When the first i-mop came out in 2014, it filled a gap a lot of cleaning teams knew well. A mop and bucket was too slow, and a walk-behind machine was too big for the space. The new i-mop 46 MODULAR is the next step on from that original idea. It's protected by more than 50 patents and it's part of the wider i-team range.

When a mop & bucket is too slow and a walk-behind too bulky

The i-mop 46 cleans a 46 cm path, the same as the i-mop XL. You steer it with one hand, it runs close to edges, and there's a work light on the deck so you can see what you're cleaning. It's made for busy places such as supermarkets, schools, hospitals, swimming pools and public spaces, and for the facility management teams who look after them.

The difference is easy to see

i-team compared different ways of cleaning 100 m² of floor. These are their theoretical figures.

A floor that dries in about 30 seconds can be walked on again almost straight away, which matters in a shop that's open or a corridor that can't be closed. i-team also measured how clean the floor was with an ATP test. Before cleaning it read 800 RLU. After manual mopping it read 400, and after the i-mop it read 40.

One tank. More floor.

The clean water tank holds 4.6 L, which is 20% more than the i-mop XL, and the recovery tank holds 6.5 L. A filling hose comes in the box. On one fill, i-team says you can clean up to 600 m² in standard mode or 960 m² in eco mode. It covers 300 m² in 11 minutes.

It runs on a single i-power 14 battery for up to 80 minutes, depending on the floor. The i-power 20 is also available. More water on board means fewer trips back to the tap and more of the shift spent on the floor.

Ergonomic support that moves with the cleaner

The patented i-balance spring system brings the weight you feel in your hands down from 3 kg to 0.7 kg. Cruise control, with Drive and Park support, takes the weight off your arms completely. To park it, you use your foot, so you never have to lift the deck. The handle adjusts to your height and the grip is reinforced.

i-team gives the i-mop an ergonomic score of 94, against 32 for manual mopping. Cleaning by hand takes around 350 movements. With the i-mop, it takes 40.

Built to swap. Made to last.

The upper section and the deck come apart with a single knob. You don't need any tools. If a part needs replacing, it can be swapped by courier, so the machine doesn't go away for repair.

Lights on the machine tell you how it's doing. Four green lights mean everything is fine. A red light shows you which part has a fault. The i-mop 46 is built to last 5 to 10 years and comes with a 3-year warranty, not including batteries. It also works with the i-walk.

Quiet when it needs to be

Both the drive and vacuum motors are brushless. There are two vacuum settings: high, and low for places where noise matters, such as hospitals. HEPA filtration comes as standard. When you stop, the suction goes up to cut down the curved streak of water that machines often leave behind. The squeegee clicks on and off easily, and the easy lift kit raises it when you want to leave the solution on the floor for a while.

Plus or Pro

There are two models. The Pro adds i-link, which shows you when, where and how your machines are being used. It also has an i-dose tank that takes pre-measured pods. The Plus has neither. Everything else in this article applies to both.

Every litre matters

Through i-team's Made Blue programme, every litre of water used by active i-mops helps bring clean drinking water to communities in need. Since 2015, more than 2 billion litres have been donated. That's enough to give 26,502 people water for life.