Best Steam Mops for 2024

Benefits of Steam Mops

Before diving into the details of specific steam mops, let’s explore the benefits of using these innovative cleaning tools. Here are some critical advantages of steam mops:

1. Efficient Cleaning: Steam mops provide a faster and more convenient way to scrub floors than traditional squeeze mops. With just the press of a button, steam is generated from a refillable tank, allowing you to glide the mop over your floors effortlessly.
2. Chemical-Free Cleaning: Unlike traditional mops that require cleaning solutions, steam mops rely on the power of steam to clean and sanitize your floors. This makes them an eco-friendly and chemical-free cleaning option.
3. Versatility: Steam mops can be used on various sealed floors, including vinyl, linoleum, ceramic or porcelain tile, and some types of sealed hardwood. Some models even come with attachments that allow you to clean other surfaces in your home, such as upholstery, curtains, and windows.
4. Sanitization: The high temperatures produced by steam mops can effectively kill germs and bacteria on hard surfaces, providing a hygienic environment for your family.
5. Quick Drying: Steam mops leave your floors almost dry after cleaning, eliminating the need for mopping up excess water and reducing the risk of slips and falls.

Steam Mop vs. Regular Mop

VG Stock Studio / Shutterstock

By now, it should be obvious what the difference is between a steam mop vs. a regular mop.

One is old-fashioned, uses soaps or chemicals to clean and sanitize surfaces, and also requires a bucket filled with water (which can get messy).

The other is newer, does not require chemicals to clean, and requires some fresh H20 and an electrical outlet.

You know the key differentiators between a steam mop and a regular mop. Now, let’s look at the pros and cons of each.

Steam Mop

Pros

• Can be lighter-weight than a traditional wet mop
• Can be used on multiple surfaces
• Does not require a bucket of water and soap
• Does not need chemicals to clean and sanitize surfaces
• Easier to clean than traditional mops
• Easy to use
• Easily removes bacteria
• Floors dry faster with steam mops than traditional mops

Cons

• Carpets take a long time to dry
• More expensive than traditional mops
• More risk of injury due to hot steam

Regular Mop

Pros

• Can be used with your favorite cleaning product to leave your home smelling fresh
• Cheap
• Easy to use

Cons

• Cannot be used on carpets
• Floors take longer to clean than if washed with a steam mop
• Lugging a bucket of soapy water from room to room can be complicated and messy
• Require chemicals or soaps to sanitize

Steam Mop Buyer’s Guide

Amazon

Steam mops contain a water-filled reservoir that heats water to around 250 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Fahrenheit is the necessary temperature to kill bacteria). As you mop, this steam helps to loosen dirt and grime and kill bacteria.

Steam mops are more expensive than ordinary mops but more affordable than vacuums. Price is a factor with any new appliance (or purchase in general), but when looking at steam mops, there are a few other factors to consider.

Here are the steam mop features to familiarize yourself with to help you decide.

Accessories and Attachments

Andrei Pranevich / Shutterstock

Steam mops aren’t dissimilar to vacuums. They help clean and sanitize multiple surfaces and areas of all shapes and sizes.

As such, steam mops have a variety of accessories and attachments. The most common are extensions, brushes, squeegees, and carpet glides:

• Brushes: Some steam mops have various brushes that help remove tough stains.
• Carpet glides: Carpet glides elevate the steam mop a bit, which allows them to clean carpets.
• Extensions: Many steam mops have extensions that allow you to steam carpets or expand the hose.
• Squeegees: Steam squeegees allow you to steam clean your windows and other glass surfaces.

These attachments can help you adjust from laminate flooring to hardwood or carpets.

Cleaning and Maintenance

j.chizhe / Shutterstock

You will want it to last no matter what type of appliance you’re buying. For that to happen, you’ll need to take care of it.

Thankfully, steam mops are relatively simple to clean and maintain.

Could you make sure you clean the pads, the reservoir, the exterior of the steam mop, and any attachments?

Exterior of Steam Mop

Cleaning the exterior of the steam mop is the easiest part. You can wipe it down with a clean, dry cloth and remove any moisture as you do.

Steam Mop Pads

Most steam mops come with removable pads. After using your steam mop, wait until the device has cooled, then remove the places. Most can be thrown in the washing machine and washed gently. If you need more clarification, please feel free to hand wash them.

