Linoleum floors are very similar to the vinyl floors. But unlike vinyl, linoleum is made of natural materials like linseed oil, ground cork dust, pine resin. Even the color of the floor comes through natural pigments.
If you have already stopped walking on your precious brand-new linoleum floor reading the above, then don’t. It might be made of natural materials but is not that fragile. It actually is excellent in terms of adapting to easy cleaning processes.
Walk, why walk just run with your shoes, but first spend some bucks in the best mop for linoleum floors. A good quality mop helps a floor to last and maintain the crisp look to it. And thinking of the best, steam mop is what we like the most.
Can you use a steam mop on linoleum floors?
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Using a steam mop on linoleum floors is very much conceded. Actually, it is the best way to clean linoleum flooring, in our opinion. A steam mop works with plain water. It heats the water within 10-15 seconds at over 230-250 degrees Fahrenheit temperature. So, there is no use of liquid chemicals to clean the floor as that high heat is enough to kill all the germs and bacteria. The heat and vapor also help to break the stubborn dirt in small particles. And the mop head and small brushes the steam mops include does the rest of the work to clean and sanitize the linoleum flooring without leaving a scratch.
Buying Guide For Best Mop For Linoleum Floors
It could be a stick mop, a spray mop, an expensive steam mop, but the things you expect from them while cleaning your linoleum floor is pretty much the same. What are they, let’s dive into the discussion on that.
Lightweight And Easy Maneuvering
If you want to mop your linoleum floors without getting annoyed, make sure the mop you are using is lightweight. We understand cleaners like the steam mops or vacuums could be a bit from the heavier side. When they are a bit heavy, then make sure they are easy to maneuver and don’t stress your back or hands. A heavy machine could be great but would be of no use if you cannot use it for long. It could be lightweight so that you can lift it and roam around the house, or it should be easy to push and glide through the surface while cleaning.
Gentle But Effective
The steam and its heat should be gentle. The solution you are spraying to use the spray mop should be gentle, the vacuum power should be gentle, and most importantly, the pads you are using must be gentle. Only gentle on the linoleum floor, though, not on the dirt and sticky mess. In those cases, replace the word gentle with effective.
Washable Pads
Microfiber soft pads and scrubs that are washable is the only pad you must use to clean your linoleum floors. Soft pads clean the surface well, without scratches. Also, you do not need to buy pads every second day. Microfiber pads tackle more than 50-100 machine washes. So you just need to wash them, not throw them as we do with the disposable pads after every use.
Flexible heads
A flexible mop head is essential. Otherwise, you will not be able to clean under or around the furniture, and along the baseboards.
Quick Drying
Linoleum doesn’t handle damp mopping pretty well. It will not immediately get affected by the water, though. But in the long term, the moisture affects the surface. So, whatever mop you are using to clean your linoleum floor, please make sure it leaves very less moisture. No moisture will be better. The mops which leave linoleum too damp, we forthwith interdict those.
So, what is the best mop for linoleum floors; we would say any high-quality steam mop. Or any of the ones below. Wondering what we are talking about, let’s check it out.
Our Top Pick Linoleum Floor Cleaner Mops –
- Our Top Pick: Bissell Symphony Pet Steam Mop
- Best Wet-Dry Vacuum and Mop With Great Quality: BISSELL CrossWave Floor and Carpet Cleaner
- Best Microfiber Mop With Long Term Use: Microfiber Mop Floor Cleaning System
- Best Spray Mop with Low Budget: O-Cedar ProMist Max Spray Mop
- Best Overall Steam Mop With Fantastic Scrubbing Feature: Bissell Powerfresh Deluxe Steam Mop
Top 5 Mop for Linoleum Floors Reviews in 2023
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Our Top Pick: Bissell Symphony Pet Steam Mop
We start with a steam mop. Preference! Bissell Symphony is a quintessential steam mop with a slight twist. And the twist is that it is also a vacuum cleaner. We thus put it in the category of the best linoleum floor cleaning machine. And there it will topple even some of the best ones.
Vacuum On Demand
This cleaner boasts of Cyclonic Vacuum and that power gets hold of the pet hair, even the long human hair like no other. The 400 watts power for vacuum does the trick. You can vacuum with or without the pads on. Use the pads on hard floors and remove them to clean a carpet, versatile.
