The floors are probably the dirtiest part of my home, especially living in New York City, so I am very serious about what I use to clean them. I have used probably every floor-cleaning device you could dream of, and have even gotten on my hands and knees to spot-clean areas that just didn't get "clean enough." From vacuums to Vabrooms to TikTok Shop trending devices, I have tried them all, but because my space is limited, I wanted to find the best option to get my floors spotless.
The cleaning industry has been booming with new product launches coming seemingly every week. Many brands work to simplify your cleaning experience by combining different devices together, from wet and dry vacuums to even robot vacuums and mops that clean when you're not there — the options seem endless.
If you've been struggling to find a great option to get your floor shiny and tackle tough grime – I hear you! I took it upon myself to test out three popular but very different mops to see which one is worth keeping in your home – the O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber, the AlfaBot Electric Spin Mop and the Shark Professional Steam Pocket Mop. Read on to see whether a steam mop, a wet mop or a spin mop is the best option for your floors.
What to know about the different types of mops and bacteria on floors
To find out what makes a great mop, I enlisted the help of cleaning expert Jennifer Rodriguez, the Chief Hygiene Officer of Pro Housekeepers. I wanted to find out what mops are best for different floors, whether water temperature matters and what cleaning agents should be used.
Rodriguez first mentions that a great mop effectively picks up dirt/messes and does not just move them around. I asked her about the three different types of mops I am testing and here's what she had to say, "Spin mops are great for everyday cleaning and can handle most floor types with ease. Wet mops are good for basic maintenance but can sometimes leave streaks if not wrung out properly. Steam mops are excellent for deep cleaning and sanitizing without chemicals, but they aren’t ideal for all surfaces."
She notes that while steam does the best for sanitizing, it can also damage certain floor types. For cleaning agents she recommends you check with your floor manufacturer to see what chemicals can be used, but generally, "For wet mops, a pH-neutral floor cleaner is usually the safest option for most surfaces. For steam mops, distilled water is best—adding cleaning agents can damage the internal components."
We also previously spoke with Dr. Lisa Cuchara, a professor of biomedical sciences at the School of Health Sciences at Quinnipiac University about wearing your "outdoor" shoes indoors. She notes that bacteria will always find its way into your home when you wear your outdoor shoes inside. She also mentions that "More bacteria and more diarrheal-causing bacteria is typically found on the bottom of your shoes than on a public toilet seat.”
You might be saying 'Yikes' after reading that, and that is the correct reaction, so let's dive into what mop you should invest in to keep your floors clean.
Best affordable mop:
This mop from O-Cedar is about as traditional as you can get for modern mops. The device comes with a bucket that has a spin attachment which allows you to wring the mop hands-free thanks to a foot pedal. The head features a detachable microfiber mop that can be easily washed in a machine. The mop head is triangle-shaped, so it is able to get into tough cracks and hard-to-reach areas.
If you have a smaller sink like I do, you might have to fill up the water basin in the shower. I used pretty lukewarm water, and put in some Fabuloso to help get a deeper clean. I filled the tank up about halfway to the fill point. I like that the bucket comes with a large handle, but it can be annoying having to carry around a heavy bucket with no top if your home has multiple floors or hard spaces.
After swishing around the mop in the water I wanted to see how much water came out when not using the self-wringing function. The mop was pretty heavy and made a big splash on my floor. I then used the feature to wring out the mop and started cleaning my floors as normal. I did like that I was able to control how much water I put on my floors, and was able to then go over the floors with a dry mop head later on (thanks to the self-wringing feature). The mop itself is pretty light, so it is easy to move around on the floor, and the microfiber towel head was very effective in picking up debris.
I do wish it came with a smaller head attachment for those harder-to-reach areas, as the head is a bit thick, but overall it is a great affordable option for all floors.
Best deep cleaning mop:
This mop ticks all my boxes for being able to deep clean your home. I will say, my floors felt the most clean after using this mop. I love how fast it heats up once plugged in, in under 30 seconds.
Rodriguez previously explained that, “Hotter steam blasts away grease and germs better. We like mops that pump out solid heat so we’re not stuck scrubbing forever.” So I feel like this option was helpful in doing just that.
The tank is easy to fill with water, thanks to the angled cup it comes with. The brand does recommend that you only use this on sealed hard floors. The mop has three settings — low (great for dusting hardwood), medium (great for regular mopping) and high (for really tough grime and scrubbing).
