Shopping BHG Recommends We Tested 11 Steam Mops—Here Are the 8 Best for Cleaning and Sanitizing Your Floors The Bissell Powerfresh Deluxe is our top steam mop—it’s lightweight, portable, and outperformed the competition. By Maya Polton Maya Polton Maya is a freelance writer for Better Homes and Gardens with 15 years of experience in digital media and communications. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on June 2, 2023 Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. The Baltimore native also covered the technology scene for LocalBusiness.com and has been a regular contributor to the sports pages of The Baltimore Sun and The Washington Post. Also among his credits is a stint editing morning news feeds for America Online and frequent contributions to the Associated Press. Learn about BHG's Fact Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Our top picks Reviews The Bottom Line Our Testing Process What to Know About Them Your Questions, Answered Who We Are What Is BHG Recommends? We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Better Homes & Gardens/dera burreson To keep your home clean, regularly mopping the floor is an imperative, and often labor-intensive step. Even if you often sweep and vacuum, mopping is necessary to remove any sticky residue, grime, dirty footprints, or build-up in the floor’s grout. A steam mop is a wonderful tool that can save time on cleaning but does require some prep work to make it effective. “Steam mops can be used on a variety of sealed, hard flooring. They are especially great for tile floors since they clean and sanitize tile and grout quickly and thoroughly,” shares Kathy Cohoon, Operations Manager of the cleaning service Two Maids. Cohoon adds, “Steam mops work with heat and moisture so delicate flooring need not apply–think laminate, vinyl, or unsealed hardwood that can be damaged by excess moisture and heat. When using a steam mop, always use discretion and follow any usage instructions for the type of flooring in your home.” To find the best steam mops on the market, we tested 11 steam mops in our lab. Our testers evaluated each gadget based on ease of tank capacity, heat-up time, portability, ease of cleaning, and maneuverability. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe Steam Mop at Amazon Jump to Review Best Budget: Black+Decker Steam-Mop at Amazon Jump to Review Best Splurge: Black+Decker 7-in-1 Steam-Mop at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Tile: PurSteam 10-in-1 Steam Mop at Amazon Jump to Review Best Multi Surface: Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Pets: Bissell PowerFresh Pet Steam Mop at Amazon Jump to Review Best Lightweight: Reliable Pronto Plus Steam Cleaner at Amazon Jump to Review Best with Attachments: Hoover Steam Complete Pet at Amazon Jump to Review Best Overall Bissell 1806 PowerFresh Deluxe Scrubbing & Sanitizing Steam Mop 4.6 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Target Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Effectiveness 5/5 Portability 4.5/5 Ease of Cleaning 3.5/5 Maneuverability 4.5/5 Why You Should Get It This affordable mop works extremely well and can easily maneuver into hard-to-reach spots, plus the scent discs are a bonus. Keep in Mind The used mop pad needs to be removed manually, which is a wet and dirty job. Our favorite steam mop of the bunch, this steam cleaner is lightweight, super effective, and has a lot of nice-to-have features without a budget-busting price tag. On the most basic level, we appreciate that this steam mop has an on and off button, so you can turn it off even when plugged in, which we think should be more common after testing this model. While this seems like a small detail, many other steam mops don’t have such intuitive buttons. Hot and ready to steam clean in under 30 seconds, this mop had one of the fastest heat-up times in our test. Once the indicator light goes on, the mop is ready to work. Use one of the two settings: high or low. We found the steam cleaning functions very effective–this steam mop cleaned up sticky messes in just three passes, whereas other steam mops took much longer. The swivel head is very sturdy and easy to use–it effectively fits into crevices and under or around furniture. This lightweight mop truly made cleaning a breeze, it easily glided over the floor and outperformed the higher-priced competition. We really like that the port that fills the tank is easy to access right at the top of the mop, so it’s easy to refill and doesn’t result in a leaky mess. A nice add-on to this steam cleaner is the built-in scent disc tray. When in use, the scent discs release a refreshing odor as you mop. While we liked the scent, it’s completely optional and doesn’t impact the effectiveness of the