Can a £150 mop really make floor cleaning less grim?

RRP at time of testing: £150 | Check price at Amazon, Argos, John Lewis or Philips directly

My verdict

There are many milestones you expect when raising small boys. First steps. First words. The first time they tell you your lovingly cooked dinner looks “a bit weird”. What I hadn’t quite prepared for was how much of my life would be spent cleaning wee from the bathroom floor.

We have two young children, two pets and a home where mopping is one of those jobs that gets shoved to the bottom of the list until something happens. Usually milk on the floor, muddy paws, bathroom splashback or the aftermath of dog sick in the kitchen. Never a dull day.

So when the Philips OneUp 5000 Series Electric Mop arrived, I was sceptical. My first thought was: who on earth wants to charge a mop?

Still, after 30 days of testing, it won me round more than I expected. The mop cleaned well, was easy to steer, didn’t leave streaks and made everyday mopping feel like less of a chore. I used it mainly in our kitchen and main family bathroom, as well as across our other bathrooms and utility room. It handled urine on the bathroom floor, milk spills, kitchen grease, dried coffee and a charming bit of gunk left behind after the dog was sick.

The box is long but not heavy and easy to carry

The dirty water tank was oddly satisfying too. There’s nothing like seeing the murky evidence to confirm that yes, your floor was every bit as grim as you feared.

Would I recommend it? Yes, with a big price caveat. It’s a great mop for smaller homes, apartments or households like mine where hard flooring is limited to kitchens, bathrooms and utility spaces. It’s convenient, compact and much nicer than dragging a mop bucket around.

Would I personally pay £150? No. I just wouldn’t. It’s still a mop, and a very expensive one at that. But if you have the budget and want something easy to grab for regular hard-floor cleans and spills, it’s a useful upgrade.

How I tested the Philips OneUp 5000 Series Electric Mop

I tested the Philips OneUp for 30 days in our family home. Around 20% of our house has hard flooring, mainly in the kitchen, all three bathrooms and the utility room. The busiest test areas were the kitchen and the main family bathroom, which is used by the children.

That bathroom was the mop’s toughest regular assignment. We have two young boys still mastering their aim, so the floor around the toilet needed frequent attention. It’s not glamorous, but it is exactly the sort of real-life cleaning test that matters more than a neatly staged splash of orange juice on a pristine floor.

In the kitchen, I tested it on milk spills, dust, grease, sticky marks and dried coffee from one particularly rushed morning. I also used it after cleaning up dog sick, where it dealt with the gunk left behind on the floor. I vacuumed before mopping, as Philips advises, because this isn’t designed to pick up dry debris or crumbs.

Before testing the Philips, I’d been using a Flash Power Mop until it died. Since then, I’d been managing with the mop function on whatever robot vacuum I happened to be reviewing at the time. Mopping properly is one of those jobs that gets deprioritised in our home. Not because I don’t care, but because there are only so many hours in the day and apparently children need feeding every single evening.

I used the Philips OneUp around twice a week, plus for occasional spills.

What’s in the box?

The Philips OneUp 5000 Series Electric Mop comes with the mop itself, one reusable mop pad, one Philips OneUp Floor Cleaner cartridge and a USB charging cable.

You don’t get a plug adapter in the box. I can’t say I was surprised, because plugs seem to have become the household equivalent of carrier bags: apparently we’re all just meant to have a drawer full of them and make do. Still, it’s worth knowing before you open the box expecting to plug it straight into the wall.

There’s only one mop pad included too, which feels a bit stingy at this price. I managed fine during testing, but I’d definitely want spares. If one is in the wash or drying on the airer, you’re stuck unless you buy more.

Unboxing it is straightforward and the mop is well packaged (excuse the toes…)

How easy is the Philips OneUp to set up?

Very easy. Assembly was straightforward and the mop was fairly obvious to put together. I did double-check where the cleaning solution cartridge needed to go, but that was more me being cautious than the instructions being confusing.

The mop feels sturdy and well made. It’s not bendy or flimsy, which is reassuring when you’re shoving it into the utility room at speed before your mother-in-law comes through the door. It has some weight to it, but not enough to make my arm ache.

I charged it overnight before the first use. Philips says a full charge takes eight hours, which sounds a lot, but in our home it wasn’t really an issue. Because we don’t have masses of hard flooring, one charge lasted around five cleans. In real terms, that worked out at roughly a month between charges when using it twice a week.

Still, I can’t pretend there isn’t something faintly absurd about plugging in a mop.

