Best floor mops for sparkling results, tried and tested

Suitable for all types of flooring, the Vileda turbo smart spin mop is super easy to use. It’s lightweight, making it ideal for taking up and down stairs, although, the bucket is a bit bulkier than average, due to the built-in pedal.

However, it’s that pedal that makes this floor mop special, as it operates the turbo wringer. Once you’ve dunked your mop into the water, place the mophead into the wringer then pump the pedal a few times to get rid of any excess water. This leaves the right amount of water on the mop to clean the floors without leaving them soaking wet. The mop did a good job of lifting all dirt on just one pass over, too.

The microfibre head can remove more than 99 per cent of bacteria just by using water, which is great if you’re not a fan of using harsh chemical cleaners. The head can also be removed and machine washed, so it keeps its hygienic freshness for longer, although, Vileda does suggest changing the head every six months, for greater cleaning power.

Suitable for all types of flooring, this model has earned its place as our favourite floor mop overall.

If you want a traditional mop and bucket but don’t have the space, this compact solution from Beldray is ideal. It’s small and does a great job of cleaning all types of flooring. The bucket is separated into two parts, water and detergent on one side and a space for excess water to be stored once you’ve wrung out the mop. This mop and bucket set comes with two reusable microfibre cloths, which simply attach to the mop head via a Velcro fastening.

The mop head has a 180-degree swivel, which makes it easy to manoeuvre around furniture. The floor came up pretty clean after just the first run, with little excess water left on the floor, meaning it dried quickly, too.

Ideal for hard flooring, the Bona wood floor spray mop has a long, wide mop pad, which means you can cover a lot of ground quickly. It even comes with a reusable cleaning spray that has been designed specifically for hardwood.

This spray mop feels like a premium product, too – it’s solid and not that lightweight, especially when the bottle is attached, so you have that bit of weight to help you get a good even push across the floor.

The mop did a good job of putting a shine on our hardwood floor but, for any built-on dirt, it took a couple of passes to get floors looking really clean. The rectangle head also did a good job of getting right into the corners and up against the skirting board, so you get a good all-round clean.

The microfibre pad can be removed and machine washed but it’s worth keeping in mind there’s only one in the box, as you’ll need to wash it after each clean, to avoid harbouring any bad bacteria.

This Karcher model is one of the best steam mops we’ve tested. It’s small, compact and super lightweight. The water tank sits on the head of the mop and it gets hot enough to start generating steam within 30 seconds of being turned on. It has a built-in descaling cartridge, so there will be no limescale or scum left behind on your floors, either.

The mop pad has a hook and loop fastening, so, when you’re removing a dirty pad, you won’t have to touch it, keeping your hands free from any dirt and bacteria the mop has picked up from the floors.

You can’t use any chemical cleaners with this product, so the floors did smell a little when we first went over them, as the mop was getting rid of all the dirt and grime brought in on little paws belonging to four-legged friends. However, a second and third go left our floors smelling much fresher.

Best suited for hard floors, such as wood and tiles, this steam mop scrubs as it glides. This is great if you want to get rid of stubborn dirt in high-traffic areas such as the kitchen or hallway. The Shark steam and scrub has two discs that rotate while steam is being released, to give a thorough clean. The water tank is situated to the front of the mop and flips open, making it really easy to fill. There’s also a small window, so you can see how much water has been used and whether you need to refill.

This mop gets up to temperature within 30 seconds or so and we found it lasts about 15 minutes on just one tank of water. There are two settings: normal clean and light clean, with the latter working well if you just want to freshen up your floors.

The mop comes with a set of spare pads, so you’ll still be able to use your mop if the other pads are in your washing machine. The cord is also extra long – we managed to reach three rooms without having to unplug it.

This steam mop did a really good job of getting the floor clean after one pass, but bear in mind the circular pads don’t do so well at getting right into the corners of a room.

Offering a quick and easy way to clean hard floors, this mop enables you to get rid of the messy mop bucket, instead of using a spray action that squirts the cleaner as you glide the microfibre head across surfaces. The head is wide, so you get good coverage, and the spray covers quite a large area, too, so you won’t find yourself constantly pulling the trigger to release more liquid.

This is a great choice if you don’t want your floors to stay wet for ages, as the microfibre head does a great job of picking up dirt and absorbing any excess water as it goes. We found this mop did a superb job of picking up dirt and grime from the very first pass. The head also folds upwards, for easy storage, and the microfibre pad can be machine-washed when you’re done cleaning.

This is one of the best spray mops we’ve tested. You simply add your cleaning solution to the bottle at the front and you’re ready to go. It has a soft grip handle and the trigger is easy to operate, which is ideal if you don’t have a good grip.

It’s perfect for all surfaces, including hardwood. If your floors are particularly grimy, there is a pedal that will release a small, triangular scrubber for spot cleaning. When you’re ready to get back to covering the whole area, the microfibre pad just slots back on. The pads are also machine-washable, so you won’t have to worry about harbouring dirt and germs after cleaning your floors.