cleaning, so you can definitely forgo it if you’re sensitive to scents. This mop comes with one scent disc and more can be purchased separately. The only downside of this pick is when it’s time to remove the mop pad–it has to be done by hand and is a little gross. The pads are machine washable and can be used again and again, which is nice for both your budget and our environment. Price at Time of Publish: $103 Product Details: Dimensions: 9.5 x 13 x 46 inches | Weight: 6.2 pounds | Cord Length: 25 feet | Recommended Surface: Sealed hard floors including wood, linoleum, ceramic, tile, marble, and granite Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Best Budget Black+Decker Steam-Mop 4.3 Walmart View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Lowe's Our Ratings Ease of Use 4.5/5 Effectiveness 2.5/5 Portability 5/5 Ease of Cleaning 5/5 Maneuverability 5/5 Why You Should Get It Very lightweight, this option is good for households that only plan to steam clean small areas or infrequently. Keep in Mind This steam mop is not effective enough for houses with pets, high-traffic areas, kids, or frequent messes. Lightweight and inexpensive, this steam mop is the perfect solution for adults who either have trouble moving around heavy cleaners or don’t have a lot of foot traffic in their house. We appreciated that this cleaner was very lightweight and was easily able to maneuver around areas to clean. While lightweight, even when filled with water, it is hard to prop the unit up when not in use—it fell over a few times during testing because of this. When it's time to get down to cleaning, this steam cleaner does need to be passed over the dirty area a few times to be effective, which is why it’s best for smaller spills or occasional use—sticky spills like syrup were a bit of a headache to clean up, especially since the cleaning pad became dislodged when we scrubbed at them. However, we found it to be very maneuverable, so it would be a good choice for quickly cleaning up your bathroom floors. Once your steam cleaning is finished, this unit is extremely easy to clean–one swipe of a wet wipe cleans the head. A great value, this product is recommended for households without kids, or pets, high-traffic areas, or anyone who needs a more powerful unit. If that’s your situation, you’re better off investing in a steam mop that is a bit more expensive and much more effective. Price at Time of Publish: $55 Product Details: Dimensions: 7.72 x 4.72 x 27.75 inches| Weight: 5 pounds | Cord Length: 16 feet | Recommended Surface: Hardwood, wood laminate, tile Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Best Splurge Black+Decker 7-in-1 Steam-Mop With Steam-Glove Handheld Steamer 4.2 Amazon View On Amazon View On Lowe's View On Home Depot Our Ratings Ease of Use 3.5/5 Effectiveness 5/5 Portability 4/5 Ease of Cleaning 5/5 Maneuverability 4.5/5 Why You Should Get It This cleaner comes with multiple accessories, including a grout brush and a steam cleaning glove for more varied cleaning options. Keep in Mind This pick is very maneuverable…almost to a fault, which makes it hard to move the steam mop in a straight line. More than just a steam mop, this pricey gadget comes with 11 accessories, so it can transform from a steam mop to a grout cleaner, detail brush, steam glove, and much more. At six pounds, it’s easy to use and lightweight, even when full of water. Even so, we recommend taking breaks if you plan on using it in handheld mode for too long, because while it’s lightweight as a steam mop, we can see it getting heavy to hold for long periods of time. As a steam mop, it worked very well and cleaned up the test spills in our lab with just a few passes. We found that the steam is dispersed across the whole pad, so it’s an effective cleaner from edge to edge. The head of this mop is very maneuverable, so cleaning in corners was easy and effective. The downside is that the head swivels and moves so much, it’s a challenge to just mop in a straight line. Since this pick comes with so many accessories, it’s a bit overwhelming to figure out the conversion process to transform the mop to the other tools. We think the manual could do a better job of covering all of the extra features. Beyond the added cost, it’s hard to say if the need, usefulness, and storage of all the parts is a true necessity, but if you see yourself steam cleaning your space top to bottom, we think this option would be the right one for you. Price at Time of Publish: $199 Product Details: Dimensions: 12 x 25 x 7 inches| Weight: 6 pounds | Cord Length: Not listed | Recommended Surface: Sealed hard floors including wood, linoleum, ceramic, tile, marble, and granite Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Best for Tile PurSteam 10-in-1 