Value4Money

This week - mops.

Homecare Microfibre Wet/Dry Mop, €6.95

Highs: Probably the most effective. If used wet, requires just water to get it going, making it more ecologically sound. The cloth head can be removed and washed easily, while the long rectangular shape makes it good for corners.

Lows: Availability is a problem. To borrow from the parlance of the TV shopping networks, it is not available in any shops. It is, however, a common feature at trade shows. The company will ship to Ireland, see www.homecare.nl. Price does not include shipping.

Verdict: All-round excellence.

Star rating: ****

Flash Power Mop, €18.99

Highs: A bottle of cleaning fluid slots into the handle and jets of it are sprayed in front of you as you clean, removing the need for buckets of increasingly filthy water. The rotating square head is good for awkward corners and the natty scrubbing device on the side of the mop head deals quite well with tougher stains.

Lows: As you have to replace the paper and plastic pads frequently, this is not the most environmentally friendly option. The cleaning fluid or replacement pads are not yet widely available, and you're trapped into using Flash products.

Verdict: Satisfyingly hassle free.

Star rating: ***

Varian Yarn Mop, €4.99

Highs: This is the antithesis of the current generation of mops and has a pleasingly timeless quality to it. It's old-fashioned, cheap and made in Ireland. It is also lightweight and durable and gets floors clean with some effort.

Lows: It lacks the absorption of either sponge or cloth mops and it might leave you with the feeling that you're merely slopping water about the place in an existential exercise in domestic futility. It is also harder to clean effectively than its rivals, meaning it has a tendency to hang around cupboards getting whiffy.

Verdict: Cheap and cheerless.

Star rating: **

Addis Superdry Mop, €14.40

Highs: This has a nice lightweight feel to it. The sponge is pretty good at soaking up excess water and the inclusion of a spare mop head is welcome, although the brand is so commonplace that replacement heads should not be too difficult to source.

Lows: This is not as good as some of the other mops at picking up stray bits of unswept debris, and feels a little flimsy - the wringing handle in particular feels a little less than sturdy. While it is cheap looking, it certainly isn't particularly cheap.

Verdict: Not much to get excited by.

Star rating: **