive. But her delight in sharing her favorite cleaning tool has tugged on my memory ever since especially in light of my feelings toward the chore. Oh, I like clean floors, just not my current method of getting them clean. I mentioned the idea of a steam mop in passing to my mother shortly thereafter and to my surprise, she had one! And of all things, she gave it to me since she had found a more suitable gadget for her floors. I'll tell you, I was very excited at this gift from my mother and from God who was obviously trying to tell me that I had room to grow in this area of housekeeping, it still sat untouched for days and days... until today. Today I woke up and was tired of looking at that thing sitting next to my back door reminding me of my neglectfulness every time I walked out the door. I couldn't just put it in the closet so I sat down to read the manual while Gracie poured her rock collection in my lap and counted rocks into her cup. That was the beginning. And an hour later, I had cleaned my kitchen linoleum, living room hardwoods, and bathroom tiles. This is my New Favorite Tool! If you haven't heard of this product yet, I cannot describe it any better than the commercial, so here it is with a link to the product on Amazon. Though, I think the deal on Amazon has only one cleaning head included. Walmart and Target also seem to carry it. 

---

Euro-Pro Shark Deluxe Steam Pocket Mop

What I love about this Mop -

• I love that it is a QUICK set up - fill the tank with water, plug it in, wait 30 seconds to a minute, pump pump pump a few times to get the steam started moving and off you go into the wild blue yonder!
• You can use both sides of the mop head to extend cleaning time, and let me tell you - with my long-overdue floors, I used every side it gave me and all the pads... but they were enough.
• The tank of water did not need refilling until I had completed 4 rooms (2 of them large). 
• If you need extra steam to soften a hard stain, just pump the handle in place and watch the mop heat up... but don't leave it in that spot too long for obvious reasons.
• This mop removed old stains from my kitchen and bathroom floors that had been there since we moved in years ago. 
• And I LOVE that it dries so quickly! My one deterrent in mopping during this season of motherhood is finding ample time where the floors will not be trampled on or become slippery to little tottering feet. 
• And finally...the shine! No longer do my floors bear the muted, dusty color but wear a clean shine that I can feel in my bare feet. Now that's spring cleaning satisfaction!!

I am sure there are multiple brands of similar products available and maybe you have a similar but different favorite tool in your cleaning closet. If so, let us hear from you and how it makes your life easier.  My experience has simply been comparing this product to a sponge mop which it highly exceeds in every way. Maybe mopping has been a nagging chore in your mind lately. I'm not one to quickly spend a lot of money on gadgets unless I know it will earn its keep. I can honestly recommend this one as worth the money. So if you're in the market for a mopping tool, check this one out. The reviews on Amazon are helpful too. There is also a new professional model that comes with all the cleaning heads and multiple cloths. The extra heads and pads are available for this product purchased separately. I may take advantage of a few before long. 
Now, if I can just find some method to keep my ironing from piling up...I'm afraid that answer might be discipline. =)