Expert Tested: Best Mops for Hardwood Floors of 2023

Keep dust and grime at bay with these marvelous mops

Hardwood floors definitively add charm and character to any decor. But cleaning hardwood floors poses a challenge if you don’t have the appropriate cleaning supplies.

Regardless of the patterns and colors in your wood floors, using a quality mop is an excellent way to maintain them and leave them shiny. It can even help to extend their lifespan.

We purchased and tested several mops on different surfaces at home, mopping and scrubbing stains to evaluate efficiency, ease of use, or maintenance.

Here are the best mops for hardwood floors based on our testing and research.

Reviews

Read Full Review: O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop Review

For complete comfort and clean floors all-in-one, this O-Cedar wet mopping system is one of the best cleaning tools to have.

It offers hands-free wringing with an ergonomic foot pedal making sure your mop isn’t too wet for your hard floors. There’s also a splash guard to stop excess water soaking you or your floor when you wring it out.

Because the mop is made from microfiber, you can use it as a dry mop for dusting or trapping dirt.

To use as a wet mop, no need for chemicals. Simply dunk the mop head into the bucket, place it in the spinning compartment and make it spin with the pedal. Thanks to this clever mechanism you can control the level of the dampness of the mop. Essential to clean hardwood floors.

There’s also a telescopic handle – for added comfort. You can change the length to suit the height of each user, meaning no more stooping over and hurting your back.

It has a patented triangular core and 360 degree rotation that make it great for getting into tight corners. It’s easy to maneuver in all directions, so you can clean large areas of bare floors and get around furniture with minimal hassle.

Despite its plastic parts that look cheap, this mop is worth the hype.

What Customers Are Saying

Many positive reviews praised the mop’s customizable dampness, while other pleased customers approved its wringer mechanism.

Negative customer reviews judged the head’s small design unpractical and disliked the cheap plastic parts.

Our Experience

This mop is our top performer with its clever absorbent microfiber head and design. During our tests, it did a fantastic job on wooden floors – whether laminate or hardwood floors. While the mop picks up literally anything, the mechanism allows it to wring out very dry.

However, we were disappointed with the spinner that isn’t removable. We found that it makes the overall bucket design heavier – so was a bit of an issue when walking from room to room.

Not all mops cost the earth, and this CLDREAM budget mop is purse-friendly while still offering high-quality cleaning.

It comes with washable reusable chenille pads that absorb water for dry mopping, and microfiber pads to pick up dust for wet mopping.

If you choose to use it for wet mopping, the handy floor spray bottle means you won’t use too much water. This is crucial for hardwood floors to stop water from seeping in and damaging the core.

It even includes a scrubber for stubborn stains. So not only is it versatile, but there also aren’t any extra costs after you buy it.

And if you want to clean large areas in one go, the 800ml tank means you won’t have to refill it all the time. So you can focus on cleaning without being interrupted by running out of water.

The wide mop head is another time-saving feature. The 16-inch cleaning path makes it easy to clean your hardwood floors quickly. And it has 360 degree rotation to get around obstacles.

The ergonomic handle has a soft-grip section for deeper cleaning in comfort. It’s also good for maneuvering it into corners for a complete finish.

While the sprayer can be defective after a few months of use, overall, it’s a brilliant addition to any cleaning arsenal.

What Customers Are Saying

Many happy customers appreciated the mop’s swivel design and affordability without the need for batteries, with customers commenting that they preferred it to traditional mops.

Negative reviews questioned the mop’s durability, with a few users complaining that it’s very flimsy and not very durable.

If it’s a steam mop you’re after, then this BISSELL is the best steam mop for hardwood floors. It’s key to stay away from any that will leave your hard floors too wet, and this one has different steam settings for that exact purpose.

You can choose between Low, Medium, and High steam output to suit a range of jobs and surface types. So you can turn it up for tiled areas, then lower it right down for hardwood floors.

Just remember to make sure that your floors are sealed before using a steam mop on them. And even then, major wood flooring associations suggest avoiding steam machines altogether.

