Libman Wonder Mop Review

Keeping the floors clean always seems like a never-ending challenge. Whether you live by yourself or with others, messes are bound to happen. Surely, we’ve all knocked over a cup of milk or spilt a bowl of cereal onto the ground? Thankfully, there are many utensils out there that we can use for cleaning. For instance, there are steam cleaners, vacuum cleaners, and carpet cleaners, all of which come in incredibly handy when it comes up tidying up. Mops, in particular, have numerous uses. Not only are they great for spills, but they are also fantastic at getting rid of stubborn stains. 

Nowadays, mops are made out of various materials including looped yarn, sponge, and microfiber. If anything, they’ve only become more advanced over the past decade. For one thing, mopping no longer involves bending over for long periods of time. On this page, we will be going over the Libman Wonder Mop—a type of microfiber mop that is known for having a special wringer. Does it do a good job of getting rid of dirt and debris? Is it easy to manuever? How well is the whole thing put together? If you want to know the answer to these questions, be sure to stick around for we will be reviewing the product below.

The Libman Wonder Mop

Libman has been manufacturing cleaning supplies since 1896. Family owned and operated, the company is mostly known for their high-quality brooms and mops, all of which are produced at a plant in Arcola,  Illinois. Committed to customer satisfaction, Libman carefully inspects all of the raw materials and finished goods to ensure that consumers receive the best possible cleaning solutions. Today, their products are sold in many different countries worldwide including the United States, and Canada. Currently managed by the 4th generation of the Libman family, they continue to grow in multiple markets.

The Libman Wonder Mop offers an efficient way of cleaning and preventing bacterial growth. Equipped with extra wide microfiber pads, it is capable of picking up much more debris than most standard mops, which makes it an ideal tool for almost any cleaning job. Perhaps the greatest feature, however, is the patented wringer sleeve. Great for managing the moisture level, it securely locks in place while holes and groves allow the water to drain easily from the cleaning strips. Lightweight and easy to use, it is ideal for all hard floor surfaces including hardwood, porcelain tile, marble, vinyl, linoleum, and stone.

What’s Included

Eager to use the mop right away? No problem, the set comes with everything that you need to get started! More specifically, it includes:

• 1 Libman Wonder Mop
• 1 Extra Mop Refill

Now, you may be wondering—that’s it? Yes, that’s it. In fact, you don’t even need to assemble the unit—a mop head is already attached to one end straight out of the packaging. To use it, all you need to do is dunk it into some water and cleaner. With how it’s designed, the microfiber strips will soak in an impressive amount of liquid; from there, wring out the excess fluid with the handle and you’re ready to mop the floor.

If you choose to buy the set, it does come with an extra mop refill. Depending on how frequently you use the mop, the one that comes attached might last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. When it starts to fray, you’ll know that it’s time to switch to a new one. However, that shouldn’t be for a while. As per the product description, the mop heads are washable and reusable. After you’re done mopping, just throw it into the wash and you’ll be set for the next cleaning session (you’ll want to let it air dry for the best results).

As you might have noticed, the Libman Wonder Mop does not come with a bucket. Unfortunately, this means that you will have to provide your own. Luckily, though, its compact design allows it to fit into most containers. If you do need one, however, Libman does have a variety of pails that you can buy separately (more on that later).

Also, it does not include a cleaner. As it is, though, you can use almost any type of cleaning fluid with the mop (as long as its safe for your floor type)!

Build Quality

Remember, not all mops are high-quality. Ultimately, there will be ones that are shoddier than others in terms of construction. Taking this into consideration, you always want to examine the product prior to making a purchase. For instance, you may want to ask yourself the following questions: Does the handle seem sturdy? What kind of material is used? Does it appear to be durable? When all is said and done, you want to make sure that what you’re paying for is actually worth the money.

The Libman Wonder Mop consists of powder-coated steel handle and a polypropylene molded wringer, the latter of which features deep grooves that allow for water to drain quickly. At the top, there is also an LLDPE hanger tip, which can be used for hanging and other storage purposes. Don’t be fooled by its minimalistic design, though—the entire unit is quite sturdy, especially for its price. Compared to the previous model, it also features a longer 3′ handle, which makes cleaning easier; no longer will you have to strain your back for those hard to reach areas. 

As far as the mop head goes, it is made out of premium synthetic material with microfiber on the outer strips. Non-woven, it is meant to be both durable and absorbent; the cloth itself is also anti-bacterial, which helps to keep everything sanitized and clean. According to the product description, the microfiber head can also be machine washed up to 50 times! With that, you won’t have to worry about having to constantly buy new pads each time. Noted for being extra wide, the microfiber grip strips allows it to remove up to 20% more dirt than other models. 

