If the only cleaning your mop gets is a swish around a bucket of grey water, it’s time to confront the truth: it’s filthy. Sure, your floors may look clean enough when you’re done. But would you wipe your kitchen counters with a rag you’d never, ever washed?
If you're wincing as you read this, I’m here to introduce you to a Vorley family favourite: the E-Cloth Deep Clean Mop. Not only is it a more hygienic alternative to your average string mop, it’s a whole lot more effective – and it only needs water to do the job. Best of all, it's less than £20.
Pros
- Excellent cleaning results with just water
- Removable, machine-washable mop head
- Lightweight and manoeuvrable
- No bucket needed
- Long-term durability
Cons
- Wide head may be too big for smaller spaces, but mini version is available
What is the E-Cloth Deep Clean Mop?
The E-Cloth Deep Clean Mop looks a little different to your typical string design. At the end of the telescopic handle, you'll find a wide, flat head that attaches to a reusable (and washable) cleaning cloth via Velcro. This means you can remove the cloth for a quick rinse mid-job, and you can also pop it in the washing machine for a proper clean.
The cloth may look like a long, thick flannel, but it’s actually a precision-engineered cleaning powerhouse. Each mop head contains microfibres that are designed to grab all kinds of dirt, grease and grime – and they don’t let go until they’re rinsed. This highly effective method means the E-Cloth is able to provide sparkling results with just water. So no more breathing in (or spending money on) harsh chemical floor cleaners.
How the E-Cloth became the family mop
My parents bought their E-Cloth in the early 2010s, having favoured the hands-and-knees-with-rag method for far too long. Back then, the ‘E-’ prefix sounded very cool and high tech, and although our new mop didn’t have Bluetooth, it was smart. We all appreciated how quick and nimble it was, and thanks to the telescopic handle, we could adjust it to our different heights.
When I left home a few years later, I was constantly grossed out by the sodden string mops that I dragged around university kitchens and grubby shared hallways. The mop is supposed to clean the floor, but who cleans the mop? A quick dunk in a bucket of water wasn’t convincing me.
So, I bought my own E-Cloth. This mop has been a staple in my shared houses ever since, and many of my housemates have gone on to get one themselves, creating a small E-Cloth loving army. And many years of spilled beers and muddy footprints later, my original mop is still going strong.
How to use the E-Cloth Mop
To start using the mop, simply peel the cloth off the Velcro, run it under some water and wring it out. Then, reattach it and get cleaning. The head is easy to manoeuvre, and working in an ‘S’ shape helps you keep the leading edge. When you’re done, you can either put the cloth in the washing machine (don’t use fabric softener or bleach) or simply rinse and leave it to dry for next time.
If you’ve got a particularly grubby floor, it’s easy to whip the cloth off and give it a rinse and wring partway through the job. I love not having to cart around a heavy bucket of water – and I really love how quickly the floor dries, because you’re working with a mop that’s just damp instead of wet.
You can use the E-Cloth for dusting, too – the extendable handle is great for getting rid of cobwebs in high-up corners. I just use the regular blue mop head when it’s dry, but you can also get a fluffy white duster head that’s purpose-built for the job.
The Good Housekeeping Institute verdict
It turns out that my family loyalty to this mop isn’t misplaced. The E-Cloth Deep Clean Mop scored highly in our best mops roundup, with an excellent 86/100. To put mops to the test, the Good Housekeeping Institute experts soil various floor types with mud, tea and cooking oil, before leaving the stains to set. They then see how many swipes it takes to get each surface clean. They also assess design, manoeuvrability and versatility.
Our testers loved the E-Cloth’s exceptionally fast and effective cleaning, noting that it worked particularly well on vinyl floors. Their only gripe was that the telescopic handle sometimes felt a little loose (though it didn’t come undone). The wide head could also be a bit big for smaller spaces – so if you’ve got narrow areas to clean, you might want to consider the E-Cloth Mini, which is 27cm wide instead of 45cm and scored 84/100 in our lab.
My verdict
I’m not someone who enjoys cleaning, so I’m a fan of anything that makes the job as quick and effortless as possible. With the E-Cloth, you don’t have to fiddle with any gadgets or attachments, fill a spray bottle, carry a bucket around, or even buy floor cleaner. You just wet it and go.
And by the way, my mum and dad still use the same mop over a decade later. They haven’t even needed to buy a new cloth. The E-Cloth may be lightweight, but it’s incredibly durable – the telescopic handle is made of aluminium, and the thick cloth can withstand being wrung out over and over.
When I asked my brother, I found out he’s had one for years, too – why wouldn’t he? That’s a Vorley household hat trick.
The E-Cloth Deep Clean Mop is available to buy from Amazon.
Jasmine is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s homes writer. With a background in design, she is committed to sorting the good products from the great –and helping Good Housekeeping readers do the same.
Throughout her career, Jasmine has written extensively about product quality, craftsmanship and sustainability, and is passionate about consumer rights. She previously worked as a writer and researcher at the product longevity platform Buy Me Once.
If she isn’t reviewing the latest gadgets for your home, you can probably find Jasmine cooking elaborate meals or crafting something weird and wonderful!
