

We rated the Bissell PowerFresh steam mop best overall because of how well it maneuvered and cleaned. The Bissell PowerFresh steam mop comes with a microfiber soft pad, a microfiber scrubby pad, two spring-breeze fragrance discs, and a carpet glider. In addition, the 23-foot power cord and swivel steering make it easy to move around the room, cleaning all the nooks and crannies. This mop boasts three steam settings-high, medium, and low-so users can choose the best one for the type of flooring or stain. After testing, we rated the steam mops and assigned the winners based on their performance. We then tested to see which steam mops best removed the messes. We used each steam mop on several hard floor surfaces, noting how easy it was to use, how well it maneuvered, how thoroughly it cleaned, and the effectiveness of any attachments.įor more rigorous testing, we placed ¼ tablespoon of pasta sauce and ½ tablespoon of apple juice on a hardwood floor in seven spots and allowed each to dry for several hours.


We have previous experience testing dozens of cleaning products and tried each mop multiple times to give it a fair assessment. We also chose models that include attachments for grout cleaning, carpet steaming, and scraping. We narrowed our list to highly rated steam mops that can clean a variety of surfaces, including hardwood floors, laminate, linoleum, and tile. How We Tested the Best Steam Mopsīefore testing steam cleaners, we spent hours researching the best models. If there is a noticeable change to the wood after a steam clean, consider an alternative cleaning method, such as a vacuum cleaner-mop combo. Many steam mops are suitable for most flooring types, but always test them first just to make extra sure. Here’s a tip: Before cleaning, test a small corner of the floor to see how it reacts to the steam. The extreme temperature and moisture from steam cleaners could warp the wood, including hardwood floors and engineered wood flooring.

If flooring is fragile, heavy-duty cleaning from steam mops may do more harm than good. However, shoppers will want to check the flooring manufacturer’s care instructions before using a steam mop to ensure it can clean specific floor types. Most steam mops are safe for use on ceramic tile, grout, sealed wood floors, linoleum, or laminate floors, and some can even be used on carpet. Photo: Katie Barton Before You Buy a Steam Mop