While the pole isn’t made out of aluminium—a material that is ideal due to the fact that it’s lightweight and durable— the handle is solidly put together. When using the wringer, however, it’s important not to apply too much force as it can break. Despite being made out of polypropylene, which is known for being flexible, there is a possibility that it will crack, especially with rigorous use. With that said, it’s nothing that you wouldn’t experience with other plastic mops. After all, it’s impossible to build an indestructible mop—if you want it to be easy to use, anyway.

Some Possible Issues with the Libman Wonder Mop

As great as it may be, however, there are a few things about the mop that you should bear in mind.

First of all, the mop head isn’t made out of the most absorbent material. As a result, it doesn’t retain much liquid, which often leads to water dripping onto the floor. To make matters worse, only the center portion of the head makes actual contact with the ground; the other strips of cloth simply swing around in the air (this is due to the fact that it’s impossible to exert pressure on the individual strips). In addition to that, it has a tendency of “pushing around”  liquid on the ground; because of this, the floors can take a while to dry. If you want something that will be able to soak up a good amount of fluid, you’ll want to look elsewhere. For small spills and whatnot, however, it could do the trick.

Speaking of which, the mop head itself is also quite small; from one side to another, it measures approximately six inches. Thus, it covers a limited area with every swipe. Given this, you’ll probably want to use something else if you’re planning on cleaning the entire house.

In some cases, the mop head may also detach from the metal handle. Ultimately, this is due to the way it’s designed. Instead of being held in place by screws, the locking bracket is held simply by pressure. As a result, the head can come off if too much force is used for wringing. Judging by some of the reviews on Amazon, this seems to be a recurring issue. Sure, it can easily be reattached, but who wants to do that multiple times when you’re cleaning?

Another issue is that the mop can break at the base of the head. More specifically, there are a few small parts at the bottom that can snap off. Unfortunately, when this happens, the only solution may be to buy a new mop head, which means spending more money. While not a common problem per se, it does happen.

Lastly, the wringing mechanism may take some getting used to. As mentioned earlier, the mop head tends to pop off every once in a while when you’re wringing it; to avoid this, you’ll want to wring it gently, yet with enough force so that you can get the excess water out (you have to push the handle down to wring the mop). Understandably, this can be quite annoying when all you want to do is to be able to wring the cloth so that you can continue mopping. Once you get used to it though, it might become less of a problem.

Does it Clean Well?

The Libman Wonder Mop does clean, it just doesn’t clean as well as some of the other ones out there. Even when you vacuum beforehand, it just doesn’t pick up as much dirt and debris as you’d expect; pet hair can also be an issue. Like we said earlier, the material is just not very absorbent; the amount of liquid that it takes in is simply not enough for it to be good for heavy duty cleaning. Here’s a tip, though—soak the head in hot water for five minutes before wringing it a few times; it’s not foolproof, but it can help a bit with the absorbency issue. In terms of cleaning around corners and furniture, the handle is “fatter” at one point at the bottom, which makes it more difficult. Personally, I would recommend the mop only for small messes.

Having said all that, it does have a few redeeming qualities. For instance, the whole thing is quite lightweight, which makes it easy to push around, even for long periods; for the most parts, it also doesn’t leave any streak marks on the floor. Thanks to the long handle, it’s also less straining on the back, especially if you’re reaching high up for something like a ceiling fan (which it does a great job of cleaning, by the way).

To sum it all up, the mop is best suited for cleaning small areas. While it can soak up spills, it might be more efficient to just use a paper towel. For those who would prefer using something more economical, however, it can do the trick. Other than the floor, it can also be used for the walls or objects that are located high up. Generally speaking, though, you will want to use something else for heavy duty cleaning.

Cost and Pricing Information

The Libman Wonder Mop is on the lower-end when it comes to price. Currently, the set—which includes an extra mop head—sells for $24.99 on Amazon. The mop by itself, however, can be bought for just $8.79 (you’ll probably have to buy a few other things to take advantage of their free two-day shipping though). Besides Amazon, you can find the mop at several other retailers including Home Depot, Walmart, Target, and HEB, all for the same price. If you wanted to, you could wait for it to go on sale, but really—$8.79 is already pretty cheap.

Aside from investing in the mop itself, you will have to buy refills every once in a while. To be more specific, you will have to buy new mop heads every time the old one wears out. Fortunately, however, they’re not too expensive. On Amazon, you can get a single refill for $5.87, a two-pack for $12.99, or a three-pack for $21.50; they can also be found at the other retailers mentioned above. How often will you be needing to get refills? Well, that really depends on how often you’re using the mop. Assuming that you only use it for small messes, one should last you a while.

If you need a bucket for the mop, Libman does have several that you can choose from. For instance, you can get an all-purpose bucket or a utility bucket. As with their mops, their pails are available for purchase on Amazon. Interestingly, however, many of them are priced higher than the mop itself!

Libman Wonder Mop Overall – Is It Worth It?