Vacuums are technology’s answer to the broom, but what about the mop? Can an electric mop really outperform a manual mop?
Well, it depends. Let’s look at a quick breakdown of what products you have to choose from when it comes to electric mops and scrubbers.
We’ve separated products into seven categories that encompass the majority of electric mops and scrubbing devices meant for cleaning a variety of surfaces, including hardwood and floors like tile:
Mop Types
More Reading
Now we’re going to show you our recommended mops from each category, along with their strengths and weaknesses. Use the links above to skip ahead to the section that interests you, or keep reading!
Keep In Mind
Each of these mop types handle messes differently. For example, robot mops aren’t capable of cleaning up large amounts of liquid, such as a glass of milk. The same can be said for steam or on-demand spray mops; there just isn’t enough material on the mop head for absorbing large quantities of liquid. In the electric mop world, the vacuum/mop combo, often called a wet-dry vac, dominates large messes.
1. Steam Mops
Rather than rely on detergents, steam mops generate steam that helps dampen and loosen tough, sticky messes from sealed hard floors. The scrubbing action is done with a removeable cloth or soft-touch pad, usually reusable, that works similar to most soft-touch microfiber or on-demand spray mops.
Strengths
- Steam mops pads are generally not “fluffy” and allow you to scrub and remove tough, sticky messes.
- Steam is cheap. However, most manufacturers recommend using only distilled water, which can easily be found at your local grocery store. This avoids mineral buildup from the impurities found in tap water.
- Lightweight and easy to maneuver around and under furniture.
Weaknesses
- Can’t be used on unsealed hardwood floors. Your hardwood floor needs to be sealed after installation to insure the space between the edges of each board are protected.
- Steam mops are limited in the amount of liquid they can absorb, so large spills aren’t something they can handle. However, double-sided mop heads give you more surface area for absorption.
Warning: About Hardwood Floors
It is recommended that steam mops (or any liquid cleaner) only be used on hardwood floors that have been sealed with polyurethane after laying so that the grooves between each board are sealed as well. If your floor was sealed at the factory, but not after it was laid, then you should not be using a steam mop. Seek professional advice on how your specific floor should be cleaned.
Steam Mop Comparison Table
Why Pick the Shark Genius Steam Mop?
One of the common complaints about some steam mops, and other mops that rely on detachable pads, is that the pad isn’t secure and moves, or even falls off, when you apply too much pressure. Shark’s locking mechanism for the pad is as secure as you could hope for it to be. Also, you don’t even have to touch the exterior of the pad to remove it.
Aside from that there are a few reasons that it stands out.
- Double-sided soft-touch pad that you can easily flip over.
- 3 levels of steam with the S5003D model.
- Steam Blaster for focusing on tough, sticky messes.
- 22′ Power Cord
There’s more to a good steam mop than just producing steam. The simple features outlined above come together in the Shark Genius to make a solid steam mop. It addresses many of the common complaints that we see in customer reviews.
The Number One Rule of Steam Mops
Only water can be added to the tank, preferably distilled water. You will destroy your steam mop if you add cleaning solution. No essential oils!
When you introduce a cleaning solution to the water and then evaporate the water (as steam), you are left with a residue of all the chemicals inside the cleaning solution that didn’t make its way out with the steam. Eventually, the residual chemicals will burn as if you left a pot of water on the stovetop and dumped sugar into it and let the water boil off.
Bissell also sells demineralized water that will work with any steam mop, but you’ll find it’s probably cheaper to buy plain old distilled water locally.
How Do They Compare With Other Mops?
Steam mops are even more straightforward than spin mops in that the only extra function they perform is producing steam. One advantage to steam mops is that they don’t leave behind much water on your floor, so you don’t have to worry about waiting for it to dry or tracking dirty footprints. You can even control how much steam is released to fit your needs.
To get the best performance and life out of a steam mop, you also should use distilled or demineralized water. Water from a tap, unless you have a home filtration system, will always have minerals and small traces of other chemicals in the water. When the water evaporates into steam, the minerals will be left behind and eventually will reduce the performance of the machine.
It’s not going to ruin the steam mop if you use tap water, but if you can use filtered water in the mop, then you will increase the life of your steam mop.
Detachable Tank: Good or Bad?
As you can see, the majority of the steam mops in our table do not have removable tanks.
That’s a good thing.
