Updated on Oct. 01, 2024
The best steam mop will not only clean your floors but sanitize them as well. Choose one of our favorites to get rid of 99.9 percent of germs and bacteria and make your grout look like new!
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Ready to get your floors sparkling? Using the best steam mop will deep clean and sanitize up to 99.9% of household bacteria—all with just steam!
Steam mops work by heating up water to produce steam (most mops heat water to a temperature between 200 and 250 degrees). The hot steam kills dust mites, mold, mildew and viruses on contact, and gets rid of dust and grime in the process. The steam quickly evaporates as you mop, leaving you with clean, dry floors with virtually no harsh chemicals or back-breaking scrubbing.
Steam mops are great for sealed hard floors like tile, stone, marble and hardwood, but heat and steam can penetrate some types of flooring and cause damage. Don’t use a steam mop on unsealed wood, unglazed ceramic tile or vinyl plank flooring. If you’re not sure, check with your flooring manufacturer.
Another tip: According to top brands like Bissell and Shark, you should use distilled or demineralized water to prolong the life of your steam mop.
If you have the right floors for a steam mop, here are some things you should think about before deciding on which brand or model is best for you:
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The Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop has everything you would want in a steam mop, including extra pads and two scented discs for a clean, fresh scent—all for a reasonable price! The extra pads include a microfiber pad for everyday steam cleaning, a scrubby pad for tougher stains and a carpet glider to deodorize your carpet and rugs.
Plus, this model features a 23-foot cord—meaning you can reach even the dirtiest nooks of your kitchen. (Take a peek at our kitchen cleaning guide for more tips.) Oh, and if you like this, you’ll be sure to appreciate the Bissell Steam Shot, too.
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Reach even the grimiest corner of your kitchen or bathroom with the Tineco iFloor 3 Breeze. This cordless wonder features a roller brush that sucks up wet and dry messes. Plus, it has a self-cleaning function so it’s ready to use day after day.
Our Product Reviews Home Editor tested the Tineco and was impressed with the machine’s 2-in-1 capacity and compact size. In her review, she found that it cleaned her floors in half the time as standard vacuuming and mopping. Plus, it left a streak-free finish.
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Pick up crumbs and pet hair and steam mop at the same time with the all-in-one Bissell PowerFresh Vac & Steam. It has both a water reservoir for mopping and a dry tank for collecting debris. The buttons on the handle let you switch between functions while cleaning, so you can either vacuum and steam at the same time or do them separately.
It’s a great tool for cleaning floors quickly before guests arrive, or whenever you don’t have time (or patience!) to go over your floors twice. Speaking of quick and easy cleaning, have you tried a stationary vacuum?
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While most steam mops have a single pad, the Shark Steam and Scrub mop features two circular, rotating pads to scrub away those extra sticky and stubborn stains. The microfiber pads are gentle enough for your sealed hardwood floors, delivering over 150 scrubs per minute! It has three different steam settings for light, normal and deep cleaning modes.
Five-star reviewer Alicia Ayars said it’s so fun to use, even her teen wanted to help clean! “I have a German shepherd, cats, kids and live in the PNW where it rains 11 months out of the year so you can imagine the dirt and mud that gets dragged in. This mop cleans with ease! If you’re on edge of whether to get it or not, do it!”
You’ll also want to consider the best Shark vacuums you can buy.
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The PurSteam steam mop cleaner is one of the most affordable steam mops on the market, but the low price doesn’t mean it’s low quality—this best steam mop pick has over 31,000 five-star reviews! Not only does it mop your floors, but it also includes a built-in hand-held cleaner with attachments, including a steamer jet (great for steaming clothes!), a scrape tool for steaming off sticky messes, a window squeegee, a small brush tool and an angled nozzle for hard-to-reach places.
Reviewers like that the handle folds down for easy storage, and were especially pleased with the grout-cleaning brush attachment. It’s one of our favorite Amazon cleaning products!
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Karcher is a global leader in both commercial and residential cleaning equipment, so although you might pay more, you know you’re getting quality when you buy the Karcher Canister Steam Cleaner. Thanks to the included floor nozzle, hand nozzle and round brush this baby can do it all!
Use this best steam mop to clean your range, stovetop, sink, mirrors and windows. Cheaper steam mops might leave behind lines of steam thanks to their cheaper steam nozzles, but Karcher uses something called “Lamella Technology,” which ensures steam is equally distributed in the cleaning cloth for absolutely spotless floors. It’s also safe to use with tap water instead of distilled water, thanks to its built-in decalcification cartridge.
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We love steam mops for floors, but the best steam mop can do a lot more than that! After you’re done cleaning the inside of our home with the Bissell PowerSteamer Heavy-Duty mop, take it outside to blast away dust, germs and grime from your garage, car, boat, outdoor patio furniture and deck. Its durable heavy-duty design can stand up to outdoor use, and the handheld cleaner, extension wand and multiple attachments make it easy to clean almost anything.
To find the best steam mops, we spent hours researching the top-name brands on the market. From there, we read reviews, compared specs, evaluated price points and considered availability. Our picks were made with a variety of consumers in mind—each with different floor care needs and budgets. We also tested a few of the models firsthand, with plans to test additional models in the future.
As Taste Recipes’s resident cleaning expert, I have over 10 years of experience covering everything from TikTok hacks to stain removal. In floor care, specifically, I have knowledge about cleaning every type of floor, cordless vacuums and Shark products.
Steam cleaning is better than traditional mopping in some ways. You’ll get a deeper clean with a steam mop because the high temperature of the steam actually sanitizes your floors—something a traditional mop can’t do without the use of chemicals. The power of steam can help break up those stubborn stains that a mop can’t. However, steam mops are more expensive than a traditional mop, and require a battery or electricity to work.
Before you start mopping, give your floors a quick pass with the vacuum to pick up any large debris. (If you’re in the market, consider the best cordless vacuums and read our Dyson V11 review.)
You can add scented water to your steam mop to get that lovely “clean” smell when you’re done mopping, but only use your specific steam mop’s recommended products. Bissell makes demineralized scented water in a couple of different scents. Using a homemade solution—particularly one with essential oils—may damage your steam mop.
Steam mops are designed to be used with just water. Not having to use harsh chemicals is one of the many pros of steam mops. Some models are made to be used with both water and a cleaning solution, but make sure you read your mop’s manual before adding anything to it besides water.
