The best mops you can buy

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The best mops you can buy

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  • Other than walls, the largest surface area in your home that needs to be cleaned regularly is the floor, and that means mopping.
  • Libman Spin Mop and Bucket gives you shiny clean floors in kitchens, bathrooms, and mudrooms, and can help keep wood floors gleaming.

Every home needs a mop. For regular upkeeping of hard surfaces - wood, laminate, concrete, stone, etc. - a mop is an effective tool, even if it's basic. But mopping is also a dreaded chore.

Mopping doesn't have to be difficult. A tip to mopping success is to always sweep or vacuum first so that all of the loose soil is removed. That way, you're not just swishing it around only to find it later built-up in a corner. Another tip is to mop frequently so that it is a quick, weekly job. Waiting until the floor is caked with grime is what makes mopping such a backbreaker.

For clean floors, always use a clean mop. If the mop smells bad from bacteria growing in the mop head or looks really dirty, it is going to spread all of the yuck back over your floors. Luckily, many of today's mops have removable heads that can be easily washed and disinfected in a washer.

With the right tools and the right cleaners, mopping can be simple. Since all of the floors in my home require mopping, I've been testing mops and cleaning products for decades. And, as a home economist for companies and publications, you can be assured that I'm always looking for the most effective, easiest to use, and the best value in products.

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Here are the best mops you can buy in 2019:

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

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The best mop overall

The best mop overall
Why you'll love it: With the Libman Spin Mop and Bucket you can clean every hard surface floor in your home with the same mop, from dry-dusting hardwood to wet mopping sticky kitchen messes.

If you have multiple types of hard surface floors to clean in your home, it can be expensive to buy several different mops and frustrating to store them. With the Libman Spin Mop and Bucket, you can clean every floor with just one mop.

Libman combined a deep-cleaning microfiber mop and a mop bucket with a stainless-steel spin chamber to give you everything you need for mopping. The microfiber mop works great as both a dry-dust mop and a slightly damp mop for hardwood floors. Then, with the right cleaning solution, it is perfect for scrubbing dirty floors in the bathroom and kitchen. The head is removable from the handle and can go straight into the washing machine to be cleaned.

I am particularly impressed with the durable, adjustable stainless-steel mop handle and the stainless-steel spin bucket. Other brands have plastic components that are more prone to breaking. With the lever system to activate the spinning mechanism, my hands never have to touch the mopping water and I can adjust the amount of moisture left in the mop head. I've been using it for many months with no issues. It is good to know that replacement mop heads are available if this one ever wears out.

Other users seem to like the product as well, giving it a nearly 4-star rating on Amazon. One customer wrote, "I think the spin mechanism works great and find this very versatile and efficient. I see others who complain it breaks. No need to be treating the spin rinse like you are jacking up a car."

Pros: Simple to use for all hard surface floors, hands never have to touch water, easy to assemble, removable and replaceable mop head

Cons: Plastic lever can break if used with excessive force

Buy the Libman Spin Mop and Bucket on Amazon.com for $33.92

The best budget mop

The best budget mop
Why you'll love it: Want clean floors without breaking the bank? Libman Wonder Mop uses microfiber strips, wrings out easily (but keeps hands dry), and costs less than $10.

If you are looking for a good, basic mop, the Libman Wonder Mop is a great start. It is compact, the mop head can be removed and tossed in the washer for a good cleaning, the built-in wringer keeps your hands out of the cleaning solution, and it is inexpensive but durable.

I have owned a Wonder Mop for many years and found an amazing number of ways to use it beyond mopping the floor. Since the head is made of microfiber that attracts dust, I pull down the wringer sleeve to shorten the mop fibers into a "stiff brush." I then use the mop to reach corners that seem to attract every spider web and insect known to man. I've used the mop to absorb water from ice chests and to capture spills in car trunks. And, I've mopped a few floors as well.

Since I use it so often, I buy a couple of replacement heads so I can always be sure to have an extra for non-mopping use. When I do use it for regular mopping, I find that with hot water and a good floor cleaner, the mop does a very good job.

Nearly 75 percent of Walmart customers giving the Wonder Mop 5 stars. One customer wrote, "I have puppies in my kitchen and needed a mop that would be easy to use and would actually clean up accidents on the floor ... and would be durable and long lasting. The Libman Wonder Mop does everything that I need it to do and allows me to rinse, wring, and clean the floors without ever having to get my hands wet or dirty."

Pros: Microfiber head is removable and machine washable, wringing action keeps hands dry, can be used wet or dry, the mop head is replaceable

Cons: Wringer twisting action can be difficult for someone with limited hand and wrist movement

Buy Libman Wonder Mop from Walmart for $8.78
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The best mop for wood floors

The best mop for wood floors
Why you'll love it: Easy to use and a top performer, the Swiffer WetJet Wood Mopping Kit gives you everything you need for shiny, streak-free wood floors.

