A head-to-head comparison between the Flash Speed Mop and a traditional mop and bucket found the conventional method still superior for larger areas, despite the Speed Mop drying floors in just 15 minutes.
Mia O'Hare, Senior Spare Time Journalist, tested both cleaning approaches on her laminate flooring to determine which performed better.
Traditional mop and bucket results
Using Flash Multipurpose Cleaner Liquid Lemon diluted in warm water, O'Hare cleaned half of her living room floor. Following the manufacturer's guidance, she mixed two lids of cleaner (60ml) into five litres of water. The one-litre bottle cost £2.25 from Heron.
The cleaner produced an impressive lather when the mop was introduced and moved smoothly across the floor. The concentration appeared spot-on, yielding more than enough solution to complete the task. After cleaning the target area, there was still enough product to address other rooms throughout the house. The laminate flooring was left to air dry for 40 minutes.
Flash Speed Mop performance
The Flash Speed Mop features a distinctive flat mop design rather than a conventional one. A starter kit, including six floor wipes along with the mop, is available at multiple retailers, including Tesco, priced at £11.50. The mop is considerably lighter than a traditional one and offers 360-degree rotation.
The wet floor wipes are sold separately in a tub; a pack of 24 costs £7 at Tesco. Using the Flash Speed Mop requires taking a wipe from the top and securing it to the mop. It stretches over the flat section and fastens into four corners underneath.
The wipe dripped while being fixed to the mop, so it is advised to avoid doing this above rugs or carpeted surfaces. After attachment, the mop is used in the same way as a traditional one. The floor became damp, and marks and stains were removed. Manoeuvring around corners or along skirting boards proved easy, thanks to the mop's rotating capability.
The wipe handled the rest of the lounge and bathroom well before beginning to lose its moisture. It no longer glided across surfaces with such ease, and upon inspection, the underside was visibly grimy, so it was disposed of straight away. The freshly cleaned floor was completely dry in just 15 minutes.
Verdict
The Flash Speed Mop is straightforward to use and particularly well-suited for tackling smaller areas around the house. Cleaning an entire property would require a significant number of wipes, making it better suited for quick spot cleaning, especially since the wipes are pricier than the Multipurpose Cleaner.
It removes marks, leaves behind a pleasant scent and dries far more quickly than traditional mopping methods. However, for more extensive areas, the conventional mop and bucket approach still proves superior, even with the longer drying period. The Flash Speed Mop remains a worthwhile investment as a convenient answer for quick tidy-ups in between more thorough traditional mopping sessions.
