These Editor-Approved Mops Give You Spotless Floors No Matter the Surface Type
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Tackle layers of grime and stubborn floor stains with one classic cleaning tool. While brooms and vacuums are great for removing surface-level dirt, mops are superior for the toughest jobs, plus wiping up spills and disinfecting. They’re able to handle messes on flat or textured surfaces such a hardwood or tile, and often work in tandem with cleaning solution and water.
Mops come in several types—at least five including manual and electric, if you can believe it—each designed for specific floor types or for use in various cleaning situations. The mop that’s ideal for scrubbing your hardwood floor may not be the most effective option for a tiled kitchen, for example.
Before you take a shot in the dark trying to find the best mop for your floors, check out our expert advice on how to find the most useful for your home, plus reviews of the best mops we recommend.
The Best Mops
Best Overall: Libman Wonder Mop & Refills Kit
Best Value: Swiffer Sweeper 2-in-1 Mop
Best for Tile: O-Cedar EasyWring RinseClean Microfiber Spin Mop & Bucket
Best Vacuum: Bissell CrossWave Wet-Dry Vacuum
Best for Hardwood: Bona PowerPlus Motion Premium Spray Mop
What to Consider
Mop Types
Mops come in a variety of styles, the most popular of which are string, flat, spray, vacuum, and robot mops. Here’s a rundown of the each and the purpose it serves.
String
String mops are typically what we picture when we think of a mop. The classic design is great for wiping down most surfaces while giving enough resistance to scrub off grime and scum. String mops typically pair with a bucket of water and cleaning solution as well as a wringer device.
Flat
Flat mops have wide rectangular bottoms that slide easily across surfaces for quick, efficient use. These are simple, effective mops that work best with a wet mop head or with a cleaning solution. Some also function with dry mop heads that work to collect dust, hair, and other loose particles without any water or cleaning formula.
Spray
Spray mops replace the need for separate cleaning solution mixtures with a built-in spraying device. So, simply spray right in front of the mop head and wipe away. These come in both manual and electric styles. Manual spray mops have a handle or pump for the spray, while electric options spray automatically or with the press of a button.
Vacuum
Vacuum mops simultaneously spray and wipe down surfaces, then immediately suck up the dirty liquid. This means you don’t have to wait for floors to dry after you mop.
Robot
Robot mops are relatively similar to vacuum mops, with the small automatic wipers working while the wheeled body autonomously moves through the rooms of your home for cleaning.
Mop Heads
Mop heads come in a variety of styles as well, similar to the different types of mops above. While the shape and texture falls closely in line to what type of mop the head it attached to, the materials are the biggest difference. Many have disposable heads that attach to the body of the mop that you eventually toss in the trash and replace. These are incredibly convenient, though typically less cost effective than quality reusable materials. These days, most mop heads are made of microfiber, which you can remove from the mop body and toss directly in a laundry machine for easy reuse.
Floor Compatibility
Most mops should work on several surface types without issue. That said, pay close attention to the listed compatibility if your floor is made of porous stone, unfinished wood, or any other surface type that isn’t resistant to water damage. These may require more deliberate care.
You should also keep in mind that some mop heads have textured sections meant for heavy scrubbing, which may impact compatibility on surfaces that are sensitive to heavy abrasions. In our key specs, we list the floor types that the companies explicitly mention, though mops are compatible across more surfaces. If you aren’t sure, it’s best to check with your flooring company or product use guide before buying.
How We Selected
We made our final selections based on significant research both into our own past use and the reviews of other publications. Popular Mechanics has significant experience cleaning and mopping up messes, whether that’s in our workshops or homes, so we consulted our past cleaning articles and product reviews we’ve written. We also looked closely at key areas of concern, with surface compatibility topping the list of important considerations.
We created our list with the focus on finding the best mop for each key surface type based on the materials, style of mop, and physical mechanics of cleaning with it. We also made a point of choosing options a variety of mop types at different price points to suit a range of budgets.
Wonder Mop & Refills Kit
The Wonder Mop from Libman takes aspects from almost all the other mops we recommend and combines them into a product worthy of our top pick.
With a semi-string design, each individual “string” is a strip of microfiber with external texture. These better collect dirt and dust, while the texture makes scrubbing out grime easier than most traditional mops.
