Best Sponge Mops of 2023

By
Jeneva Aaron
Jeneva is the founder and CEO of thehousewire.com where she provides honest and objective reviews on home and cleaning products. She is a cleaning enthusiast. She got inspired to build her own cleaning blog when she realized how cleaning can make an impact on our lives and how a cleaner home can affect a person's mood.
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Updated June 16, 2023

Fight the grime on your floors with a sponge mop

Best Sponge Mops of 2023
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Are you tired of the hassle of mopping your floors? Sometimes a string mop or flat mop isn’t the best tool to use for your floors.

These mops can be a pain to maintain and can collect odors over time. But, that’s where a sponge mop comes in.

Sponge mops are ideal for daily cleaning if you have both textured or smooth floor surfaces. They’re easy to keep clean, and their spongy texture makes them perfect for reaching into uneven floor spaces.

Let’s take a look at the best sponge mops on the market so you can find a mop that’s right for you

Our Top Picks

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Best Sponge Mops of 2023
Yocada Sponge Mop Home Commercial Use Tile Floor Bathroom Garage Cleaning with Total 2 Sponge Heads Squeegee and Extendable Telescopic Long Handle 42.5-52 Inches Easily Dry WringingBest Overall

Yocada Sponge Mop

Yocada Sponge Mop Home Commercial Use Tile Floor Bathroom Garage Cleaning with Total 2 Sponge Heads Squeegee and Extendable Telescopic Long Handle 42.5-52 Inches Easily Dry Wringing

  • Fast-drying

  • Removable sponge head

  • Adjustable handle

Quickie Butterfly Sponge Floor Wet Mop for Cleaning, Blue, Built-in Wringer, Indoor/Outdoor, Clean Tile/Bathroom/Garage/Linoleum/Wood, Commerical and Residential Use(454)Best Budget

Quickie Sponge

Quickie Butterfly Sponge Floor Wet Mop for Cleaning, Blue, Built-in Wringer, Indoor/Outdoor, Clean Tile/Bathroom/Garage/Linoleum/Wood, Commerical and Residential Use(454)

  • Built-in scrubber

  • Sturdy stainless steel handle

  • Affordable

Casabella, Painted Steel Original, MopBest for Hardwood Floors

Casabella Original Mop

Casabella, Painted Steel Original, Mop

  • Rust-resistant steel handle

  • Available in two colors

  • Lifetime guarantee

Mr. Clean 446268, Magic Eraser Power Squeeze MopBest Heavy-Duty

Mr. Clean Magic Mop

Mr. Clean 446268, Magic Eraser Power Squeeze Mop

  • Fast-drying

  • Lightweight

  • Versatile

The Super® Standard 11' Double Roller PVA Sponge Mop Set (Mop and 1 Extra Refill)Best PVA Mop

The Super PVA Mop

The Super® Standard 11' Double Roller PVA Sponge Mop Set (Mop and 1 Extra Refill)

  • Easy to maneuver

  • Durable

  • Suitable for commercial cleaning

Rubbermaid Commercial Products Brute Steel Roller Sponge Floor Mop with Steel Handle, 12-Inch Wide, Metal, Cleaning for Title/Floors in Bathroom/Kitchen/Lobby and Outdoor/Garage SpacesBest Commercial

Rubbermaid Sponge Mop

Rubbermaid Commercial Products Brute Steel Roller Sponge Floor Mop with Steel Handle, 12-Inch Wide, Metal, Cleaning for Title/Floors in Bathroom/Kitchen/Lobby and Outdoor/Garage Spaces

  • Extra-wide cleaning path

  • Ultra lightweight

  • Durable alloy steel handle

 

Reviews

Best Overall - Yocada Sponge Mop

Yocada Sponge Mop

Cleaning your floors can be an easy job with the right mop. And this Yocada sponge mop is a great option.

It has a honeycomb sponge design that offers extra absorbency and breathable quality. So it won’t leave a lot of moisture on your floors when you’re cleaning.

The honeycomb design also makes it fast-drying. This makes the head less prone to odors or mold.

It also comes with a soft brush on the top of the mop. You can turn this fantastic sponge mop over and quickly clean stubborn dirt or scuffs on your floor.