But if steam’s the way you want to go, this model heats up in 30 seconds, so you can handle spills in an instant. There’s even a special scrubby pad to combat stubborn sticky spills or any mess that’s caught in crevices.

And the 23-foot power cord gives you a long reach, saving you the hassle of needing to swap power outlets all the time.

If you want germ-free floors without using harsh chemicals, then steam’s for you. You can relax safe in the knowledge that it removes 99.9% of bacteria for a clean family home.

However, be aware that – in addition to the fact that it is not 100% suitable for hardwood floors – it can leak at times.

What Customers Are Saying

Countless positive reviews noted how affordable this mop is – while still being efficient on both hard floors and wooden floors.

Negative reviews complained about the pad bunching up in the front when pushing the mop forward – explaining that this is a clear deal-breaker for them.

Read Full Review: Bona Spray Mop Review

Spray mops combine the best of both worlds. You can use them dry to mop clean dust or add a squirt of cleaner for increased cleaning power.

This Bona model has been designed with hardwood floors in mind. It comes with a bottle of specialized hardwood floor cleaner, so you know it’s safe to use.

It helps to reveal the natural shine and won’t strip the finish away. Plus, it offers a streak-free finish and is quick-drying, which is key for wood floors.

You don’t want too much moisture on your hardwood floor, so a fast-drying solution works well. Combine it with the fine mist setting this Bona delivers, and you can be sure that you won’t oversaturate your floors.

The extra-wide 16.5 inch mop head ensures you can whizz it round quickly. It saves you time on large areas and means your floors aren’t exposed to water for any longer than needed.

There are even flexible rubber corners to protect your furniture and baseboards from any scrapes.

And when you’re done, you can throw the microfiber mop head into the wash. It’s washable and reusable, so you don’t have to spend money on disposable pads.

Then use the retractable hook to hang your mop up and out of the way.

While the sprayer is prone to leaking, it stays a sturdy and safe option for your wooden floors.

What Customers Are Saying

Many positive reviews approved the easy to use and assemble design – you’ll need less than 3 minutes to unpack and bring together. They also largely complimented the cleaning solution that they found powerful – leaving a fine mist over a large area.

On the other hand, negative reviews noted that – once again – the bottle leaks, making this mop definitively unusable.

Our Experience

This spray mop is a powerful and efficient cleaner but comes with maneuverability issues. While it’s lightweight and easy to push across wooden floors, it didn’t glide as expected – expressing a bit of resistance.

Yet, this mop performed well on both hardwood and laminate floors and didn’t saturate the floors. We also enjoyed the washable pads that offer a sustainable alternative to single-use cleaning pads.

As far as hardwood floor mops are concerned, a dust mop is an essential tool. Dry mops pick up the dust that sweeping leaves behind, so they’re great for cleaning floors.

And this MANGOTIME dust mop has a mixture of cleaning heads, so it tackles marble and laminate floors just as well as finished wood floors.

There are chenille pads for dry cleaning, which are perfect for locking in dirt and pet hair as well as drying spills. Then there are microfiber alternatives if you want to use it with liquid cleaners.

Of course, all of the pads are reusable. So this durable product will save you money while being kind on the planet, too.

And the stainless steel handle is an extra long 54 inches, saving you from any back ache caused by stooping down. Then there’s an aluminum plate in the mop head that is heavier than plastic and applies extra pressure for a more thorough clean.

Combine it with the 360 degree swivel head and it couldn’t be easier to get under furniture and into tricky areas. You can even dust your walls and ceilings for a truly clean home.

What Customers Are Saying

Positive reviews insisted on the mop’s durable construction with a few users confirming that this quality mop lasts a long time. A good investment in the long run!

But negative reviews expressed their disappointment with the poor packaging and the lack of instructions.

Read Full Review: Swiffer Sweeper Dry Wet Starter Kit Review

Sometimes disposable pads are just easier. Maybe you’re taking the RV out for the weekend and don’t have a washing machine. Or maybe you just want to tidy up a quick spill.

