This Review Covers 2018’s Best Steam Mops Including Top Floor Steamers And Cleaners

If you’re looking for a more modern cleaning solution for your floor, then you have to check out these steam mops. Many homes with sealed floor material keep this equipment handy, whether they have hardwood floor, laminates or tile flooring. Moreover, better than any mop, a steam mop finishes with a deeper clean less the hard work and harsh substances.

It’s a bit difficult to decide to buy a new product or tech when you’re shopping online. See, even when you’re considering feedback from other shoppers user reviews often give mixed feedback. Moreover, a specific model doesn’t always cater to all people since preferences and practices vary with each person and home.

Knowing the best models available on the market is a good start at least. So we’ve tested, compared and reviewed the best steam mops for every budget and flooring types. As we reviewed, we took into account features, specs and details from expert analysis as well as Consumer Reports.

These solid choices each fit specific needs for individual floors, household messes to support Good House Keeping. Whether you have kids and pets at home or live by yourself, our featured models include features for every home. Moreover, we go over the best choice for each flooring type to help you find which one fits you the best.

These top choices feature smart features and innovative design supporting your cleaning needs be it wood floors or tile floors.  Moreover, part of the list feature crossover mops that come as a 2-in-1 unit or include attachments for targeted cleaning. These versatile powerful steam units convert into a handheld cleaner for cleaning clean kitchen countertops, tables and bathroom fixtures.

Each model chosen features durable materials and high ratings from steam mop reviews and many user reviews. They work on different floors and surfaces making them handy for different cleaning projects.  Meanwhile, apart from your regular steam cleaners, we’ve included other favorite cleaning machines that work on multiple surfaces.

Below we cover user reviews, other steam mop reviews, and our own experience with these models. We also kept in mind that every house has different cleaning needs depending different factors.  So, to help you find the best one for your home, we’ve featured our favorite products for different categories.

Featuring adjustable steam levels, and floor-friendly attachments and accessories, these steam mops work great on multiple surfaces. These steam mops for wood floors feature cushioned mop pads that do a great job of cleaning without causing damages. Moreover, apart from just mopping hardwood floors they sanitize it keeping your hardwood protected.

Our chosen steam mops work great on various sealed flooring materials making them excellent cleaning machines.

Steam mopping provides a new convenience in cleaning for different sealed floor surfaces. It makes a great cleaning tool especially for households with pets and kids. That’s because with power of steam there’s less need for harsh chemical solvents, soaps and stringent effort for cleaning.

Understanding how a steam mop works helps you maximize, utilize and maintain them better. It would also help you understand if this device is worth your spend. So, to help you learn more about steam mops in general, we’ve put together a few FAQs for you.

Steam mops work similarly to other steam cleaning machines, they release steam on a flat surfaces upon use. Then, controls vary between models but generally, they heat up to 245F and usually feature heat levels to choose from. You can then decide how hot the steam should be depending on the surface type or toughness of the mess.

Depending on the model, a jet or a number of jets deliver the dry steam. Meanwhile, some models feature a spray or blast function for added intensity when cleaning. Then, the steam’s heat and moisture goes to the mop pad or accessory.

Steam mops have their own designed mop heads that have a microfiber mop pad that absorbs the dry steam. Some models feature attachments to your mop head that makes use or directs the steam in other ways. The damp mop pad/accessory loosens dirt and stains while also sanitizing the surface through the steam’s heat.

The layer of steam lets the mop glide steadily and easily along the surface cleaning up the loosened dirt.  The steam mop’s heat and moisture effectively loosens stains and dirt on tough spots for easy spot cleaning. Moreover, some models feature brush attachments or brush mop pads that lets you lightly scrub tougher areas.

People use traditional mops along with water and chemical mixtures for cleaning the floor. This means having to get the floor wet, leaving streaks and even dirt residues. Regular mops tend to push the dirt towards a direction rather than pick them up too.    

Meanwhile, steam mops work safely on sealed flooring like tile, laminates, and vinyl; the best models work on hardwoods too. See, unlike traditional mops, they don’t leave streaks and reside, and they actually remove the dirt than push it around. This also means no residual bacteria, because the steam actually gets rid of harmful bacteria.