The Bissell 1940, not shown in the table, is the basic model of the Bissell Model 1806 Steam Mop we’ve recommended above and is an example of a steam mop with a removable tank that has had some problems with leaks.
Now, we’re not claiming you can’t get a leak with a built-in tank, but repeatedly attaching and detaching the tank and building the mop with a mechanism to support that function creates a potential place for leaking to occur. Simply having a tank that attaches to the pump without any intermediate plumbing tricks creates less opportunity for problems.
About Our Runner-Up Pick
The Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe 1806 is an improvement over the Bissell PowerFresh 1940 model for several reasons, but most importantly the water tank. In the newer 1806 model, the water tank is built into the body of the mop. You will have to fill the tank with the provided cup, but this helps eliminate the leaking problems that occur on steam mops with removable tanks like the 1940 model.
There are a few other differences, such as the water tank is 19 oz. on the 1806 (up from 15 oz. on the 1940), and the power cord is 25 feet on the 1806 (up from 23 feet on the 1940). Another difference is the “SpotBOOST Brush” on the 1806 model, which essentially turns the body of the mop into a steam brush for getting tough, sticky messes.
Both the 1940 and 1806 model can be turned off without unplugging them.
Key Features
- SpotBOOST Brush turns the body of the mop into a steaming brush.
- Built-in water tank means no leaky seals.
- 2 Steam Settings (Can be turned OFF without unplugging.)
- Scent Discs Optional
- Safe for cleaning sealed hard floors, floors like tile, wood, stone, marble, granite, linoleum, and laminate flooring.
- 2 Year Limited Warranty
- 25-foot power cord
If you’re not completely satisfied with the idea of only relying on the steam from the mop to clean your floors, then you can spray the right amount of solution you usually would use onto the floor before or during cleaning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to pump the handle to release the steam?
A: No pumping required. Just set the steam level by pressing the button on the body and steam will continuously come out. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t leave the steam mop sitting in one spot for too long while it is still turned on. Use the same button to turn the steam setting to off.
Q: Can I use this on hardwood floors?
A: Yes, but the hardwood floors must be sealed. This means that the hardwood floors was sealed with polyurethane after being installed so that the seams are covered as well. If you use a steam mop on pre-sealed hardwood floors that is laid, leaving the seams unsealed, you can damage your floor over time.
Q: Do the pads slip off the steam mop?
A: As long as you put them on correctly this shouldn’t be much of an issue. It’s best to put the front of the pad on first, then tuck it into the groove on the mop and work your way around, tucking as much of the elastic band into the groove as possible. Bissell doesn’t recommend this, but you can put the pads in a clothes dryer and slightly shrink them. They will fit more snug after 1 or 2 cycles. Also, floors with a rougher texture will pull on the pad more. Allow steam to build up which will help lubricate the soft-touch pad as you mop.
Q: Are the pads washable/reusable?
A: Yes.
Q: How long from turning on does it take to produce steam?
A: About 20-30 Seconds
Q: Can this steam mop stand on its own?
A: Yes.
Other Steam Mop Options
Bissell Symphony Pet Vacuum and Steam Mop
The combination of vacuum and steam mop might seem odd, but it does solve a common problem of some steam mop users: when you are trying to clean up large amounts of dust or pet hair it will tend to clump up from the moisture and may even be left behind on the floor.
Now, typically when you mop a floor you sweep or vacuum beforehand. Steam mops perform best when you do the same thing before using them. Vacuums often leave fine dust and hair that still clings to the floor when suction alone won’t pull it loose.
Steam mops are a great tool to get that next level of clean after sweeping or vacuuming. They also don’t require you to use cleaning chemicals to sanitize your floors.
Does the Symphony perform both jobs well?
It’s not going to suck the finish off your hardwood floors, but it does remove enough debris to make the steam mop useful if you’re trying to skip sweeping, or using your standalone vacuum. Combining both functions into one is effective.
The Symphony is a unique product that can save you time if you want to touch-up your floors, but the vacuum isn’t going to replace a full-size upright or canister vacuum. You might see some complaints about a particular steam mop creating clumps of hair or dust, but the truth is these people are probably using the steam mop wrong. As we mentioned earlier, you have to vacuum or sweep the floor before using a mop, and the same is true for a steam mop.
If you already have a vacuum, which most people do, then the price jump from a traditional steam mop to the Bissell Symphony might not make sense to you. However, if you have a lot of sealed hard floors in your home, then the Symphony would probably serve you well.
