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See why.The Best Mops
The best mops make it easy to keep floors (and hands) clean. Which option checks all the boxes?
By Published Feb. 1, 2022
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What You Need To Know
Whether you want to mop up a big spill, scrub a sticky stain, or just give your floors a routine cleaning, you need a wet mop that is easy to operate, absorbent, and durable. We tested several different types of mops—including some that came with buckets—and found a standout in the O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop & Bucket System. Our winning mop is easy to assemble and clean, impressively absorbent, and adept at tackling tough messes. Its accompanying bucket is also easy to use and wrings out water remarkably well. Additionally, we named a favorite stand-alone mop, the Rubbermaid Microfiber Twist Mop. It was particularly effective at scrubbing up tough stains, but its wringing mechanism was a bit strenuous to use.
What You Need to Know
Some mops are made more for spot cleaning, while many others are designed for tackling big messes and deep cleaning. For this review, we decided to stick to wet mops, which are marketed as effective for both light and heavy-duty jobs and are designed to not only clean stains but also absorb liquid spills (see “What about spray mops?” below). Most of the mop heads were made of wide strips of cloth or yarn-like string, but we also included two with sponge heads. We limited the lineup to models with mechanisms that wrung out water.
While some of the wringing mechanisms were attached to the mops themselves, several models came with special buckets that contained wringing mechanisms. Some of the bucket mechanisms spun like centrifuges; another compressed the mop head to squeeze out water. To activate these mechanisms, we either stepped on a foot pedal or pressed down on the mop after aligning it in the bucket’s centrifuge or basket.
The wringing mechanisms on the handles of stand-alone mops worked in a few different ways. Some had ratcheting devices or plastic sleeves that we twisted to squeeze out water. When using the two mops with sponge heads, we pulled levers either to fold and squeeze the sponge or to fold a perforated plastic tab over the sponge, mashing it down.
What to Look For
- Microfiber: Microfiber is a synthetic fabric made of millions of minuscule polyester and nylon fibers, and it’s the gold standard of cleaning materials. Microfiber mop heads consist of strips of cloth, yarn-like strings, or flat pads. The millions of tiny fibers in a microfiber mop head are essentially microscopic, so they cling to dirt, grime, and even bacteria in a way that other materials can’t and often don’t need detergents to get things squeaky clean. They’re also superabsorbent, holding on to substantial amounts of water and sopping up liquid spills with ease. One mop head contained no microfib...
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
This model excelled during every test: It was easy to assemble; it scrubbed up dirt, mud, pet hair, coffee, and stuck-on food spills with ease; and it was incredibly absorbent yet lightweight and nimble. We were particularly impressed by the bucket’s wringing mechanism, which rapidly spun the mop head with the push of a pedal and removed a remarkable amount of water, leaving the mop head nearly dry. We also liked the mop’s relatively long handle and wide, flat head, which was easy to remove and machine washable.
Recommended
- Performance: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
This model performed almost as well as our winner throughout testing, sopping up an impressive amount of liquid, clinging to dirt particles and pet hair, and scrubbing efficiently. It was easy to put together, and its replaceable mop head held up to multiple washings without issue. But we found its handle to be a bit too short, and we wish the included bucket’s wringing mechanism, a cylindrical plastic basket that squeezed the mop head as we applied pressure, was able to remove more water. The mop occasionally felt oversaturated and spread excess liquid on the floor.
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
This mop quickly scrubbed away sticky, dried-on stains better than any other model in our lineup. Its microfiber strings absorbed an impressive amount of liquid and clung to dirt particles with ease. We liked its long handle, and we loved that its large head was machine washable and reusable. The one downside: Its wringing mechanism took some time to master and required vigorous twisting to fully wring. We still think it’s the best stand-alone, self-wringing option for heavy-duty jobs.
Recommended with reservations
- Performance: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
We loved this mop’s long handle, which allowed us to scrub a large surface area at once, and we were also impressed by how absorbent the mop head was. It did a great job of sopping up liquid spills, and its microfiber strings clung easily to dirt, pet hair, and grime. Unfortunately, we found this model’s wringing mechanism a bit difficult to use and were disappointed that its mop heads weren’t machine washable. Attempting to wash them by hand was tedious and unpleasant, and it didn’t remove as much grime as a machine would have. It was also the heaviest model we tested.
- Performance: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
This classic mop’s design, which includes a wringing sleeve that slides down the handle and twists over the head, was easy to master, and we liked that the mop heads were simple to remove and held up to repeated washings. But the wringing sleeve didn’t squeeze out enough water, which meant that we dripped excess water on the floor. Its cloth strips—which were only partially made of microfiber—didn’t cling to dirt or grime well and were less absorbent than other models and therefore less effective at sopping up liquid spills.
Not Recommended
- Performance: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1.5 stars out of 3.
This mop and bucket system was unnecessarily complicated. To dip and wring this mop, we had to clip it into two separate centrifuges in the bucket and then push down on the handle to spin the head. If it wasn’t properly mounted in the centrifuges—which was consistently difficult to do—the whole mechanism was useless. Its retractable handle offered different length options, but we found it difficult to use; it kept getting shorter as we were mopping. We really just missed a simpler mop and were frustrated that this model was seemingly trying to outsmart us.
- Performance: 1 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
To wring out this mop, we had to fold a perforated plastic tab over the sponge head and squeeze it by hand. This got our hands dirty every time, so much so that we dreaded wringing out this model. It also did a poor job of clinging to dirt and sopping up liquid—at times it felt like we were painting the floor with mud or coffee instead of cleaning it. Its sponge also came loose during intense scrubbing. It’s not machine washable and doesn’t hold up through more than a few cleaning sessions.
- Performance: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1 stars out of 3.
We liked this sponge mop’s clever wringing mechanism, which consisted of a lever on its handle that you pull to fold the sponge in half and squeeze it. Unlike the other sponge mop, the lever kept our hands away from the dirty sponge and mop water. Unfortunately, this mop wasn’t absorbent enough to sop up liquid spills or grab onto dirt and grime; it merely smeared messes around. It also broke during an intense scrubbing session near the end of testing.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
Chase Brightwell
Chase is an associate editor for ATK Reviews. He's an epidemiologist-turned-equipment tester and biscuit enthusiast.
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