How to Take a Mop Head Off

Using a floor cleaning mop is a common and effective way to deep clean your living space. To make sure that your mop continues to work optimally, you need to change its head periodically.

That’s because it becomes dirty and worn over time and fails to clean your floors properly. But taking a mop head off can be a challenging task, especially if you’re doing it for the first time.

In this article, we’ll discuss a step-by-step method to help take your mop head off. It’ll allow you to complete the process effectively without damaging your cleaning tool.

How to Take a Mop Head Off

If you’re planning to change the head of your mop, read the steps listed below to remove the current one easily.

Step 1: Identify the Locking Mechanism

Different types of mops come with different designs and locking mechanisms to secure the head. That’s why the first step is to identify it so that you can remove the head without damaging the mop.

You’ll need to turn the tool upside down and inspect the head. Some modern mops come with a screwing mechanism. If you have such a mop, you won’t see any knob, screws, levers, or hooks as its head will be secured with threading.

If you’re using a spin mop, you might not see any locking mechanism as well. That’s because most spin mops have a mop pad that goes into the head and stays in place with a hook and loop closure.

Some mops come with a hand screw, located right above the mop head, along with a little latch or clamp on the side. If you have an old model, you might see a couple of screws securing the mop head.

Make sure that you don’t apply force or pressure while identifying the tightening mechanism of your mop. Or you might end up with a damaged and torn mop and you’ll need to buy a new one.

Step 2: Remove the Mop Head

Once you have identified the locking mechanism, you’ll need to unlock it to remove the mop head. If your mop uses a screwing mechanism, just grab its head and start turning it counterclockwise to remove it.

Additionally, if you see metal screws, you’ll need to use the screwdriver to remove them from the mop and free the head.

In the case of a spin mop, you’ll need to be extra careful while removing its head. You may have heard that you can remove the spin mop pad by placing your foot on microfiber/cotton strands and pulling the handle sideways.

While this method can work, it can also damage your mop head beyond repair. Therefore, a better strategy is to turn the mop upside down, place your thumb on the head, and pull out the pad by pulling strands upwards.

You can also use a small flat-headed screwdriver or any other pointy tool for the same purpose. Just place the pointy end of the tool in a little space between the mop head and pad and move the tool in the opposite direction of the mop.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to take off the head of most spin mops to change its pad. You just need to detach the mop pad from the head’s hook and loop closure.

Step 3: Attach the New Mop Head

Once you have taken the old mop head off, attaching the new one won’t be a difficult task. You’ll need to employ the same technique you used to remove it in the first place. Make sure that you tighten the locking mechanism to make sure that the head is secured properly.

Important Note: If your current pad is in good condition, consider using this method to remove the mop head to clean it thoroughly.

How Often Do You Need to Replace Mop Head

The mop head replacement frequency depends on your use, type of floors, and the mop pad material. Generally, you should replace your mop with a cotton pad after cleaning your floors about 15 to 30 times.

Whereas, mops with microfiber pads can work optimally for 150 to 200 washes. However, the type of floor can affect this number. For example, mop pads deteriorate faster on hard and rough surfaces, such as floors made of grout and concrete basement floorings.

The best way to determine whether you need to change your mop head or not is to inspect its condition. If the strands of your mop head have changed their color permanently due to wax application and they’re falling off or while cleaning floors, consider replacing the mop head.

Why Do You Need to Change Mop Head

You need to replace your mop head because of the following reasons: 

• When a mop head reaches its expiration date, it fails to clean floors properly. It also increases the risk of mop streaks that can damage your floor’s finish.
• Old mop heads become dirty and smelly and contain bacteria and other harmful germs. Using such mops to clean your floors will spread these germs in your house. It’ll affect your house’s healthy environment and can lead to diseases.
• The bacteria and mold growing on old mop heads can make your cleaning solution dirty pretty quickly, which leads to floor cleaner’s wastage.

How to Increase the Longevity of a Mop Head

The best way to increase the longevity of your mop head is to clean it properly after every use. Plus, you should also avoid placing a mop on the ground or in a closet with a wet mop head.

Consider hang-drying it or placing it under direct sunlight so that it can dry properly. After that, place it in a dry place to prevent bacteria and mildew from growing. Performing these steps will take some time but it’ll maximize the lifespan of your mop.

Final Words

Taking mop head off is not a time-consuming or hectic task, but it can be a tricky one. The first and most important step is to locate and understand the locking or tightening mechanism that a mop uses to secure the head.

It’ll allow you to remove the mop head easily to clean it properly or replace it with a new one. Make sure that you don’t use force to complete this process because it’ll increase the risk of causing irreparable damage.