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WHEN it came to cleaning my kitchen floor, I used to have only one choice to make.
Should I go for a traditional string mop or a fancier sponge style with my bucket?
While both were relatively cheap, they needed a LOT of water and elbow grease to get sticky stains off my vinyl tiles.
And by the time I had finished, I would be left with a soggy mop head that took ages to dry and was a breeding ground for bacteria.
Now, when more of us have hard floors at home, a new breed of electric mop is cleaning up – and Dyson is joining the market.
Yesterday, the WashG1 was launched here, a nifty wet cleaning gadget that promises to remove dry debris, suck up spills and wash away stains and dirt.
It costs £599 – but unlike other electric mops and floor steamers, it can tackle dry waste such as food crumbs and hair, and separates them from the wet stuff for disposal.
There is also a self-cleaning cycle to flush the machine after use to prevent the build-up of debris and stop any smells.
As a mum of two with a mix of hard wood, tiled and vinyl floors, I put the Dyson WashG1 to the test, along with six cheaper alternatives, giving them marks out of five, to see if I could bin my budget mop and bucket for good.
Like all Dyson products, the WashG1 looks a cut above, with a slick, ergonomic design and electronic menu screen.
As a cordless cleaner, it needs charging first and comes with a handy stand to keep the microfibre cloth off the floor.
It is sturdy and a bit heavy, but requires little effort to push, gliding around the floor almost by itself and getting in close to skirting boards.
I love how you can see the dirty water filling up the bottom container, separate from the clean above, which makes for hygienic, fuss-free disposal.
But better still is its ability – on setting one of three hydration levels – to suck up not just spills, but debris such as cereal, with the dirt collecting in a tray.
It means you can bin it without blocking the sink.
There’s a solid 38 minutes of cleaning time, with a digital countdown, plus a “max” setting for stubborn stains, and it leaves little wet residue afterwards.
While it’s undoubtedly the most efficient, the price takes it soaring out of my budget, coming in at virtually TWENTY times the cost of the cheapest option I tried. I have to dock a point for that.
RATING: 4/5
This no-frills floating mop is a steal to buy and very lightweight indeed, coming with three sets of different cloths – two microfibre options plus scourers.
And the best bit is, all are machine washable.
Charging is fast, but there’s no indicator to let you know when it’s ready (or out of battery).
There’s a foot-operated button to activate the spinning pads, which are smooth and easy to use.
Unlike the Dyson, it doesn’t have a water tank, meaning you have to spray the pads with water or your cleaner of choice, which is a faff – but less so than using a bucket.
And it deals with spillages surprisingly well, as the cloths are absorbent.
On the upside, it’s very flexible for cleaning underneath furniture and can be used sideways on skirting boards. Genius!
What’s more, for the cost of the Dyson, you could buy 19 of these – and still have change!
RATING: 4.5/4
I’m used to a Vileda sponge mop, so this is a cut above, with two sets of microfibre pads – which attach using Velcro – to let you wash between uses.
It’s cordless but charges quickly, with a red light that goes off when ready.
It comes with a stand to protect the pads and the floor, which I like.
There are hand-operated buttons to make the pads spin and spray water from the tank, plus a light to show stains.
The bottle holds around 450ml but lasts well, and you add floor cleaner if desired. Fiddly to unhook, but easy to fill.
The Looper is lightweight and slick to manoeuvre, but stops quite often when it hits obstacles. It needs a lot of pressure on stains.
RATING: 2.5/5
THIS steam mop is bulkier than the Aeno but has a section you can remove for smaller handheld jobs, such as shower heads or getting creases out of shirts.
In fact there are an impressive 14 accessories, from a concentration nozzle to a window tool, and you can refresh carpets, too.
This one isn’t as easy to operate out of the box as some of the others – there are more functions to get your head around, including whether you need to fill the steam solution tank as well as the water one.
But the instructions are detailed and clear, and I like the steam trigger on the handle, plus the foot-operated steam boost.
It does a great job lifting sticky stains, too.
RATING: 3.5/5
The TurboClean is heftier than the other rotating mops, but is smooth to manoeuvre around the floor.
I like the battery indicator lights, so you can check the charge level, and the front light to show stains is very bright.
The water tank in the mop head has a healthy 300ml capacity, but it’s not removable, which means you need a jug to fill it and it’s tricky to pour out.
The cleaning power is great, with two rotating microfibre cloths, a scourer pad and bristles that mean it can be used as a dry sweeper too.
A full replacement set is included.
The water spray is strong, with good range, and it cleans efficiently without leaving too much wetness on the floor.
RATING: 3.5/5
My mum swears by her steam mop, so I was interested to see what the fuss was about.
While the AENO is pricey, it’s multifunctional, with seven attachment options so that you can steam everything from grease- covered hobs and grout to clothes and rugs.
Once plugged in, it takes a few seconds to heat up and start generating sanitising steam, with a 380ml water tank.
It’s light as a feather to push and the thin mop head gets under the narrowest of openings.
But like me, you might find the plug cable is rather cumbersome. Even though it’s long, the nearest socket to my bathroom is quite a stretch.
The electronic control panel is not as instinctive as a normal push button either. The steam is great at lifting stubborn stains and the microfibre cloth is large for wiping up afterwards.
It also looked pretty clean after use, compared to the floating mops.
You cannot use it for cleaning up any spillages, though – you would have to first wipe with a cloth and then steam to remove residue.
RATING: 3/5
This incredibly lightweight steam mop is a basic buy but does the job pretty.
It’s got a 5m long cable and heats up quickly, with two microfibre cloths and a carpet glider included for steaming carpeted floors and rugs.
The glider doesn’t clip onto the base however, which can be annoying.
The triangle shaped base gets under furniture but not as close to the skirting boards as I’d like.
The water tank isn’t removable but a jug is provided to fill it up.
The mop needs a bit of welly on tougher stains but picks up a surprising amount.
But it’s a great option for everyday cleaning as it’s so straightforward and I like that the steam means no chemicals are required.
Great price too.
RATING: 4/5
Yes, the Dyson WashG1 is a magical piece of kit. I hate mopping, but this makes it easy. The spillage function is a game changer.
You can deal with mess in seconds, with no wringing out wet mops.
But, and it’s a great big “but”, there’s the astronomical cost. You would need to do heavy-duty cleaning and have miles of hard floors to get your money’s worth.
If it ever comes down in price, though, I’m sold.
For now, I’d be happy with the High Street TV Floating Mop. It works – at a fraction of the cost.
