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Libman Tornado Twist Mop Review

Derek Hales

Written By: Derek Hales

Updated on:

Are you a fan of basic mops with more of a traditional cleaning style? Say hello to the Libman Tornado.

If you’re in the market for a new twist mop but don’t know which one is the right one for you, this review of the Libman Tornado may be a big help.

We’re going to put this mop through all of our tests and determine whether or not this mop is worth purchasing.

Simple Twist Mop

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Libman Tonado

The Libman Tornado is not the best mop we’ve tested, but its simplistic look and feel did not take away from the overall cleaning performance. The more traditional design makes it great for larger messes, however, the lack of an included bucket left something to be desired.Check Price

Pros

  • The Tornado is extremely easy to use.
  • There is hardly any maintenance with this Libman twist mop.

Cons

  • The Libman Tornado lacks the ability to clean under low hanging obstacles in your home, such as furniture.
  • This twist mop needs some sort of bucket to hold water while cleaning.

Contents

  1. Accessories
  2. Cleaning
  3. Maintenance
  4. Value
  5. Specs
  6. Summary

Libman Tornado Design

The Libman Tornado does not offer a lot of detail when it comes to design. The overall look and feel is extremely minimalist and traditional.

WAND | The Tornado has a wand that attaches directly to the cleaning head. At the base of the wand, near the cleaning head is piece of plastic that slides up and down. By sliding the plastic piece up the wand and then twisting, users have the ability to wring out the cleaning head.

Libman Tornado Twist Mop
Libman Tornado Twist Mop

CLEANING HEAD | As you move onto the cleaning head, it is made up of a multitude of microfiber strands that all connect to form one cleaning head. The cleaning head attaches to the bottom of the wand / stick and can be released and removed for replacement or cleaning.

AESTHETIC | The color scheme of this Libman twist mop is all green with a few pops of white.

How Libman Tornado Cleans

The cleaning style of the Libman Tornado is simple; wet the cleaning head, wring it out, and mop up the mess. There is no complicated method to the madness when using this twist mop. As a twist mop, this Libman is designed to make mopping quick and painless. The steps are as follows:

  1. Fill up a bucket with water
  2. Drench the cleaning head in the water
  3. Wring out the cleaning head
  4. Begin mopping
Libman Tornado actively cleaning
Libman Tornado actively cleaning

Aside from these four steps, there is nothing else you need to do when cleaning with the Tornado.

Size & Dimensions

The Libman Tornado is 54.5″ tall and 6.6″ wide. Additionally, this unit weighs 2.55 pounds (when dry).

  • Length â€“ 54.5″
  • Width â€“ 6.6″
  • Weight â€“ 2.55 pounds
Libman Tornado twist mop size and dimensions

Accessories & Parts

As a twist mop, there are not any extra parts or accessories needed to use this mop. Therefore, Libman did not include any.

The following parts are included with the Tornado:

Cleaning head included with the Libman Tornado

Cleaning head: One cleaning head is included with the Libman Tornado. The cleaning head is washable and reusable.

While there are no extra parts and accessories available for this twist mop, users can purchase additional cleaning heads. Therefore, allowing them to use these extra heads while others are being washed.

Cleaning Tests

The following tests are designed to show how the Libman Tornado performs.

We tested the Libman Tornado as a mop on tile flooring, spreading three different debris types across the floor and attempted to mop the debris up over three separate passes.

Mud

99%

Honey

99%

Water

95%

For starters, the mop test contains three debris types:

  • Dirt / mud
  • Honey
  • Water (dyed green for visibility)

Each of these debris types offers a different level of stickiness and consistency, allowing us to test the Libman Tornado twist mop against a light, heavy, and liquid substance. All three debris types are spread across our testing lane in three separate sections.

Libman Tornado cleaning tests - before
Libman Tornado cleaning tests – before

Throughout our mopping tests, we try to give real-life examples and be as consistent and fair as possible. The mopping test procedure goes as follows:

  1. Measure out 3 oz of water and spread the water across the back of the testing lane.
  2. Squirt honey in the middle of the testing lane, covering a majority of the width of the lane.
  3. Create a muddy substance from dirt and water then spread the mud with a shoe.
  4. Make a pass across the testing lane and compare the amount of each debris type mopped up on pass one to the untouched debris.
  5. Make pass number two across the lane and analyze the amount of each debris type mopped up.
  6. Make a third pass, if necessary.

Want more mops? See our best mops guide here.

Mopping Tests

Water Cleaning

The water test was interesting. After a single pass through the water, we found that the Tornado was able to soak up virtually all of the water we went over. That said, as we continued to make passes across the water, the mop struggled to continue to soak more water, which lead to the water being spread across the lane.

If you were to use this mop for a small amount of liquid, it would more than likely be able to get the job done but larger messes may be an issue.

Water test against the Libman Tornado
Water test against the Libman Tornado

Mud Cleaning

The mud test was a success for the Libman Tornado. Once again, a single pass was able to lift up virtually all of the mud on our testing lane. The ability of the mop head to hold a decent amount of water helped to soak the mud, making it an easy mess to clean up.

Mud test against the Libman Tornado
Mud test against the Libman Tornado

Honey Cleaning

Honey was similar to the mud test. Before mopping up the honey, I wrung out less water from the Tornado’s cleaning head in order to push the mop across the honey with ease. By doing so, the honey was not much of a match for this Libman twist mop.

Additionally, there was no honey residue left on our testing lane. This was a major benefit of leaving water within the mop’s cleaning head.

Honey test against the Libman Tornado
Honey test against the Libman Tornado

Is the Libman Tornado Easy to Use?

It doesn’t get much easier than using the Libman Tornado.

SETUP | There is virtually no setup required with this Libman twist mop. It comes wrapped in plastic, but once you remove the mop from the plastic you are essentially ready to use it.

