Four Things To Look For When Buying A Mop Bucket
If you're investing in a mop bucket for your business or for your professional cleaning crew, there are a few features you should look for. Here's what you need.
1. Bold Color
Janitorial mop buckets come in all kinds of colors, but if you plan to mop when customers or other workers are around, you may want to stick with a bold, noticeable color such as yellow. That enhances the chance that passersby will see the bucket, notice you are mopping, and act accordingly on the wet floor.
2. Warning Label
To emphasize the message of being alert, you may want a mop bucket that has a caution sign on it. Some buckets come with these symbols or words such as "caution wet floor" printed onto them. If you can't find a bucket with the warnings you want, you may want to buy decals from a janitorial supply shop or simply make sure that you have enough "warning" signs to put up around your bucket.
3. Wringer
A wringer on a mop bucket allows you or your employees to wring dirty, old water out of the mop. This feature is essential if you want to efficiently clean your floor. However, to minimize injuries or potential back strains among your employees, you should look for a wringer that they can use without bending over. For example, many wringers have a long handle that cleaners don't have to bend down to access, and that type of handle also gives them leverage so that they wring out the mop more effectively.
Finally, a wringer on the mop bucket helps with balance. It provides a counterweight to the mop. That allows your employees to leave the mop in the bucket without worrying about it spilling water everywhere.
4. Quality Casters
When buying a mop bucket, don't forget to look under the bucket at the casters. Ideally, you need strong casters that will let the bucket glide along the floors. To that end, you may want vinyl casters. They are less likely to mark up floors than other materials, but they also offer durability.
If you are shopping for mop buckets at a janitorial supply store, move the bucket around a bit to see how responsive the casters are. As a general rule of thumb, if your staff is going to be rolling the bucket over carpeted patches to reach the mopping area, you need big caster wheels to get through the carpet. Smaller wheels tend to work better for slick surfaces and hard floors.