The O-Cedar Steam Mop has all the necessities with an affordable price tag. Similar to the Bissell PowerFresh, it has a built-in water tank, so you don’t have to worry about leaks. The tank holds about 13 oz., which allows you to cover a lot of area in one fill. The Microfiber pad refills are relatively cheap as well. There is no warranty with this steam mop, unlike the Bissell that has a 2-year limited warranty.
Key Features
- Produces steam in 20 seconds
- Adjustable Steam Level (Can be turned OFF without unplugging.)
- Includes a glider for carpets.
- Triangular Head Design makes cleaning corners easy.
- Safe for cleaning sealed hard surface floors, floors like tile, wood, stone, marble, granite, linoleum, and laminate flooring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How are the soft-touch microfiber pads attached and do they slip off?
A: They are attached using velcro strips and stay on with no issues.
Q: How many times can I wash the pads before replacing them?
A: About 25 times, as recommended by the manufacturer. Of course, this depends on how you use them.
Q: How is the water tank refilled?
A: A 200 mL cup is provided and it takes about 2 filled cups to fill the tank. The tank is not detachable.
Q: What are the dimensions of the triangular mop head?
A: 12″ across the back (hypotenuse) and 9″ on each side.
2. Electric Spin Mop
Electric spin mops rely on friction from rotating soft-touch pads or scrubby pads for tough messes and generally have an onboard tank of cleaner you can spray as you clean. The spinning action means they rely less on your ability to put downward pressure on them as you mop.
There is a corded and cordless model of the Bissell Spinwave hard floor mop. The lithium ion battery on the cordless Bissel Spinwave hard floor mop will last about 20 minutes. If you’re concerned about the battery life, then consider the corded model.
Strengths
- Easily glides across the floor. Great if you have wrist, hand, or other mobility issues such as arthritis.
- Switch between soft-touch pads or scrubby pads for tough messes as needed.
- On-demand spray that allows you to dispense just the right amount of solution onto your floors.
- The spinning action reduces the cleaning effort.
Weaknesses
- Can’t soak up large quantities of liquid.
- Attaching the soft-touch pads or scrubby pads takes some practice. You have to get them centered just right.
Electric Spin Mops Comparison Table
Why Pick the Bissel Spinwave hard floor mop?
The Bissell SpinWave hard floor mop is a great daily cleaning tool for your bare floors. With the option to get a corded or cordless model, you can either opt for more freedom or the ability to clean a large area at once. If your home has mostly bare flooring, you might find a cordless just can’t keep up. The weight, on-demand spray reservoir, and cleaning performance of the corded and cordless model are the same.
Most spin mops have an onboard tank and on-demand spray so you can apply the right amount of cleaning solution as you go. This means you can control how wet your floors are better than a traditional mop, and you don’t have to worry about dirty mop water. Just drop the dirty pad in the washing machine, and you’re done.
Key Features
- Tank capacity 28 oz.
- Includes soft-touch pads for gently cleaning hardwood floors and scrubby pads for tough, sticky messes.
- The spinning pads make it glide across the floor which reduces cleaning effort.
- On-demand spray dispenser is built in.
- Safe for cleaning sealed hard surface floors, vinyl flooring, grout, laminated flooring, floors like tile, stone or marble.
- Weighs 11 lbs.
- 2-Year Warranty
The spinning soft-touch pads or scrubby pads are attached via velcro pads on the bottom of the Bissell SpinWave hard floor mop. These hold up well, but you have to be careful and get the center of the pad in the center of the rotating disk. Otherwise, it will not spin symmetrically. This system works well and makes it easy to switch between the soft-touch or scrubby pads for cleaning.
Here’s a demonstration of how the Bissell SpinWave hard floor mop works and how to attach the soft-touch pads.
The hardest part is getting the soft-touch pads or scrubby pads precisely in the center, but it’s just something you’ll get used to with time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to use Bissell Cleaning Solution or can I use the one I currently have?
A: You can use your own cleaner. Moderate detergents or essential oils that are diluted in water are fine.
Q: Can I use the SpinWave hard floor mop on hardwood floors or marble floors?
A: The SpinWave hard floor mop is safe for cleaning sealed hard surface floors like wood and marble floors. Be sure to use the right amount of solution and the correct cleaning solution for each floor type.
Q: Is the SpinWave hard floor mop hard to push?
