How to Wash a Spin Mop Head in Washing Machine

Spin mops have become very popular in the last few years, and with good reason. The difficult action of wringing out a mop has been replaced with an automated spinning action that takes some of the annoyance out of mopping large floors.

Even with the advanced spinning action, these mop heads can have dirt and germs build up over time, and the best way to wash a spin mop head is in a washing machine.

How to Wash Spin Mop Head in Washing Machine

It seems counter-intuitive that you might need to clean a home cleaning product, but something like a mop constantly works at removing grime and bacteria from floors. Think about wiping down a grimy surface with a towel – even if you wring it out, it will still have a lot of dirt on it. 

No matter what system you use, it is impossible to remove all the gunk you pull off your vinyl floors from the fibers of a mop head in normal operation. Once it gets to a certain point, a spin mop head needs to be deep cleaned, especially if you used it to clean urine from your pets, or if you have used it for applying wax.

You must bring your mop head back to its optimal cleaning operation and also to prevent the spread of bacteria around the house.

Preparing Your Spin Mop Head for Washing

With consistent floor mopping, there may be some built-up grime that you will want to remove before putting it into the washing machine. Grease and oil collection is the normal culprit in this case. To make sure that the mop head gets a thorough cleaning, a pre-soak is a good idea.

Using a mixture of a half cup of white vinegar per gallon of hot water in either the spin bucket or another receptacle, soak the mop head (with the handle still attached) for about 10 minutes. Move it around every few minutes to improve the process. This will loosen up any larger grease deposits and help remove it.

At this point, rinse the spin mop with clean hot water until the water runs clear. Do not do this in the spin bucket, because you will just be dumping the mop head into dirty water. Use running water from a faucet for the best results.

Remove the Spin Mop Head

A regular mop head normally has a threaded base that the handle goes into, but a spin mop head can be a little different. With a spin mop, there is normally an entire head assembly instead of just the handle and mop head, since the spinning motion that the mop uses to remove water needs to be connected to the top handle with a free-spinning motion.

Spin mop heads usually connect to a disc at the end of the handle by popping its own solid plastic frame into a recess in the mop disc. 

Most of the time to remove the spin mop head, you simply lay the mop head fibers out and stand on them. Grip the handle tightly and pull upwards. The mop head should separate from the disc under your feet with a satisfying “popping” sound.

There may be different mop models for specific floors that have specific ways to remove the mop head. Make sure you check for any instructions in manuals or packaging that came with your spin mop.

Washing Your Spin Mop Head in a Washing Machine

Now that the mop head is removed, you will realize it is just a lot of material connected to a central housing, usually a round shape but some models use different shapes like triangles. These other styles are meant to be able to clean corners more efficiently, but the washing process is the same.

Before just throwing your mop head into the washing machine, consider a few things.

• Do not put your mop head in the washing machine with your everyday clothes. There may still be debris picked up from the floor that can stick to other clothes.
• A “rag load” is the perfect time to wash a mop head in the washing machine.
• If needed, run the spin mop head through the wash by itself on the “small load” setting.

Different materials are used for spin mop heads. A very popular one is microfiber, where the water retention and expression is perfect for the spin mop setup. Be sure to check what material your mop head is made from, since some materials can handle a higher temperature in the washing machine than others.

Your user manual should have important information on what settings your washing machine should be set to in order to wash your spin mop head. If you do not have your user manual anymore, a safe setting would be medium heat with a gentle agitation cycle. Use whatever laundry detergent you normally do, but do not add any additional fabric softener.

A little bit of bleach, about a half cup per full load, for added sanitizing is always a good idea. Be sure to check that the materials in your spin mop head do not react poorly to bleach. The majority of the time it should be fine, but check the manufacturer’s instructions just in case.

Caring for the Spin Mop After Washing

After washing your spin mop head, it will need to dry completely before being used again. The best way to dry the mop head is by hanging it without the handle attached. We recommend hanging outside in the sunlight, letting fresh air and additional UV rays help the disinfecting process.

After the mop head is completely dry, you can attach it back to the disc and handle, but we would recommend keeping them separate until the next time you mop. Since the mop head is normally attached to the disc and handle by pressure, keeping them separate may prolong the life of the mop.

Spin Mop Parts

Spin mops normally consist of four parts. Different models and manufacturers may combine some of them, but the concept is generally the same.

• Mop Handle – This is usually just a normal handle with threads that will attach to the mop head assembly.
• Mop Disc – A solid piece, normally made of plastic, that connects to the handle. This acts as the mount for the mop head, and is able to rotate freely. Sometimes it is permanently attached to the handle.
• Mop Head – The yarn, fabric, or microfiber strands that do the actual cleaning for a spin mop. This is removable from the disk for easy cleaning.
• Mop Bucket – The spin mop bucket is one of the most important parts of the spin mop, at the least it is the most advertised. There is a colander that you place the mop head into and then spin, either automatically or through a foot pump action. This works like a salad spinner using centrifugal force to remove water from the mop head.

Conclusion

It is important to wash a spin mop head, or any mop head for that matter, on a regular basis. The large number of surfaces in a mop head help in cleaning grime off of floors, but they are not very good at keeping themselves clean. In order to keep a spin mop from spreading dirt and microorganisms to the rest of the house they need to get a deep cleaning, and the best way to do that is in a washing machine.