Either way, disposable pads are super convenient. Especially for cleaning up smelly messes, like pet accidents, because you can just pop them straight into the bin. There’s no need to deal with washing machines and drying them out before you can use them.

You can even use this Swiffer with wet or dry cloths to make it more versatile.

The dry cloths have ridges and grooves to lock in any dust and dirt. So it’s easy to run one of these around and pick up any grit that could scratch your hardwood floor when it comes time to mop.

Then the wet pads cut through grease and spills to leave you with a sparkling finish.

For added efficiency, you don’t have to waste time dragging stuff out of the way before you clean. The swivel head gets into tight corners and around furniture without any hassle. So you can just pick up your Swiffer and get started.

Plus, it’s compact and lightweight. So it’s easy for anyone to use and it doesn’t take up much space for storage.

The easy grip handle is also comfortable to hold, whatever cleaning task you’re using it for.

What Customers Are Saying

Lots of positive reviews centered around the compact and lightweight design of this mop, with customers happy with its affordability and efficiency.

Other reviewers complained about the flimsy handly which is regrettably not extendable. And while it’s an affordable mop, negative reviews noted that the refill pads can be quickly expensive.

Our Experience

We noticed that the wet cloths can leave excessive moisture on the floor – so this mop is clearly unsuitable for water-sensitive surfaces such as waxed wooden floors or non-sealed hardwood floors.

But the mop is a breeze to set up and is extremely lightweight and easy to maneuver. During our testing session, the dry mop pad also did an impressive job of picking up dust and dirt whereas we just vacuumed the area.

When you need a bigger cleaning solution, it’s time to consider a professional mop. This Jinclean industrial mop is one of the best mops for hardwood floors on a larger scale.

It has a whopping 24 inch mop head to cover large areas in no time at all.

And the heavy-duty industrial cotton floor head acts like a duster, cleaning up dust, pet hair, and grime. It locks in the mess rather than spreading it around the surface.

It’s also machine washable and reusable, so you can use the same head time after time. But if you’d rather, spare heads are easy to get hold of if you always want to have one to hand.

For extra durability, the steel wire frame uses spot welding technology to make it super tough. This means it can handle frequent commercial use on any surface, from hardwood floors to concrete or even in the garage.

And it has a thick adjustable steel handle that will last a long time. You can change the height from 31-59 inches, so it will suit anyone and any job.

Finally, you can select a straight stick position or a 180 degree swivel mode for added maneuverability, depending on the cleaning process you prefer.

What Customers Are Saying

Some positive reviews complimented the quality construction of this sturdy mop and fabulous maneuverability with a few users confirming that this is a performing mop for industrial areas.

But unhappy customers complained about the “adjustable” handle that loosens up and collapses.

How to Choose the Best Mop for Wood Floors

How We Tested the Hardwood Floor Mops

We cleaned up hardwood floors with different mops in our homes and in real-life conditions to determine which was the best and for which category.

To begin, we unboxed and assembled each mop, taking into account how much time it took us to bring them together. We then rated the ease of setup.

Then we cleaned dirty floors with these mops. We evaluated the mop’s performance on different types of wooden floors whether laminate or hardwood floors. We also tested on other hard surfaces such as tile floors. If the mop was designed to clean dry and wet messes, we tested both settings.

During our tests, we also rated how easy the mop is to use or maneuver. We tried to move around obstacles such as tables or chairs. On hardwood floors, we closely paid attention to how wet the floor was left and if it dried quickly.

Then we evaluated the different mechanisms whether wringing or spraying. And if the clothes were easy to place and replace.

We took a close look at the mop’s maintenance – if the mop heads are machine washable or not. When machine washable, we put them through a standard cycle to check if they came out cleaner. We also evaluated if the handles and buckets were easy to maintain.

Our final check concerned the accessories and replacement parts. We checked their quality, durability, and replacement costs.