6 best floor cleaners 2024 UK; tried and tested on hard floors and carpets
GONE are the days of having to scrub floors on your hands and knees – thankfully. Now there’s an array of machines and gadgets to ensure your floors are pristine, with the best floor cleaners combining ease with efficiency.
Investing in the right tools for the job will make your life easier and let’s face it, anything that makes never-ending housework less of a chore is to be welcomed.
If you have wooden floors, you may go for a specialist cleaner, while for carpets, a powerful vacuum and shampooer will get rid of dirt and keep colours vibrant.
For those of us with a mix of carpet, tiles, wood and laminate, then there are amazing multi-purpose cleaners so you only have to find storage space for one piece of equipment, while the advent of cordless, battery-powered models means we aren’t tied to socket placement (or tripping over cables).
Features to look out for include separate clean and dirty water tanks, removable mop heads (easier to wash afterwards), weight (how heavy is it to use), one-handed push-button operation, does the machine require a specialist cleaning liquid or can you use it with any brand/just water, quick battery charging and the length of any power cable.
It's also worth checking how long a single charge lasts before you buy, especially if you have a large house.
Read on for our tried and tested reviews of the best floor cleaners available to buy in the UK right now.
Best floor cleaners at a glance:
- Best overall floor cleaner:
- Best budget floor cleaner:
- Best steam mop:
- Best carpet cleaner:
- Best spray mop:
Russell Hobbs RHSM1001 Steam Mop
Russell Hobbs RHSM1001 Steam Mop, £32.99
Pros: Great price, easy to use, washable mop heads, long power cable
Cons: Struggles with getting into corners, small water tank so it needs refilling often
Rating: 4/5
The Russell Hobbs Mop is a life-saver for my bathrooms and kitchen. It’s compact, and lightweight and comes with two velcro mop pads that can easily be thrown in the washing machine.
When it comes to value, this steam mop punches way above its weight class. However, in the spirit of honesty, it’s not without its quirks. If I was pressed to find a few sticking points then it would be that it struggles to get into tight spaces like corners and around toilets and sinks. This isn’t a dealbreaker for me as I have used mops that have cost double the price and have struggled with the very same dilemma.
The water tank is pretty small at 0.38 litres so I do find that I need to fill it once or twice to successfully accomplish mopping my 419 square ft ground floor. It’s as swift as it is thirsty, heating up in around 20 seconds and has a steam time of around 15 minutes before it needs refilling.
I don’t have carpets in my house but it can also be used as a carpet refresher as a carpet glider attachment comes with it. I’ve even been known to abseil the vertical terrains of my tiled bathroom walls with it.
In conclusion, this steam mop is a straightforward, no-frills champion in the world of floor cleaning, offering fantastic value for money. It’s not about bells and whistles, it’s about getting the job done and doing it well.
Review by Aaron Dowler
Size: 117 x 30 x 15cm, Weight: 2.3kg Water tank capacity: 0.38L Power: 1450W
Kärcher Steam Mop SC1 Upright
Kärcher Steam Mop SC1 Upright, £79.99
Pros: Powerful steam, easy to use, rotating head, heats up fast
Cons: Long handle can't be adjusted, slightly too much rotation
Rating: 4/5
The Karcher Steam Mop is effective at getting hard floors shiny and spotless.
If you’re short on time, it’s great as it heats up quickly and it cleans fast. It also dispenses the right amount of liquid for floors to dry super quick, so you don’t have to wait ages for sopping wet floors to dry.
Assembly is straightforward, although I was a little confused by the cartridge as I wasn’t sure how to insert it, but there are helpful videos on Karcher’s website.
It does have a long handle that can’t be adjusted, so shorter users may find it difficult to manoeuvre around the house.
You have to attach the fibre cloth onto the mop which can be a bit fiddly to clean every time, so I normally throw it into the washing machine after I’m done cleaning the floors.
It’s handy for the kitchen as it glides easily and the head of the mop rotates quite well, but it can be a little trickier with bigger spaces as the head tends to rotate with every slight movement, making it tricky to keep in a straight line.
But it doesn’t take up too much room and it’s easy to wrap the wires around to keep them out of the way, making it a great choice for smaller homes.
Review by Natalie Chui
Size: 119.7 x 31.4 x 14.7cm, Weight: 2.1kg, Water tank capacity: 0.2L, Power: 1300W heating output
READ MORE:
Bissell PowerClean Carpet Cleaner
Bissell PowerClean Carpet Cleaner, £134.99 £99.99
Pros: Lightweight, compact, competitively priced, effective at lifting stains, easy to clean
Cons: Clean water tank could be bigger, doesn't work on hard floors
Rating: 5/5
The Bissell PowerClean is compact and doesn’t take up much storage space, yet still packs a punch when it comes to cleaning your carpets.
Its four-row power brush cleans deep down, lifting even old stains so carpets and rugs are left looking brighter and smelling fresher.