A: No it glides across the floor when turned on. The rotating soft-touch or scrubby pads make it easy to move around and under furniture.
Q: Is there a steam feature?
A: No, the solution is sprayed out of the front as a liquid when you press a button on the handle.
Q: How long is the cord?
A: 22 feet.
Q: Is cleaning solution included with the SpinWave hard floor mop?
A: Yes, you get a bottle of multi-surface cleaner.
3. On-demand Spray Mop
This type of mop is most similar to the traditional mop, but saves you the trouble of making and disposing of mop water. You have more control over how much liquid gets on the floor than with a traditional mop. The cleaning pads are often washable and reusable, so this is one of the less expensive alternatives to a mop.
There are electric models, such as the Swiffer WetJet, but our top picks for this category use a simple mechanical trigger that doesn’t rely on batteries.
Strengths
- You have more control over how much liquid is on the floor than with a traditional mop, which leads to faster drying.
- Easy to get started cleaning. No preparing mop water and disposing of it.
- Washable soft-touch pads or scrubby pads for tough messes.
Weaknesses
- Can’t absorb large amounts of liquid.
- Requires more physical work than other mop types.
On-demand Spray Mops Comparison Table
About On-demand Spray Mops
Spray mops, like steam and spin mops, aren’t capable of absorbing large liquid messes. Traditional mops have more material on the mop head that can absorb liquid than the electric alternatives. However, with on-demand spray mops, you can just grab the mop and start cleaning. There’s no preparing mop water.
In a hurry to touch-up your floor before guests come over? You won’t have to worry about getting too much water on the floor as you have complete control of how much gets sprayed on the floor, more than with a traditional mop.
On-demand spray mops are also mechanically simpler than the other types of electric mops we’ve shown here, which means they’re typically cheaper. Models such as the Rejuvenate are powered by the handle pump, while others are battery-powered with a button-activated spray.
Why Pick the Rejuvenate Spray Mop?
Honestly, there aren’t any huge differences between many of the spray mops. There’s not one killer feature that blows the others out of the water.
With that said, there are problems that many customers complain about, such as leaking, handles breaking, pads falling off constantly, pumps failing, and more. On-demand spray mops are simple, but we don’t want one that’s going to do any of the above after just a month or two of use.
The Rejuvenate, at the time this article was published, is less expensive and offers the same features as the Rubbermaid. The addition of the grout scrubber tool is a nice touch. You can easily add your own homemade solution to the bottle and you get replacement bottle caps.
Again, there is not a huge compelling reason to favor one over the other, and it mainly comes down to price.
The Runner-Up: Rubbermaid Reveal
As for the Rubbermaid Reveal, the pads are much more dense and substantial than the typical disposable spray mop pad. Not only that, but the simplicity of velcro-like pad attachment makes it very easy to use.
The Rubbermaid mop kit includes 3 pads and 2 additional refillable bottles. Rubbermaid claims the pads can be washed 100 times, and most users agree on this. This is one of the reasons we love this model as the pads last much longer than other spray mops (and steam mops) we’ve looked at. This is a considerable cost saving.
Lastly, the 1-year warranty is fantastic at this price point.
More Spray Mop Options
O-Cedar ProMist MAX Spray Mop
The O-Cedar ProMist is one of the least expensive models we’ve chosen for this list. The pump handle means you don’t have to worry about grabbing the mop and finding the batteries are dead. However, it does mean you do have to pump the handle to spray cleaner, which might be an issue if you have arthritis or dexterity issues.
At this price, expecting any kind of warranty is unrealistic. It’s a good idea o take advantage of return policies with retailers such as Amazon when a product’s warranty doesn’t solve your problem.
Swiffer WetJet Spray Mop
Being a battery operated spray mop, the WetJet simplifies the mopping process, but like most spray mops it isn’t going to take care of large messes.
Batteries can be a blessing and a curse. This type of spray mop is easy on your hands and requires less work than the pumping models, but swapping batteries adds to the overall cost of the mop.
The WetJet is meant to replace a mop and bucket, but we think that the soaking ability of a spray mop is not on par with a traditional mop. Cleaning up messes, such as spilled liquids, isn’t possible unless it’s a small amount. Partially soaking up a mess with paper towels or a rag and then using a spray mop to finish is more realistic.
4. Robot Mops
Robot vacuums and mops are not a complete replacement for their less intelligent counterparts. However, if you currently use a robot vacuum then you know how convenient they are by reducing how frequently you need to vacuum. The same is true for robot mops.