Could you check if the pads can be thrown in the dryer? If in doubt, air dry them.

Please ensure the pads are dry before placing them back on the steam mop so that mildew does not grow or damage the residence.

Water Reservoir

In addition to the pads, you’ll want to clean the reservoir. After using the steam mop and waiting to cool, use a clean, dry cloth to wipe it down until it is dry.

Chemicals

Steam mops clean and sanitize your home without the need for chemicals. As such, please don’t use harsh chemicals when cleaning it.

Never fill the water reservoir with bleach or any other sort of detergent. If you do, you risk ruining it and voiding your warranty.

You can see more steam mop mistakes to help avoid making errors that will damage your mop.

Cord Length

Garcia / Shutterstock

Have you ever been vacuuming and realized that your cord can’t go any farther?

You must turn off the vacuum, unplug it, search for a new outlet, and start over. Steam mops are no different.

Could you check the length of the cord on your steam mop and compare it to the rooms you’ll clean?

If you’re still determining what you’ll need, check the cord length of your vacuum (if applicable). If you’re happy with your vacuum’s cord length, you should be satisfied with a similar size for your steam mop.

Heating Time

XArtProduction / Shutterstock

Unlike an ordinary mop, you must plug in your steam mop and let it heat up.

The time it takes for the water to turn to steam varies based on your model steam map.

Some of the best steam mops we looked at offered heating times of 20 seconds. Others took around 30, and some took even 45 seconds.

We recommend finding a steam mop that heats up in 45 seconds or less.

Indicator Lights

j.chizhe / Shutterstock

Most steam mops have indicator lights of some sort. These indicator lights inform you when the water has turned to steam, and the mop is ready.

Steam mops can also have empty light indicators that let you know when the water tank is empty and needs a refill.

Size

j.chizhe / Shutterstock

As with any appliance, size is important (especially if you have a small home or are short on storage space).

Before investing in a steam mop, please check where you’ll keep it. If you have unlimited space, size will be fine. You’ll likely want a more miniature steam mop if you have a small closet with numerous other cleaning appliances.

In addition to potential storage constraints, could you think about your personal preferences? Are you okay pushing around a bulky, heavy steam mop? Or would you prefer something portable and lightweight?

Could you check the dimensions and weight of all steam mops you are considering and make sure you feel comfortable using them? If not, you may need to use it more to get your money’s worth.

Steam Control

Amazon

Some steam mops give you more steam settings. They can enable you to set the team’s temperature and the amount of steam the mop releases.

Why does this matter?

Different surfaces and stains require different approaches. With variable steam control, you can clean light messes with a touch of steam and tackle the tough messes with more steam and cleaning power.

The less steam you use, the less water you use. Variable steam control helps prevent wasting water by adjusting to the needed steam level. It can also help you clean longer as you won’t need to stop and refill the water tank as many times.

Warranty

j.chizhe / Shutterstock

Most steam mops we looked at came with one-year warranties, which can be void if you add chemicals to the water reservoir or otherwise inflict user damage upon the mop.

Water Tank

cunaplus / Shutterstock

When looking at a steam mop’s water tank, there are two key things you’ll want to consider: the water tank’s size and whether or not it’s removable.

Water Tank Size

As you can imagine, the larger the water tank, the more steam it creates and the longer you can use your steam mop.

Steam mops with large water tanks can run for approximately 45 minutes. Smaller water tanks may only allow you to clean for 10 minutes.

If you have a large home, you’ll likely want a steam mop with a large water tank to clean everything in one session rather than continually having to stop and wait for more steam.

Removable Water Tank

The second most important characteristic of a steam mop water tank you should consider is whether or not it’s removable.

Mops with removable tanks are efficient. You can remove the tank, take it to the sink, and fill it. If it’s not, you’ll need to lug the entire mop to the sink to fill the tank, which is cumbersome and possibly messy.

As you can imagine, we recommend steam mops with removable water tanks.

Dmitri Ma/Shutterstock

There are a lot of reasons to invest in a steam mop: they’re easy to use, they sanitize without the use of harsh chemicals, they don’t require a bucket of water, and they can be used to clean multiple surfaces.

The pros outweigh the cons, particularly if you have young children or pets and want to eliminate as many chemicals as possible.

Use our buying guide and top picks to help you decide which one you want in your home.