I first tried the mop on the low setting for my bedroom hardwood, since that room faces direct sunlight and tends to get dusty. It worked great at the lower setting and really got rid of all the dust. On the medium setting, I used it on my bathroom tile floors to get water stains and other light grime up. The steam came out evenly and was able to get into cracks in the grout. At the highest setting, I used the mop on my kitchen floor since so much gunk gets in there and it is right next to my front door, so it sees a lot of walking around with shoes on. The mop was able to lift up sauces and smashed food that had been stuck there with ease.
My favorite part of this mop is that if one side of your mop is getting dirty, you can flip it to the other side of the pad, and go from there. The 180-degree versatility is a game changer when you are working on large hardwood surfaces.
Wet & Forget Shower Cleaner
According to the brand, this weekly spray can help eliminate the need for elbow grease.
$20.98
$29.99
Amazon
$20.98
Home Depot
Clorox Plus Tilex Mold and Mildew Remover
This cleaner promises to remove stains without scrubbing.
$4.68
$6.75
Walmart
$5.49
Target
Coralpearl Utility Brushes (Set of 2)
Hard to reach areas are now easier with these brushes.
$13.99
Amazon
The Pink Stuff The Miracle All Purpose Cleaning Paste
Editors love this easy-to-use paste for all kinds of messes.
$5.97
Amazon
$5.97
Home Depot
$5.99
Target
Mr. Clean Small Reusable Latex Gloves (Set of 2)
Protect your hands with these gloves on cleaning days.
$7.25
Amazon
Oxo Wiper Blade
Keep mirrors, windows or showers streak-free with this tool.
$10.99
Amazon
$10.99
Target
$10.99
The Container Store
Bar Keeper's Friend Soft Cleanser & Foam Spray
For all surfaces, this cleaner will be your best friend.
$15.00
$19.99
Amazon
Miss Mouth's Messy Eater Stain Treater Spray
Treat fresh or dried stains with this formula, says the brand.
$9.99
The Container Store
$7.97
$12.00
Walmart
Best mop for easy use:
If you want a mop that basically does all the work for you, this one from Alfabot is the choice for you. There's no plugging in and no bending down. The mop is pretty light, moves 180 degrees and holds a 50-minute charge.
Once on, the mop has two pads that spin in opposite directions to tackle grime. If you want to scrub something you are able to press a button to control how much water/cleaning solution comes out of the sprayer. The sprayer sprays water 1 foot out which you are then able to go over with the spinning pads. I will say because this mop is so light, I would not use it on sticky grime because there is no heat involved in the spinning, so it can push around sticky messes.
The mop has a light on its head so you are able to really spot all the dirt on your floors and under hard-to-reach areas like the couch or under the table.
Best mop overall: Shark Professional Pocket Steam Mop
Out of the three mops I tested on my floors, the Shark Professional Pocket Steam Mop delivered the best results on the mess on my floors. The quick-working action and heavy-duty use of the mop head was what set it apart from the other two options. I even used it after the other two mops, to see if I could remove any leftover dirt. I also felt like I was spending a lot less time moving the mop around because the heat from the steam mop was able to lift dirt so fast.
I also loved the feature that made the mop able to be flipped over to use the other side of the pad because instead of switching out the pads, you essentially had a brand new clean pad within the same use.
With the electric spin mop, while it was able to scrub, did prove to be a bit of a hazard because it goes so fast you almost feel like you do not have control.
The O-Cedar mop proved to be just too much extra work for me. I wanted something I could just plug in and go. I think if you have a really big hardwood area or kitchen this mop is good, but for me, my floors have too much furniture and other decor that the mop head was just too big to clean around.
How we chose
We chose to try these mops because they came with great online reviews and recommendations from our editors. Our writer used the mops in her own home during a deep clean day and worked to make her floors especially messy with sauces and food to show the true use of each mop. She used the mops on a variety of floors like hardwood, tile and more. We also looked at a number of key features when deciding on the best mop like size, ease of use, heat and more.
Why trust Shop TODAY?
The Shop TODAY editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources and use our own personal experiences with the product and brand to make shopping easier for our readers.
Annie Shigo is an editorial assistant who started reviewing and testing products to write about in 2023 in the beauty, tech, fashion and cleaning space, so she knows how to tell what works and what doesn’t.
Meet the expert
At Shop TODAY, our reporters interview a range of qualified sources and experts to capture a wide scope of perspectives on a given topic. We also ensure that all expert guidance and recommendations are provided independently and without any undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Jennifer Rodriguez is the chief hygiene officer at Pro Housekeepers. She is knowledgeable in all cleaning practices and has years of experience in the field.
- Lisa Cuchara is a Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Quinnipiac University.