It comes with its own USB charging cable and floor cleaning solution

Installing the floor cleaner is simple enough

What is the Philips OneUp like to use?

Once charged, it’s simple. Filling the clean water tank is quick, attaching the mop pad is straightforward and wetting the pad first just became part of the routine. I used the Philips cleaning cartridge throughout testing and found the dosing system easy enough.

The mop has two wetness settings. Setting one is meant for everyday cleaning, but I preferred setting two most of the time. That’s partly personal preference: I like a mop to feel as though it’s properly doing something. Setting one didn’t feel wet enough for me, although it would suit lighter daily cleaning.

Even on the wetter setting, the floors were never left soaked. Our hard floors were dry within around 15 minutes, which is handy when you have children and pets who treat a freshly cleaned floor as an invitation rather than a boundary.

It’s quiet too. Not silent, but quiet enough to use while children are nearby or watching TV. My four year old even enjoyed helping mid-task, swishing it back and forth. I’m not suggesting Philips adds “preschooler approved” to the packaging, but it does say something about how easy it is to manoeuvre.

Some screwing is required during setup to attach the handle to the main mop body

How well does the Philips OneUp clean bathroom floors?

This was the big one for me. Our main family bathroom sees regular wee-on-the-floor incidents thanks to two little boys who are still developing their aim. The Philips OneUp handled it really well.

It cleaned fresh marks, dried bathroom mess and general grime without me having to scrub dramatically or go over the same patch 400 times. It also navigated around the toilet better than I expected. That area is always the fiddliest with any mop, because there are awkward curves, edges and corners involved, but the OneUp held its own.

The 360° rotating head helped here. It moved easily around the base of the toilet and along the edges of the room, and I didn’t feel as though I was wrestling with it. There was no streaking, no smearing and the floor felt properly clean afterwards.

Did it freshen the room or leave a noticeable scent? Not really. But it did feel more hygienic than my old spray mop, mainly because dirty water was being sucked into a separate tank rather than pushed around the floor.

How well does it clean kitchen spills, grease and sticky marks?

The kitchen was its second main test zone and it coped really well. Milk spills, light grease, dust and general kitchen stickiness all came up without much effort.

The most stubborn mark I tested it on was dried coffee from a morning when I was rushing and clearly had too many things in my hands. It took a few back-and-forth passes, but the mark lifted without me needing to get down on my hands and knees.

It also worked well after a dog sick incident. Obviously I cleaned up the main mess first, because this is a mop, not a miracle worker. But for the gunk left behind on the floor afterwards, it did the job properly and didn’t smear anything around.

You do need to vacuum first. This mop isn’t designed to pick up crumbs, hair or bits of debris. Personally, I don’t see that as a huge problem. Vacuuming before mopping is good practice anyway. But if you’re hoping for one gadget that vacuums and mops in a single go, this isn’t it.

You can select out of two levels of wetness 

Is the Philips OneUp easy to steer?

Yes. It glides smoothly and feels easy to control. I used it under our IKEA kitchen island and around bar stools without any drama, and it was good at getting into corners and along edges.

We don’t have loads of obstacles in our hard-floor rooms, so it wasn’t the world’s most complicated navigation test. But the areas it did need to handle, including toilets, kitchen furniture and utility room corners, were all managed well.

The mop feels a tad heavy when you first pick it up, but not in a way that became uncomfortable. I didn’t have any wrist, arm or back ache after using it, even when cleaning all the hard floors in one go.

Spot the dodgy sandal tan marks… 

How easy is it to empty and clean?

Emptying the clean and dirty water tanks is very easy, although both need a firm pull to remove from the mop. I didn’t have any major spills or splashback during testing, which is always appreciated when you’re dealing with dirty floor water.

Rinsing the tanks is quick. Most of the time, I left the mop to dry in the utility room between regular uses, then gave it a more thorough clean once during the 30-day testing period.

The dirty water tank can smell if you leave it, which isn’t exactly shocking but is worth saying. I also had to use a crevice brush once to remove some grime that had gathered at the bottom of the tank. It wasn’t a huge faff, but it’s not completely maintenance-free either.

The mop pad was easy to remove and rinse. I machine-washed it once in my normal mixed wash at 40°C, then left it to dry on the clothes airer. It came out fine, with no fraying, shrinking, tearing or obvious change in texture. I’d still want spare pads if I were using it long term - they’re available on Amazon, with an RRP of £35 for two. 

