The Best Mops for Keeping Wood Floors Spotless

Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about The Best Mops for Keeping Wood Floors Spotless and hope the blog can help you.

Keep wood floors stunning with these mop favorites designed especially for hardwood flooring.

Editor’s Note: Testing for this article took place in late 2023 and these products remain our current top recommendations for 2024 until we revisit this category. Stay tuned for our 2024 updates.

Hardwood floors are a coveted classic for their diverse graining and beautiful colors that add richness and dimension to so many decor schemes. But in homes with children, pets, and/or heavy traffic, hardwood floors are prone to showing dirt and dust quickly. 

If maintained properly—and that means having the right tool—wood floors can hold their finish for years without damage or cracking. Some brooms, for instance, can be too abrasive, whereas mops designed to clean hardwood floors are ideal for these surfaces.

It can be tricky to pick a floor mop that suits your cleaning style and budget, as well as the degree of dirt and stains on your flooring. To help you find the best mop for your situation, we put a host of different products through their paces in a home with plenty of dust, dirt, and pet hair. We also spoke to professionals like Ryan Knoll, owner of Tidy Casa in Scottsdale, Arizona, which cleans up to 700 houses every month. He shared his expert knowledge on what shoppers will want to look for in a mop. 

While some excellent products came from familiar, trusted brands, we were surprised to learn that a few top contenders failed to perform as expected. This goes to show the importance of real-user testing to separate hype from quality. 

Read on to get a handle on what to look for in the best mops for wood floors, as well as our reviews of products we deem superior in today’s crowded market.

1. BEST OVERALL: Mr.Siga Professional Microfiber Mop for Wood Floors
2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Swiffer Sweeper 2-in-1 Sweeping and Mopping Kit
3. UPGRADE PICK: Bissell 2039A SpinWave Hard Floor Spin Mop
4. BEST VAC/MOP COMBO: Tineco Floor One S5 Vac/Mop Combo
5. BEST SPIN MOP: O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop & Bucket System
6. BEST SPRAY MOP: Bona Premium Spray Mop for Hardwood Floors
7. BEST STEAM MOP: Bissell 1940 PowerFresh Steam Mop for Wood Floors

How We Tested the Best Mops for Wood Floors

We put a series of mops for hardwood floors, both cordless and corded, through their paces in a typical home that accumulated dust, dirt, pet hair, and muddy paw prints. We used the mops with their provided cleaners or distilled water, as recommended by the manufacturers. 

We noted how easy or difficult the mops were to assemble, and considered the practicality of storing them. Finally, we used each in a controlled test of dried mud and ketchup smeared on hardwood floors and noted how much mess each floor mop left behind.

Testing Stats
Products tested	8
Time spent testing	3 hours per mop
Tests performed	3 to 4
Price range	$20 to $500

Our Top Picks

Many do not know what to look for in the best mops for hardwood floors, but here are some real-life reviews to get you started. Check out the following models, all of which met our criteria for quality, ease of use, and overall performance, to find the best mops for wood flooring for your particular needs.

Best Overall

Mr. Siga Professional Microfiber Mop for Wood Floors

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Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5;Effectiveness 4/5; Maneuverability 5/5; Value 5/5

Product Specs

• Type of mop: Flat
• Reusable or disposable mophead: Reusable
• Type of cleaner needed: Water or user’s choice

Pros

• Comes with 3 machine-washable microfiber cloths that are easy to reuse; more eco-conscious than other options
• Attractive price point compared to similar options currently on the market 
• Telescoping handle stores easily; great for use and storage in smaller spaces
• Included dirt scrubber reaches under and into tight spaces easily 

Cons

• No automatic wringing function; this can leave the mop excessively wet

Though Mr.Siga wasn’t an immediately recognizable brand, we were delightfully surprised by the excellent job its Professional Microfiber Mop did in testing. We found that this tall floor mop with an adjustable stainless steel telescoping handle had great reach under dusty couches and around table legs. The very wide rectangular mophead with a 360-degree swivel action meant less work on large hardwood floors, since with fewer swipes and greater maneuverability, we got our dusting and wet-mopping jobs done quickly.

At first, we were stumped on how to moisten the cleaning cloth, but a bit of online research taught us a few tricks for microfiber mops. Simply wet the cloth, roll it up to wring it out, then attach it to the mophead base. The microfiber mop cloths are reusable—just toss in the washing machine to launder. A handy dirt scrubber attachment is included for tight corners and tough grime, and the mop can be used on a variety of surfaces, including marble, tile, and laminate, as well as hardwood.

