- Other than walls, the largest surface area in your home that needs to be cleaned regularly is the floor, and that means mopping.
- Libman Spin Mop and Bucket gives you shiny clean floors in kitchens, bathrooms, and mudrooms, and can help keep wood floors gleaming.
- If you’re not sure what type of cleaner to use on your flooring, check out our guide to the best floor cleaners for wood, vinyl, tile, and more.
For regular upkeep of hard surfaces like wood, laminate, or stone, a mop is an effective tool, even if it’s basic. But mopping is also a dreaded chore.
The first rule of mopping? Sweep or vacuum first. This way, you pick up small debris and dust and you’re not just moving dirt around with your mop later. The second rule is to mop weekly so it’s more like maintenance work as opposed to a big chore. Waiting until the floor is sticky with grime is what makes mopping such a backbreaker.
For the cleanest floors, you’ll want to use a clean mop. If the mop smells bad from bacteria growing in the mop head or looks really dirty, it’s going to spread all of that back over your floors. Many of the mops here in our guide have removable heads that can be easily washed and disinfected in a washer.
All of the floors in my home require mopping, so I’ve been testing mops and cleaning products for decades. I’ve also been a home economist for companies and publications, so I’m always looking for the most effective and easiest to use products.
Here are the best mops:
- Best overall: Libman Spin Mop and Bucket
- Best on a budget: Libman Wonder Mop
- Best for wood floors: Swiffer WetJet Wood Mopping Kit
- Best for ceramic tile floors: Libman Nitty Gritty Roller Mop with Scrub Brush
- Best disposable mopping system: Swiffer Sweeper Dry and Wet
Prices and links are current as of 8/12/2020. We’ve also added a section of mops we’re looking forward to testing for another update of this guide.
The best overall
With the Libman Spin Mop and Bucket you can clean every hard surface floor in your home with the same mop, from dry-dusting hardwood to wet mopping sticky kitchen messes.
If you have multiple types of hard surface floors to clean in your home, it can be expensive to buy several different mops and frustrating to store them. With the Libman Spin Mop and Bucket, you can clean every floor with just one mop.
Libman combined a deep-cleaning microfiber mop and a mop bucket with a stainless-steel spin chamber to give you everything you need for mopping. The microfiber mop works great as both a dry-dust mop and a slightly damp mop for hardwood floors. Then, with the right cleaning solution, it's perfect for scrubbing dirty floors in the bathroom and kitchen. The head is removable from the handle and can go straight into the washing machine to be cleaned.
I'm particularly impressed with the durable, adjustable stainless-steel mop handle and the stainless-steel spin bucket. Other brands have plastic components that are more prone to breaking.
With the lever system to activate the spinning mechanism, my hands never have to touch the mopping water, and I can adjust the amount of moisture left in the mop head. I've been using it for many months with no issues, but it's good to know that replacement mop heads are available if this one ever wears out.
Pros: Simple to use for all hard surface floors, hands never have to touch water, easy to assemble, removable and replaceable mop head
Cons: Plastic lever can break if used with excessive force
The best on a budget
Want clean floors without breaking the bank? Libman Wonder Mop uses microfiber strips, wrings out easily (but keeps hands dry), and is easy on the wallet.
If you are looking for a good, basic mop, the Libman Wonder Mop is inexpensive but durable.
Despite the multiple components of the mop, it's also quite compact. The mop head can be removed and tossed in the washer for a good cleaning, the built-in wringer keeps your hands out of the cleaning solution, though it's not ideal for anyone with limited mobility or movement.
I've owned a Wonder Mop for many years and found an amazing number of ways to use it beyond mopping the floor. Since the head is made of microfiber that attracts dust, I pull down the wringer sleeve to shorten the mop fibers into something resembling a stiff brush. I then use the mop to reach corners that seem to attract every spider web and insect possible. I've used the mop to absorb water from ice chests and to capture spills in car trunks. All this in addition to actually mopping floors.
Since I use it so often, I buy a couple of replacement heads so I can always be sure to have an extra for non-mopping use. When I do use it for regular mopping, I find that with hot water and a good floor cleaner, the mop does a very good job.
Pros: Microfiber head is removable and machine washable, wringing action keeps hands dry, can be used wet or dry, the mop head is replaceable
Cons: Wringer can be difficult for someone with limited hand and wrist movement
The best for wood floors
The easy to use Swiffer WetJet Wood Mopping Kit gives you everything you need for shiny, streak-free wood floors.
Whether you have solid hardwood or engineered hardwood floors, the Swiffer WetJet Wood Mop will make cleaning them a breeze. With disposable cleaning pads and an all-in-one mop and cleaning solution, it's a no-mess, no-fuss cleaning system.
Hardwood floors can easily be ruined if you don't clean them correctly. They don't stand up well to regular mopping with a strong cleaner and lots of water. Instead, when muddy tracks and spills happen, a delicate touch is best. As with any floor, they must be swept, vacuumed, or dry-dusted before any cleaning with a mop.
