A Mop That Changed Everything

Imagine it’s the 1990s—a young mom from Long Island walks through her home, trying to wring a soggy mop head by hand, clothes and counters dripping. That frustration sparked something in Joy Mangano. She saw a better way—and then built it, sewing hundreds of feet of cotton into a loop and creating a prototype. With grit, she pushed forward, investing her own money and launching prototypes—a thousand of them—assembled by hand back home. 

The Telephone Call That Started It All

She sampled her mop in small retail settings and pitched it to QVC to sell. But it wasn’t until she herself appeared on air, pitching it with real passion, that things clicked. In an unforgettable half hour, 18,000 Miracle Mops flew off the shelves as viewers responded in droves.

From Mop to Empire

That moment marked the turning point. Joy Mangano now wasn’t just an inventor—she was a television entrepreneur, forging a brand that would grow through more patents, more appearances (notably on HSN), and countless ingenious products. Eventually, she founded Ingenious Designs, which sold to HSN in 1999, transforming Joy into one of the most iconic sellers in home shopping history. In 2020, Joy also formed a new company with her daughter Christie Miranne and business partner Pitbull, called CleanBoss.

To see Joy Mangano’s life portrayed on stage in New York City, get tickets to see JOY: A New True Musical.