Expert Tested: Best Mops for Tile Floors in 2023

Flat Mop

A flat mop has a flat head that’s either rectangular or circular. Their shape makes them perfect for reaching into corners and tight spaces.

A flat mop uses a cloth generally made from microfiber. This is great for cleaning surfaces that can’t handle too much water. For example, marble floors, hardwood, and laminate flooring. Thanks to them, dirt is attracted to the static produced by these materials.

However, flat mops are not efficient for removing stubborn floor marks. But, they are compact and convenient for easy storage. Plus, flat mops provide a streak-free clean for your floors.

For example, see this Microfiber Wholesale Store 18-inch Pro Mop.

String Mop

One of the most commonly known varieties, a string mop, is the oldest type of traditional mop.

They consist of a pole attached to a head of heavy cotton or rayon strings. They can also have polyester or microfiber cleaning heads that provide greater sanitation and durability benefits. But, these heads do provide lower absorbance.

String mops are great for heavy-duty cleaning needs. Plus, they are versatile for both indoor and outdoor use. However, because they require a bucket and wringer, they aren’t the most effective tile mop for indoor cleaning. Plus, string mops are prone to leaving streaks and marks on your tiles.

Sponge Mop

Sponge mops have a sponge-like head that is both highly absorbent and fast-drying. They also have a wringing feature that removes excess liquid from the sponge. This helps to dry your floors faster.

However, the sponge can collect bacteria that can lead to bad odors if not cleaned and dried correctly. So it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for maintaining your sponge mop.

These mops are best for uneven surfaces like tiles or linoleum.

Spray Mop

Spray mops are similar to flat mops, but they have a spray function on the head for water or cleaning solution. So they don’t require a bucket. The spray nozzle can release water or a cleaning solution that gets wiped away by the mop head.

These mops are small and compact. So they’re perfect if you have small storage or cupboard space.

Strip Mop

A strip mop has fabric strips on the head. It also has a wringer function attached to the lower end of the handle.

A strip mop requires less maintenance than a string mop. However, it’s less absorbent. But, strip mops are great for scrubbing bacteria and grime from the floors.

The fabric strips are fast-drying and are effective at eliminating bacteria from your floors. But they tend to be less durable than other types of mops.

For an example of a strip tile mop, see this Libman Wonder Mop.

Steam Mop

Steam mops use heat from water vapor to clean and disinfect your floors. They have a microfiber mopping pad that sits below the steam jet that traps dirt as you clean.

Steam mops have a small refillable water tank that heats the water into steam. Most steam mops also offer the option for dry steaming.

Keep in mind that steam mops provide a lot of moisture, so they aren’t suitable for use on wood floors. But these mops are great for sanitizing and cleaning tile floor surfaces.

Spin Electric Mop

A spin-electric mop uses spinning heads to provide an effective and easy-to-do clean for your floors.

These mops are great to use on different floor surfaces. And you don’t need to worry about pushing your mop back and forth as you clean. Because it provides a cleaning spinning motion with each pass.

With so many to choose from, consider your needs to find the right type of mop for your floors.

You should keep in mind that water is heavier than air. So, when buying a tile floor mop with a bucket, you should consider one with wheels. This will make it a lot easier to transport around the room while cleaning. Otherwise, you can strain your back carrying a heavy bucket of water with you as you mop.

You should also consider a model that has a plug to drain. This will make it easier to transport your bucket from one floor to another. It also helps to prevent any spilling when you’re emptying the bucket. Splash guards can also help with this. They prevent dirty water from being splashed on your clothing when you move it.

Choosing a tile floor mop with sturdy mop handles can help when you’re deep cleaning. For example stainless steel, aluminum, or wood handles. This will take a lot of the pressure off while you’re cleaning. You won’t have to worry about the mop handle bending or breaking while you’re scrubbing.

Some mops will often have plastic hand-grips designed for ergonomic comfort. For instance, curved or soft foam grips can make your tile mop a lot more comfortable to use. So this is something to consider if you have large areas to mop.

Disposable or Reusable

A disposable mop head is convenient for quick cleans or mopping small areas. But, if you have large floors you may need several disposable pads each time you clean.

So if you have large floors, a reusable mop head may be a more efficient and eco-friendly option. For example, a reusable microfiber mop has a lot of benefits. Microfiber pads don’t spread excess water around the floor. Plus, it’s a soft material so it won’t damage your floors. Microfiber mops are also hygienic as well as fast-drying.

For an example, see these Wet Cloth Refills.

Shapes

Keep in mind that the shape of your floor mop head matters too. Whether it’s triangular, circular, or any other shape, this can affect how well it can reach corners and tight spaces.

If you have a lot of furniture on your floors to mop around, you should consider a swivel-head mop. This will provide a lot of control to maneuver around obstacles in your room.

Cleaning Path

Next, consider the cleaning path. A wider cleaning head will cover more area at once. This can save you a lot of time as well as effort when you’re cleaning tiled floors.

However, a wide cleaning head can make it hard to clean tight spaces or corners on your tiled floors. So make sure you consider the areas you’ll be cleaning. If there are a lot of objects to clean around or tight spaces, a wide cleaning path may be a hindrance.

But, some wide heads are designed for maneuverability. For example, you should consider a tile floor mop with a 360-degree neck so that you can easily control it around objects.

Material

Finally, consider the material. Some of the most popular mophead materials are cotton, synthetics, sponge, or microfiber.

Most string mops tend to use cotton because it’s highly absorbent. The cotton strings can soak up a lot of water, dirt, and spills from your floors.

Synthetic materials like nylon or microfibers offer great absorbency and gentle scrubbing capabilities. Plus, they tend to dry faster than cotton so they’re easier to keep clean. They’re less likely to result in mildew or bad odors. Washable microfiber pads are especially durable, affordable, and easy to maintain.

Lastly, sponge mop-heads also offer high absorbency. But they’re also good for scrubbing stubborn dirt or ground-in messes.

These mechanisms can be built into the handle or the mop bucket. But, handle mechanisms are the most popular choice for home cleaning. They offer a lot of versatility and are easy to use.

Self-wringing mops are also a popular choice because they’re easy to use. They use a ratcheting twist-action to wring out the excess water.

Mop bucket hands-free wringing mechanisms have levers that spin or squeeze the excess water from the mophead. For example, spin mops have unique spin-mop buckets. They spin out moisture from the mophead with the push of a lever.

Corded mops need to be plugged in while mopping. Whereas cordless mops need to be plugged in to charge between cleans.

Most corded and cordless electric mops have several cleaning modes to choose from. For example, they have a special mode for cleaning wood floors. Some mops also have removable swivel heads. And this can make your mopping process a lot faster and easier too.

For example, some mops have an extra mophead or bucket. Some also have additional accessories that can be useful for different cleaning tasks. This Youshangjia Microfiber Floor Mop has an extra cloth and a scraper.

It’s important to note that extra replacement mop-heads will eventually need to be replaced. So you should always check the price of replacement heads before buying your mop.

Plus, some mop floor cleaners have different ergonomic features in their design. For example, telescoping handles that allow you to adjust the handle’s length when you’re cleaning. This Beyoco Microfiber Mop has a telescoping wand.

Always consider your cleaning needs to find a mop with the right features for your floors.

Low traffic floors can benefit from a weekly cleaning routine whereas medium-traffic floors could be mopped every second day. In heavy traffic areas, expect to clean them daily.

Generally, cotton mop-heads need replacing after 15 to 30 cleans ⁽¹⁾. Whereas microfiber mop pads can last up to 500 cleans before needing replacement.

However, how often you use your mop can affect the number of cleans it can handle before needing replacing.