10 Best

Steam Mops

of December 2023

You want to keep your home clean, both for aesthetic reasons as well as for health reasons. But, certain cleaning products may actually be harmful to your health, especially after prolonged exposure. A steam mop, on the other hand, is capable of breaking down dirt and grime with nothing more than just distilled water! And many of them can serve as a “jack-of-all-trades” cleaning appliance: besides mopping your floor, they have the capability of utilizing their steam power for cleaning windows, garments, upholstery, carpets, and drapes. And they can handle many types of flooring materials.

We’ll go through some of the items in the Best Reviews Guide list of the best steam mops. The list goes from simple steam mops to steam mops that convert into a handheld steamer, with all sorts of cool attachments! They’re so versatile, people use them all the time, in all sorts of cleaning jobs you wouldn’t have thought possible!

• Corded steam mops: Most steam mops require to be hooked up to an electrical outlet, in order to heat up enough to produce steam. There are some very versatile models that you push around like an upright vacuum cleaner, but can also convert to a handheld steam cleaner. An example is the PurSteam Steam Mop Cleaner. The detachable part can be used as a garment steamer, or a handheld steam cleaner.

PurSteam Steam Mop Cleaner

• Cordless steam mops: There aren’t any steam mops that are 100% cordless, that produce steam only on battery power. One of the closest is the Shark Steam and Spray Mop (Model No. SK410). When you want to produce steam, you attach the power cord. You use 4 “AA” batteries if you just want to spray water or cleaning solution and use it as a regular spray mop.

Shark Steam and Spray Mop (Model No. SK410)

• Saves time: Customers say that a steam mop that converts to a handheld steam cleaner saves them lots of time. One woman who used the handheld steamer on the PurSteam Steam Mop was amazed at how easy it was to clean her fridge! The steam breaks up the dried-up dirt, and she would just wipe away the residue with a damp cloth.

• Great for a variety of surfaces: People whose floors are a mix of materials will be pleased to know that their steam mop can handle all of these surfaces with ease. One customer who has a floor that is partly laminate, and partly stone, was pleased with the Bissell Power Fresh Steam Mop. It can handle tile and hardwood floors as well.

• Attachments: You can use any of these steam mops for mopping floors. And they’re capable of cleaning many different surfaces: hardwood floors, stone, tile, and linoleum. But many have special attachments, for greater versatility. The PurSteam Steam Mop Cleaner comes with:

  • A window squeegee, to clean windows.

  • A straight nozzle, to direct steam at a particular point. This gives it the power to break up stains and dried-up grime and dirt.

  • Nylon brushes in various sizes, for scrubbing surfaces clean after blasting them with steam.

  • A bent nozzle, to redirect the blast of steam into hard-to-reach places, like in different compartments in your refrigerator or freezer.

• Water tank capacity: Your steam mop will only produce steam as long as there’s water inside. We’ve seen steam mops with water tanks as small as 10 ounces, and others that can hold 16 ounces. The Bissell Powerfresh Pet Steam Mop (Model No. 19404) has a 16-ounce tank, and is ready to produce steam in as little as 30 seconds!

• Use only distilled water: Many manufacturers recommend using only distilled water in your steam cleaner. That will ensure that there is no mineral build-up inside your appliance. These calcium deposits can shorten the life of your steam mop considerably.

• SteamGlove: The Black & Decker 7-in-1 Steam Mop has special brushes for copper grates or grout. But one surprising accessory is their “SteamGlove”. It is an insulated glove that you wear on your hand, while the handheld steam cleaner propels steam into the glove! It allows you to clean a large area while being able to conform to the contours of the surface you’re cleaning.

Black & Decker 7-in-1 Steam Mop's SteamGlove Accessory

• Power cord length: As we mentioned before, steam cleaners will need a connection to an electrical outlet to produce steam and not just mop. So, make sure that your device has a power cord of an adequate length. Most of the products that we looked at have a cord length of 20-25 feet. The Shark S3501 Steam Pocket Mop is popular for its ability to clean sealed hard floors. It has a swivel head to maneuver easily. But people found the 18-foot cord to be a bit short. But, it has an auto-rewind feature as well, to wrap up the cord without getting tangled.

Shark Steam Pocket Mop (Model No. S3501)

• Replacement pads: Many steam mops have washable pads that fit over the steam head. But, even though they’re washable, they won’t last forever. make sure that you’re able to buy replacement pads as well since they have to fit on the mop head.

• Fragrances: Many steam cleaners use only water to clean. But, there are models that can take either a scented cleaning solution or fragrance disks, in order to deodorize your home even more. The Bissell Powerfresh Steam Mop (Model No. 1806) uses eucalyptus-mint water, or “Spring Breeze” Water, to lend your home a fresh scent. It can also accept a “Spring Breeze Fragrance Disc”, which lends the steam a scent as it exits the device.

Bissell Powerfresh Steam Mop (Model No. 1806)

Final Verdict

We looked at some of the features of the best steam mops around. You can buy a barebones model that just does floors, or you can opt for something that will also steam garments, remove grime from barbecue grills, or clean your windows. The options are all out there–you just have to decide!