How good is the battery life?

Battery life was excellent for my home. Philips says the OneUp 5000 has up to 70 minutes of runtime, but I didn’t test that continuously because we simply don’t have enough hard flooring to need it.

In real use, I got around five whole-home hard-floor cleans from one charge. That covered our kitchen, three bathrooms, small utility room and occasional spill clean-ups. I didn’t run out of battery mid-clean at any point.

Charging via USB was convenient enough, although it did feel slightly odd having a mop plugged in in the kitchen. I can see myself forgetting to charge it in normal life, but during testing I managed to stay on top of it. The review effect, probably. Nothing makes you more organised than knowing you have to write about your own cleaning habits afterwards.

You can see here the USB cable port, as well as the control buttons 

Is the Philips OneUp good quality?

Yes. It feels sturdy and well made. None of the parts felt flimsy during testing, and the mop was robust enough for normal family use and hurried utility-room storage.

The mop pad stayed securely attached while cleaning and glided well across our floors. The tanks were easy to remove and replace, even if they needed a proper tug, and I didn’t notice any leaks.

Of course, 30 days is still a relatively short test period for a product that costs this much. I can say it felt well made during testing, but long-term durability would need more time.

Philips OneUp mop: is it good value for money?

This is where I struggle. The Philips OneUp 5000 is a very good mop, but it is still £150. That’s a lot of money for something that cleans floors but doesn’t vacuum, steam, self-empty or tackle an entire downstairs while you make a cup of tea.

Compared with a standard mop and bucket, it’s much more expensive. You also need to factor in replacement pads and cleaning solution, which adds to the ongoing cost. That’s not surprising with this sort of product, but it does matter.

For me, it sits firmly in the “unnecessary luxury” category. A very nice unnecessary luxury, but an unnecessary luxury all the same.

Would I pay full price for it? No. Would I be tempted if it were on offer and I had a smaller home with limited storage? Possibly. It makes mopping more convenient, and it’s much nicer than lugging a heavy bucket of water around.

It also takes up less space than a traditional mop and bucket setup, which makes it appealing for apartments, smaller households and homes where storage is already a daily battle.

You only get one mop pad included in your purchase

Can it replace a traditional mop and bucket?

In a home like mine, yes. I don’t own a traditional mop and bucket anymore and, after testing the Philips OneUp, I wouldn’t rush out to buy one.

It’s ideal as a convenient go-to for spills, bathroom floors and regular hard-floor cleans in a smaller home. If I had an entirely laminated downstairs or a much larger hard-floor area, I might want a backup mop or something with a bigger water tank. But for our kitchen, utility and bathrooms, it was more than enough.

It didn’t make me mop more often, which is probably an important confession. I didn’t suddenly become the sort of person who lovingly tends to her floors every evening. But it did make mopping quicker and easier when I needed to do it, especially after accidents and spills.

And honestly, that’s probably more realistic for most busy parents.

There is a hook on the handle for easy storage

Final verdict: should you buy the Philips OneUp 5000 Series Electric Mop?

Buy it if you want a compact, effective mop for a smaller hard-floor home. It’s especially useful for apartments, smaller families, households with limited storage and anyone who wants something easy to grab for spills, bathrooms and regular maintenance cleans.

Avoid it if you don’t want to spend more than £30 on a mop, have lots of hard flooring to clean in one go or want an all-in-one vacuum and mop. This won’t replace your vacuum cleaner, and it won’t make sense for everyone at £150.

For us, the Philips OneUp was much better than I expected. It cleaned all the real-life mess I tested it on, including bathroom wee, milk spills, grease, dried coffee and the aftermath of dog sick. It was easy to use, easy to steer and satisfying in the way only a dirty water tank can be.

My biggest complaint is still the same as my first thought when I unboxed it: you have to charge a mop. A mop. But if you can get past that, and the price, it’s a great little floor-cleaning upgrade for the right home.

About the author

Rebecca Roberts is a writer, editor and content marketing expert hailing from Leeds. Here at Mumsnet, she commissions, writes and edits to bring parents content designed to make life easier. Having birthed two DC just 15 months apart, she knows all too well how stressful it can be to keep your home clean and tidy when you’re managing a busy household.

Beyond her role as an editor here at Mumsnet, Rebecca can be found balancing life as a working mum of two toddlers and, when she’s not at her desk, you’ll likely find her at a local playgroup, in a nearby coffee shop or walking the dog.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real people after extensive research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

All prices are correct at the time of writing

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