Steam Mop 4.8 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Effectiveness 4.8/5 Portability 5/5 Ease of Cleaning 4/5 Maneuverability 4/5 Why You Should Get It Affordable and lightweight, the prominent hook holds the long cord, a feature that’s not on all steam mops. Keep in Mind The mop head tends to swivel unnecessarily when stuck on very sticky food spills. More than just a steam mop, this lightweight cleaner comes with eight accessories, including a handheld steamer and multiple brush heads for tile and small areas, making this steam mop a great value, on top of being super lightweight and very easy to use. Unlike some other options, the multiple attachments were easy to swap between and we found them quite effective. As an added bonus, the included instructions were simple, easy to follow, and accurate, so we never found ourselves guessing if we were using the right thing. Our testing found the bristle attachments were extremely effective at cleaning grout, which is part of what makes this model especially great for tile. The steam comes out between the bristles, which you can hear the whole time, and truly did loosen and remove debris. Once cleaning is done, the bristle grout brush is easy to clean in the sink and the debris comes out quickly. A few of the brustle strands did end up getting a little bent, but not enough to make an impact on the mop’s ability to clean. Add-on accessories are so useful, just make sure you have a handy place to store them, since there’s no on-unit storage. And speaking of storage–we loved that this steam mop had a big hook to hold the 15.9-foot cord—a feature that gets skipped by many of the other mops on the market. Price at Time of Publish: $80 Product Details: Dimensions: 8.07 x 9.45 x 23.94 inches | Weight: 2.2 pounds | Cord Length: 15.9 feet | Recommended Surface: Hardwood, vinyl, tile, grout, sealed stone, marble, and refresh carpet Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Best Multi Surface Bissell 1940 PowerFresh Scrubbing & Sanitizing Steam Mop 4.5 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Abt.com Our Ratings Ease of Use 4/5 Effectiveness 4.9/5 Portability 4.5/5 Ease of Cleaning 3.5/5 Maneuverability 4/5 Why You Should Get It The extra large head is great for quickly mopping bigger surfaces. Keep in Mind If you have a ton of small spaces or crevices that need mopping, it’ll be harder to maneuver this mop into those small spots. There’s a lot to like about this Bissell steam mop–in our tests, it worked equally as effectively on tile, grout, concrete, and sealed hardwood floors. Intuitively designed, there’s a removable water tank, which is easy to fill, and three levels of steam. The cord on this cleaner is an extremely long 23 feet, which is useful for moving all around the house, but can easily get caught, tangled, or trailed through newly cleaned floors, so keep an eye on it. We should also note that we didn’t love that plugging this model in is what turns it on, so you’ll want to make sure you have it set up in a spot that’s steam cleaner friendly. If you’ve got a multi-surfaced flooring situation and or lots of wide open spaces, this is a great steam mop for you. Given that the head is larger than others on our list, you can make quick work of steaming your floors. If you’ve got lots of nooks and crannies or a room full of furniture to navigate around, the large head plus the ultra-long cord may make for a challenging cleaning situation. Price at Time of Publish: $93 Product Details: Dimensions: 29 x 10 x 7 inches | Weight: 6.8 pounds | Cord Length: 23 feet | Recommended Surface: Tile and hardwood floor Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Best for Pets Bissell 1544A PowerFresh Pet Lift-Off 2-in-1 Scrubbing & Sanitizing Steam Mop 4.5 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Lowe's Our Ratings Ease of Use 4.5/5 Effectiveness 5/5 Portability 4.3/5 Ease of Cleaning 4/5 Maneuverability 4/5 Why You Should Get It In our testing lab, this steam mop was extremely effective at cleaning and easily glided over floors. Keep in Mind The head doesn’t swivel, so if you have tight nooks and crannies, it may be a challenge to use. One of the most effective steam mops in our testing lab, this pick breezed through our tests and easily cleaned up sticky substances, cleaned grout, and worked well on sealed concrete when other steam mops did not. Once again, we took note of the convenient on/off switch, which we wish appeared on more models. Two steam settings mean you can control the level of steam better and the buttons are all intuitive and easy to use. Along with the steam mop, this model comes with 13 accessories. If you’re looking for a steam mop with some additional options, this is a great pick–and it came with a storage