Whether you have solid hardwood or engineered hardwood floors, the Swiffer WetJet Wood Mop will make cleaning them a breeze. With disposable cleaning pads and an all-in-one mop and cleaning solution, it is a no-mess, no-fuss cleaning system.

Hardwood floors can easily be ruined if you don't clean them correctly. They don't stand up well to regular mopping with a strong cleaner and lots of water. Instead, when muddy tracks and spills happen, a delicate touch is best. As with any floor, they must be swept, vacuumed, or dry-dusted before any cleaning with a mop.

I love the Swiffer WetJet Wood Mopping Kit for many reasons. The pads are disposable so I can begin each cleaning session with a fresh surface. The cleaning solution is "built-in" to the mop so with just a touch of the battery-operated micro-mist spray, I can add the solution to the floor while I mop. And, as a bonus, the nozzles are illuminated so I can see just how much solution is hitting the floor and check if the area is dry after mopping.

When you purchase a Swiffer WetJet Wood Kit, you get the power mop, five mopping pads, a bottle of wood floor cleaner, and four batteries. You can easily buy refill bottles and pads and there are cleaning solutions for other types of floors like vinyl, stone, and ceramic tile.

With a rating of 4.2 stars on Amazon, plenty of users have found the mop convenient as well. If you have problems with the Swiffer WetJet, Procter & Gamble's customer service is very helpful with tips to get you mopping again.

Pros: Compact, all-in-one mop and floor cleaner, cleaning solutions for other types of floors are interchangeable, refills simple to find, great customer service

Cons: Spray nozzles can become clogged if the mop isn't used regularly, cleaning pads aren't reusable, pricier to maintain

Buy Swiffer WetJet Wood Mopping Kit from Amazon for $18.10 (originally $21.46)

The best mop for ceramic tile floors

The best mop for ceramic tile floors
Why you'll love it: The grout between ceramic tiles is the toughest part of the floor to clean unless you have the Libman Nitty Gritty Roller Mop with Scrub Brush.

Ceramic tile floors in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and mudrooms are probably the easiest floors to clean. The tile doesn't absorb stains, doesn't scratch easily, and stands up to harsh cleaners. But just to make your life a bit more challenging, the tiles are put together with grout. Grout absorbs stains and doesn't react well to harsh cleaners that can make it become brittle and crack. What to do?

You need the Libman Nitty Gritty Roller Mop with Scrub Brush. The soft absorbent sponge roller with textured cleaning pads works great to remove spills and surface dirt on the tile. Then, the built-in scrub brush can be used to get rid of the grime on the grout without having to get on your hands and knees to scrub.

Here's a tip for getting that grout clean: dampen the floor and sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the stained areas before scrubbing with the mop brush (use the damp sponge mop to lift away the baking soda and dirt). Again, what I love is not having to get my hands wet with the mopping solution. The mop has a handle that activates rollers to squeeze out the water back into a bucket or utility sink.

Pros: Built-in scrub brush with sponge mop head, simple to use, rollers for squeezing out water

Cons: Sponge mop heads usually do not last as long as microfiber

Buy the Libman Nitty Gritty Roller Mop with Scrub Brush from Walmart for $11.58
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The best mop with disposable pads

The best mop with disposable pads
Why you'll love it: If you don't have space for a broom, mop, and bucket, the Swiffer Sweeper Dry and Wet is a good choice.

The best mopping results come from getting rid of dry loose dirt and hair first before you wet mop. With the Swiffer Sweeper Dry and Wet Mopping kit, you have everything you need at hand to take care of hard surface floors. The kit comes with a lightweight, easy-to-assemble sweeper, seven dry disposable cloths, and three wet disposable cloths.

I'll say up front that the Swiffer Sweeper Dry and Wet Mopping is not going to tackle floors that are really dirty. If you have lots of pets and kids who leave muddy footprints and spills, you need a heavy-duty mop. But, for light soil and quick cleanups, this is the ticket. There is no fuss, no mop bucket, and no need for additional cleaning solutions. I use mine all the time in my guest bedrooms and bathroom that don't get daily use.

Once you buy the starter kit, refills are available everywhere. Swiffer just introduced Heavy Duty Wet Pads and Dry Pads refills that trap even more soil if you have been lax between cleanings.

With more than 2,000 reviews on Amazon, the kit has a 4.4-star rating. It's a tried-and-true cleaning product that has been around for a long time.

Pros: Simple to use, no additional floor cleaner or water solution needed, refill pads readily available

Cons: Does not clean heavy soil effectively, refills can be costly

Buy Swiffer Sweeper Dry and Wet Kit on Amazon for $11.97
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