I never thought I would become the kind of person who enjoys mopping, but here we are.
Since adding the Philips OneUp 5000 Series Cordless Electric Mop to my cleaning routine, I’ve found myself mopping my apartment every other day.
Not because my floors suddenly became dirtier, but because the whole process is so much easier than dragging out a traditional mop and bucket.
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For apartment living, it makes a lot of sense. The Philips OneUp is compact enough to store in a broom cupboard and most importantly, there is no bulky bucket of water involved, which alone feels like a win.
But what really sets it apart is the way it handles dirty water.
Traditional mopping can mean pushing the same dirty water around your floor, leaving surfaces looking clean without necessarily removing everything that has been picked up.
The Philips OneUp takes a different approach. Its patented dual water tank technology keeps clean and dirty water separate, pumping fresh water onto the floor while simultaneously sucking up the dirty water.
The result, in my experience, is a noticeably fresh-looking floor without the usual faff of filling a bucket, dunking a mop, wringing it out and repeating the process.
The coffee spill test
One of the biggest surprises for me has been how useful it is for those small cleaning emergencies.
I spilled coffee in the kitchen one morning and, rather than wiping it up and telling myself I would properly mop later, I grabbed the OneUp.
I filled the tank with water, gave the kitchen floor a quick pass and was done. No bucket, or wringing, or hauling out a larger floor-cleaning machine that would make me late for work.
When I came home that evening, the kitchen floor was still sparkling. It was such a small thing, but it made me realise how much easier cleaning becomes when the equipment isn’t a chore to use.
The same goes for families dealing with sticky floors after dinner.
Instead of saving up a big cleaning job for the weekend, the OneUp is designed to make those quick washes much more manageable.
It dries quickly, too
Another feature I noticed immediately was how quickly the floor dried.
Philips says the OneUp can offer up to 50 per cent faster drying with its OneUp Pads, while the supplied information says the system can dry floors twice as fast as a regular mop.
For me, that means I don’t have to think too much about where I’ve walked after cleaning. I can get on with the rest of my day rather than waiting around for the floor to dry.
The machine is designed for hard floors, including laminate, non-textured tiles, vinyl, parquet-style wood, cast floors and stone, including delicate and non-absorbent surfaces.
It also has a 360-degree rotating hinge, which makes getting underneath low furniture and into awkward corners considerably easier.
No bucket, no wringing
This is probably the feature that has converted me.
I didn’t realise how much I disliked the ritual of traditional mopping until I didn’t have to do it anymore.
The OneUp’s cordless design means I can move around the apartment without being attached to a power outlet, while the battery provides up to 70 minutes of cleaning time.
Philips says that’s enough for up to three full-house cleans on a single charge, depending on conditions.
It charges via USB and takes around eight hours to fully charge, with an LED display showing the charging status.
The cleaning pads are also machine washable and reusable. They can be removed without having to touch the dirt and, according to Philips, reused for up to six months.
Cleaning the machine itself is straightforward. Once I’ve finished, I simply empty the dirty water and put the cleaning pad in the wash.
Is the Philips OneUp Electric Mop worth it?
At $299, the Philips OneUp 5000 Series Cordless Electric Mop isn’t an impulse buy in the same way as a basic mop and bucket, but for me, the convenience has made it worthwhile.
I particularly like it for apartment living because it doesn’t take up much space and is easy to grab for everyday messes.
The fact that I can clean up a spill in minutes rather than turning it into a whole cleaning production has been such a time and energy saver.
And then there’s the unexpected side effect: I actually want to mop.
The OneUp has made cleaning feel like something I can quickly fit into my routine, rather than dreading mopping up on a Sunday evening.
If you’re someone who puts off mopping because of the bucket, wringing and general hassle, this might be the perfect alternative for you too.
The Philips OneUp 5000 Series Cordless Electric Mop is priced at $299 and available from Harvey Norman.
