Are All Dustmops the Same?

If you have hardwood floors in your home one of the best tools you can purchase to keep your floors looking beautiful is a dust mop. A quick daily dust mopping of your hardwoods is going to make a huge difference in the appearance, cleanliness, and longevity of your floors.  

Should you go out to the store or hop online and order the first dust mop that you see? Are all dust mops essentially the same? Which one would be best for your floors? Let’s look at different types of dust mops and the benefits of each.  

Looped-End Dust Mops 

A dust mop head with looped end construction helps to prevent linting and fraying of the head itself. Since the mop does not have loose ends on the fibers it will last longer and hold up better in the laundry, with a better chance of coming out tangle free. Some high-quality looped end mops are tightly twisted all the way to the backing to allow dirt to wick all the way into the mop preventing crushing and matting of the mop and heightening the mop’s performance.

Cut-End Mops

A more traditional style of dust mop that is great for very light household use. A sewn cut end mop is better than a tufted one. Though cut end dust mops will cost less than other types of dust mops, the mop head should not go in the washing machine to be cleaned. You may find with a lot of use that this type of dust mop will produce lint, mat down, or fray in a short amount of time.

Choosing a Yarn/Fiber Type

• Microfiber: The newest and maybe most popular of dust mop yarns. Microfiber dust mops are made to do a great job at catching and trapping in the dust. The looped ends of the smaller filament fibers will pick up small or microparticles that larger fiber mops tend to leave behind. Microfiber heads hold up well in the washing machine, most microfiber heads will last over 200 washes.  
• Synthetic: Synthetic fiber heads pick up dust by attraction or static electricity. They also can be put in the laundry and last for over 100 washes typically.  
• Cotton: Many die-hard dust moppers will tell you that a natural cotton fiber mop head is the way to go. It is great for taking in dust as well as catching larger particles. Studies conducted have shown that cotton heads outperform synthetic ones. Cotton mops do need to have a mop head treatment applied every so often to keep them working effectively.  

Tip: choose a dust mop head with a mildew resistant synthetic backing. It is stronger and more abrasion resistant than canvas backings. The non-absorbent fibers will not suck up dust mop treatment leaving it in the mop head fibers. This type of backing is also less likely to discolor or stain.  

For the best professional hardwood floor cleaning in Arlington make an appointment with All Kleen.