Get the Mr.Siga microfiber mop for wood floors at Amazon or Mr.Siga. 

Best Bang for the Buck

Swiffer Sweeper 2-in-1 Sweeping and Mopping Kit

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Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5;Effectiveness 4/5; Maneuverability 4/5; Value 5/5

Product Specs

• Type of mop: Flat
• Reusable or disposable mophead: Disposable (wet and dry)
• Type of cleaner needed: None (wet pads come premoistened)

Pros

• Lightweight mop is easy to use and store; ideal for homes with limited space
• Dry pads capture all manner of dust and debris and are suitable for homes with children and pets 
• Fresh pads for every use means excellent cleaning ability; no need to clean old, dirty pads 

Cons

• Replacement pads are somewhat expensive if bought frequently 
• Wet pads have a strong scent that may not suit everyone’s liking
• Not as durable as comparable options; mop handle can bend from heavy-duty use

When quick, convenient floor cleaning is the order of the day, a disposable mop cloth may be the best solution. Swiffer offers this kit with the necessary pieces to get floors clean fast: the mop itself, four dry heavy-duty refills, three wet heavy-duty refills, 10 dry sweeping cloths, and two wet mopping pads. For the most part, we were impressed by this inexpensive, lightweight, and complete floor-cleaning system.

Swiffer’s 360-degree swivel action made hard-to-reach places easier to access, and its easy-grip handle kept the unit from slipping away while mopping. During tests, we found that the heavy-duty wet pad captured a lot of tough grime on our wood floors. (Note that these pads should not be used on unsealed wood floors.) On the downside, however, was the strong and somewhat lingering proprietary scent. Also, occasionally the pad popped out of the mophead for no apparent reason. Keep in mind that the wet refills should only be used to maintain sealed wood floors.

Get the Swiffer mopping kit for wood floors at Amazon, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, or Target.

Upgrade Pick

Bissell 2039A SpinWave Hard Floor Spin Mop

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Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Effectiveness 2/5; Maneuverability 3/5; Value 3/5

Product Specs

• Type of mop: Flat/spinning
• Reusable or disposable mophead: Reusable
• Type of cleaner needed: Water with Bissell’s hardwood cleaner (recommended)

Pros

• Spinning mop pads are suitable for surfaces including tile, hardwood, vinyl, and linoleum
• Powerful electric cleaner works on tougher stains and spills; mop heads are machine washable for convenience
• Long power cord is ideal for larger areas including kitchens, living spaces, and commercial spaces
• Spray button to dispense cleaning solution is simple to use

Cons

• Some users have reported that this model can leave streaks on the floor 
• Poor performance on dried mud and ketchup; may not be able to take on very difficult messes 

This corded electric model from Bissell uses a pair of rotating mop pads that power through dust and most dirt, so users needn’t apply much elbow grease. Its generous 22-foot cord is long enough to let us reach the corners of even our largest rooms. The included soft-touch and scrub pads are machine washable, and an on-demand spray feature delivers the cleaning solution from its 28-ounce tank at the touch of a button. Also included are samples of Bissell’s own brand of hardwood cleaner, which mixes with water to fuel the mop.

While the swivel steering gives access to those hard-to-reach corners, we found that the dual set of round mopheads don’t fit well into tight spaces. Also, while our testing found this mop to have plenty of zip to move around the floor and gather surface dirt, it couldn’t effectively battle dried mud and ketchup; in fact, the Spinwave spread rather than banished this tough dirt. The Spinwave mop is safe for cleaning sealed hardwood floors as well as tile, vinyl, and linoleum.

Get the Bissell SpinWave mop for wood floors at Ace Hardware, Amazon, Wayfair, or Bissell.

Best Vac/Mop Combo

Tineco Floor ONE S5 Vac/Mop Combo

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Our Ratings: Ease of Use 3/5;Effectiveness 4/5; Maneuverability 4/5; Value 4/5

Product Specs 

• Type of mop: Wet/dry mop
• Reusable or disposable mophead: Reusable brush roll
• Type of cleaner needed: Water or Tineco’s floor solution 

Pros

• Self-propelled feature makes this unit virtually weightless when cleaning and great for anyone with arm or back issues
• Large clean-water and dirty-water tanks for longer cleaning times without refilling or emptying
• Self-cleaning roller brush and smart technology tells users when to use the self-cleaning function 
• Cord-free design allows users to take the unit anywhere in the house without worrying about cord length or tangling

Cons

• As with any wet/dry vac, it’s important to clean the dirty-water tank after each use to prevent smells
• If battery is fully depleted, charging can take up to an hour before cleaning can resume

For those who are looking for an effective way to clean hardwood floors all in one step, a vac/mop combo may be the answer. 

