Learn English – English equivalent to Dutch “Mopping while the tap is running”

idiom-requestsphrase-requests

There is a great phrase in Dutch that translates roughly as "Mopping the floor while the tap is running".

I.e. working to fix a problem but having no impact and not even able to keep up.

Is there an English equivalent that conveys the same meaning?

I've found "Mopping while the tub overflows", but I've only found a single usage of that phrase. Is there a better one?

EDIT:

"Coals to Newcastle" et. al. suggest something that is pointless or even silly. While I agree there's some overlap, I feel the phrase "dweilen met de kraan open", suggests you are desperately trying to catch up with a problem.

Maybe something more along the lines of addressing the symptoms, not the cause?

Best Answer

I would suggest 'bailing out a sinking ship'.

He knew the time was right to cut one's losses, when it was better to find a new boat than to keep bailing out a sinking ship. And with Rydell, the Sherwood boys, and that reporter running free, that ship wasn't just sinking, it was about to be torpedoed into smithereens.

From The Sign, by Raymond Khoury

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