The Best Mops to Bring Home Are Lightweight and Let You Skip the Bucket

A mop is an invaluable asset to any cleaning arsenal, and whether you have hardwood, natural stone, ceramic tile, or anything in between at home, it’s eventually going to need a wipe-down. But transitional mops are unwieldy, annoying to clean, and take forever to dry. Lucky for you, lucky for us: Spray mops exist. They are generally pretty slim and lightweight, making them easy to store and simple to maneuver around your home, and they’re able to make quick work of cleaning floors, unlike the hassle of dragging out a big ol’ industrial mop and bucket. But what should you look for in a spray mop? Becky Rapinchuk, founder of Clean Mama (a site with cleaning tips, products, and a comprehensive method for keeping your home clean), suggests spray mops with reusable and washable pads, an easy-to-use sprayer, and a wide spray of solution. 

With this in mind, we’ve rounded up three of the best mops available for lightning-fast cleaning, with reusable components, hybrid capabilities, and supersmart features.

Our Favorites

• Best overall: OXO Good Grips Spray Mop Kit  
• Best value: True & Tidy Multi-Surface Spray Mop with Refillable Water Bottle
• Best vacuum-mop hybrid: Tineco Floor One S5 Extreme

Best Overall: OXO Good Grips Spray Mop Kit

Weight: 2.6 pounds | Pad material: Machine washable microfiber | Power source: Manual

Why we chose it: Machine washable microfiber pads work just as well as the disposable version, and you can add your own DIY cleaning solution. 

We don’t know about you, but we grew really sick (really fast) of the spray mops that only use disposable mop pads and require you to buy name-brand cleaning solutions every time you run out. Enter the OXO Good Grips Spray Mop Kit. You likely know OXO for its high-quality—and very affordable—kitchen gear and organizing products, but its cleaning tools are right up there with the rest of its lineup. This spray mop employs machine washable (and quick-drying) microfiber pads that are basically magnets for dust and dirt on your floors, while the bottle that holds the cleaning solution can be endlessly refilled with whatever product you chose. This means you can use a hardwood-specific cleaning solution on more high-maintenance floors, and swap in warm soap and water for ceramic tile or linoleum. Plus the spray function operates manually—not requiring disposable or rechargeable batteries—so you’re never left in the lurch when it’s time for a clean. 

The main feature that sets this mop apart from its competitors, though, is the detachable scrubber head that deploys with one press of your foot. It’s a pretty ingenious solution for particularly stuck-on or stubborn spots on your floors, which would require more passes with the softer microfiber pads. It’s important to note that some users report difficulty getting the bottle in and out the mop base, but the ability to refill it with your chosen solution outweighs this con. Conveniently, the mop also comes with two scrubber heads and two microfiber pads, and you can order scrubber and pad replacements on the OXO site when you need more. 

Best Value: True & Tidy Multi-Surface Spray Mop with Refillable Water Bottle

Weight: 1.9 pounds | Pad material: Machine washable microfiber | Power source: Manual 

Why we chose it: If you’re new to spray mops, this is a fabulously affordable option that doesn’t require annoying batteries and looks good sitting out, too. 

Some people love a rechargeable cleaning tool, like a handheld vacuum, and others loathe them so much that required charging turns them off from a piece of equipment entirely. If you’re among the latter, this spray mop is a great option for you, since it doesn’t require a constant supply of AAs or need to go back on a charger after every cleaning. It also has a refillable cleaning solution bottle, so you can use your favorite floor cleaner or mix up your own, preventing unnecessary plastic waste or being pigeonholed into a certain brand. 

Given that it’s our best value pick, this mop is the lightest weight of the bunch and can feel a bit more fragile in your hand than the OXO mop or a hybrid machine—but rest assured it will get the job done. The tool comes in three different colorways that we particularly love, since the white, blue, or pink fits right into most color schemes and decor styles. And, of course, it comes with a reusable microfiber cleaning pad that simply gets tossed in the washer and tumbled dry.

Best Vacuum-Mop Hybrid: Tineco Floor One S5 Extreme

Weight: 18.08 pounds | Pad material: Soft roller head with bristles | Power source: Rechargeable battery

Why we chose it: For those among us who prefer multi-tools (and less gear to store), this machine vacuums, mops, and dries all in one go. 

Domino assistant editor Raven McMillan procured this all-in-one vacuum-mop for her parents during a recent long-term stay when she noticed they had seven different vacuums, mops, and brooms kicking around. There are plenty of vac-mops on the market now (once a thing of sci-fi dreams), but McMillan swears by this machine, as she was hoping to replace two different cleaning tools, and “it turns out, it can replace almost all of them,” she says. The S5 Extreme works in auto mode by using AI to detect what kind of mess is on the floor, then calibrates itself with the proper suction, water, and detergent. 

