To preface, for over 2 years now I''ve run the custodial department for a public school district, and I consequently have a fair amount of experience with the basic tools (mops, buckets, microfiber cloths and mop pads) in Rubbermaid''s professional line. The Rubbermaid Reveal has its roots based in their HYGEN professional line. As a result, I was very excited when I saw the commercial for the Reveal given the remarkable quality of the aforementioned HYGEN line. All that said, the transition from professional grade mop to all-in-one home mopping system wasn''t exactly seamless.
Pros:
1. Massive waste elimination given that you''re not forced to purchase proprietary cleaning solution or disposable pads.
2. Microfiber!! Picks up ~90% of bacteria vs. ~40% with a cotton mop (I''m not even going to get into the bacterial breeding ground that is a sponge mop).
3. Easy to store, handle has a pre-made hole for hanging.
4. Floating mop pad holder means that you can just about lay the handle on the floor while keeping the mop pad on the floor for tough to reach areas.
5. If you''re willing to forgo the solution bottle and just use a bucket, you could wash walls or ceilings with ease.
Cons:
1. The delivery system requires me to spray around 6 times to get a reasonable amount of solution on the floor. I got full-sprays with the trigger the first two squeezes, since then about half of the trigger''s action is nothing but wasted movement. Could just be a problem with mine.
2. Microfiber is great, but when you''re not constantly rinsing the pad, debris WILL accumulate and microfiber has the unfortunate habit of depositing built up debris on the edge of the pad back on your floor.
3. Just some nit-picky stuff here Unit doesn''t feel solid. The microfiber pads that come with the unit don''t even begin to measure up to the quality of their HYGEN line counter-parts in terms of fiber density or amount of launderings they can endure.
All in all, this is a solid investment that''s going to give you a great quality of clean for the life of the product and save you money in the long term.
I am so in love with this mop, that''s a funny thing to say, but it''s true. I have used a good quality microfiber mop for years, and I have tried the cheap versions they sell in stores now days, don''t waste your money on the cheap ones. I clean homes and a couple of churches and decided I needed to get more refills for my current microfiber mop. I also considered getting one of those Swiffer mops, then I saw the commercial for the Reveal Spray Mop. I did a little research on line, and read the reviews on it, I figured I''d give it a try.
I priced it here and on Rubbermaid''s site, this is the better deal here on Amazon, you get the mop, 3 microfiber mop pads and 2 bottles, on Rubbermaid''s site, you only get the mop, 1 pad and 1 bottle, plus you have to pay for shipping, get it here, much better deal.
When I received it, the box looked too small, but it turned out the mop handle came in two pieces. There are no instructions in the box, but the handle snapped together pretty easily, and it doesn''t come a part easily after that. The pads are impressive, they are much thicker than my original microfiber mop pads, that comes in very handy, you don''t have to change (or rinse) the pads as often. One thing you must do when you are using a microfiber mop is you have to either change the pads or rinse the pads, just like you would have to rinse a sponge or string mop, it only picks up so much dirt then it needs a rinse or change, that''s no big deal once you realize that, with this kit, since you get 3 pads, it''s not a problem, once the pad stops cleaning, just change to a clean pad.
I washed the 3 pads before I used them (I do that with any microfiber product I get). A bit of advice, with any microfiber product, wash in hot water, do not wash with towels (it will pick up the lint from the towels), do not use chlorine bleach, that will destroy the material, and finally, do not use any sort of fabric softener, the microfiber will suck up the fabric softener and then it will not pick up dirt, it will just leave smears. When it comes out of the dryer, it will have lots of static cling, that is a good thing, especially if you are going to use it as a dry dust mop.
I had the chance to use my new mop at church a few days after I received it. I filled the bottle most of the way with water, then I added just a little ammonia (don''t use too much or you will have to rinse the ammonia off). I first cleaned 2 glass doors, then started on the floor. I was immediately impressed with it, the thicker pads pick up so much more dirt and liquid, it cleaned the windows without leaving any streaks. I have since used it on many other floors with equally wonderful results. I am so impressed, I am so glad I didn''t buy a Swiffer mop, it''s a great idea but with the Reveal mop, you don''t have to buy refill pads nor do you have to buy refill cleaner. You can use whatever cleaner you want in this bottle, just remember, no chlorine bleach. And also, use less cleaner than you think you''ll need, the microfiber pad is more than capable of cleaning with plain water.
I like the swivel feature, I figured out a trick if you are having to mop under a bed or other low furniture, turn the mop over so that the bottle is on the bottom of the handle, that way you will not catch the bottle on the bed frame or furniture. The handle has a trigger that sprays the water/cleaner, it sprays in a good pattern, just a few inches in front of the mop, in a near perfect rectangular pattern about the same size as the mop head. I was able to spray it on the glass door by holding it level and spraying it toward the glass.