Steam mops do especially well when it comes to cleaning tile floors and the grout. Unlike the old mops, they can loosen and reach dirt and bacteria between the grout. Moreover, they often feature accessories and brushes that make it easier to clean hard-to-reach areas.

Reviews often note how these steam mops provide better results when sanitizing flooring surfaces. Moreover, they eliminate the need for mixing soaps and other substances for cleaning but still effectively clean. The power of steam kills over 99.9% of bacteria, germs and viruses lingering on surfaces.

This means clean floors your pets and kids can crawl or walk on barefoot without the dangers of harmful substances. Moreover, you get a more thorough clean without having to get on your hands knees to scrub. Plus, no more dragging heavy buckets and sprays as you clean your floor.

Steam mopping beats traditional mopping on versatility too. They take cleaning to other areas apart from your tile floors and hardwood flooring. From refreshing carpets and cushions to cleaning countertops, plumbing parts and appliances, steam mops can do the work.

While this machine includes more sophisticated features than the regular mop, it still features washable parts. You can easily cycle included mop pads in the washer so you don’t need to keep buying replacements. Moreover, most models come with two provided mop pads that you can switch between cycles.

Now, when it comes to using the steam mop it does have a similarity with the older mops, floor preparation. Experts and reviews advise to still dry sweep your floors like usual before mopping them over. However, some models feature a dual-cleaning design between wet and dry functions so you can use one machine for both.

You can use steam mops on any sealed surface including laminates, hardwood and tiled surfaces. Moreover, you can find steam mop models that include upholstery-cleaning features through specific attachments.

Some people couldn’t fathom the idea of using steam on laminates or hardwood considering that it uses moisture. It makes sense to worry since these surfaces don’t do so well with water. However, steam mops don’t leave moisture on flooring the way a traditional mop would, it dries up within seconds.

Some models feature carpet glider attachments and other specific attachments that let you clean more than just your floor. So you can easily clean and refresh whole carpets and even upholstery and kitchen appliances. This makes it a useful tool for many pet owners who have messes to clean all around their house.

Sealed surfaces generally mean laminates, linoleum and newly installed tiled flooring. It’s usually safe to assume the types of flooring are sealed but cracks can develop over time. So, considering hold your flooring is, it’s always best to check.

To test your floor’s sealant, you can use a drop of water (the size of a bead) and observe how your floor takes it. If the drop stays on top and doesn’t stain or get through your flooring material that it’s sealed.

You can also inspect for some signs of possible breakage of the sealant like lifted seams, and unfinished areas.  Meanwhile, whether you’re considering a steam mop or not, some flooring surfaces require sealing maintenance every few years. So, considering your flooring’s age and installment process, you may want to have that sealant refreshed, especially hardwoods.

Your floor finish and sealant protects your wood floors from warping, staining and other damages brought by moisture. Meanwhile, when moisture makes its way to the grout of tiled flooring, it breeds mold.  So, moisture from a steam mop can harm an unsealed floor and its supporting beams and layers in these ways.

Some unique sealed flooring surfaces may not do well with steam mops too. So be sure to check with your installer or product manual for safety.

When we go through reviews, we consider many things for our choices, and we start with realistic expectations. This means, considering the price, features, and materials for specific products and aligning performance expectations accordingly. Moreover, it’s also important to note that some models require specific care and handling noted in their instructions.

While some note that their unit broke down over time, we have to consider that many variables could cause this. For one, other users could have misused the product on some instances within that time. Another would be how often and how heavily they used the product over time.

We also found that some users failed to follow care and use instructions, or tried to use it in unintended ways. For example, there were users who mixed soap mixtures in the mop’s tank, while others ran it on empty. And so, improper use and rough handling would surely affect the product’s performance and durability.

We also considered the date of negative reviews. See, some of these refer to the older unimproved versions of the product that the manufacturer already addressed. Moreover, some of these negative reviews often have manufacturer responses or concerns addressed by the warranty replacement or customer service.