“This thing turns on a dime and gets real cozy with the baseboards, and it was released with an upgraded edge design for that very reason,” says McMillan. So even though it’s certainly heavier than our other picks, it’s not held back by its bulk. A superfun feature is the self-cleaning brush roll: This function automatically flushes the inner tubing and brush roller, depositing the dirty water right into the tank. Oh, and even though it is a vacuum as well as a mop, it’s not recommended for carpet (since it has a soft mopping bristle brush roll), so stick to tile, linoleum, and hardwood. 

On Our Radar 

Amazon Basics Spray Mop  

A manual sprayer, reusable microfiber cloths, refillable solution bottle, and pared-back blue and white color scheme? This spray mop has all the requirements we’re looking for, plus it’s available for Prime delivery, so if you need a clean quickly, it’ll be at your door in a jiffy. It’s also quite lightweight and compact, which makes it easy to store when it’s not in use, perfect for small apartments and homes. 

iRobot Braava Jet m6

If you’re looking to automate cleaning your floors, you’re in luck. While there are plenty of robot mops on the market (the future is now!), the Braava Jet m6 has basically set the industry standard, thanks to smart mapping capability, methodic cleaning, and reusable pads. Plus it comes in white, black (with a rose gold lid), and graphite, so it can match your existing Roomba or kitchen appliances. 

Everspring Spray Mop 

We can always count on Target to make something utilitarian actually cute, and this spray mop is no exception. It checks all the boxes (reusable pads, refillable solution bottle, manual sprayer), but also has a sleek white and silver frame, with the added detail of a bamboo handle. Some users report issues with the sprayer, but for $19.99, it’s still a fantastic value. 

How We Chose These Products

When looking for the very best mops, we realized that the best, quickest solution for a dirty floor is, in fact, a spray mop. That said, we wanted to ensure they all had reusable pads or brushes and cleaning solution bottles that could be refilled with a solution of your choice. We also reached out to Rapinchuk for advice on what to look for in this style of mop, as well as what kinds of floors they should be used on and DIY cleaning solution recipes. In addition, we checked in with stylist and home YouTuber Paige Wassel for tips on how to style, er, more…industrial items in an aesthetically pleasing way. 

Our Shopping Checklist

Weight

As with any cleaning tool (be it a mop, broom, or vacuum), weight is an important factor to consider since you’ll have to be lugging it around the room. The two standard spray mops we chose weigh just around two pounds, so they’re super-lightweight, making them easy to maneuver and simple to stash away. The hybrid vacuum-mop comes in at about 18 pounds, so it’s definitely heavier. But to give some perspective, this popular upright Shark vacuum  weighs nearly 15 pounds, so it’s no more difficult to handle than a regular vacuum. 

Cleaning Pads

We’re sure you’re familiar with the most popular spray mop in town, the Swiffer WetJet. While it’s a very useful and cleverly designed product, the main drawback is the need for single-use pads and getting cornered into using only that brand’s cleaning solution. The two standard spray mops we chose use microfiber pads that can be machine-washed and dried, so they’re reusable basically until they fall apart and particularly great at picking up dust and debris. 

Power Source 

Some spray mops are powered with standard batteries, like AAs, which require replacements pretty frequently and can get pricey. Others, like the Tineco Floor One S5 Extreme, are rechargeable and can clean for a set amount of time on a single charge. There are also spray mops that have a manual mechanism that doesn’t require a battery at all, like the OXO Good Grips Spray Mop Kit and True & Tidy Multi-Surface Spray Mop with Refillable Water Bottle; pretty convenient if you’re prone to forgetting to recharge a cleaning tool. 

Ask Domino

Q: Can you use a DIY solution in a spray mop? 

Certainly. Any of the mops we’ve chosen can be filled with a solution of your choice, but if you’d prefer to make your own instead of buying it, Rapinchuk uses this solution, which is safe for all floors: 1¾ cups warm water, 1 to 2 drops castile soap, and if you’d like, 3 to 5 drops essential oil. 

Q: Are there any types of flooring that spray mops shouldn’t be used on?

In general, you should always check the label of cleaning solutions to see what kinds of materials they can be used on. For example, acidic cleaners like ones with vinegar shouldn’t be used on natural stone, as they can eat away at the finish, and a lot of multipurpose cleaners are too harsh for hardwood flooring. If your hardwood is unfinished (meaning it’s natural wood without a coat of polyurethane or similar finish), you shouldn’t use liquid cleaners at all, as the wood can become warped. 

The Last Word

We found that the best mop using a spray function for the home is the OXO Good Grips Spray Mop Kit, since it’s comprised of reusable parts (microfiber cleaning pads, refillable cleaning solution bottle); operates without pesky batteries; can be used with whatever cleaning solution you prefer; and comes with an ingenious little scrubber attachment for particularly tough spots on the floor.