bag, so it’s easy to store and keep track of all of them. Some of the add-ons include a detachable hand steamer, bristle scrub brushes, and a fabric steamer. While having a pet is not necessary to use this steamer, the brand does show how the steam cleaner can be used to clean pet toys, scrape up stuck-on pet food, or clean windows or doors that have traces of drool. Although the mop is relatively lightweight and maneuverable, the only drawback we found was the lack of a swiveling head. This may pose a problem if you need to clean and navigate around tight corners or narrow spots, although we think you could use one of the many attachments to get into tight spots as well. Like other Bissell cleaners, this option includes a port for fragrance discs. These aren’t mandatory to use, but households with pet odors may appreciate the option. Price at Time of Publish: $145 Product Details: Dimensions: 13.2 x 11.14 x 44.7 inches | Weight: 10.6 pounds | Cord Length: 30 feet | Recommended Surface: Tile and hardwood floor Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Best Lightweight Reliable Pronto Plus 300CS 2-In-1 Steam Cleaner 4.8 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Lowe's Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Effectiveness 5/5 Portability 3.5/5 Ease of Cleaning 4.8/5 Maneuverability 4.5/5 Why You Should Get It During testing, this steam mop was significantly lighter than other options, even when filled with water. Keep in Mind The stick vacuum-like design means the steam cleaner cannot stand up on its own or even rest against a wall without falling over. Extremely lightweight, even when full of water, this steam cleaner is affordable and effective. It comes with several accessories and bonus features, making it a good choice for those with limited strength, but there is one drawback to the top-heavy design. The design of the mop is so top-heavy, that it cannot stand up on its own, and even when leaning against a wall, we found it to be pretty unstable. The included wall mount is helpful for storage, but won’t help if you need to pause mid-clean or put the mop down to change accessories. To use this steam cleaner, a release button easily removes the water tank, so it can be filled at the sink and then inserted back into the cleaner. We were impressed that it was ready to go in just 15 seconds. Once hot, the mop head smoothly passes over stains and cleaned them effectively and quickly. The 14-piece accessory kit includes a high-pressure nozzle, a carpet glide attachment, two microfiber pads, a wall mount, and a storage bag. Price at Time of Publish: $149 Product Details: Dimensions: 13 x 10.7 x 51 inches | Weight: 2.9 pounds | Cord Length: 19.7 feet | Recommended Surface: Marble, ceramic, stone, linoleum, sealed hardwood, and parquet Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Best with Attachments Hoover Steam Complete Pet 4.6 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Home Depot Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Effectiveness 5/5 Portability 3.5/5 Ease of Cleaning 4/5 Maneuverability 3.5/5 Why You Should Get It This steam mop has a removable hand-held steamer so you can easily clean ovens, stovetops, or other smaller spots around your house. Keep in Mind When they’re full of water, the handheld parts can get quite heavy. When you purchase this Hoover steam cleaner, not only are you stocking your home with an effective and affordable steam mop, but you’ll get ten multi-purpose tools including a handheld cleaner, fabric steamer, window cleaner, and multiple bristle brushes. Overall, we found this steam cleaner extremely easy to use–it heated up quickly, the instructions were clear to follow, and the controls are intuitive and easy to use. In our testing, this pick did a good job of removing the stains we set up, and when we swapped to the handheld mode with the grout cleaner attachment, it really impressed us. While it’s described as a pet steam mop, there’s nothing that makes it a steam cleaner just for pet owners—in fact, we think it’s much more than that. The detachable handheld device is a nice bonus if you do need to clean pet toys, but works equally well for cleaning any bathroom or kitchen items. The mop is overall lightweight, but when it’s full of water, the handheld device can get heavy if you are using it for an extended time. A good value, this cleaner is helpful for both homes with pets and without four-legged friends. Price at Time of Publish: $110 Product Details: Dimensions: 11 x 7 x 39 inches| Weight: 11 pounds | Cord Length: 26 feet | Recommended Surface: Tile, grout, hardwood, carpet, and other sealed hard floors Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson The Bottom Line Adding a steam mop to your arsenal of