No one enjoys mopping, but it’s a necessary evil if you want clean floors, and the popular O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop & Bucket System promises to make the chore faster and easier than ever. This unique product has a special bucket that spins your wet mop, allowing you to get the perfect level of moisture to scrub floors without leaving them soaking wet. But is it too good to be true? To see if this highly rated mop is worth the hype, I tested it out, using it to scrub floors that had definitely seen better days. Here’s what I liked—and hated—about this product.
Setup: No fuss
I was surprised at how small the package for the O-Cedar EasyWring mop was upon arrival. The product comes with its special bucket, handle, and mop head, and even after opening the box, I was expecting the bucket to be bigger. However, setting up this mop was a piece of cake. All I had to do was snap the plastic handle attachment onto the mop head, screw in the telescoping handle, and extend it to my desired length. That’s all it takes to get ready to clean. The instructions say you can use the O-Cedar Spin Mop with any cleaning solution, so I mixed warm water with Spic and Span according to the instructions on the bottle. However, you could use any floor cleaner that you choose. Further, it can be used on any type of hard floor, assuming the cleaning solution is safe for the material. Not sure what to use? Check out our favorite floor cleaners that will leave your home sparkling.
Cleaning Performance: Impressive
Because the mop head is made from microfiber, you can use it to collect dirt and dust from your floors when it’s dry. I think this is an awesome feature, as it lets you quickly go over the floor and pick up any lingering hair and dust that the vacuum might not have caught. To use this mop wet, you dunk the mop head into the bucket, then place it in the special spinning compartment. You can then use the foot pedal to spin the mop—you have to hold the handle loosely to allow it to spin—getting as much water out as you want. This lets you control how wet your floors get, which would be helpful if, for instance, you have company coming soon and don’t want your floors to take hours to dry. You might think this feature would send water flying everywhere, but in my tests, the splash guard kept every last drop inside the bucket! Color me impressed. I used this mop on the bathroom and laundry room floors at my parents’ house, which my mother typically cleans every few weeks with a Swiffer Sweeper Wet Pad. The floors are covered with a vinyl tile, and I was surprised at how much dirt the O-Cedar Mop picked up, even though the surface looked relatively clean to begin with. While the small, flexible mop head was useful for getting under the clawfoot bathtub, into corners, and behind the toilet, it did make the cleaning process take longer than we would have liked—a larger mop would have made quick work of the room. After I was finished, both Mom and I were impressed at how clean and fresh the floors looked. There were no streaks that we could see, and the room smelled clean, too (though that’s largely thanks to the Spic and Span’s scent). Take a peek at some of the other best floor cleaning supplies you can buy.
Design and Comfort: Room for improvement
While the concept of the O-Cedar Spin Mop is great, the actual construction leaves something to be desired. In addition to being quite small, all the pieces of this mop are made from cheap plastic, calling their durability into question. Right out of the box, the telescoping handle, which is supposed to extend from 24 inches to 48 inches, didn’t perform as advertised. It has three segments that you can adjust as needed, but the longest setting still felt kind of short. Plus, I found that the mop handle didn’t want to stay extended—the top segment wouldn’t screw into place properly, so it would shrink as I was mopping, which was extremely frustrating. I ended up putting an elastic band right below the connector to help stop it from collapsing, but even this wasn’t that effective. Many reviewers note similar issues with the quality of the mop, citing problems like the handle or mop head breaking after a few uses. Overall, this product would be much better if the materials were of higher quality.
Ease of Cleaning: Washer- and dryer-friendly
When you’re finished mopping and it’s time to clean up, you’re going to have to do all the standard things you’d do with a regular mop—empty out the dirty water, wring out the mop head, wipe down the bucket, and so on. The good news is you can use the spinning feature to get most of the water out of the mop head, but I still had to do a fair bit of wringing by hand to get the tendrils dry. From there, all that’s left to do is toss the mop head into the washing machine. Because it has a plastic frame, it does clunk around a fair bit in the washer and dryer, and I was worried the frame might crack. However, it came out all in one piece and looking as good as new—the microfiber looked even fluffier than it originally did!
Price: Appropriate
If you’re wondering why this specialty mop and bucket set is so affordable, it’s likely because of the quality of the materials. The O-Cedar mop retails for around $37.99, but it’s often on sale for around $20. It may seem like you’re getting a great deal, but keep in mind that the mop is smaller than expected and the materials could very well break down the line.
O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop & Bucket System vs. Swiffer WetJet Floor Spray Mop
The Swiffer WetJet I also tested retails for a similar price as the O-Cedar Spin Mop, and it’s undeniably more convenient to use. The WetJet lets you spray solution as you go—no bucket necessary—and its pads can be popped on and off with ease. Cleanup is much easier than with the O-Cedar Mop, and the overall results are comparable. However, the downside of the WetJet is you’re forced to use Swiffer cleaning solution and buy additional pads. With the O-Cedar mop, you only have to replace the mop head every few months. Interested in reading more reviews? Take a look at our selection of the best flat mops. If you’re looking for an inexpensive mop to use around the house occasionally, the O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop & Bucket System will certainly get your floors clean. However, if you mop frequently and are looking for a heavy-duty option that will last for years, this isn’t your best bet.
