A mop (such as a floor mop) is a mass or bundle of coarse strings or yarn, etc., or a piece of cloth, sponge or other absorbent material, attached to a pole or stick. It is used to soak up liquid, for cleaning floors and other surfaces, to mop up dust, or for other cleaning purposes. History The word (then spelled mappe) is attested in English as early as 1496, but new refinements and variations of mop designs have been introduced, from time to time. For example, American inventor Jacob Howe received US patent #241 for a mop holder in 1837 and Thomas W. Stewart (US patent #499,402) in 1893. In her book Maggie's Memories Margaret Wadkin (late of Hickling, near Melton Mowbray in England) describes the use of a mop nail for constructing homemade mops from old pieces of cloth during her village childhood in the early 20th century; Types Many different proprietary designs are available, but the classic string mop design is also still widely used. Dry mop, dust mop A dry mop or dust mop is designed to pick up dry, loose contamination such as dust, earth, and sand from the surface of the floor. It consists of yarn and/or microfiber and can be used as a first step in cleaning a floor. Professional dry mops consist of a flat sheet of microfiber textile or sheets with a surface of looped yarn, usually about wide, and comes in variable lengths (usually ). The dry mop can in many instances replace a broom and has the ability to hold a limited amount of dust, sand, and debris within itself. The heads of dry mops are often removable and can be washed and replaced when saturated with dust. Another option is using a vacuum cleaner to suck surface dust away from the mop; however, this is much more limited in its effectiveness. Single-use dry mops are also available and widely sold. Wet-mop, moist-mop A wet mop or moist mop is, in professional cleaning, used as in the second step in the cleaning of a surface. The wet mop is swept over the surface to dissolve and absorb fat, mud, and dried-on liquid contaminations. Professional wet mops consist of a flat sheet of microfiber textile or a sheet with a surface of looped yarn (which might contain microfiber as well), usually about wide, and come in various lengths (usually ).