cleaning tools can be a wise decision, especially if you have a lot of sealed floors in your home. The Bissell Powerfresh Deluxe Steam Mop 1806 is a mid-priced steam mop that our testers found easy to use and quite effective. The BLACK+DECKER 7in1 Steam Mop is worth the extra cost if you are looking for an option that comes with lots of accessories that are useful for more than cleaning floors. Our Testing Process At our lab in Des Moines, IA, a team of expert testers ran 27 steam mops through a series of tests to see how each cleaned on a variety of surfaces including tile, grout, and hardwood. Testers spilled sticky syrup, chocolate milk, dirt, and hot sauce on each of the surfaces. Once the liquid had dried, they turned on each steam mop and observed how well the mops cleaned up the mess. After each test, the testers then rated the mop’s performance. During the testing process, our testers took note of how easy to use or unwieldy each product felt, how quickly it got hot, and how quickly it cooled off. It was important for our testers to note how well each steam mop cleaned in nooks and crannies, such as in corners and around furniture. Finally, the testers evaluated the process of removing the cleaning pad or cleaning the bristle brush. After hours of testing, we were able to narrow the selection down to the eight best steam mops for your money. What to Know About Steam Mops Before Shopping Weight The larger the steam mop's reservoir, the more water it can hold, which means you can steam for longer without having to refill your mop and wait for it to heat up again. That said, toting around more water can make a steam mop heavier to operate. If you've got a small space or plan to use your steam mop for only certain areas of your home, you can get away with a lightweight mop with a smaller reservoir. Cord Length All of the steam mops on this list have attached cords, so think about your house, the outlet locations, and if you’ll need to constantly plug and unplug the steam mop to adequately and safely move around your home. Also keep in mind that steam mops maintain their heat by being plugged in, so if you need to change plugs, you might need to wait for it to heat up again. Attachments If all you need is a steam mop, getting something basic and effective, like our best overall pick, the Bissell Powerfresh Deluxe Steam Mop 1806 is more than fine—it’s a good use of space! But if you think you’ll want to do more intense steam cleaning on multiple surfaces in your home, you’ll want a pick that has enough options for everything, like our best splurge pick, the BLACK+DECKER 7in1 Steam Mop. Your Questions, Answered What type of flooring should you avoid using a steam mop on? Always do a spot test on any floor when using a new steam heater and never use a steam mop on any unsealed floors. If you have any questions, check with your flooring manufacturer and err on the side of caution. Can you put a cleaner in a steam mop? Most steam cleaners run solely on water. Some people may choose to use bottled or distilled water so that there’s no residue left behind in your steam cleaner’s water tank. Kathy Cohoon, Operations Manager of the cleaning service Two Maids says, “Extra product is not usually needed as most steam mops are made to work without product since the heat and steam are the real muscle. Be sure to read the usage instructions for your steam mop model as using products unnecessarily can damage the machinery and/or your floors.” Is steaming a floor better than mopping it? This truly depends on your cleaning goal and the type of mess in your household. “Steam mops are typically not the best for dealing with dust, hair, and other dry debris on floors so be sure to sweep and/or vacuum before steam mopping for best results. Also, be sure to leave adequate dry time for floors to ensure the shiniest sparkle,” advises cleaning expert Cohoon. Steam mops can sanitize and shine floors, so if that’s the goal, then go for it! Who We Are Maya Polton is a freelance writer with an active family of five that makes her house highly trafficked—and her floors reflect that traffic. A mix of sweeping, regular mopping, and robot vacuums that run while the family is out of the house help to keep her home as clean as possible. For this story, Maya researched the best steam mop styles, sizes, prices, and features and then compared her findings with testing insights from our steam mop lab test in Des Moines, IA. She also consulted with Kathy Cohoon, Operations Manager, Two Maids, for expert advice on using and shopping for steam mops. What Is BHG Recommends? Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they're worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn't an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit