Best Mop For Wooden Floors
Wooden floors are a beautiful addition to a home.
They make every room look more classy. They are sturdy and hard to damage.
They can even raise the value of your home if they are installed in the right rooms.
But, many people are put off by wooden floors because they believe they are hard to clean.
There are a lot of horror stories out there about beautiful wooden floors being ruined by people who haven't used the right equipment to clean them.
If you are reading this article, then you are probably on the hunt for said right cleaning equipment.
Don't worry, today, we are going to help you find what you need.
The most important tool for cleaning wooden floors is a mop - so, this is where we are going to start today.
Shark S3501 Steam Pocket Mop
This is a tool that is going to cut the time you spend cleaning your hardwood floors in half.
Removing dirt from wooden floors normally takes a lot of effort and elbow grease - with a Shark S3501 Steam Pocket Mop Hard Floor Cleaner the steam does all the work.
The S3501 is a steam mop with over 10 meters of cord. It has replaceable microfiber pads and comes in at well under $100.
The heat of the steam and the speed that it comes out of the mop breaks the dirt down and it lifts off with ease.
The dirt is then picked up by the top of the range microfibre cloths. The floor will be dry within 30 seconds on the mop passing over it.
Cleaning with this mop is a quick and hassle-free process.
The heat of the steam kills over 99.9% of bacteria living on your floors - making it perfect for any homes with little ones or pets.
You do not have to use cleaning chemicals when using this mop, but Shark do have their own range if that is something you want to do.
This mop comes with 2 washable and reusable microfibre cleaning cloths that fit onto the bottom of the mop.
These do last for a very long time, however, because they are white they do end up looking quite sorry for themselves after a few washes.
However, they still work perfectly well.
You can replace the microfibre cloths but they are expensive, they cost around 40% of the cost of the mop.
We recommend that you carefully wash your microfiber covers so that they last longers.
The only real issue that we have with this mop is the fact that its power cable is ridiculously long. Too long to be practical.
Our best guess is that this mop was designed for industrial use as well as domestic use - hence the long cord.
If the long cord doesn't bother you, and it is worth getting past those issues, then you will find this to be a spectacularly good mop at a great price.
It will make cleaning your wooden floors a breeze.
What makes this mop more appealing is that you can add an extra 4 years to its warranty for less than $10.
Pros
- Steam makes cleaning easy
- Steam disinfects floor
- Reusable microfiber cloths
- Great price
- High quality product
- Long warranty
- Chemical-free cleaning
Cons
- Long power cable
Yocada Sponge Mop Home Mop
If you are the type of person who only wants a tool in their home that has more than one use - then the Yocada Sponge Mop Home Mop is going to blow your mind.
This mop is designed to do nearly every cleaning task that involves water that you could want it to.
This mop can be used to clean wooden floors, tile floors, laminate flooring, walls, windows, showers, and even cars.
It has a sponge with a squeezer on one side, a wet brush on the other and it even has a squeegee attachment too.
This tool comes on an extendable arm that makes it easier to reach the inconvenient areas of your home - like under the couch or in the top corner of the room.
On the main handle, there is a lever that allows you to squeeze out the sponge without having to touch the dirty parts of the sponge.
Making the process more hygienic.
The sponge section of this is reusable, and replacements are fairly cheap to purchase - you can get two for less than $10.
We found that the sponges last for about 20 uses each before they need to be replaced.
The sponge side of this mop is great for wiping down surfaces and then you can use the squeegee side to prevent too much water from pooling on the floor.
This will also help the area to dry more quickly.
The water brush side is perfect for removing that hard to remove dirt.
The bristles are firm but not abrasive - they will be able to remove the dirt without damaging the floor.
Because you can use this mop for so many different jobs in your home, we would consider it a good value if it was 5-times more expensive.
We can hardly believe that it is the price that it is.
This mop is great, but it is not going to work as well as a steam mop will.
However, it doesn't need to be plugged in and it is really lightweight.
When you are using this mop we recommend that you use some cleaning products.
Pros
- Multipurpose cleaning tool
- Amazing price
- Extendable arm
- Lightweight
- Replaceable sponges
- 3-in-1 tool
- Can also clean glass, laminate, and tiles
Cons
- Requires chemicals to clean
O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop & Bucket Floor Cleaning System
This mop and bucket set has over 45,000 5-star reviews online and for good reason.
When it comes to manual cleaning mops - it really is the best.
The O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop & Bucket Floor Cleaning System includes one mop, a bucket, and 3 microfiber mop heads.
The bucket itself comes with a built-in drain and a pedal that drains the mop head.
This draining system prevents too much water and dirt from building up on the mop head or being spread across your floor.
The handle of the mop is extendable by 48 inches and makes cleaning the hard to reach parts of your home easy.
You will also appreciate the triangle shape of the mop head.
This gets into every corner and makes sure every inch of your floor has been wiped clean.
The microfibre mop heads can be washed and reused, they can handle up to 50 uses before they need to be replaced.
With the two mop heads that come free with this set, you have nearly 150 uses lined up.
When you wipe your floor and need more water, all you need to do is dip the mop head into the bucket and then sit it in the drainer.
Once it is securely in the drainer, pump the pedal 2-3 times and the drainer will contract and spin.
This will ring out the majority of the water and dirt.
This makes cleaning a quick and easy task, and it will save you straining your shoulders trying to ring out the mop repeatedly.
The only downside of this set is its price - it is nearly the same price as the Shark S3501 Steam Pocket - which can offer a much faster clean.
Pros
- Replaceable and reusable mop heads
- Smart bucket
- Easy to use
- High quality
- Extendable mop handle
Cons
- Price
Tineco iFLOOR3 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner
If you are looking for something that is going to offer you really deep cleaning across a large area and do it quickly, then you should consider purchasing the Tineco iFLOOR3 Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner.
This isn't really a mop, it's a wet vacuum cleaner, but it does the same job as the rest of the mops on this list, but it does it better.
If you are having to clean a lot of wooden floors - at work, for example, then this would be an excellent investment.
It will save you hours of cleaning every week and it is completely foolproof.
The obvious downside of a product like this is the price. If you only want it for domestic use then you might not see the need to invest in a tool like this.
But if you need it for commercial or industrial space this could change the game for you.
Pros
- Deep cleaning
- Quick drying
- Kills bacteria
- Easy to use
- Easy to empty
- Cuts down cleaning time drastically
- Makes cleaning effortless
Cons
- Expensive
iRobot Braava Jet 240 Superior Robot Mop
Speaking of making cleaning effortless, if you want to take that to the next level then you might want to consider purchasing yourself the iRobot Braava Jet 240 Superior Robot Mop.
Let the iRobot take care of the floors while you clean other areas of the house and then enjoy all the free time it has created for you.
If you are someone who doesn't have children and hates to spend time mopping the floor then this machine could save you a lot of time.
It doesn't do a very deep clean but if you just want to keep things ticking over then it's perfect.
The iRobot can be controlled by an app and set to clean on a schedule.
It has a removable but rechargeable battery so you will need to change that occasionally and fill it up with water, but otherwise, it will look after itself.
If you do have children or messy pets then the iRobot may struggle to clean up that level of mess.
Pros
- Will lightly clean your floors for you
- Works via app
- Well priced
Cons
- Will not deep clean
- Can get stuck or run out of battery
Buyer's Guide
If you are buying a mop for the wooden floor for the first or you are looking to replace an older mop - you are probably wondering where to start shopping.
There are so many different options on the market, it can be hard to work out which one will be the right choice for you.
In this section, we are going to talk you through the 5 topics you need to consider before picking out a mop for your wooden floors.
Cleaning Speed
The first thing you need to think about is how much time do you have spare to spend cleaning your floors?
And how long do you actually want to spend cleaning your floors every week?
If the answer to either of those questions is that you don't have a lot of time then you might want to consider getting a steam mop or a wet vacuum.
They use the combination of heat, pressure, and water to move the dirt in the fraction of the time a transitional mop will.
Floors cleaned with these tools will also dry much quicker than floors that have been mopped.
Effort Required
The next thing you need to think about is, how much effort do you want to put into your cleaning? And how much effort can you put into it?
Some people enjoy scrubbing, buffing, and polishing while other people would consider that a worst case scenario.
We also know that many people have restricted movement, and can't spend hours scrubbing their floors clean.
So, when you are thinking about which tool you want to purchase, if you want low effort cleaning, look for something that will provide you with that. We recommend steam mops or self ringing manual mops.
Deep Cleaning
Now, think about how deeply you want to clean your floors.
For some people, they have no pets or children, and there is really no need for them to deep clean their floors regularly - outside of their bathroom.
However, if you have mucky pets that drag mud across your floors then you are going to need a mop that can handle that.
If you have children that are learning to walk and spending a lot of time on the floor then you are going to want to give those floors a deep clean regularly.
You will also want to be careful about what you use to clean your floor.
Chemicals Or No Chemicals
As we mentioned in the section above, if you have little ones that spend a lot of time crawling around on the floor then you are going to want to be wary about what you are using to clean your floors.
The same goes for anyone who has pets.
If you fit into the two categories above, you might want to consider using a steam mop, as the heat from the steam will sanitize the floor.
You will have no need to use chemicals that will upset little tummies or paws.
Price
The final thing you will need to consider is how much money you want to spend on your mop.
If you have an unlimited budget for this area of your life then you could get yourself a wet vacuum - this will make cleaning your floors effortless.
However, if you are looking to spend less then you still have a lot of great options.
Once you know how much you want to spend, you can narrow down your options and discover what is really worth the cost.
There are many low cost options in the review section above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people panic when they see that they have to clean wooden floors.
They are worried that something will go wrong and they will ruin the floor.
The truth is, if the floorboards are made of a good quality material then it is very hard to ruin them.
However, using the wrong equipment or cleaning chemicals could damage your wooden floor.
When you are washing wooden floors it is important that you do not use too much water.
You do not want the floorboards to start soaking up that water as it could lead to them rotting in the future.
You also want to make sure that you do not use anything too abrasive as that could scratch up the floorboards.
Using a cleaning chemical that is too harsh could also strip the protective coating from your wooden floor.
Leaving it vulnerable to more damage in the future.
Here are three questions that we are frequently asked about looking after wooden floors.
Can I Use Vinegar On Hardwood Floors?
Lots of people like to use natural methods to clean their homes, vinegar is a popular ingredient when they do.
We would not recommend mixing hardwood and vinegar - as over time the vinegar can strip the wood of its shine and the smell sticks to the wood.
How To Make Wooden Floors Shine?
After you have cleaned your wooden floor you might notice that it is less shiny than usual. What can you do to add more shine back in?
Well, your best option is to buff and polish the floor. If you have pets and children make sure that the polish is non-toxic.
How To Make Wooden Floors Dry Faster?
If you are fed up with waiting hours for your wooden floors to dry properly then try these tricks.
Open all your windows, this will help air to circulate around the room and cause your floors to dry more quickly.
You could also put your AC on or place a dehumidifier in the room.
You could also switch to a steam mop - this will clean the floor more quickly and the floor will dry in 30 seconds.