To use, simply push the grey button on the handle while moving the cleaner over your carpet, the cleaning solution is released as you go. I was impressed: it got rid of old make-up stains that the vacuum couldn’t cope with, as well as general grime and hair. The dirty water tank soon looked surprisingly brown!
I had about 20 minutes cleaning the bedroom before the clean water tank needed refilling – it’s a pity the cleaner doesn’t have a larger capacity, but that said, it wouldn’t be so compact if it did.
After cleaning, our carpets were damp rather than wet; 30 minutes later they were noticeably drier and were fully dry in around two hours.
Cleaning the machine was simple as all of the parts could be easily removed. I think a thorough cleaning after each use will give the best results – it’s unbelievable how much dirt builds up in the machine as you use it.
Overall, I found the Bissell PowerClean to be an excellent carpet cleaner; it’s powerful and at around £100, it’s great value.
Read our full Bissell PowerClean review.
Review by Sianade Curry
Size: Unknown, Weight: 5.6kg, Clean water tank capacity: 2.36L, Power: 600W (corded)
Kärcher Electric Wiping Mop
Kärcher Electric Wiping Mop, £174.99 £139.99
Pros: Cordless, quick, removable rollers, storage stand, simple to use
Cons: Doesn’t stand on its own, not so good at removing dried-on food splashes
Rating: 4/5
The Kärcher Electric Wiping Mop is one of my favourite cleaning products. It makes short work of muddy paw prints belonging to my two dogs and one cat who are always dragging mud into the house from the garden.
It's cordless, which is a bonus, and it holds enough water to clean my kitchen floor with ease, even though the reservoir is small. It also has a separate dirty water reservoir – you couldn’t really call it a tank, it’s tiny – which also holds an amazing amount for its size.
Press the button and off the mop goes – it pulls away from you so all you have to do is steer, a plus point for older and less able users I think. It just glides over the floor, no effort is required.
I find it does a great job of cleaning my kitchen floor, but if there are dried-on stains then it takes a few passes to get them to shift. Also, you can’t get right up to the wall because of the roller edges and similarly, you’re left with a narrow dry line on the floor between the two rollers, but just pass over it again to rectify that.
Warm water is better at removing stubborn dirt and if you add a few drops of the cleaning solution (you get a tiny bottle with the mop) then even better.
I did find it rather noisy at first, but I soon got used to it and the dogs don’t mind it at all. Drying doesn’t take long – though longer than the two minutes stated on the Kärcher website – and the charge gives you 20 minutes of cleaning time. More than enough for my kitchen and bathroom.
The rollers and two water reservoirs are simple to remove and just rinse clean. You can pop the rollers in the washing machine but don’t add detergent as that will degrade the microfibre covers.
I found the only real issue with the Kärcher Electric Wiping Mop is it doesn’t stand up on its own, which was a nuisance at times. It does have a docking station though for both charging and storage when you’re not using it.
Read our full Kärcher Electric Wiping Mop review.
Review by Lisa Burn.
Size: 122 x 22.6 x 30.5cm, Weight: 2.4kg, Water tank capacity: 0.36L, Power: Cordless (rechargeable battery)
Beldray Clean & Dry
Beldray Clean & Dry, £160
Pros: Washes and dries at the same time, cordless, moves easily over hard floors
Cons: Have to vacuum the floor first, floors get too wet if you hold the trigger constantly
Rating: 4/5
Beldray’s Clean & Dry does exactly what it says on the tin: it cleans hard and sealed flooring using a rotating wet mop and dries it at the same time by vacuuming up the excess liquid.
The device is cordless so you have to charge it before you use it. It takes 3.5 hours for a full charge, and then you can use it for 30 minutes.
I found this is more than enough to cover a small flat with multiple rooms but it depends on the size of your home and how many times you go over the same area — the manufacturer recommends covering the same area three or four times.
You also have to vacuum your floor before using the Clean & Dry as it’s not designed to pick up big bits of debris so we think this device would be best suited for a once-a-month deep clean, or more often if you have kids or pets.
The Clean & Dry comes with two water tanks. The top one is for clean water or cleaning solution, depending on what you’re using. The bottom one is designed to store the water it sucks up, so you’re never cleaning your floor with dirty water.
To use the device, you simply run it back and forth across your floor as you would a normal vacuum cleaner, while also pressing the trigger on the handle to release the water/cleaning fluid onto the mop.
I found the Clean & Dry glided really across our hardwood floors even more easily than our usual vacuum cleaner. It also works for sealed laminate flooring and sealed tile flooring, which meant we could use it in the bathroom as well.
After use, the floor was pretty much dry (although it will still be damp to the touch) and there’s no streaking.
However, while the manufacturer recommends holding the trigger constantly while vacuuming, so water or cleaning solution is constantly released, I found this meant that there was too much liquid on the floor.
It was much easier to do a couple of wet passes and then do a couple of dry passes.
Overall, though, I found the Clean & Dry to be really easy to use and really loved the results — especially now that we don’t need to stoop to get rid of any stains or spills.
