Knowing how to get a mop in Return to Monkey Island takes place during the first act of the game, which sees Guybrush Threepwood arrive on Melee Island only to instantly make plans to leave it behind. As part of his search for The Secret of Monkey Island, Guybrush needs to get on board his nemesis LeChuck’s ship, which is anchored at the docks.
This involves convincing quartermaster Iron Rose that he is not Guybrush Threepwood and in possession of a mop, so that he can take up the convenient ‘Swabbie’ job opening. It’s not quite so simple though – nothing ever is when it comes to Guybrush – so this is how you get a mop on Melee Island so you can advance beyond the first part of Return to Monkey Island.
How to make a mop
First things first, leave Iron Rose at the docks and head over to the nearby Scumm Bar. In the kitchen you’ll find the Cook, who is a proud mop owner. If you talk to him about getting a mop, or try to pick it up, he won’t let you take it. He says you need to make one yourself, by hacking off a branch from the Mop Tree, deep in Melee Island’s labyrinthian forest.
You need a map to find the Mop Tree, and for someone to make a map to the tree, you need a reference. Guybrush needs to distract the Cook so that he can take a sample of the mop and give it to Wally the Cartographer on Low Street in exchange for the Mop Tree Map.
Head to the International House of Mojo on Low Street and purchase the Knife and the Forgiveness Frog from its owner. We’re going to use the Knife to take a sample of the Cook’s mop, but we need to distract him first by giving him a meal to make.
To distract the Cook, you need the ‘Ingredients’ book from the shelf in Governor Carla’s mansion. But Carla won’t let Guybrush borrow any books as he’s already well overdue on the last one. This is where the Forgiveness Frog comes in. Guybrush can pen an apology on the amphibian to squash the beef, but he needs some information about Carla to do so.
The information is different for every player, but on the corner of the International House of Mojo is a bust of Carla, with a plaque that mentions a location she has history with. Then, west of the Scumm Bar and docks is a re-election poster for the governor, which provides unique adjectives that speak to her character.
Use this information when writing parts three and four of the book-borrowing apology to fine-tune it, and then present the frog to Carla. Make sure you pick up the Stuffed Animal on the floor next to her, too – this serves as your mop head.
Carla’s forgiveness allows Guybrush to borrow the Ingredients book from her shelf. Deliver it to the Cook and he’ll start preparing a meal, leaving the mop open for you to take a sample of it with your Knife. Carve off a piece and give it to Wally, and he’ll provide you with a map to The Mop Tree.
Map in hand, enter the Melee Island Forest. From the first screen, open your map and look at the route through to the tree. This may be different for every player, but the correct exits are denoted by the three different plant types of the forest, which are green, purple, and blue. Choose your exits based on the flora seen on the Mop Tree Map and you will arrive at the eponymous tree. However, this may be easier said than done, so make sure you read our full guide to the Return to Monkey Island forest map if you need assistance.
When you reach the tree, hack off a branch of it then combine it with the Stuffed Animal in your inventory to craft the mop. Mission accomplished, Swabbie! Now you know how to get a mop, why not read up on the actual differences of casual or hard mode so you know what you’re missing out on depending on which one you picked at the start, or check out our guide on how to escape the hold in Return to Monkey Island for help with a puzzle in the next part of the game.