Plus, it has a built-in squeegee to clean up any liquids and spills or excess water on your floors. This is great if you want an even faster drying process after you finish cleaning your floors.

Lastly, the wide 10-inch cleaning path cleans more of your floor in each pass. And this can save you a lot of time when you’re cleaning your floors.

Pros
  • Fast-drying
  • Adjustable handle
  • Removable sponge head
  • The head has a built-in soft brush and squeegee for liquid messes and spills
  • Handle wringing lever to squeeze excess water
Cons
  • Hard to assemble

Technical Specs

Weight 2.88 lbs
Head Type Removable, flat mop-head
Head Material Honeycomb sponge
Handle Length 42.5 – 52-inch
Surface Type Any hard floors

Best Budget - Quickie Sponge Automatic Mop

Quickie Sponge Automatic Mop

This Quickie Sponge Automatic Mop offers excellent value for money.

Not only is it affordable, but it comes with a 5-year warranty. So you can trust that this sponge mop will stand up to years of cleaning.

This Quickie sponge mop has an automatic squeeze function for an easy-wringing process. This means you won’t struggle to squeeze any excess water out of your mop.

The absorbent cellulose sponge head also provides excellent absorbency and maintains its soft, flexible shape whether it’s wet or dry.

That means it won’t crack or harden in between your cleaning sessions. Therefore the sponge will maintain its quality cleaning performance, even after frequent use.

And you can use the built-in scrubber to clean marks and stuck dirt or dust on your floors without needing to switch mop-heads.

Pros
  • Built-in scrubber
  • Automatic squeeze mechanism for easy wringing
  • Sturdy stainless steel handle
  • Easy to store hanging hook on the handle
  • Affordable
Cons
  • Scrubbing strip can come loose
  • The handle is not adjustable

Technical Specs

Weight 1.25 lbs
Head Type Fixed, flat sponge mop-head
Head Material Cellulose
Handle Length 48-inch
Surface Type Hard floor

Best for Hardwood Floors - Casabella Painted Steel Original Mop

Casabella Painted Steel Original Mop

If you have hardwood floors, this Casabella Painted Steel Original Mop is the one for you.

It features a super absorbent head that many customers rave about. According to reviews, the sponge-head stays relatively dry when you wring it out.

This means you can enjoy efficient cleaning without having to worry about any excess water damaging your hardwood floors.

It has a sturdy steel pole with a rust-resistant, heavy duty lever. So it’s built to last, even with frequent or daily use.

But, it’s also backed with a lifetime guarantee. So you really can trust that this sponge mop will deliver top cleaning performance for many years to come.

Pros
  • Super absorbent sponge mop-head
  • Rust-resistant steel handle
  • Lifetime guarantee
  • Available in two colors
Cons
  • The wringing mechanism lever can be stiff to pull

Technical Specs

Weight 2.11 lbs
Head Type Fixed, flat mop-head
Head Material Cellulose
Handle Length N/A
Surface Type Hardwood floors, bare floors

Best Heavy-Duty - Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Power Squeeze Mop

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Power Squeeze Mop

If you have extra-dirty floors, you might want to consider this Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Power Squeeze Mop. This handy sponge mop combines Mr. Cleans popular magic eraser with a heavy-duty foam sponge mop-head.

This combination provides a versatile, effortless cleaning solution to remove marks and stains from any dirty floor. Plus, it has a textured surface to scrub away any stubborn dirt or tough messes on your flooring.

You can use this mop in any room in your house, including the kitchen, bathroom, or entryway floors. It’s perfect for tiles and laminate as well as sealed hard floors.

And thanks to the heavy-duty wringing lever, you can use it on hardwood floors, too. The lever provides maximum wringing power to squeeze all excess water from your sponge-head while you mop.

So you can enjoy a deep clean that dries fast and doesn’t leave moisture on your floors.

