What Is It?
The Libman Freedom Mop came to my door last week and I was so excited. You know the whole Swiffer wet jet thing? How it’s supposed to make you mop more often because it’s little, light, and easy? Well I had one a while ago, and tried to make washable cloth pads for it, but that didn’t work out so well. I didn’t want to constantly be buying disposable ones (see: cloth napkins, cloth diapers, kitchen towels, etc) so I gave it away to a friend who was planning on buying one anyway.
Enter the Freedom mop. It has reusable pads for cleaning, and a refillable tank for whatever cleaning solution you like to use on your floors. All you have to do is buy the mop, fill it up, and go. It’s tiny and light, and much friendlier to your wallet and garbage can.
My Thoughts:
I was really thrilled to try this out. Is thrilled too strong a word? I’m not sure, but I was excited.
It came in the mail in a giant box, and I began to worry it was going to be some huge thing, but when I opened it it was really slim and light. Nice! I filled it up with white vinegar and water, and set to work on my kitchen floor.
I like that you can spray as much of the solution as you want in one area, and none in other areas… I got up some spots that had been bugging me for a while. Don’t ask me how long a while is.
The head pivots nicely to get around the edges of things, and the container holds enough cleaning solution to do lots of floor.
When I was finished, I pulled the little tab to rip off the velcroed-on cleaning pad, and threw it in my wash. Excellent!
The only things I’m really sad about are:
1) that the pad doesn’t seem to hold much grime – you really have to be sure to sweep or vacuum well before you mop with it. However it might make up for that with the rows of green grocery-bag-textured scrubby line thingies (how eloquent am I?) that helped me get up some stuck-on stuff. Again, don’t ask me what the stuff was.
and, 2) that it only comes with one pad, and it supposedly lasts through about 50 washings. This means it will last a year if you use it once a week, but if you plan to mop any more frequently than that, or mop more than once in between doing laundry, you’ll need more. You can buy them separately at about $10 a pop, which seems like a lot to me. I would think $12 for a pack of 3 would be about right. So once again, I might try making my own… but since the whole base of the mop head is hook-side velcro type stuff, I think it would be easy to do that.
It won’t make your floor the most sparkly ever. BUT it’s quicker and easier than hauling out a bucket and a conventional mop. Which means you might actually mop. Like, ever. Which means it’s worthwhile.
My cleaning tips:
- Don’t let perfect be the enemy of better-than-nothing. Swipe the tops of your furniture with a microfiber cloth, even if you don’t have time to move all the tchotchkes and really dust well. Mop with the Freedom Mop, even if you’re not going to haul out a bucket and do it the “real” way.
- Clean one thing every day. (at least) Again, the better-than-nothing mentality is helpful here. Set a timer for 15 minutes and GO. You can spare 15 minutes, right?
- If you have a baby, and your baby won’t play by herself because she wants to be part of the action (not that I have experienced this or anything), tie her on your back (using a non-stretchy wrap only) and clean. She can see what’s going on and experience the rhythm of the day.
Buy It:
Check out the Libman store locator on the Official site to see where you can buy one of these bad boys. Target and Walmart are some of the big ones.
Win It:
One lucky Joyful Abode reader will win a $100 Visa gift card, provided by BlogHer, AND a Libman Freedom Mop.
To enter the giveaway, you must comment here with your #1 cleaning tip.
Be sure to use a valid email address when commenting, otherwise I won’t be able to contact you if you win!
The SupaFine Print:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
Visit the Official Rules
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Hi! I'm Emily. I'm a Navy wife and stay at home mom of two beautiful children. I cook simple, delicious, grain-free recipes, do crafts, decorate my home on a budget, and keep a happy household. I tandem breastfeed, babywear, cloth diaper, practice elimination communication, homebirth, and co-sleep, but I'm not a hippie.
Twitter: mistysunrise
says:
my best cleaning tip is to use baking soda and vinegar to clean
itsjustme62613 at gmail.com
My tip is use vinegar and baking soda weekly to keep the drains working perfectly in your sinks and tub. Works better than Drano or other commercial toxic compounds.
My number one cleaning tip is, if you’re looking for all natural cleaners, use white vinegar and baking soda. They work great on many surfaces.
Auriette recently posted..Make It Monday for Cats- HackyCat
My best tip–Mr clean magic eraser–I use them everywhere–makes cleaning finger prints a breeze!
kakihararocks@gmail.com
Clean daily, there is less mess and less stress.
Tweet!
If I do the biggest cleaning task first, it makes the rest seem more manageable
Twitter: Weidknecht.blogspot.com
says:
My favorite cleaning tip – Make the kids do the cleaning!
Tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/mail4rosey/status/75394158436687872
Run a toothbrush designated for cleaning (Soft Head Only) in the grooves of wood with a little dust cleaner or furniture polish on it to keep those areas clean.
Always vacuum before you dust.. especially if your vac leaves a trail like mine!