WET CLEANING HEAD | After removing the mop from its packaging users need to wet the cleaning head. This can be completed by filling a bucket (or sink) with water and soaking the head in the water.

WRING OUT CLEANING HEAD | Next, you need to wring the water out of the cleaning head. This is completed by sliding a small piece of plastic up the bottom of the wand and twisting it. As you twist, the mop head will wrap itself around the wand, helping to wring out the water.

To wring out the cleaning head, twist the plastic piece attached to it until you've reached your desired level of dampness
To wring out the cleaning head, twist the plastic piece attached to it until you’ve reached your desired level of dampness

Wring the mop head out to your desired level of dampness and voila! You’re ready to start using the Libman Tornado twist mop.

CHANGING THE CLEANING HEAD | Removing the head from the wand is probably the trickiest thing about the Tornado. There is a small plastic pin that holds the cleaning head in place. Users must pull this pin out and slide the head off of the wand.

That said, it does require a decent tug from the user’s end to remove the plastic tab, but that is the only feature about this mop that can be a hassle to deal with, in my opinion.

Maneuverability

Maneuverability on the Libman Tornado is middle of the road. You are able to push the mop in any direction you’d like, but its inability to go under furniture and other obstacles can be a nuisance.

  • Weight: 2.55 pounds
  • Power: Manual
  • Height: 55″
  • Wringing: Twist

TURNING | Turning the Libman Tornado is not an issue. This mop can really be pushed in any direction, therefore the turning is really up to the user.

The Tornado is able to turn around furniture with ease
The Tornado is able to turn around furniture with ease

FLAT LAY | Laying this mop flat is easy, but the downfall is the cleaning head. Even though the Tornado has the ability to lie virtually flat on the ground, the cleaning head’s size and shape makes it difficult to clean underneath furniture and other items in your home.

The Tornado struggles to go under low hanging furniture
The Tornado struggles to go under low hanging furniture

MOVEMENT EASE | At 2.55 lbs, this mop is extremely easy to move, when the cleaning head is damp. If the cleaning head is dry, the level of difficulty increases dramatically due to the strands of the cleaning head not wanting to be pushed across the tile / hard surface.

For more easy use mops, see our favorite robot mops so far.

Maintenance Tasks & Costs

The following table indicates the frequency at which you will likely want to replace the various parts and components of the mop. However, your individual experiences may vary.

Accessory / PartReplacement FrequencyReplacement Cost
Cleaning headAs neededCheck Price

Maintaining the Libman Tornado is quite easy. Wash and replace the cleaning heads as necessary and you’re good to go.

  • Wash / change the cleaning pad â€“ The cleaning pad can be removed, washed, and reused. Over time you may want to eventually replace it though.

Annual maintenance costs for the Libman Tornado twist mop should cost around $10 / year. This includes replacing the cleaning head once a year.

Is the Libman Tornado a Good Value?

The Libman Tornado offers a solid value overall. The cleaning performance, low cost, low maintenance, and ease-of-use all contribute to rounding out this mop as a whole.

Libman Tornado mop

During our cleaning tests, the Tornado performed nearly flawless. The mop was able to lift and remove all three debris types to an almost spotless amount.

Maneuverability was another plus, with the exception of its inability to slide under furniture. This does hinder the mops overall performance, in my opinion.

With regard to maintenance, the only task required is washing or replacing the cleaning head.

As we look at warranty and returns, Libman offers a 1-year warranty in addition to a 30-day return policy, via Amazon.

Libman Tornado Specifications

Below is a complete list of important specifications and features included on the Libman Tornado:

Specifications
TypeTwist mop
ManufacturerLibman
ModelTornado
Length55"
Width6.6"
Weight2.55 lbs.
Floor TypeAll hard floor (indoor)
CordlessYes
ReturnsVaries by retailer
Warranty1-Year limited
PriceCheck Price

Who Should Buy the Libman Tornado Twist Mop?

The Libman Tornado could be a great fit for a wide variety of users. That said, this style of mop is used in more of a traditional sense as compared to some of the newer floor cleaners, like the Bissell Crosswave (vacuum mop), Braava 380t (robot mop), and Hoover Twin Tanks (steam mop).

I would recommend the Libman Tornado if you’re looking for the following features in a twist mop:

  • Want a twist mop â€“ As a twist mop, you will have to do all of the mop work yourself. What that means is there is no water tank or steam being produced to help clean. This mop strictly holds water in the cleaning head – after being placed in water – and uses that water to manually clean up messes. The benefit of a twist mop is users never have to touch the dirty water when wringing out the cleaning head.
  • Don’t mind a basic mop â€“ It doesn’t get much more basic than the Tornado. There are no fancy bells and whistles about this unit, just a wand, and the cleaning head.
  • Want a good performer â€“ Although this is a simple unit, the cleaning performance was quite good. The ability of this mop to pick up debris was certainly an impressive feature.
Simple Design, Solid Performance
  • Design - 90%
    90%
  • Performance - 97%
    97%
  • Quality - 92%
    92%
  • Usability - 88%
    88%
  • Value - 90%
    90%
91%

Summary

The Libman Tornado is a twist mop that is designed to provide more of a traditional mopping experience. This mop is easy to use, inexpensive, requires little maintenance, and allows users to quickly clean up messes without creating an even larger one. If you’re in the market for a new mop and truly enjoy mopping in the traditional sense, the Libman Tornado could be a great fit for you and your home.

About Derek Hales

Derek HalesDerek Hales is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ModernCastle.com. He has been featured in Fast Company, Reader's Digest, Business Insider, Realtor.com, She Knows, and other major publications. Derek has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University. Hales has been testing and reviewing products for the home since 2014.