Pros
  • Lightweight
  • Fast-drying
  • Includes a magic eraser built into the mop-head
  • Versatile
Cons
  • Requires a lot of strength when mopping
  • Magic eraser wears down quickly

Technical Specs

Weight 1.5 lbs
Head Type Rectangular, flat mop-head
Head Material Foam
Handle Length 52.75-inches
Surface Type Any hard floor

Best PVA - The Super Standard 11-inch Double Roller PVA Sponge Mop Set

The Super Standard 11-inch Double Roller PVA Sponge Mop Set

This Super Standard Double Roller PVA Sponge Mop has a 100% pure PVA sponge for an effective, soft clean that won’t scratch your floors.

The pure PVA sponge is resistant to strong chemicals and cleaning agents. So it won’t wear even with the use of cleaning solutions when you’re mopping your floors.

But, it’s also highly heat-resistant. This means you can use this sponge mop to sanitise your floors with warm or hot water without causing any damage.

Additionally, it has a handy non-slip gripper that keeps the tough sponge in place during each cleaning pass. This gives you a lot of control when you’re manoeuvring your mop around the floor.

And the telescoping wand allows you to adjust the height up to 55-inches while you’re cleaning.

Lastly, the wide 11-inch cleaning path covers a large area of your floor in each pass. This can save you a lot of time when you’re cleaning large messes on your floors.

Pros
  • Easy to manoeuvre
  • Durable
  • Suitable for commercial cleaning
Cons
  • The handle pole can come loose during cleaning
  • Heavy when wet

Technical Specs

Weight 3 lbs
Head Type Removable, round sponge-head
Head Material PVA sponge head
Handle Length 55-inches
Surface Type Sealed hard floors

Best Commercial - Rubbermaid Commercial Cellulose Sponge Mop

Rubbermaid Commercial Cellulose Sponge Mop

Mopping large spaces with a lot of dirt can feel like a never-ending challenge. But, this extra-wide Rubbermaid Commercial Sponge Mop was built for the job.

It has the widest cleaning path on our list, covering 12-inches of your floor in each pass. So you can clean messes and spills faster and with fewer passes using this mop.

This commercial grade sponge mop also has a durable steel pole with a handle-mounted lever. So you can squeeze the head at any time during your clean.

And the alloy steel construction can handle large cleans and heavy use. This makes it perfect for commercial cleaning, and you won’t be needing to replace the mop handle any time soon.

But what really stands out with this mop is that it’s super lightweight for easy maneuvering. Weighing only 0.06-pounds, this is one of the lightest mops on the market.

Pros
  • Extra-wide cleaning path
  • Durable alloy steel handle
  • Ultra lightweight
Cons
  • Sponge-head is too wide to fit into most buckets

Technical Specs

Weight 0.06 lbs
Head Type Rounded rectangular sponge
Head Material Cellulose
Handle Length N/A
Surface Type Hard floors

What to Look for in a Sponge Mop

Consider the following details when you’re shopping for a sponge mop.

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Flooring Compatibility

First, consider the flooring compatibility of your sponge mop.

Sponge mops work well on uneven and textured floor types, such as tile flooring. They’re also safe for use on vinyl floors.

But, because sponges are highly absorbent, they tend to hold a lot of water. So if they’re not wrung out properly, excess water can run onto your floor while you’re cleaning.

For this reason, they’re not suitable to use when you’re cleaning floors that can’t handle a lot of moisture. For example, they aren’t the best option for wood floors like laminate or hardwood flooring.

If you’re using a sponge mop on these floor types, make sure you wring the sponge out properly.

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Heads

Another thing to consider is that most sponge mops have fixed heads.

This can be helpful when you’re scrubbing your floors. But, it can make it difficult to reach into the corners of your walls when you’re mopping.

This is especially true with rounded, stiff sponge heads. These types of mop heads are also thicker, which can make it difficult to reach into tight spaces and underneath furniture.

However, rounded sponge heads tend to allow for better scrubbing angles.

Flat sponge heads are slimmer and scrub best at one angle. But, they have rectangular angles that can reach into corners more efficiently than round sponge heads can.

For example, this OXO Good Grip Butterfly Sponge Mop has a flat mop head.

Most sponge mops also have replaceable mop heads. This means you can replace the sponge when it gets dirty or damaged without having to replace the entire mop.