If you are cleaning a place that has a dog or cat, you will need to sweep very well, it''s nearly impossible to get up all the animal hair, what will happen is when you are mopping, the animal hair will bunch up in front of the mop head, it''s nearly impossible to keep that from happening, I just push the hair into one spot and pick it up after I finish mopping. It''s not a flaw in the mop, it would do that with any microfiber mop.
The mop feels quite sturdy, the pads are thick and substantial, I feel confident this will keep me happily mopping for many years.
I have recommended this to all of my friends. So far, everyone who has seen it wants one. I give it a big thumbs up.
Buy Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop Kit Now
I have used a Swiffer Wet for several years. I also have a steam mop that I''ve had for a couple of years that was a gift. Before that, it was basically scrub brush and bucket on hands & knees.
Let''s face it to get your floor really clean, the scrub brush is the way to go. On my kitchen/breakfast area/hall/half bath (the expanse of bare floor that needs to be washed), it''s a two to three hour cleaning process (vacuum the dog hair and crumbs, scrub (changing water at least 2 or 3 times) and let dry). That''s a long time and a lot of wear and tear on the knees. I started using the Swiffer Wet when I wanted to get the worst of the dirt without the toil. It still took ~45 minutes and at least 5 or 6 pads. The steam cleaner was nicer except for managing the electrical cord so I could cover the entire area without walking on wet floor, and changing the floor pads which were really hot when I wanted to remove them (doh!). I also didn''t like the length of time it took for the steamed floor to dry.
So, I saw the Rubbermaid product and thought it was worth a try. I liked the changeable, washable cleaning pads, and the fact that I could use my own favorite floor product in the bottle.
This is not a great product if you want deep cleaning. Maybe over time, because it''s easy and fast, I''ll wash my floor more often and won''t need the deep cleaning. Or maybe I''ll scrub it once more and maintain it with the Rubbermaid mop.
On the Plus side it took about a half an hour to do my entire floor, I didn''t even use one whole bottle of solution, the pads stayed beautifully in place on the mop-head and are now in the laundry waiting to be washed, I was able to use Pine Sol, which makes the whole house smell clean (although I think I''ll try more concentrated ammonia next time to see if it cleans better), and the floor dried fairly fast.
On the Con side there is still dirt caught in the floor (no wax vinyl) textured areas (not good; it''s white) and it''ll probably take scrubbing to get it out, the sprayer tended to dribble a bit, so it was a little messy changing the pad, and I sprayed the bottom edges of the cabinets in some places (I have noted the suggestions in some other reviews). These are not deal breakers.
This is probably well worth the cost of the system, and be sure to have two or three pads available when you do your floor. It''s easy enough to change them so you aren''t washing your floor with a dirty pad, and then you put them all into the washer when you''re done. I can''t begin to guess what I''ve spent on Swiffer wet pads in the past several years, and just threw them away when they got dirty. The Swiffer is more convenient to use if you have a quick wipe up to do, although mixing up the cleaning solution in the bottle isn''t very difficult. The biggest challenge for me is that the floor always needs to be vacuumed completely before washing, otherwise, I''m just pushing dog hair around it. As someone who just doesn''t want to spend a lot of time on floors (once a week, thanks), I think I''ll get a lot of use out the Rubbermaid Reveal. It''s definitely worth trying.
UPDATE -
I tried an ammonia solution that was twice as strong as recommended by the fill lines on the bottle (plain ammonia and water only). It worked beautifully. No more hands and knees, I think! I''m thinking there''s nothing wrong with regular floor-cleaning products (my husband thought the ammonia fumes were a little strong, but they dissipated), but if you have a really dirty floor, you might need to adapt. I wonder how they determine the fill concentrations, because even double strength Pine Sol might have worked.
Also, the pads are great. I''ve been careful not to put them in the dryer with dryer sheets, and actually laid them on top of the dryer once because the rest of the load needed the dryer sheets. The design is really clever in that they do not get tangled up with nylon socks, or other snaggy stuff. The pricky part is on the mop-head. Did a woman think of that?!
Read Best Reviews of Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop Kit Here
My kitchen has a wood laminate floor (which I would never again install in that space). Laminate floors don''t like to get wet, yet a kitchen floor must be mopped. I have used an O-Cedar microfiber mop for many years with acceptable results. That mop and the tired microfiber pads have been tossed out. This is an amazing product. The microfiber pad does a fantastic job on my floor. I''ve been using the Pledge Multi-Surface floor cleaner with it and get streak-free results in conjunction with the superb pad. I rinse the pad out about half-way through the job to cut down on debris getting trapped and deposited on my floor. My only complaint is that I haven''t been able to find additional pads at my grocery, Target or WalMart stores. I will be ordering a couple more from Amazon. I highly recommend this product.
Want Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop Kit Discount?
I used the larger version of this mop at a resort I ran the housekeeping department for last year. It is by far the most wonderful thing ever. Get it!
Save 22% Off
Fits the machine as described in the details provided and as detailed in the picture. Installed the tank on the the machine and it works fine
