While I imagine it’s safe to leave the water tank with water in it, it’s also super easy to simply lift it off the shaft and empty it out when you’re done. Cleaning the Vileda Looper The steam mop can be used on all flooring types as it has a variable steam control setting. Change the steam intensity from minimum, medium and maximum to steam clean even the most delicate floors. It may be a process of trial and error. Many brands offer trial-sized samples, so you could give a few options a go before making a commitment. What’s the best floor mop to buy? This mop is suited to homes with sealed, hard floors, such as tiles, laminate, linoleum, wood and vinyl. It’s not suitable for use on carpets.

Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family.I have the Vileda 1-2-spray mop and it’s grand...does the job!" - Recommended by Mumsnetter ChittyChittyBoomBoom

The Vileda Looper was tested on its ability to remove food stains, including curry sauce, coffee granules and tea splodges, as well as muddy footprints, toothpaste, Play Doh and other various stains. The shaft rotates a full 90 degrees, so you can get under low furniture, tables, sideboards and chairs with no trouble. The LED light helps to identify areas of dust and grime more easily too.Not only is it easy to use, it gives a thorough clean. The microfibre in the mop head removes over 99% of all bacteria with just water*, without the need for chemicals. Your choice of cleaning liquid can be used if preferred. The Vileda 1-2 Spray Mop was tested out on laminate flooring in the kitchen, bathroom, conservatory and the downstairs loo, plus the tiled floor in the utility room. The Looper is lightweight and it is easy to move the mop across the floor. The flexible swivel joint allows the Looper to be moved underneath low-lying furniture, such as tables and chairs, meaning there is nowhere for dirt and grime to hide (except for corners, but we’ll come to that later). What's the Vileda Looper like to assemble? Mumsnet has been helping parents make their lives easier since 2000 and, in those years, we’ve seen, tried and reviewed thousands of products. The Looper performed well on laminate flooring, getting rid of tea splodges and muddy footprints without too much hassle. The spray produced just the right amount of water to get the job done without running the risk of warping the laminate. How well does the Vileda Looper clean tiled flooring?

The Steam Mop Plus can clean up to 120 m² with one full tank of water (400 ml). With the handy viewing window on the tank, you can make sure you always have the right amount of water. The Vileda Steam Mop Plus gives an effective hygienic clean without the need of using any chemicals. The combination of steam and the microfibre pads kills 99.9%* of bacteria from all types of floor surfaces making this a great chemical free cleaning option for floors. When it’s time to clean the dirty mop pad, it can be put into the washing machine and washed at up to 60°C. Don’t be tempted to iron, tumble dry or use fabric softener on the pad as this could damage the microfibres. Vileda claims that, with a little TLC, you can wash and reuse each pad up to 200 times.From the handle, a brushed metal shaft leads down to the water tank. This is basically a grey plastic bottle which you can remove from the device and refill as needed. You simply pull it up and away from the shaft, unscrew the red lid and fill with tap water. Vileda says you can also add a drop of non-foaming detergent to the water tank.

The Vileda Looper comes with two different types of pads - one soft and cream-coloured and the other with red zig-zag lines running across it. There is no explanation in the instructions as to why the pads are different and what they should be used for, but as the zig zag lines felt slightly abrasive to touch, it’s safe to assume that these pads are more suited to hardier floors, such as vinyl. We spent extensive time researching the latest and best mops on the market, taking into account household expert opinions, particularly from the likes of Which? who have thoroughly tested almost all the newest models around. We also made notes of which brands had won trusted awards and accolades along the way. Opinions from real Mumsnet users If you want some real power behind your spray mop, consider a model like our winner, the expert Vileda Looper Spray Mop. It’s a cordless charge-up-and-clean option with extra power for those tougher stains. Some spray mops, such as the Flash Power Mop, also have battery-assisted trigger sprays for more force behind every spritz. One of the closest products to the Vileda Looper that I’ve tested over the last year is the Shark Steam and Scrub Automatic Mop. Around the same price as the Vileda Looper, this is a steam mop that features a similar mop head, with two rotating discs. While it’s beautifully designed and looks much more sleek and stylish than the Looper, I found I got a cleaner result from the Looper, despite using cold water instead of steam. Should you buy the Vileda Looper?

How we chose our recommendations

Handles: Look for a hard-wearing handle to make sure it’ll stand the test of time and think about adjustable handles if there will be several people of different sizes using it within your household. Although it can’t be wall-mounted, it comes with a handy drip tray that allows you to protect your floors without having to take the wet mop heads off. How does the Vileda Looper rate online? When spraying water, you should be mindful of the angle of the handle, otherwise you risk firing water up the wall or your kitchen units (which I may have done once or twice). It’s worth noting that when we tested string and flat mops, they tended to perform better when it came to removing hardened food stains and mud, so a spray mop may not be the best option if you’re looking to deep clean large areas, but for convenience and speed, they can’t be beaten. How we test spray mops I also found the water tank capacity to be more than generous. I was able to scrub the kitchen, bathroom and long hallway, using just half of the water tank’s capacity. This is really down to your preference though, if you want a lot more water to scrub with, you may have to fill up your water tank more often.