How To Buy a Mop So You Save Big Bucks
Before buying a mop you have to realize that manufacturers have changed the simple concept of the mop in such a way that 1) you have to buy expensive mop replacements and 2) that they’ve modified their individual fits in such a way that you can’t interchange brands. If you have a mop handle from brand A you can’t put a mop head on it from brand B.
Why aren’t mop heads interchangeable?
A mop is basically something you buy once, either for years or for the rest of your life. Marketers figured that doesn’t earn them enough money. So they started to develop mops that you need to replace. Regularly. Often. A lot. At a price.
Instead of thick strands of cotton they use cheaper, thinner fabric. The fabric wears out or lets lose and in the end you have to buy another mop head. We call this built-in obsolence: when something is made with the idea in mind that you have to buy another one or something else because what you paid for has become automatically obsolete.
Sponge head mops are even worse. They wear out even faster.
But as the screwheads of these mop handles all use a standard fit — pretty much like lamps or paint roller handles all have the same fit — you could still buy another brand and use that.
Manufacturers didn’t like that at all and so, in order to continue to make tons of money from a roduct that lastet your grandmother half her life, they changed the fit of the screw wire. Wow.
How to get a cheap mop
Now you do want a mop with a replaceable head; they’re easy to wash and maintain. I have a bunch of mopheads as I clean up after animals and I love being able to take off the head, pop it in the laundry and meanwhile screw on another — clean — mop head.
If that’s not that important to you and you don’t mind a bit of work and soaking, then you cn buy an old fashioned mop: wooden stick with mop permanently attached to it.
If you want to go for the replaceable kind, go to a dollar store. In the household aisles they will sell sticks or handles. Usually these are made from black plastic.
Next to them you’ll find broom heads and mop heads. Buy a couple of mop heads and you’re done.
If you absolutely want a brand mop handle, pick up one of these cheap dollar store mop heads. They have the standard fit. Take it with you when you go shopping for a brand mop handle. Try if the cheap standard size fit mop head fits on the mop handle you want to buy and only buy a handle that can accept standard fit mop heads.
What it will save you
Brand mop head exclusive to their fit are between 5-10 dollar. Expect to buy 2 of them per year with regular use. That’s 10-20 dollar per year. The same replacements from the dollar store will be 1-2 dollar or 2-4 per year. That’s a cash saving of 16-18 dollar in your pocket. In just one
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