I’m in my electric mop era – and all my guests say my floors are cleaner than they’ve ever seen them

As Ideal Home’s floorcare expert, I always try and keep up with the new movers and shakers of the cleaning world. However, I must admit that I’ve always been somewhat of a mop purist… until I was introduced to the Philips OneUp Electric Mop.

Yep, when choosing between the best mops, I’ve always gone for the more traditional, old-school options. And while I do use (and love) a vacuum mop in my home for deeper cleans, I always used to find myself coming back to my trusty mop and bucket set for general floor cleaning. Since taking this electric mop for a spin, though, I must admit that this modern alternative has won me over.

It’s the perfect middle ground between your traditional mop and the (much) more expensive vacuum mops, and I genuinely think my hard flooring is cleaner than it has been for a long while. Without a clunky bucket, it’s also been so much easier to store in my small home - and whip out when I need to give my floors a quick clean.

The electric mop I’ve been testing out in my home is the OneUp 5000 Series, which is admittedly a little pricier than your average mop at £149.99. However, you can also buy the OneUp 3000 Series, which is much cheaper at just £99.99 from Amazon. It doesn’t have as long a run time as the 5000 and only has one wetness setting, but it should still get the job done for smaller homes.

And, considering you can buy a good mop and bucket set like the Vileda H2PrO Spin Mop and Bucket Set for £49.99 at Argos, I genuinely think that spending an extra £50-£80 is worth it for an electric mop like this one.

But why do I think an electric mop is worth it? Well, it’s largely because I still can’t quite wrap my head around how the Philips OneUp Electric Mop actually works. And at first glance, it looks like your average mop that (no offence) doesn’t exactly look very special.

The reality is that this electric mop conceals many secrets. For starters, there are two water tanks nestled inconspicuously within the handle. First up is a clean water tank that includes an ultra-concentrated detergent cartridge with a delicious scent. It is also pet-friendly and suitable for up to 40 cleaning sessions.

Then, there’s the dirty water tank for when Philips’ patented OneUp technology ‘pumps clean water onto the floor while silently sucking up dirty water, ensuring an efficient electric mopping experience.’

And its quietness is actually one of the things that surprised me the most. And while I wouldn’t say it was totally silent, it’s much quieter than other hard floor cleaners I've tested, and at one point, I even had to crouch down to the mop head to double-check it was actually working.

One thing I will say with this electric mop is that it’s vital to vacuum before mopping, as you want to remove any loose dirt or debris instead of spreading it around with the mop head. This is where an enhanced mop, like the Shark VacMop or a significantly more expensive vacuum mop, does have its perks, as it means that you can merge two cleaning tasks into one.

But in terms of mopping ability, I really can’t fault the Philips OneUp Electric Mop. And the dirty water tank is proof that my floors - which I’d like to think are cleaner than the average home, considering it’s literally my job to test floorcare products - weren’t being cleaned the way that they were supposed to be.

And with a 70-minute run time, I had more than enough to clean my entire home - and even reach the smaller nooks and crannies without cords or a mop bucket getting in the way. The 360° rotating hinge on the mop head allowed for extra manoeuvrability, and they’re machine washable for up to six months, too.

Of course, I do still appreciate that an electric mop like this one is still pricier than your average mop. But if you’re sick of using an old-school model and have been questioning whether a vacuum mop is worth it, I do think the Philips OneUp Electric Mop is a great way to meet in the middle.

And after using mine for almost a week, I’ve decided I'm throwing out my traditional mop and bucket for good.

So, could you be tempted by an electric mop?