Twitter: rewcath
says:
https://twitter.com/#!/rewcath/status/75377158406672385 @rewcath nupa123atgmaildotcom
Twitter: rewcath
says:
if you spill an eggs sprinkle some salt on it for easy cleam up nupa123atgmaildotcom
My best cleaning tip is to start with the first room company will enter and then move on to other rooms they would probably go to next, and so on, saving for last the rooms they won’t see!
My fave tip is to fill a spray bottle with cheap vodka and use it in kitchen and baths. The fixures will gleam.
http://twitter.com/LuckyDuckyToo/status/75344629351981056
Thanks!
I suggest using vinegar and rags as a greener and more economical way to clean.
runningmatey at hotmail dot com
Twitter: dwndrgn
says:
My #1 cleaning tip: Mix tapwater with a couple of lids full of hydrogen peroxide for carpet spots.
My best advice is to get rid of “stuff” you haven’t used in a year. The less you have, the less there is to clean around.
tweeted
http://twitter.com/#!/fairydancer35/status/75292952183848960
My best tip, although I admit I don’t always follow my own advice, is to clean as you go. Never leave any dirt to set because then it becomes twice as hard to clean.
I’m a big believer in lemon ammonia for the kitchen.
ky2here at msn dot com
My number 1 cleaning tip is to use windex when cleaning the bathroom surfaces. Works great!
Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/AsTheNight/status/75220802244587520.
My favorite cleaning tip was #24: “To quickly clean the blades of the ceiling fan, use the Libman Tornado Mop. Dip mop into a solution of 1 part liquid fabric softener and 4 parts water. Wring mop well, then slide the loops of the mop along the blades from the center to the end of blade.” Who knew fabric softner would be good for this?
My best tip is to clean for about 15 minutes a day, focusing on one room and one job. That way it can be done quickly and you’ll feel good for checking something off your to-do list.
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i dont really have any. my best solution is just dont put it off. if you do it becomes a scary task that you would rather move to another country than clean the kitchen floor.
create a calendar and tackle one task a day. repeat.
ferriza2(at)yahoo(dot)com
My tip is clean as you go.
Keep a cordless rechargeable handheld vacuum cleaner handy-handy enough to use often enough.
spritz bathroom with vinegar to remove mildew.
Sweep often, dust often, it makes the big cleaning days easier.
My favorite cleaning tip is for picking up things that need to be put away. I set a timer and challenge the family. They usually get that job done before the timer goes off! Magic!
patrice@everydayruralty.com
Twitter: http://vickieb52.blogspot.com/
says:
tweet https://twitter.com/#!/vlbsweeps/status/75016203474706432
Twitter: http://vickieb52.blogspot.com/
says:
We use white vinegar/water mix to wipe counters everyday. Keeps them clean, works as an air freshener and deters ants.
Try doing a little cleaning every day, instead of one big tiring cleaning session.
My cleaning tip is Music! For me, cleaning is best done to upbeat music.
Thanks for the contest.
I can easily remove stubborn stains in my bathrub by following Libman’s tip #104 as follows:
“If you have a stubborn stain in your bathtub, wet the surface, sprinkle with cream of tartar, and rub with the cut surface of a lemon.”
Nice!
Always tackle the worst cleaning task first, so you don’t feel like procrastinating on it.
Twitter: DchrisG3
says:
Tweeted
http://twitter.com/#!/DchrisG3/status/74704366367539200
dchrisg3 @ gmail . com
Twitter: DchrisG3
says:
One of my favorite cleaning tips is to microwave your kitchen sponge to kill bacteria and viruses. Just rinse the sponge well then microwave it about a minute. Don’t burn your fingers taking it out of the microwave.
dchrisg3 @ gmail . com
I tweeted http://twitter.com/Jammie79/status/74697118195007488
My cleaning tip is do one thing at a time first empty trash in all rooms, then dust in all rooms, then pick everything up… and so forth.
I posted this giveaway on my blog. Here is where you can find it.
http://carolsbloggys.blogspot.com/p/spring-cleaning-blogher-and-libman-mop.html
Digicat {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
No time? Clean a drawer a week – you’ll get there. You just have to keep at it. Remember if you haven’t used it for awhile, ask yourself if you really need it!
Digicat {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
I blogged:
http://lunaj14568.blogspot.com/2011/05/blogher-and-libman-freedom-spray-mop.html
My favorite cleaning tip is to do a little every day so the cleaning doesn’t become overwhelming.
ajolly1456 at gmail dot com
olive oil for stainless steel. thanks.
I never let myself run out of Dawn Pot Scrubber Spray, it works like magic to get that burnt on crust in the pan you would normally run water in and let sit overnight and still have a hard time getting that black burnt junk out.
my tip is to give one room a top to bottom cleaning per week and just mild cleaning the rest of the house. It’s so much less daunting then a major house cleaning once a month!