So a few months ago my mop broke and I was in the market for another one. As a perfect coincidence, that same week, Alice wrote an article about different mops and which were the most effective!

I’ve always had one of those spongy mops- you know the ones that let you squeeze out excess water through the handle? I’m not sure why this is what I originally chose… maybe because my mom had a similar one when I was younger, maybe it was the cheapest thing at the store as a newlywed? Whatever the reason, that’s the type of mop I’ve been using for years.

But recently I realized something needed to change. I hated mopping. The process of getting out the bucket and filling it with water and lugging it around the house and rinsing everything afterwards- it was just too big a chore to tackle sometimes, especially when pregnant. And with 5 (almost 6) kids and a puppy, not mopping was definitely not working too well either. Our floors get dirty pretty fast and I knew that I needed to find something simpler to make sure the mopping actually happened.

In Alice’s article, she recommended the stand mops that have a terry cloth covering that you can swap out. I realized that this is exactly what I wanted- something that would stay very clean, would get the job done (without me having to get on my hands and knees at 8 months pregnant), and was something I would trust my children with as well because I’m not having to worry about a big bucket of water spilling everywhere.

I found a simple one, that has a bottle attached in which you can pour your cleaning solution of choice, and it releases a little spray with the press of the trigger. I tried it out for the first time and was thrilled with the results.

Even more exciting, my KIDS were thrilled with the results. They actually fight over mopping. They WANT to mop. I bought an extra cloth covering so we could mop more than once a week (because my floors could certainly use the extra help!) and it’s been the best thing ever. My floors are definitely cleaner than they have been in months. While I will definitely want to still do a good scrubbing every once in a while, this mop has been perfect for the day-to-day cleaning and upkeep.

My favorite thing is my 2 year old is OBSESSED with the mop. (You gotta love the saggy pants and the whistle in his mouth haha :D). I actually have to hide the mop from him. If there is any cleaning solution left in the mop, he takes it and sprays that floor ‘til it is sparkling and goes over the same spot over and over! Sometimes if I just need him to be occupied I hand him the mop and let him do his thing- he doesn’t necessarily care if there’s cleaner or not- he just likes thinking he’s a big boy and helping out :).

I think this was a good reminder for me that sometimes the right tool makes all the difference! It’s not like my mopping needs have changed drastically in the past couple months- but the tool we have to help us has changed and that has made a huge difference!

Maybe take a look at a pain point in your life. Is it dirty floors? A disorganized fridge or pantry? A never-ending pile of dishes? While everything takes some discipline and the decision to just act, sometimes having the proper tools and/or system in place can make all the difference! If you need to spend a little money to get rid of one of these pain points, make it a priority in the budget and make it happen!

Do you have any household items/tools that have made a huge difference in your productivity? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!