Review by Qin Xie.
Size: 118 x 29 x 27cm, Weight: 3.3kg, Tank capacity: 0.83L, Power: Cordless (rechargeable battery)
Bona Spray Mop Lit For Wood Floors
Bona Spray Mop Kit For Wood Floors, £33
Pros: Easy to assemble mop, inexpensive, easy to use, ready-made cleaning solution, washable cleaning head
Cons: Tricky to fit the cleaning solution bottle to the mop, the mop head gets dirty so needs to be rinsed as you go
Rating: 4/5
Bona’s spray mop is an easy-to-assemble, affordable and easy-to-use floor cleaning kit.
The version I tested was for wood floors, so it came with a specially formulated cleaning solution, but you can also get kits for other types of flooring.
The mop itself comes in a fairly compact box, split into a few pieces, and all you have to do is click each one into place.
The cleaning solution then slots into the dedicated holder and you’re ready to go.
The idea is that instead of stooping to spray the cleaning solution on your floor, you can spray as you go by pulling the trigger on the handle.
When I tested the spray mop, it was fairly easy to assemble but getting the cleaning solution in was a bit tricky. You have to listen out for a dull click as otherwise, you get a stream of cleaning liquid rather than a spray when you pull the trigger.
Once I got it going, though, it was really easy to use. The spray released a fine mist that the microfibre cleaning head wiped away with ease, leaving lovely clean floors.
Afterwards, you just remove the cleaning head and rinse it under the tap. Then you can either wash it by hand or pop it into the washing machine.
Although the Bona spray mop is really efficient, having just one mop head means it’s not great for dealing with larger areas, or if your floor is particularly dirty - the grime just accumulates on the surface of the material.
It means you either have to rinse it as you go or mop more regularly if you want seriously clean floors (rather than wiping the same space with a dirty mop head).
For lighter cleaning tasks, or if you have a couple of mop heads that you can swap out, we think this is a great option for those with kids or pets who might need to clean daily or weekly.
Review by Qin Xie.
Size: H 84cm, Weight: Unknown, Tank capacity: 500ml, Power: Manual
Beldray Steam Cleaner
Beldray Steam Cleaner, £44.99
Pros: Separate dual-tank detergent design
Cons: Not very powerful, slow heat-up time
Rating: 3/5
The Beldray Steam Cleaner gives you 15 minutes’ steam cleaning time, which is useful for larger floors, but it takes 25 seconds to heat up so is not as fast as some other models.
I like the dual tank system – separate tanks for the detergent and water – as it means the water tank remains chemical-free, but if your floors are really dirty it’s a simple job to add floor cleaner.
The rectangular mop head may not suit some people, and I think if I had an older house that didn’t have straight edges to the walls and floors, then a triangular mop might work better.
That said, I still found this steam cleaner handy for reaching most nooks and crannies around the house.
Review by Jacob Little
Size: 117 x 22.2 x 35cm, Weight: 0.3kg Water tank capacity: 350ml, Power: 1300W
Where can I buy floor cleaners in the UK?
You’ll find floor cleaners in department stores and larger hardware shops, as well as online. Amazon is an obvious place to research the best floor cleaner for you as it has such a vast choice of products, but don’t forget to check the websites of any individual brands you’re interested in as they may have special offers on some models.
We found the floor cleaners tested by our reviewers at:
How much do floor cleaners cost in the UK?
Floor cleaners in the UK come in at a variety of price points, so the good news is there’s something to suit all budgets.
Before buying, decide on what you need from your floor cleaner – is it for hard floors or carpets? Do you need a full-on shampooer or will a steam mop be enough? Would a cordless model be the best option? How long is the cable? The best floor cleaner for you will offer the functions that work best for your home.
The more high-tech the machine, the more expensive it is, with cordless models generally costing more than plug-in cleaners.
The floor cleaners tested by our reviewers ranged in price from around £33 up to £160, but there are options that cost less and others that cost more.
Can you put floor cleaner in a steam mop?
It’s always best to check the instructions given by manufacturers as different devices are designed for different things.
You should only use distilled water rather than tap water for some devices, for example.
In general, though, you shouldn’t need to add anything other than water to your steam mop as the steam should be hot enough to kill most bacteria and viruses on its own.
If anything, adding liquids other than water could cause a build-up and damage your device.
It could even be dangerous as heating up cleaning liquids could also release toxic fumes and may even cause some steam mops to explode.
Can you use a steam cleaner on laminate flooring?
Unlike hardwood flooring, which is 100% wood throughout, laminate flooring is made up of high-density fibreboard with a wood pattern placed on top.
So while it’s relatively water resistant, any heat could warp and damage the wood pattern, which is why you should never use a steam cleaner on it.
Instead, all you need to do is vacuum up any dust and debris and then wipe the surface with a microfibre mop and some cleaning fluid that’s suitable for laminate flooring.
You shouldn’t need to use too much product - just enough to dampen the surface.