Steam On Demand
Just like the vacuum, you can just steam mop your linoleum floor with it. Fill the water tank, click the control, and water will start heating up. The steam triples up the power of those pads no matter what pad you are using, disposable, microfiber soft pads, or scrubby pads. If you want to steam and vacuum together, you are allowed to do it.
Dry Tank
Even though it is a steam vacuum, the dirt tank doesn’t let any moisture get there. To keep the dirt tank dry, it uses dry tank technology. So, when you are cleaning the dirt tank, there will be no wet, sticky mess.
Mess-Free Tank Cleaning
Emptying the tank is easy not only because it keeps the moisture away, but also due to its drop-it tank emptying system. You just hold the tank over the dirt bin and pull the trigger, the bottom of the container opens, and you get the filth thrown in with no dirt on your hands.
Pads
The microfiber soft and scrubby pads are machine washable. Wash them up to 50 times and save yourself from buying disposable pads regularly. But you can’t always do without them, can you? So, it includes four Swiffer BISSELL Symphony Steamboost pads and a tray for attaching the pads to the mop head of the steamer.
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Best Wet-Dry Vacuum and Mop With Great Quality: BISSELL CrossWave Floor and Carpet Cleaner
Searching for the best wet & dry mop for linoleum floors, here it is. Once again, it’s Bissell, but Crosswave. It has a long 25 feet cord, which lets you roam quite far from the socket to clean the house. You do not need to bend or put force to clean the mess and stain because this one is a powerful cleaner with a swivel head.
Vacuum And Wash
Crosswave pulls and picks the dirt and grease up into the dirt tank and mops the floor with the brush roll. So, you do not need to do the dusting separately. It vacuums pet hair quite easily with one sweep. You can throw the strands in the dirt bin separately as they do not get into the dirty water, thanks to the pet hair strainer. Keep the dirty water and large debris and hair separate to save yourself from a clogged sink.
Two-Tank technology
The two tank technology keeps the dirty water separate from the clean water. Like this, you are only cleaning your floor with the clean water solution, rather than cleaning it with dirty water from the get-go. A small quantity of liquid solution helps the brush roll to pick up the stickiest of mess.
Unique Brush Roll
It has a unique brush roll, which is why the cleaner vacuums and mops at the same time. The brush roll is a combo of microfiber and nylon brush. Moreover, it’s tangle-free. The microfiber roller has rows of small nylon brushes in between. The brush design makes sure that the hairs it picks will never tangle and go straight to the dirt tank.
Accessories
The cleaner includes two brush rollers, two 8oz bottles of liquid solutions from Bissell, and a docking tray. Whenever you mop the floor with the solution, it leaves a beautiful fresh scent around.
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Best Microfiber Mop With Long Term Use: Microfiber Mop Floor Cleaning System
This one is easily the best dust mop for linoleum floors. Made of sturdy aluminum alloy, it is durable and easy on your arms due to its light built. Not just the linoleum floors, you can hold it up to clean the wall. Go figure.
Premium Pads
It has a large mop head, about 17-18 inches in width. With one sweep, the mop pad covers a good space. Coming to the pads, you get two microfiber ultra-absorbent thick pads and two scrub pads. Use the scrub pads on stubborn stains and thick grease. They work the best in scrubbing them off with no scratches on the linoleum floor.
Micro Gripping Tech
The soft pads use micro gripping technology, which is why it is so good to pick up the dirt and debris. Use them up to 100 times by washing them in the machine after every use. Do the dusting with it and soak it into the water for wet mopping. The way it traps and locks the dirt and hair is impressive.
Pivoting head
The swivel head turns a full 360-degree. That allows you to move the mop freely around the room, beneath the furniture, and along the edges. It turns smooth and is not flimsy due to aluminum alloy enforcement.
Telescopic Handle
You can increase or decrease the length of the mop according to your comfort. Usually, it’s a 35-inch stick mop, which could be extended up to 60-inch. You have two grips on the stick for a firm hold.
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Best Spray Mop with Low Budget: O-Cedar ProMist Max Spray Mop
This simple, convenient spray mop is, without a doubt, the best wet mop for linoleum floors. Use it for dry dusting because it does that pretty well too. But the way it quickly wraps up the time consuming sweeping without saturating the floor is surprising. It eliminates more than 99% of bacteria.
Microfiber Pad
There are embossed scrubs on the rather large soft microfiber pad. It is machine washable up to 100 times. The soft pad in itself cleans your linoleum floor thoroughly with a bit of spraying of the cleaning solution. But for the sticky mess that is sometimes not enough. Thus you can put a bit extra pressure so that the scrub in the middle could work on the grease and stubborn stain better. It scrubs the dirt, absorbs the moisture, and picks the dirt and hair efficiently.
