If you’re still cleaning with a mop and bucket, you should consider upgrading to a steam mop. Nobody enjoys mopping floors, and modern steam mops have greatly simplified the task, allowing you to get the same clean with a lot less effort.
Why use a steam mop?
Even if you start with hot water in a bucket, you certainly won’t finish that way, not to mention the water will be pretty gross. A steam mop maintains its heat, allowing for more consistent disinfection and deeper cleanings than always-getting-worse bucket water. A steam mop is also much easier to use during the cleaning process because of the single mop cloth that doesn’t require the labor of rinsing and wringing. Mop cloths come in reusable and disposable varieties so you can get the kind of steam mop and mop heads to best suit your cleaning needs.
What else should I know before getting a steam mop?
All steam mops will create some amount of heat to clean your floors, but they come with different features and priorities.
Some are lightweight and easier to maneuver, and some are more heavy-duty. A few of the pricier steam mops are also vacuums. On the cheaper side, there are mops that need to be pumped by hand to create and expel the steam while others turn on and stay steaming. Water tank sizes also vary, which will affect the overall weight.
On a general note, for long-term durability, many manufacturers recommend using distilled water to prevent build-up that reduces performance. You can use tap water, but you might have to clean out the steam mop later.
Related Stories
Bottom line
Except for the really cheap steam mops, any option is an improvement on the old mop and bucket. The hot temperatures and great scrubber pads will make cleaning messy kitchen or bathroom floors a much less exhausting and unpleasant experience.
For the simple reason that a good steam mop saves time and energy, we’ve rounded up a variety of great steam mop options. Check out some of the best steam mops Bissell, Shark and more have to offer.
1. Bissell Power Fresh Steam Mop
BEST OVERALL
The Bissell Power Fresh Steam Mop will make you wonder why you ever bothered with a mop and bucket. Its three levels of steam will take care of germs and bacteria on tile and hardwood floors, no chemicals necessary. The swivel steering is easy to use and the 23-foot power cord won’t have you constantly worrying about unplugging.
The steam mop itself weighs 6 pounds and the water tank holds 16 ounces, so overall, it’s not too heavy and easy to fill once and use.
It comes with a washable soft pad and scrubby pad, fragrant discs for the mop pad if you want fragrance and a carpet attachment for touch-ups.
Overall, this Bissell steam mop is an all-around great option. It works well, is easy to use and is fairly priced for how much better your life will be with it.
2. O-Cedar Microfiber Steam Mop
RUNNER-UP
The O-Cedar Microfiber Steam Mop makes for a little different but nonetheless solid option with essential features at a reasonable price. The triangular head makes getting certain angles easier and the washable microfiber pads are designed for maximum steam penetration to clean your floors better more easily. The mop’s fairly lightweight at 5 pounds and features a 19-foot cord, more than enough length to work unimpeded. Plus you can control the steam with a dial for different kinds of floor, and the mop comes with a carpet glider to refresh your carpet.
The O-Cedar Microfiber Steam Mop isn’t fancy, but it works well.
3. True & Tidy Mult-Surface Steam Mop
BUDGET PICK
The True & Tidy Mult-Surface Steam Mop doesn’t cost much and will get the job done for a small space. Plug the 13-foot cord in, flip the switch and the lightweight mop steams up in 30 seconds, giving you 15 minutes of steam time courtesy of a surprisingly sizable 11.84-ounce water tank. But what makes this steam mop affordable is also its downside: the push button to steam. Pressing a button to push out steam can get tiring on fingers, especially if you are trying to clean a larger floor space.
On the other hand, if you appreciate the manual steam control or are just looking for a decent cheap steam mop, the True & Tidy mop will be perfect.
4. Shark Lift-Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop
BEST MOP AND HANDHELD STEAMER
For the first entrant from Shark, the Shark Lift-Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop works great as a steam mop or a handheld steamer for above-floor cleaning.
The steam has three levels and the various included pads and tools work well to lift dirt and grime, leaving your floors spick and span.
Because touching floor pads is not fun, this mop uses a touch-free pad attach and release system, so you can drop the pad right into the washing machine or the garbage at the end of its lifecycle.
A 22-foot cord and 500-milliliter, or approximately 16.9-ounce, water tank means you fill this up and plug it in once and you’re ready to tackle any large home floor space.
5. Bissell Commercial Steam Mop Power Steamer
LONGEST CORD
If you’re dealing with multiple rooms and don’t want to have to worry about the cord, the Bissell Commercial Steam Mop Power Steamer boasts a 50-foot length cord. It’s also got a 500-milliliter water tank, so you might have to stop and refill, and a reasonable, reusable 12.5-inch cleaning pad as well as three levels of steam control.
Sure, it’s a little pricey for being so basic, but it’s designed to mop large spaces quickly and effectively, which it does.
6. Bissell 2747A PowerFresh Vac & Steam All-in-One Vacuum and Steam Mop
BEST VACUUM-MOP
For the best in time-saving design, turn to a two-in-one vacuum mop like the Bissell 2747A PowerFresh Vac & Steam All-in-One Vacuum and Steam Mop. The vacuum cousin of the best overall steam mop, this device uses a cyclonic vacuum to suck up larger debris into a separate container and then hits the same space with steam heat. The end result is an effortlessly clean floor, no matter the state you found it in.
And if you only want to vacuum or steam, you can do that too. Heads up, with the parts needed to vacuum, this steam mop is a little heavy at 9.74 pounds, and that’s not counting a full 12.8-ounce water tank.
7. Black & Decker Steam Mop & Dry Vacuum
ALSO GREAT VACUUM-MOP
Because vacuuming and steaming at the same time is so convenient, we wanted to offer another great two-in-one vacuum mop. The Black & Decker Steam Mop & Dry Vacuum means business. It’s sizable at 10 pounds, but it feels sturdy and uses its size for high-quality features. The steamer works well, the vacuum works well and this steam mop has a sizable dustbin and water tank.
The cord could be longer at 16 feet, but if something works really well, we’re not complaining too much when we have to change outlets.
Your Kitchen Sponge Is Gross — Get One of These Silicone Ones Instead