I love the Swiffer WetJet Wood Mopping Kit for many reasons. The pads are disposable so I can begin each cleaning session with a fresh surface. The cleaning solution is "built-in" to the mop so with just a touch of the battery-operated micro-mist spray, I can add the solution to the floor while I mop. And, as a bonus, the nozzles are illuminated so I can see just how much solution is hitting the floor and check if the area is dry after mopping.
With the Swiffer WetJet Wood Kit, you get the power mop, five mopping pads, a bottle of wood floor cleaner, and four batteries. You can easily buy refill bottles and pads and there are cleaning solutions for other types of floors like vinyl, stone, and ceramic tile.
If you have problems with the Swiffer WetJet, Procter & Gamble's customer service is very helpful with tips to get you mopping again.
Pros: Compact, all-in-one mop and floor cleaner, cleaning solutions for other types of floors are interchangeable, refills are simple to find, great customer service
Cons: Spray nozzles can become clogged if the mop isn't used regularly, cleaning pads aren't reusable, pricier to maintain
The best for ceramic tile floors
The grout between ceramic tiles is the toughest part of the floor to clean unless you have the Libman Nitty Gritty Roller Mop with Scrub Brush.
Ceramic tile floors in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and mudrooms are probably the easiest floors to clean. The tile doesn't absorb stains, doesn't scratch easily, and stands up to harsh cleaners. But just to make your life a bit more challenging, the tiles are put together with grout. Grout absorbs stains and doesn't react well to harsh cleaners that can make it become brittle and crack.
Enter the Libman Nitty Gritty Roller Mop with Scrub Brush. The soft absorbent sponge roller with textured cleaning pads works great to remove spills and surface dirt on the tile. Then, the built-in scrub brush can be used to get rid of the grime on the grout without having to get on your hands and knees to scrub.
To get your grout clean, I dampen the floor and sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the stained areas before scrubbing with the mop brush. Then pull the handle to activate the rollers and squeeze out the water back into a bucket or utility sink, and use the damp sponge mop to lift away the baking soda and dirt. Again, what I love is not having to get my hands wet with the dirty mopping solution.
Pros: Built-in scrub brush with sponge mop head, simple to use, rollers for squeezing out water
Cons: Sponge mop heads usually do not last as long as microfiber
The best with disposable pads
With the Libman Spin Mop and Bucket you can clean every hard surface floor in your home with the same mop, from dry-dusting hardwood to wet mopping sticky kitchen messes.
If you have multiple types of hard surface floors to clean in your home, it can be expensive to buy several different mops and frustrating to store them. With the Libman Spin Mop and Bucket, you can clean every floor with just one mop.
Libman combined a deep-cleaning microfiber mop and a mop bucket with a stainless-steel spin chamber to give you everything you need for mopping. The microfiber mop works great as both a dry-dust mop and a slightly damp mop for hardwood floors. Then, with the right cleaning solution, it's perfect for scrubbing dirty floors in the bathroom and kitchen. The head is removable from the handle and can go straight into the washing machine to be cleaned.
I'm particularly impressed with the durable, adjustable stainless-steel mop handle and the stainless-steel spin bucket. Other brands have plastic components that are more prone to breaking.
With the lever system to activate the spinning mechanism, my hands never have to touch the mopping water, and I can adjust the amount of moisture left in the mop head. I've been using it for many months with no issues, but it's good to know that replacement mop heads are available if this one ever wears out.
Pros: Simple to use for all hard surface floors, hands never have to touch water, easy to assemble, removable and replaceable mop head
Cons: Plastic lever can break if used with excessive force
What we're looking forward to testing
We're constantly testing new mops, so here's what we're looking forward to testing:
Rejuvenate: They make stick mop and cleaning systems that are similar to Swiffer, though the microfiber cleaning pads can be washed and reused. There are also different colored pads for dry dusting, wet mopping, and polishing so it's easier to keep track of each one's purpose.
Check out our other cleaning guides
The best laundry odor removers
You'd assume that having gone through a wash, your clothes would come out smelling clean. Unfortunately, some odors are so strong and tough to remove, it seems they're baked in forever - from cooking, smoking, or mildew. Don't worry, nothing is permanent, as we've found the best odor removers you can use to remove the stink from your laundry.
The best floor cleaners
Taking care of hard surface floors is a never-ending job. Just think about what gets dropped and spilled on your floors and what comes into your home on the bottom of shoes. Sweeping or vacuuming can capture much of the loose dirt and hair, but eventually, some of the mess will stick and the floor is going to need to be cleaned with a mop and a good cleaner.
The best cleaning products for kitchen and laundry appliances
Some of your appliances are designed to keep things in your home clean, but who's cleaning them? Maintain them in their best shape by using these great cleaning products. Here are the best cleaning products you can buy for kitchen and laundry appliances.
The best disinfecting cleaners
If there's one reason to keep your home clean, it's to protect against the spread of germs. A disinfecting cleaner can help kill bacteria and other illness-causing organisms and keep your family healthy. Here are the best household disinfectants you can buy.