Flip It
The microfiber head flips a 180-degree. Not just that, the swivel head spins a 360-degree too. With one pad, you can sweep the floor double the time than any regular mop. Thus you can use both sides of the pad and reach hard-to-sweep spots. So, when one side is dirty instead of changing it or trying to clean it, just flip it and continue sweeping the rest of the space.
Spray Nozzle
Its spray nozzle sprays a fine mist. So, you have better control over limited use of it. The trigger is right between the main handle. You also have a secondary grip for a better hold and convenient and comfortable cleaning.
Cleaning Solution
The mop comes with a cleaning solution refill, but you can use any cleaning solution with this spray mop. Pour two teaspoons of cleaning solution in the water bottle after filling water. After you are done cleaning, spray the mop five times and pour down the rest of the water. Then wash the bottle, and you have cleaned the spray nozzle and water bottle.
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Best Overall Steam Mop With Fantastic Scrubbing Feature: Bissell Powerfresh Deluxe Steam Mop
We started with a steam mop, and we are ending with one too. Preference, remember? It’s Bissell one last time. It is a convenient steam mop with an easy-fill water tank. The water heats up within 15 seconds and emits powerful steam. It comes with a water measuring cup too.
Spot Boost Brush
The innovative boost brush helps in powerful spot cleaning. It is great for scrubbing the sticky mess from the surface. The microfiber pad is fluffy but effective on the dirt and debris. But when it comes to cleaning narrow spaces or specific areas with the tough mess, it might miss cleaning some spaces. So, use your foot to press the lever and release the pad. It exposes the spot boost brush. Use it with high steam, and the combo is fatal to the grease and sticky mess. Then mop the surface with the microfiber pad to clean that scraped dirt.
Sanitize
The mop kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria with the power of the heat and steam. No use of harsh chemicals there, and you have disinfected the linoleum floor. Fill the tank with tap water, or you can use demineralized water too. It’s best to use with a steam mop.
Steam Settings
You have two settings for alternate use of the steam. If it is usual mopping of a moderately clean floor, then use the low steam. But if it is a filthy floor with food mess, footprints and pet mess, go with the high steam. The different steam power can be used with both the microfiber cloth and boost brush.
Fresh Scent
There are two scent discs in the steam mop, one on the mop head and the other inside the microfiber pad. Use the two Spring Breeze Scent Discs the mop includes. That will leave a fresh scent around. However, using them is not mandatory. The steam cleaning itself works on providing clean air.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you wet mop linoleum floor?
Yes, you can wet mop the linoleum floor. The linoleum floor is one of those floors that allows wet mopping. The most common way to clean the linoleum flooring is actually damping a stick mop in warm water with a cup of vinegar and dishwashing soap in it. It is the most basic and affordable way of sweeping a linoleum floor. However, to make the linoleum floor last, you will need to have waxing, polishing, coating, and proper finishing over it. Make sure to squeeze the excess water from the mop and switch on the ceiling fan while mopping. The water must dry fast so that it doesn’t seep into the floor in high volume.
Is steaming floors better than mopping?
Steaming the floors is always a better option than mopping. The only exception is a hardwood that doesn’t tackle steam mops, barring a few designed to be used on it. Linoleum floors, though made of natural materials, handle steam mopping very well. It is not like linoleum floors wouldn’t get affected by the steam emitted from the mop and also the heat at all. But if used properly with utmost caution after following all the instructions, steam mops clean the linoleum floors the best. It is quick, doesn’t require hard scrubbing that consumes too much energy, and is known to kill 99.9% germs and bacteria without using harsh chemicals.
Final Verdict
Even though we prefer the Bissell Symphony to vacuum and steam clean a linoleum floor. But that will be our top choice irrespective of the floor type. A mop that is so easy on your body, and kills 99.9% germs and bacteria without using chemicals, why will we not enjoy cleaning with it. However, the other types of cleaners like the wet-dry one, the spray mop, and even the simple stick mop, those were ‘something’ we must admit. So affordable than the steam cleaners but works so well. Hence, if you are pro steam cleaners like us, you have a couple of options that we suggested, and if you are not, could be for any reason, price, risky, whatever, then try the other ones. All five are the best in their field of expertise.