Robot mops also have a vacuum function. You will want to vacuum yourself or let the robot vacuum before running it in mop mode to get the best performance.
Strengths
- Zero effort cleaning whenever you need it.
- Sweeps or mops
- Smart navigation. The Braava keeps track of where it has been and where it needs to go.
- Reusable soft-touch microfiber cloths or disposable cleaning cloths
Weaknesses
- Can’t handle large messes.
- It’s not a quick cleaning solution. A complete cleaning cycle will take an hour or two, depending on the size of the room.
Is a Robot Mop a Good Buy?
Robot mops are a little more effort than a simple robot vacuum.
- You will need to dampen and clean the mop pad between clean cycles.
- The water tank needs to be refilled between cycles.
- Like any mop, you need to sweep or let the robot mop sweep for you before using mop mode.
The cleaning the mop pad is really the only difference between a robot mop and vacuum. You still have to empty the vacuum dustbin. Likewise, to use any mop properly you need to vacuum or sweep first to pick up any loose debris.
Robot mops reduce cleaning effort. You can be taking care of other household tasks while the mop cleans your floor with very little help. It only takes one or two minutes to service the robot mop between cleaning cycles.
Robot mops and vacuums help reduce dirt and dust build-up so that you can go longer before having to pull out the full-size vacuum or mop. They just aren’t a complete solution at this point.
5. Wet-Dry Vacuums
The front runners are the Bissell CrossWave and the Hoover FloorMate SpinScrub. The advantage of these machines is that they reduce the physical cleaning effort, and they’re also capable of cleaning up large messes involving liquids and food that otherwise would be difficult to clean up. You can throw a lot at the CrossWave, and if you have pets then you don’t know what you’ve been missing.
Strengths
- Capable of picking up large liquid messes.
- Requires the least amount of physical effort. It does all the work for you.
- Removes the dirty water from your floor instead of smearing it around like a traditional mop.
- Easy disposal of dirty water.
Weaknesses
- May require multiple passes to completely soak up water.
- Not great for only dry vacuuming.
- If you’re cleaning a large area you will have to empty the tank frequently.
About Wet-Dry Vacuums
These hard floor cleaners are a cross between a vacuum and a mop, similar to carpet washers. You don’t have to vacuum before using these products as they’re intended for handling both vacuuming and mopping at the same time, as you can see in the video of the CrossWave below.
The trick to making these cleaners work as intended is to move slowly, just like their carpet washing counterparts. These types of cleaners are so effective because they extract the dirty water from the floor instead of smearing it around like with a mop. This is the same reason carpet washers are so much more effective than taking a wet cloth and trying to soak up stains from a dirty carpet. You really are washing the floor.
With that said, if you’re looking for a quick cleaning tool, it’s debatable if this is quicker than mopping. However, you’ll notice in the video below you can throw a big mess at this machine and not have to use paper towels or do any extra pickup on your own. That’s something a traditional mop can’t do. Not only that but messes involving liquids and solids can’t be mopped up, so something like the CrossWave solves this problem.
In the review video below, and in the marketing materials for the CrossWave, you typically see people vacuuming up food. That’s fine for the CrossWave, but be sure to clean the brushroll of any food that didn’t make it into the bin. Otherwise, you might be in for a nasty surprise when you pull it out of the closet.
Wet-Dry Vac Comparison Table
The CrossWave is surprisingly effective at combining the power of a vacuum and mop into one product. Like I mentioned above, it’s not necessarily quicker than simply mopping but it is more effective at cleaning up a mess that would require not only a mop but manually picking up pieces of food, for example.
The key to realizing the full potential of the CrossWave is to move slowly. You’re just not going to be able to vacuum up the water as if you’re vacuuming carpet. You have to treat the CrossWave just like you would any carpet washer. To get the most water out of the carpet, you have to move slowly.
Key Features
- Controls on the handle to switch between sealed hard floors and rugs.
- Two tanks: one for cleaning solution, one for dirty water.
- Easily removable brush window and brushroll for cleaning.
- 3 Brushrolls includes: Multi-surface, Wood-floor, and Area-rug
- Swivel steering head for easy maneuver around and under furniture.
What’s the Difference Between the CrossWave Pet and Basic Model?
Nothing groundbreaking. The Pet version comes with an extra brushroll and two bottles of scented formula.
