Regardless if you have hardwood, tile, laminate or vinyl flooring, you’ll need a reliable broom, upright vacuum and mop to keep it clean. While a broom and vacuum help pick up solid particles from the floor, a mop is most effective at wiping away dirt and grime — including hard to see residue. Whether or not to use a regular mop or a spin mop can lead to a drastically different cleaning experience. The main advantage of a spin mop is the rotating mechanism that’s attached to the accompanying bucket, which lets you control how much water and cleaning solution you use. A normal mop doesn’t give you the same control and often leads to over-saturating your floors.
To learn more about how to choose the best spin mop, I spoke with multiple cleaning experts for their guidance and recommendations.
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How I picked the best spin mops
There are a few factors to consider when shopping for a spin mop. Here’s what experts recommended I keep in mind when curating this list.
- Functionality: The basic function of a spin mop is for the mop head to easily and rapidly spin when placed inside the rotating mechanism, which is attached to the bucket and activated by a lever that you press with your foot. This allows you to thoroughly saturate the mop head in a cleaning solution, while also wringing it out just enough to get excess water out of it. “A well-built mop made from durable parts and materials can withstand frequent use, and maintain a high level of cleaning throughout its lifetime,” says Courtney Walsh, cleaning expert at Homeaglow. When making this list, I prioritized mops with spinning mechanisms attached to a bucket that you activate by pressing with your foot, which prevents the need to frequently bend down.
- Microfiber mop head: Similar to microfiber cleaning cloths, a mop head made from microfiber material makes cleaning more thorough. Compared to other materials such as cotton, microfiber is much more durable and reusable, and it’s made from fibers that aren’t chemically treated, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “A good mop-head should be durable and effective at cleaning, microfiber is possibly one of the best options given how it traps first, is highly absorbent, and is gentle on all types of surfaces,” says Walsh. The microfiber’s absorption makes it easier to saturate surfaces with a cleaning solution and dry them off thoroughly afterwards, preventing hard water stains. Most of the mop heads on this list are made of reusable and machine-washable microfiber, which Walsh recommends.
- Water separation: Some spin mop and bucket combos include two separate compartments: one for clean water and cleaning solution, like Pine-Sol, Fabuloso or detergent pods, and another for dirty water that the mop head collects as you use it. Walsh recommends getting a mop with this feature, since it makes it easier to continuously clean your floors with water that isn’t contaminated with dirt and grime, and prevents the need to replace the water and cleaning solution frequently. The dirty water compartment is typically under or next to the spinning mechanism. Most of the spin mops on this list include a water-separating system.
- Size: As with any major cleaning appliance, a spin mop and bucket can take up a good amount of space, both vertically and surface area-wise. If you have a small closet for your cleaning supplies or are simply short on space, then it’s best to get an appropriately sized spin mop and bucket.
The best spin mops
All of the spin mops below are either direction recommendations from our experts or NBC Select staff members and/or have at least a 4-star average rating from 500 reviews or more on Amazon.
O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop and Bucket
- Water separation
- Foot activated
- Replaceable head
- No wheels
The popular O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop comes recommended by both Walsh and Will Cotter, the founder of cleaning services company Happy Cleans, who like how efficient it is. It has a foot-activated spinning mechanism built in. The dirty water filters through the spin chamber and into the blue container next to it. This way, you keep the unused water separate and uncontaminated. The mop handle connects to the microfiber mop head, which is replaceable and machine washable, so you can buy multiple ones and clean them as you go. Plus, the mop head is made of fringe microfiber threads, which make it easy to maneuver and clean small areas and corners. The one drawback is the lack of wheels, which makes it somewhat harder to move around.
Libman Tornado Spin Mop System
- Replaceable head
- Foot activated
- Pour spout
- No wheels
This spin mop from Libman, which has a 4.4-star average rating from 2,310 reviews on Amazon, has separate compartments for both clean and dirty water, and comes with multiple microfiber mop attachments, so you can use one to mop around the house and another to dry the floors right after. It has a sturdy steel handle that you push down to spin and wring the machine-washable mop head, rather than pushing down with your foot. The bucket lacks wheels but it does have one large handle that attaches to each end, making it easy to maneuver when filled with gallons of water.
Mastertop Mop Bucket with Wringer Set
- Wheeled
- Drain hose attachment
- Mop head replacements
- Nothing to note at this time
This spin mop and bucket duo has a push-down-to-spin system, so you don’t need to use your foot. It also has a handle on the entire bucket, individual spin chamber and a folding extendable handle you can pull to move the bucket. Since it has two wheels on one end, you don’t have to carry it around the house. The side of the bucket has a hose attachment that lets you drain water directly from the bucket into the toilet instead of manually pouring it out. In addition to mopping, however, you can use the microfiber mop head to clean dust, oil and hair, according to the brand. It has a 4-star average rating from 2,589 reviews on Amazon.
True and Tidy True Clean Mop and Bucket System
- Manual spin
- Microfiber pad
- Small
- No wheels
The True and Tidy spin mop system, which has a 4.3-star average rating from 913 reviews on Amazon, has a much simpler design than some of the other options on this list, with a small square-shaped mop head and bucket, which is different from most of the mops on this list. The bucket has dual water compartments built into the bottom rather than sitting at the top like other mops. The True and Tidy also has a manual spin system, rather than a foot-operated one and the microfiber mop head is more of a pad rather than the usual fringe-style mop head. The bottom of the bucket also has a small drain plug to let out the dirty mop water.
Michao Spin Mop Bucket Deluxe 360
- Wheeled
- Multiple handles
- Somewhat large
This wheeled spin mop bucket system has a collapsible handle that you can pull to move the bucket when it’s filled with water. This means you don’t have to worry about water accidentally splashing around as you maneuver it around your space. It has an extendable and adjustable handle that you push down on to spin the mop head. In addition to multiple microfiber mop heads, it comes with a large round scrub brush, so you can do a more thorough clean on your floor and get rid of sticky debris or grime. It has a 4.3-star average rating from 1,695 reviews on Amazon.
Casabella Clean Water Spin Mop
- Stackable
- Affordable
- Multiple handles
- No wheels
This spin mop from Casabella is an affordable spin mop option and offers many of the same features as the others on this list, including a dual water bucket system that separates dirt and clean water, multiple handles and a foot-activated spin mechanism. With a 4.3-star average rating from 438 reviews at Home Depot, the mop and bucket set has a detachable machine-washable microfiber head. The best part, however, is that the buckets are stackable, so you can place one in the other and save on space in your storage room.
How to shop for a spin mop
There are a few additional factors to be mindful of when shopping for a spin mop. Here’s what experts recommend.
Hand versus foot activated
All of the spin mops on this list have either a hand- or foot-activated spinning mechanism. While both have the same purpose, which one you choose depends on your preferences and/or physical ability. You may find that one is more strenuous or tiring than the other, so consider which ones may be best for you.
Consider your space
If you have a particularly small home or apartment and don’t have much room for storage or closet space, then a large wheeled spin mop may not be the best fit. In that case, it’s best to opt for one that is stackable, so you can have room to store it next to other common household appliances, such as a broom or vacuum.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Courtney Walsh is a cleaning expert at home cleaning services company Homeaglow.
- Will Cotter is the founder of multiple cleaning services companies, including Happy Cleans and FreshSpace Cleaning.
Why trust NBC Select?
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Select, where I cover cleaning appliances and other home-related topics. I’ve written about the best steam cleaners, how to clean grout and how to shop for dishwasher detergent. I spoke with cleaning experts for guidance and product recommendations for this story.
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