You can also buy separate replacement heads such as this drainer sponge mop refill, compatible with quick back models.

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Sponge Head Material

Next, consider the material of your sponge. Synthetic sponge heads are made from polyester, polyurethane, vegetal cellulose, or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).

  • Polyurethane is a coarse synthetic material commonly used on sponge heads for its abrasive quality. Whereas polyester is a much softer, yellow sponge head.
  • Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) sponge heads are highly absorbent and fast-drying.
  • Vegetal cellulose sponge heads are made from wood fiber. And these tend to be tougher and more expensive than traditional polyester sponges.
  • Cellulose sponge heads are also considered a more eco-friendly option than polyester sponges. This is because they are made from naturally-derived materials and are biodegradable.
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Handle

You should also consider the handle of your sponge mop. Most sponge mop handles are plastic, aluminium, stainless steel, or wood.

Sturdy handles, such as stainless steel, can take a lot of the pressure off when you’re scrubbing your floors. So they won’t bend or break when you’re deep cleaning.

For this reason, most quality mops tend to have steel, wood, or aluminium handles. For example, this Superio Sponge & Go Mop has a sturdy aluminium handle.

However, many mops have a plastic hand-grip for ergonomic comfort during cleaning. Plus, they can have plastic buttons, a plastic lever, and plastic spray triggers.

Mops with curved handles or a soft foam grip also tend to be more comfortable to use. So make sure you consider the handle materials and features to find the right sponge mop for you.

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Extra Features

Finally, many sponge mops have extra features for you to consider.

Some sponge mops include extra mop heads or a free scrub brush. Or, they may have other accessories for different cleaning tasks.

For example, this Libman Nitty Gritty Roller Mop comes with a scrub brush and green cleaning pads.

Plus, some mops have ergonomic features like a telescopic handle that allows you to adjust the length of the handle.

So consider your cleaning needs to find a sponge mop that has the best extra features for your cleaning.

Sponge Mops Comparison Chart

ProductWeightHead TypeHead MaterialHandle LengthSurface Type
Yocada Sponge Mop2.88 lbsRemovable, flat mop-headHoneycomb sponge42.5 - 52-inchAny hard floors
Quickie Sponge Automatic Mop1.25 lbsFixed, flat sponge mop-headCellulose48-inchHard floor
Casabella Painted Steel Original Mop1.25 lbsFixed, flat sponge mop-headCellulose48-inchHard floor
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Power Squeeze Mop1.5 lbsRectangular, flat mop-headFoam52.75-inchesAny hard floor
Standard PVA Sponge Mop3 lbsRemovable, round sponge-headPVA55-inchesSealed hard floors
Rubbermaid Brute Steel Roller Sponge Mop0.06 lbsRounded rectangular spongeCelluloseN/AHard floors
Jump to the Full Sponge Mops Reviews

Sponge Mop FAQs

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How to Use Sponge Mop?

To use a sponge mop:

  • Mix water and soap into a bucket. You can also add a cleaning solution of your choice.
  • Then, submerge the sponge mop into the water and take it out. Make sure you use the wringer mechanism to wring out the excess water before you start cleaning your floor.
  • Depending on your mop, there may be a wringer control on the handle to squeeze the excess water. Or, some sponge mops feature a wringer control on the mop-head.
  • Once you wring out your mop, you can begin mopping. To do this, push and pull your sponge mop in a back and forth motion across your floors.

Make sure you use the 3 buckets system to avoid having to replace your water too often.

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How Do You Change a Sponge Mop Head?

Most sponge mops have a button or lever you can press to release the sponge-head. After you remove the sponge-head, you can press the new sponge onto the mop.

Some mops vary with different features for releasing the mop-head. So make sure you follow the user instructions for your sponge mop model.

Some models allow you to change the whole head and not just the sponge. For example, see this O-Cedar Wood-Matic Roller refill mop.

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How Do You Clean a Sponge Mop?

The best way to clean your sponge mop is to let it soak in a bucket of water and cleaning solution. Leave your mop soaking for a few hours for the best results.

Then, take your mop out of the bucket and rinse off the cleaning solution. Make sure you wring the water out and completely dry your sponge mop before you use it again.

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