How To Decide Which Mop Is Best For You

If you have kids, you understand the pains of mealtime clean-up. I thought feeding a baby was challenging, but I’ve since learned that it’s not so bad compared to the planning, prepping, serving, and cleaning up required for a kid’s mealtime. As I was discussing this on Instagram last week, a common pain point emerged: mopping. Apparently everyone hates to mop. Cleaning the counters? Sure, easy peasy. But cleaning the floors? Ugh! And I couldn’t agree more. So today I’m doing a deep dive on mops—which mops are best? And how can you choose a mop that will change the game the most for you?

How To Choose A Mop

1. Identify your mopping pain point.

When I first set out to find the best mopping solution, I was looking for a good, affordable robot vacuum and mop combo. Well, they don’t exist. There are high-quality robot vacuum/mop combos, but they aren’t cheap. There are also less expensive robot mops, but they don’t vacuum. And there are high-quality, affordable vaccum/mop combos, but they aren’t robots. Something’s gotta give. So what’s it going to be?

I realized that instead of starting with the product, I need to start with the problem. What is the problem I’m trying to solve? And then, are there products best suited to do that? Or, better yet, do I even need a new product, or can I solve this problem another way?

According to a survey I did on Instagram, here are the most common mopping pain points:

Vacuuming or sweeping beforehand
Waiting for it to dry
Moving furniture around
The physical labor of scrubbing
The heaviness of the bucket
Cleaning the mop parts

The only way to solve every problem on this list is to spend a lot of money on a regular cleaning service, and/or on a top-of-the-line robot vacuum & mop. (And even those take a little bit of maintenance and coordination.)

To find a realistic solution that will work for your budget, I want you to choose only one or two of those pain points, and consider possible solutions to address the root cause.

2. Solve the problem.

Pain Point #1: Vacuuming or sweeping beforehand

Vacuuming before mopping is my biggest pain point. Mopping feels like more than one chore when it has so many steps. But then I realized: I already spot vacuum every night. But I’ve been trying to mop in the middle of the day, which means I have to add another vacuum session into my day. Why don’t I just change my mopping time, and habit stack it with vacuuming times? For me, this means at the end of the night or first thing in the morning. Sure, it’s still going to be a chore. But at least it’s not two chores, if I pair it up with a time that I’ve already vacuumed.

The other option here is to invest in a vacuum/mop combo. This is actually the category of mops that was recommended to me the most on social media, and I think it’s because it solves the biggest pain point. So maybe it doesn’t have to be robot; it just has to solve the vacuum problem. (You can find a round-up of vacuum/mop combos further down in this post.)

Paint Point #2: Waiting for it to dry

Same thing goes for waiting for mopped floors to dry. Timing matters. If I mop midday or first thing in the morning, then there might be other activities I can’t get to while the floors are drying. So maybe the best option is to mop at the very end of the night, and map it out so that I end in a spot where I can read a book or get ready for bed.

But also… What is the actual problem with walking on wet floors? Could you just wear clean socks, and then change them after they get wet? Maybe washing 1 extra pair of socks would be worth it.

Pain Point #3: Moving furniture around

Sometimes moving furniture around is going to be unavoidable, like underneath eating areas. Not even a vacuum mop can solve this problem. But if it’s not a high-traffic area with a lot of dirt, consider skipping it more often.

In fact, here’s an even crazier thought: Don’t mop 100% of the floors every time you mop. Use the Pareto Principle, and mop unevenly. Because done is better than perfect. Mopping just the high-traffic areas every week is probably going to be better than mopping your whole house every 2 weeks (or however your mopping schedule breaks down).

Pain Point #4: The physical labor of scrubbing

Heavy scrubbing is really only necessary for spots with dried-on spills, dirt, or grime. There are certainly scenarios where these might be widespread across your house, but for the most part, if you stay on top of it, these spots shouldn’t be everywhere. One way to reduce the physical scrubbing required is to soak the spots. Spray them with an all-purpose cleaner, or cleaner of your choice, and then let that sit for a few minutes before mopping.

Additionally, consider spot-mopping more often. If there is a spill or a very messy meal, mop just that space immediately afterwards to avoid it drying. This is easier if you have a spray mop. But even if you don’t, you don’t have to do the whole bucket situation for a single spill or meal. Perhaps just a wet dish rag will do the trick. The bottom line here is that you can avoid heavy scrubbing if you get into the habit of cleaning up messes sooner rather than later. I know it’s not always possible, but sometimes is better than never.

Pain Point #5: The heaviness of the bucket

This might be controversial, but I don’t believe you need a bucket to mop. I personally have never owned a bucket mop. Instead, I have used spray mops. I fill it with 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 2 cups water, and a few drops of lemon & peppermint essential oil. I feel like it gets the job done 95% of the time, and the other 5% I address by just getting down and scrubbing with my hands. I would also love to get a handheld vacuum/mop combo, which I think would do the same job but much faster.

Pain Point #6: Cleaning the mop parts

Caring for mop parts might also be somewhat unavoidable. Everything requires some level of maintenance. Even a robot mop would need to be cleaned/maintained to some degree. But maybe there is a lower-maintenance mop available than the one you currently own. Spray mops are pretty low maintenance because you can either replace or wash the microfiber pads. The top-of-the-line robot vacuum/mop combo can clean itself. Check out the list below for some of the best mops on the market, most of which are pretty low maintenance.

3. Choose a product that fits your budget.

After receiving a ton of personal recommendations and scouring the internet for the highest-rated products, here are my top mop recommendations:

The Best Manual Mops

If I needed a mop on a minimal budget, I would certainly start with #1 or #2. I would probably choose #3 if I had pets or if I allowed shoes in my house (our rule is no shoes in the house).

1. OXO Good Grips Microfiber Spray Mop ($40)

2. Bona Microfiber Spray Mop ($33)

3. O-Cedar Microfiber Spin Mop & Bucket System ($35)

4. JOYMOOP Microfiber Flat Mop & Wringer Set ($40)

The Best Vacuum + Mop Combos

This is the sweet spot, in my opinion. With a higher budget, I think a vacuum/mop combo would solve most of my pain points. My top choice from this list would be #7. (In fact, I think I’m going to add it to my birthday/Christmas wish list!)

5. BISSELL Crosswave Wet Dry Vacuum and Mop ($270)

6. Shark HydroVac 3-in-1 Vacuum, Mop, and Self-Cleaning System ($250)

7. Tineco iFLOOR Breeze Wet Dry Vacuum and Mop ($280, on sale for $220 at time of posting)

8. ECOWELL Wet Dry Vacuum and Mop ($270)

The Best Robot Vacuum + Mop Combos

This was originally what I set out to find. But in all honesty, I only think it would be worth it if you got the top-of-the-line option, #8. That would certainly be ultimate mop goals!

9. Roborock S7 Robot Vacuum and Mop ($650, on sale for $380 at time of posting)

10. Honiture Robot Vacuum and Mop ($200)

11. Tikom Robot Vacuum and Mop ($300, on sale for $150 at time of posting)

12. Roborock S8 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum and Mop ($1,600)

Do you have any additional mopping tips? I would love to hear in the comments below.

Happy mopping!

For more cleaning tips and tricks, check out my other cleaning posts here.