Aside from that, the RPM rating on the Pet brushroll is slightly less than on the basic model. It’s not clear if there is a noticeable performance difference. We suspect not as customer reviews of both models are very positive and such a small difference isn’t likely to change much in terms of cleaning performance.
Overall we think the additional brushroll and right amount of solution is enough to nudge the CrossWave Pet to the top spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use the CrossWave as a dry vacuum?
A: You can, but it is relatively underpowered for vacuuming only. The addition of water helps make debris easier to pull up.
Q: Can I use vinegar and water as a cleaning solution?
A: Bissell recommends not using vinegar with the CrossWave as it could damage the spray function.
Q: How is the edge cleaning ability?
A: Not great. The brushroll begins about an inch from the sides of the vacuum head.
Q: Will the CrossWave work well on uneven floors?
A: The CrossWave will perform best on flatter surfaces since getting a good seal around the edges is essential for pulling up the water from the floor.
6. Heavy-duty Floor Cleaners
You won’t likely be taking these out of these closet on a weekly basis to clean your kitchen floor, but if you’re looking to be able to do professional-level of cleaning sealed hard floors then this is what you need. Our top pick is the Oreck Orbiter Ultra Floor Machine, but if you can get your hands on the more affordable Oreck Commercial ORB550MC Floor Machine then don’t hesitate.
Strengths
- These cleaning machines are capable of a variety of tasks including buffing, cleaning, sanding, stripping, or waxing.
- Can be used on wood, vinyl flooring, floors like tile, or other sealed hard floors with the right attachments.
- Deepest cleaning tool on this list.
- Great for restoring damaged hardwood floors.
Weaknesses
- Not a daily cleaning solution.
- Heavy and requires more effort to use.
Our top pick, the Oreck Orbiter Ultra Floor Machine comes with a 10-year warranty and is one of the most popular products in this category.
The Oreck ORB550MC has a 3/4 HP motor and is capable of cleaning any flooring type. Whether you want to clean grout stains on tile or polish marble, this machine can do it.
You can even use these machines to dry clean carpet, but be sure to get the right brush or pad. Low-pile carpet can be cleaned with the bonnet pad, and higher-pile carpet can be cleaned with the carpet brush.
Key Features
- Cleans Wood, Vinyl, Tile, Carpet, and other bare floorings.
- Up to 175 RPM to buff, clean, polish, sand, scrub, strip, or wax.
- 50′ Cord
- Weighs 24 lbs and has a 13″ cleaning path
This machine is versatile enough to strip, wax, buff, sand, and refinish any floor surface. It’s also a way to dry clean carpet, which means no dealing with water that can cause mildew if not correctly extracted.
Here’s a table of some of the most popular pads and brushes you can use with the Oreck Floor Machines.
Oreck Orbiter Attachments Comparison Table
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can this machine be used to apply wax?
A: Yes, but you will need to buy the appropriate accessory. This machine can also be used to prep the floor for waxing, such as stripping old wax or scrubbing the floor.
Q: Can this be used with a chemical stripper to strip and wax floor tiles?
A: Yes, no problem.
Q: Can it be used to clean a wood deck?
A: Yes, you can use the coarse buffer pad. It will make quick work of cleaning the mess left after leaves fall or built up residue from years of exposure.
Q: Does the ORB550MC come with a pad driver?
A: Yes, it’s included. It’s what you will need to use the pads instead of brushes.
7. Power Scrubbers
If you want to really focus on small areas such as grout, pool lining, tubs, and showers, then these are a great way to deep clean. There are quite a few options in this category that are very similar. The Homitt Electric Scrubber or the Clorox Scrubtastic are good options. You can also simply attach a brush to a cordless drill, such as the DrillBrush Power Scrubber.
Strengths
- Focused cleaning power for tough, sticky messes.
- Great for cleaning dirty tile grout or non-floor areas.
- Takes less effort than scrubbing with a rag or sponge on your hands and knees.
- The Drill Brush is super affordable, especially if you already own a drill.
Weaknesses
- No water absorption. These products only scrub.
Other Power Scrubber Options
Homitt Electric Spin Scrubber
The Lithium-Ion battery one of the best features of the Homitt. Many other similar products come with NiMH, which are more temperamental and difficult to maintain correctly. This lithium-ion battery will charge in about 3.5 hours, which is a quarter of the time you see most NiMH batteries take. That’s a big difference. You can expect to get about 1 hour of runtime from this scrubber, but it depends on which brush you’re using and what you’re scrubbing.
