A mop base assembly includes a mop base and a sorbent pad. The mop base has a center portion with arms extending outward therefrom in which each of the arms have a hook member. The sorbent pad has attachment sections formed therein. Each of the attachment sections are receivable within a respective hook member of the mop base in order to attach the sorbent pad to the mop base.

The spray mop includes a handle having a mop head at its lower end and a grip at its upper end. The mop includes a receiver adapted to hold an inverted bottle of cleaning solution, as sold at retail with an attached sprayer. The mop includes an adapter that is screwed onto the bottle of cleaning solution after the original sprayer is removed, whereby the bottle of cleaning solution can be inverted and inserted into the receiver. A spring-loaded retainer securely holds the bottle of cleaning solution in the receiver so that if the mop is dropped, inverted, or bumped there will be no leakage, while a trigger on a handgrip at the upper portion of the mop handle activates a valve in the adapter whereby cleaning solution is dispensed through a spray nozzle at the lower portion of the receiver.

The spray mop includes a handle having a mop head at its lower end and a grip at its upper end. The mop includes a receiver adapted to hold an inverted bottle of cleaning solution, as sold at retail with an attached sprayer. The mop includes an adapter that is screwed onto the bottle of cleaning solution after the original sprayer is removed, whereby the bottle of cleaning solution can be inverted and inserted into the receiver. A spring-loaded retainer securely holds the bottle of cleaning solution in the receiver so that if the mop is dropped, inverted, or bumped there will be no leakage, while a trigger on a handgrip at the upper portion of the mop handle activates a valve in the adapter whereby cleaning solution is dispensed through a spray nozzle at the lower portion of the receiver.

A scratch-resistant mop, and methods of making same are presented. The mop has a pole having first and second ends and a rubber end cap secured to the first end of the pole. The mop has strips of absorbent chamois material cut from chamois sheets. The strips from each sheet have a common end margin. The common end margins are wrapped in alternating directions and attached to the end cap using waxed lines wrapped over each of the common end margins and about the base of the end plug. The strips of absorbent chamois material are pulled tightly back over the common end margins and waxed lines so that all the strips may be gathered and secured at a distal end of the end cap with a final waxed line, forming a scratch-resistant “apple” of the absorbent chamois material and free strips of the absorbent chamois material.

A scratch-resistant mop, and methods of making same are presented. The mop has a pole having first and second ends and a rubber end cap secured to the first end of the pole. The mop has strips of absorbent chamois material cut from chamois sheets. The strips from each sheet have a common end margin. The common end margins are wrapped in alternating directions and attached to the end cap using waxed lines wrapped over each of the common end margins and about the base of the end plug. The strips of absorbent chamois material are pulled tightly back over the common end margins and waxed lines so that all the strips may be gathered and secured at a distal end of the end cap with a final waxed line, forming a scratch-resistant “apple” of the absorbent chamois material and free strips of the absorbent chamois material.

A mop bucket includes a mop body with first and second compartments. The first compartment includes a sump region that is sized for receiving a portion of a floor care tool to best utilize the floor care tool and the contents of the mop bucket. A wringer assembly is attached to the mop bucket for cleaning the floor care tool and separating used cleaning supplies from unused. The mop bucket can include an insert for receiving the used cleaning supply to more easily dispose of the same. Tool hooks and floor sign attachments can also be included with the mop bucket such that the bucket provides all tools for use thereof.

An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a body, a controller supported by the body, a drive supporting the body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface in response to commands from the controller, and a pad holder attached to an underside of the body to hold a removable cleaning pad during operation of the robot. The pad includes a mounting plate and a mounting surface. The mounting plate is attached to the mounting surface. The robot includes a pad sensor to sense a feature on the pad and to generate a signal based on the feature, which is defined in part by a cutout on the card backing. The mounting plate enables the pad sensor to detect the feature. The controller is responsive to the signal to perform operations including selecting a cleaning mode based on the signal, and controlling the robot according to a selected cleaning mode.

An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a body, a controller supported by the body, a drive supporting the body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface in response to commands from the controller, and a pad holder attached to an underside of the body to hold a removable cleaning pad during operation of the robot. The pad includes a mounting plate and a mounting surface. The mounting plate is attached to the mounting surface. The robot includes a pad sensor to sense a feature on the pad and to generate a signal based on the feature, which is defined in part by a cutout on the card backing. The mounting plate enables the pad sensor to detect the feature. The controller is responsive to the signal to perform operations including selecting a cleaning mode based on the signal, and controlling the robot according to a selected cleaning mode.

An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a body, a controller supported by the body, a drive supporting the body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface in response to commands from the controller, and a pad holder attached to an underside of the body to hold a removable cleaning pad during operation of the robot. The pad includes a mounting plate and a mounting surface. The mounting plate is attached to the mounting surface. The robot includes a pad sensor to sense a feature on the pad and to generate a signal based on the feature, which is defined in part by a cutout on the card backing. The mounting plate enables the pad sensor to detect the feature. The controller is responsive to the signal to perform operations including selecting a cleaning mode based on the signal, and controlling the robot according to a selected cleaning mode.

A self-wringing foam cotton mop includes a mop rod and a foam cotton head connected to a bottom end of the mop rod. A wringing frame is disposed on the mop rod. During mopping, the foam cotton head is separated from the wringing frame. A squeezing mechanism capable is disposed on the wringing frame. The position of the squeezing mechanism when the foam cotton head is moved up relative to the wringing frame is different from the position of the squeezing mechanism when the foam cotton head is moved down relative to the wringing frame, and a first amount of deformation generated by the foam cotton head during an upward movement of the foam cotton head relative to the wringing frame is greater than the second amount of deformation generated by the foam cotton head during a downward movement of the foam cotton head relative to the wringing frame.