You’ll find that while some of our choices have negative reviews, the positive reviews outnumber these. Moreover, some models even have 3-star ratings for negative reviews.   

Considering all these factors and after thoroughly reading reviews and going through tests, we’re confident with our choices. We’ve picked the ones with the least valid negative reviews and the best features to offer.

Dealing with tough stains on the floor takes more than a single pass. So, you need to let the heat and steam work its way to through it and loosen them.

You have to resist the urge to scrub it hard and use force with your unit. A steam mop can't take that force, so you have to use it as intended.

The manufacturer best understands their product’s build and design so it’s always best give value to included instructions and precautions.

You’ll find that most models require the use of distilled or filtered water. See, even very small mineral particles builds up over time and end up clogging the unit’s parts. Moreover, don’t put anything else or mix anything with the water, the residue left my soaps can harm the unit.

Each model requires different quirks when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. So, if you want your unit to last longer, make time to read the manual and care guide.

Steam mops work great and provide a wonderful convenience for sanitation. However, this tech doesn’t feature industrial strength cleaning power.  Give some consideration on how heavy and old the messes and stains on your floors get.

If you have some heavy-duty level messes to clean-up, then you may need something more heavy-duty to deal with them. You can consider pricier models, or canisters that usually feature higher power and more attachments.

It’s best to make sure that you can safely steam mop your flooring without causing damages. You can test some parts of your floor (see our FAQ above) and you should also check its warranty coverage. Moreover, if you’re not sure if your floor is sealed, you should consult with your installer.

Just as you would with a regular mop, you still need to dry sweep loose dirt and debris from your floors.  So, if you have pet hair, dirt piles etc… you need to prep with a vacuum and broom before mopping. This helps makes sure these don’t wind up in your unit and clog the cloth.

​E – Excellent performance
G - Good performance (gets the job done)
M – Can clean but at a minimal level
NA – not designed for this purpose

If you find yourself faced with tougher messes more often than a canister steam cleaner may be a better choice.  See, this machine feature higher temperatures, bigger capacity and larger attachments making it the best tool for heavy-duty cleaning tasks. 

A canister cleaner system cleans with high power to work through tough stains and hard to reach areas. This includes hard water deposits, stubborn kitchen grease build-up and the like. Moreover, they make excellent carpet cleaning machines beating other carpet cleaners when it comes to spot-treatments and other carpet issues.

One difference between steam mops and canister systems is that they sport larger capacity tanks and support longer cleaning times. Moreover, their high heat makes them extra effective in carpet cleaning and getting stains off grout. In fact, if you have a heavily carpeted area, this floor steam cleaner works best for your home.

Unlike steam mops, canister style steam cleaners require no preparation for cleaning because they don't clog as easily. Moreover, they provide more versatility than a steam mop when it comes to surfaces you can clean. From your tile/wood floors to thick carpets, car parts and interiors, even garage floors, a canister cleaner gets it covered.

Most canister steam cleaners also come with multiple accessories allowing you to clean more than just the floor. These allow you to clean countertops, windows, even upholstery.

Looking for a heavier-duty cleaning machine balancing the benefits of handheld systems and steam mops? Then you may want to consider getting a canister steam floor cleaner.

If you’re looking for something more portable to tackle small jobs around the house, then handheld cleaners are for you. These machines get to places a full size cleaner can’t reach (or would be very difficult to carry to). 

Handheld cleaners also come with an array of attachments that help you clean countertops, grout, fixtures, grills and windows.  Moreover, higher-end models come with a padded fabric attachment for steaming fabric, and tools for upholstery cleaning. They feature large brush sets to support a variety of cleaning tasks.

While canister systems take-on larger scale tasks, these handheld cleaners get to the smaller ones. Handheld cleaners' designs don’t do well for wide room cleaning and tough jobs like full size systems. However, other than the scale, you won’t find much difference in what they can do.

If you have limited closet space, a handheld cleaner makes sense to keep. Moreover, they get you the same chemical-free sanitation for less the price.

For this category, we chose the Reliable Pronto as our top choice.