Key Features
- Cordless with 3.65 V / 4300 mAH Li-Ion Battery
- About a 50 minute runtime and 3.5 Charge time
- Brush Heads Included: Round Bristle, Flat Brush, Corner Brush, Extra-wide Flat Brush
- Telescoping Handle (45″ Maximum Length)
- 1 Year Warranty
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use it to clean grout in my kitchen or bathroom?
A: Yes, the flat brush or corner brush is best for this.
Q: Which pad is best for cleaning windows?
A: The extra-wide flat brush will cover the most area.
Q: Is there a longer model available?
A: No, but the maximum length of this model is about 4 feet which is great for most uses.
Which mop replacement makes sense for you?
Using the word “mop” to describe some of these products might require some mental gymnastics, but we’re going to instead focus on what tasks a mop performs. Mainly, we’re looking at products that are meant for cleaning hard, bare flooring. Basically, anything except carpet. Tile, concrete, hardwood floors, linoleum, marble, and anything else with a sealed hard surface that can be cleaned with a mop. So the products we’re looking at perform some or all of the functions below and are intended for use on bare flooring.
What do we expect from a mop?
- Soft-touch pads or scrubby pads to rub against the floor to remove stuck-on residue and debris.
- Liquid is used as a way to extract the dirt and junk off the floor.
- Dirty water extracted from the floor is disposed of by being soaked up.
- There is are no residue or spots left behind by the mop.
Water clings to things, and itself, which makes for a simple way to extract dirt, dust, and other junk we drop on our floors as it, along with whatever it came in contact with, gets soaked right into the mop material. You might have to mop more than once if the floor is particularly dirty or if you continue to see residue left behind by cleaning solution or water spots.
Now, there are several different ways technology has been used to perform the functions we’ve outlined above, and we’re going to summarize all of them here.
Time and money are often the driving factors in your decision making to buy a product. That is, does it save you time, and is it worth the money? Well, the thing is that just like an electric toothbrush, an electric mop or vacuum is always going to cost you more money than a stick with fabric or fibers stuck on the end of it.
There’s just no way around it.
Let’s talk time.
Spot cleaning spilled milk. Mopping your entire kitchen. Cleaning your entire living room floor. Scrubbing dried orange juice off your tile. These are all tasks that require varying amounts of effort and time.
Can you just grab a paper towel?
That works fine for spot cleaning, but I’ve never seen anyone use a paper towel to clean their entire kitchen floor. You’re going to want to pull out the mop, mix up the right amount of solution with water, and mop the floor while also wringing out the mop as you go to avoid pushing dirty water around and under furniture.
Now, is it faster to pull out a steam mop, plug it up, fill it with water, clean your kitchen floor, and toss the pad in the dirty laundry? We think so.
What happens to all the dirty water?
This is the question that separates how these products work and differ from a traditional mop or broom. They all use varying states and amounts of water to trap dirt, but where does it go after that?
A traditional mop soaks up the water, and you hope that anything trapped by the water also attaches to the mop, which usually works well as long as you rinse off the mop a few times as you go.
Steam mops, spray mops, and spin mops are all very similar in this regard as they often have a washable pad for scrubbing up and capturing dirt. They also don’t leave much water behind, especially the steam mops. However, this also means they’re not great for soaking up large quantities of liquid if you’re trying to clean up a spill.
Large messes are where the Wet-Dry Vacs come to play. They’re a more complicated solution that combines the functions of a vacuum and mop for cleaning sealed hard floors while also extracting as much water as possible. These products wash your floor instead of simply mopping it. Overall we think this category has the best cleaning performance due to it extracting most of the dirty water from the floor, whereas mops are inevitably pushing dirty water around and under furniture, unless you rinse it our after every pass.
Final Thoughts
We’re continuing to grow and change this article as new products are released. As you can see, there are a ton of options with different solutions to messes you clean up with a traditional mop. It comes down to having the right tool for the job. The Wet Dry Vacs are the most robust solutions and can handle just about any mess, but they require more time to use. When it comes to daily cleaning you have your pick with the steam mops, spin mops, and spray mops. These all work well for maintenance cleaning, but don’t handle large messes well. If you have any thoughts or suggestions please feel free to leave a comment below.
