Flexibility– If you need to get under tables or other furniture with low clearance, look for a steam mop that can fold flat as you mop or that have a telescoping handle. Maneuverability: We tried to use the mops around the legs of the chair and to navigate it into tight areas to test its maneuverability.

Hardwood floors can be solid or engineered hardwood, which is pressed wood with a layer of hardwood over it. Solid wood, though gorgeous, is more expensive. One challenge with keeping it clean are the grooves between each plank. Crumbs and dust easily accumulate and must be swept or vacuumed frequently. Engineered hardwood flooring often fits together with hardly any space between planks so it’s easier to keep clean and less susceptible to moisture damage.

Shark Genius S5003D

The swivel head makes it easy to clean vertical surfaces including windows, shower walls & skirting boards

With Product Care TM you have certainty that your product is covered for a specific period of time. If, during the Product Care TM term, your product fails to operate as a result of an Eligible Fault*, we will provide a one-off replacement of Your Product. Support Along with its stellar mopping abilities, you can also expect consistent vacuuming without having to fight hair wrap on this vacuum's tiny brushes. During home testing, we were thrilled with this vacuum's performance and how it always accurately identified flooring surfaces—mopping when necessary and vacuuming when needed. And while this robot is almost entirely hands-off when operating, take note that you will have to clean the brushes after mopping to avoid dragging residue during future cleans. We think this small effort is more than reasonable given how well this robot performs overall. Water tank– If you only need to mop a small room, the size of the water tank probably won’t matter that much. For large areas, it may need refilling during a cleaning cycle. Steam mops: These can lift tough stains, and also tend to be multi-functional tools you can use on upholstery too, with the proper attachments in tow. “As opposed to using harsh chemicals, steam mops heat water to sanitize flooring," says Vera Peterson, president of Molly Maid. "For those that are sensitive to chemicals, a steam mop makes for the perfect alternative!” Ensure your mop head is properly wrung out before placing it on your floor," notes Jett. "Too much water can cause damage to some types of floors, plus the more water you add, the longer it will take to dry, which can lead to streaking." Jett also stresses the importance of switching out your water to ensure the best type of clean: "As soon as your mop water begins looking murky, change it out! Scrubbing your floors with dirty water will do you no good."

Mopnado Stainless Steel Deluxe

When thinking about mops, you may picture traditional string mops, which feature long strands of absorbent fibers, but there are lots of different mop styles available today. A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass, generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops. Alternatively, tile can sometimes refer to similar units made from lightweight materials such as perlite, wood, and mineral wool, typically used for wall and ceiling applications. All in all, this mop is a stellar addition to any cleaning closet, and a definite favorite among those that we tested. In fact, we thought this mop was pretty close to perfect. You can count on it to be a great option for all floors in any home, thanks to its versatile and gentle cleaning pad.

A few single-purpose robot mops are on the market, but most are hybrids that can both sweep (like a broom on hard floors) and mop. Multipurpose machines are a good idea in theory, but may not perform tasks as well as the single-purpose can perform its one job. At the lab in Industry City, Brooklyn, we cleaned up with 15 standard mops and 27 steam mops—during two separate testing periods—to decide which product was best for which job. We also sent some of the mops home with volunteer testers, who tested their individual performance with real-world situations and spills. Here is how we tested the mops:

Roborock S7+

At High Street TV we develop, source and sell innovative and proven products for everyday life. We are the home of bestselling lifestyle brands such as Pressure King Pro, Drew&Cole and New Image, as well as the exclusive distributer for some of the world’s most successful ‘As Seen On TV’ products such as NutriBullet, XHose and Power Air Fryer. One of the standout factors of this mop is its telescoping metal handle, which felt substantially more heavy-duty than most of the other options we tested. We also loved that it can extend up to 70 inches, making it an amazing option for a household with several members who want to help with chores. Just know: You'll want to put the microfiber pad in the washing machine to clean it in between uses. This mop heats up almost instantly, which adds to its overall convenience. We recommend taking extra precaution when cleaning around furniture though, as we found during testing that this mop's microfiber cloth head did stretch when it pushed around chair legs. However, it easily slid under the chair, thanks to the triangular mop head and swivel joint. It effectively removed stains on both tile and concrete, requiring the most passes on a syrup stain. We were thoroughly impressed with the PurSteam 10-in-1 Steam Mop in our testing and found it to be easy, efficient, and versatile. It heats up in just 17 seconds and can run for up to 25 minutes when the 12.8-ounce tank is filled completely. Along with having intuitive set up instructions, it has an adjustable dial that controls steam output. The water tank will also signal—via a vibration and beeping sound—when it has run out of water.