Each mop head fully detaches from the main pole and launders easily for reuse. The pole itself also comes with a few tricks up its sleeve. Alongside a gripped handle, there’s a built-on wringer, so after soaking your mop in water or cleaning solution, simply slide the wringer down, and your mop is ready for cleaning.
Sweeper 2-in-1 Mop
Combine your mop and broom into one cleaning tool. This Swiffer does just that with different disposable mop head attachments. Simply strap on the dry cloth for grabbing dust and hair or the wet cloth for a deeper clean.
The mopping cloths are more than just disinfectant wipes, too. Each comes with a scrubbing strip on the front for breaking down stains and grime as you pass over it. The cloth itself also comes with deep grooves, which trap the dirt it passes over.
Before you buy, make sure you don’t have waxed, unfinished, or oiled wood floors, because the wet pads may damage those after a few uses.
EasyWring RinseClean Microfiber Spin Mop & Bucket
While the string mop from O-Cedar has a more traditional look, its construction offers far more than the classic mop it resembles. The microfiber strings are great at digging into crevices between tiles and stones, lifting out dirt.
According to the company, the microfiber material is enough to remove 99 percent of bacteria on your surfaces with just water. The mop head snaps off for easy washing in a laundry machine.
The mop bucket also comes with its own clever set of features. It has a spinning wringer that you turn with a foot pedal to pull water out of the mop, similar to a centrifuge. The bucket also has two separate chambers for storing clean water and dirty water.
CrossWave Wet-Dry Vacuum
This wet-dry vacuum from Bissell combines the suction of a traditional vacuum with the scrubbing and cleaning of a traditional mop.
It comes with a vinyl and microfiber brush roll that spins for quick and effective scrubbing, along with a cleaning formula concentrate mixture that sprays as the roller scrubs. The vacuum immediately follows the water and scrubber, collecting dirty water and cutting drying time down significantly.
Bissell designed the vacuum to operate on multiple surfaces including area rugs, so feel free to take it throughout your house without worry.
PowerPlus Motion Premium Spray Mop
No other mop on this list comes with a cleaning formula specifically designed for hardwood floors. This mop from Bona works on multiple surfaces but specializes in cleaning hardwood.
Alongside the cleaning formula, the spray mop has a small internal motor that vibrates the mop head while you clean. This gently disrupts dirt and stains on your floor as you mop, improving the cleaning effectiveness.
The microfiber pad connects easily to the body of the mop and is incredibly durable. The company claims each cleaning pad can be washed and reused over 500 times before it needs replacing.
SpinWave Wet Mop and Dry Robot Vacuum
This robot mop provides the same conveniences as most classic robot vacuums, but with the added cleaning power of a wet mop. It uses two circular microfiber cleaning pads that spin continuously to wipe down flat surfaces.
The pads work in tandem with a liquid formula for effective cleaning. If you want to use it as a regular robot mop, the cleaning tank detaching from the main body for easy replacement with a dry vacuum tank.
While the robot mop doesn’t come with the floor-mapping technology of more expensive models, it does have floor-detection capabilities. So, even without a clear layout of your home, it won’t mop on soft, carpeted surfaces.
Mop and Bucket with Wringer Set
This traditional flat mop with a microfiber head doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles, but it gets the job done. The pads have enough texture to break down tough stains, while also trapping dirt and grime in the two indented sections.
The mop comes with three washable pads, so you don’t need to wash the same pad over and over again between cleanings. There’s also a bucket section for an easy dunk of water or cleaning product as well as a slot that wrings out excess water from your mop head.
The two sections have separate bottoms, so the clean and dirty water don’t mix.
PowerMop Multi-Surface Mop Kit
This spray mop from Swiffer keeps the convenience of the classic Swiffer Sweeper but with a heavy-duty mop head and a snap-on bottle of cleaning solution.
Like that version, each mop head is disposable, but instead of the relatively flat style on the Sweeper, this mop has a bottom with textured strips for more effective scrubbing. Once you’re done, pull off the pad and toss it away.
The cleaning fluid dispenses with a press of a button on the top handle, and the mop has two sprayers, so the floor gets an even coating.
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