The Tineco Floor ONE S5 smart wet/dry vacuum cleaner is an all-in-one machine. The unit vacuums up debris while mopping the floor simultaneously. It is self-propelled, which makes cleaning a breeze, especially anyone with arm or back issues. 

Safe for hardwood floors, the Tineco wet/dry vacuum cleaner uses its proprietary iLoop Smart Sensor Technology to automatically sense the level of dirt, which allows it to adjust suction, water flow, and brush-roller speed. When we tested it on a larger mess, the iLoop sensor properly sensed the soiled area and increased the roller speed. Once the area was clean, the iLoop sensor shifted the roller speed back down to normal. 

The cordless vacuum is battery-operated and runs up to 35 minutes on one charge. We found that this was plenty of time to clean our 1,700-square-foot home. We keep our floors pretty tidy and found that when we do so, the battery lasts even longer than 35 minutes. 

We were shocked to see how well this vac/mop cleaned our floors as evidenced by the feel of the floors on our bare feet and the dirty water in the tank. We’ve used many vac/mops throughout the years and we were so happy to see Tineco has a debris filter so hair and gunk does not fall to the bottom of the dirty-water tank. 

Another great feature is the large clean-water tank. We can clean our entire upstairs living area without having to stop and empty the dirty-water tank or refill the clean- water tank. This is a huge improvement over other vac/mops with smaller tanks. 

With its cordless design, this is our go-to mop for cleaning big and small messes. 

Get the Tineco mop for wood floors at Amazon.

Best Spin Mop

O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop & Bucket System

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Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4/5;Effectiveness 3/5; Maneuverability 4/5; Value 3.3/5

Product Specs 

• Type of mop: Spin
• Reusable or disposable mophead: Reusable
• Type of cleaner needed: Water or user’s choice

Pros

• Spin mechanism makes it easy to control how much water or cleaning solution you use per mop stroke
• Foot-activated pedal prevents the discomfort of bending over or wringing by hand
• Triangular mophead and pivoting head-to-handle connection facilitate cleaning in corners and under furniture
• Machine-washable and reusable microfiber mophead removes 99 percent of bacteria

Cons

• Telescopic handle can get stuck if overtightened, making the mop less convenient to store
• No separate reservoir for dirty water means mop solution gets icky when cleaning a large area

With its ability to remove over 99 percent of floor bacteria using plain water, the O-Cedar EasyWring spin mop has been an effective household favorite for years. In testing, we found this spin mop and bucket system convenient to use and simple to store. We loved that its triangular mophead is reusable, washable, and easy to replace and that its handle pivots and flattens to maneuver under furniture.

Unlike many manufacturers, O-Cedar clearly says you needn’t buy a special cleaning solution to use with this mop. We love the flexibility of cleaning with water alone, our favorite hardwood floor cleaner, or one of O-Cedar’s fragrant enzyme pacs. It’s also easy to customize the amount of solution applied to the floor during cleaning, thanks to this mop’s convenient foot pedal. Adding more solution to particularly grimy floors made removing stuck-on spaghetti sauce much easier, whereas using a drier mop let us step on the floors sooner. 

The bucket design of this spin mop features a built-in wringer and foot pedal. This is an effective system for wringing out the mop, but it might take more pumps of the pedal to get the mophead dry than would be the case for a mop with a handle wringer. During testing, it took more than 40 wrings to dry the mophead, but we didn’t mind since the pedal is so easy to use. 

O-Cedar’s microfiber mophead is reusable and machine washable. After every mopping or two, we simply detach the mophead and throw it in with a load of towels and rags. After several months, replacing the mophead with an O-Cedar refill is easy and cost-effective. 

Storing this mop and bucket is easy as well. Its 51-inch telescopic handle collapses and fits neatly in the buck for storage. Just be sure you don’t overtighten the handle while it’s extended, or you risk a real struggle collapsing it again. The bucket’s splash guard and wheelless design are great for wood or laminate floors that you don’t want to risk scratching, though the mop also works on tile, sealed cement, and vinyl.

Get the O-Cedar mop for wood floors at Amazon, Lowe’s, The Home Depot, or Target.

Best Spray Mop

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