A spray mop carries its cleaner in the handle and mists it onto the floor as you go, so there is no bucket, no sloshing and no wringing out dirty water. For sealed hard floors it is the quickest way to clean we know, and we use them on jobs all the time. These are the five spray mops we rate for 2026, all on sale in the UK right now.
We clean homes for a living across London, Liverpool and Manchester, so we get through a lot of mops. The big choice here is how the mop is fed: a refillable tank you fill with your own cleaner and water, a refillable cartridge of the brand’s own solution, or a proprietary system tied to one cleaner and, sometimes, throwaway pads. That choice decides what each mop costs you to run over the years, and we come back to it lower down. One warning first, which matters more than any feature: spray mops are for sealed floors only. If you would rather not mop at all, our regular domestic cleaning team can take the floors off your hands. Looking for a different mop? See our guides to the best flat mops and the best sponge mops.
Best spray mops: quick comparison
| Product | Type | Tank / cartridge | Pad | Cleaner | Powered? | Approx UK price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vileda 1-2 Spray Max | Refillable tank | 650ml, detachable | Washable microfibre, to 60°C | Any (your own) | No, manual trigger | About £25–£35 |
| Bona Premium Spray Mop | Refillable cartridge | 850ml cartridge | Washable microfibre | Bona’s own wood cleaner | No, manual trigger | About £33–£50 |
| Flash Power Spray Mop | Proprietary, powered | Refillable solution bottle | Washable microfibre (3-zone) | Flash’s own solution | Yes, battery sprayer | Kit about £26–£30 |
| Vileda 1-2 Spray | Refillable tank | About 250ml | Washable microfibre | Any (your own) | No, manual trigger | About £11–£17 |
| Koh Spray Mop | Refillable bottle | Refillable, trigger handle | 5 washable pads in kit | Koh Universal Cleaner | No, manual trigger | About £34.95 (kit) |
Vileda 1-2 Spray Max
A big refillable tank, a tough washable pad, and it takes whatever cleaner you like.
| Type | Refillable tank, manual trigger |
|---|---|
| Tank | 650ml, detachable for filling |
| Pad | Washable microfibre with scrub zones, to 60°C |
| Refill | Any floor cleaner, or just water |
| Floors | Sealed hard floors: laminate, tile, vinyl, sealed wood |
| Price | About £25–£35 |
Reasons to buy
- The 650ml tank is one of the biggest here, so you fill it far less often on a whole-house clean
- You fill it with any cleaner and water, or plain water, which keeps the running cost down to almost nothing
- The pad has scrub zones for sticky spots and machine washes at up to 60°C, rated for around 200 washes
- The head flips 180 degrees, so one pad cleans both ways before you swap it
Reasons to avoid
- Dearer than the standard Vileda below, and you are paying mainly for the bigger tank
- The trigger is a manual squeeze, so it is more work than a powered mop on a big floor
- Like every spray mop here, it is for sealed floors only
If you want one spray mop and do not want to think about it again, this is the one we reach for. The detachable 650ml tank means you can mop a kitchen, hallway and bathroom without stopping to refill, and because you fill it yourself you are not tied to any one brand of cleaner. We tend to run ours with a capful of pH-neutral floor cleaner in water, or just water for a daily once-over. The scrub-zone pad copes with dried-on splashes that a flat pad would skate over.
It is not powered, so on a large open-plan floor your hand does the spraying, and it costs more than the basic model. For day-to-day cleaning across a normal home though, it is the most useful all-rounder on this list. The pad lasting a couple of hundred washes is what makes it cheap to live with.
Where to buy
Sold through Argos, Amazon, Ocado and the Vileda store, with refill pads widely stocked. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Bona Premium Spray Mop for Wood Floors
The wood-floor specialist: a pH-neutral cleaner in a neat refillable cartridge.
| Type | Refillable cartridge, manual trigger |
|---|---|
| Cartridge | 850ml Bona Wood Floor Cleaner |
| Pad | Washable microfibre, rated to around 500 washes |
| Refill | Bona’s own pH-neutral cleaner cartridges |
| Floors | Sealed and lacquered wood; oiled-wood and stone/tile versions exist |
| Price | About £33–£50 |
Reasons to buy
- The Bona cleaner is pH-neutral and residue-free, made for sealed wood, so it will not dull or streak a lacquered floor
- The 850ml cartridge clips in and out in seconds, and you refill it rather than bin it
- The microfibre pad is washable and rated for around 500 washes, which is a lot of cleans
- Sturdy aluminium handle with a secondary grip and a hanging hook, and a head that swivels well under furniture
Reasons to avoid
- You are buying into Bona’s cartridges, so the cleaner costs more over time than your own bottle
- It is built for wood, so for tile and laminate you want the separate Bona stone/tile version
- Among the priciest mops here up front
If your home is mostly real wood or good engineered flooring, this is the mop we would point you to. The whole thing is designed around not harming a sealed wood finish: the cleaner is pH-neutral and dries without a film, the mist is fine rather than soaking, and the pad glides instead of dragging. We have used Bona’s wood products for years on client floors and they are reliably gentle. The cartridge popping in and out, rather than unscrewing a tank, is a small thing that feels good in daily use.
The trade-off is the proprietary cleaner. The cartridge is refillable, so it is far better than a throwaway system, but you are still buying Bona’s solution rather than topping up from a cheap bottle. For a floor that cost thousands to lay, we think that is money well spent. Bona also sell oiled-wood and stone, tile and laminate versions if your floors are not lacquered wood.
Where to buy
Sold through Bona stockists, flooring shops and Amazon, with refill cartridges and pads sold separately. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Flash Power Spray Mop
A battery sprayer for fast cleans, and it finally takes a washable pad.
| Type | Proprietary system, battery sprayer |
|---|---|
| Tank | Refillable Flash solution bottle on the mop |
| Pad | Washable three-zone microfibre (disposable pads also sold) |
| Refill | Flash’s own Power Spray Mop solution |
| Battery | Yes, AA batteries for the sprayer |
| Price | Kit about £26–£30 |
Reasons to buy
- A press of the button sprays the floor, so there is no squeezing a trigger over and over on a big room
- Flash now sell a washable three-zone microfibre pad for it, so you no longer have to buy throwaway pads
- Cheap to buy as a starter kit, and stocked in Asda, Tesco and most big supermarkets
- Quick and light for a daily whip-round of the kitchen and hall
Reasons to avoid
- It is built around Flash’s own solution, so you are tied to buying that
- The default kit comes with disposable pads, which add up unless you switch to the washable one
- It needs batteries, which is one more thing to replace
For a fast, no-effort clean of sealed hard floors, the powered Flash is genuinely handy. You click in a pad, press the button, and it lays down a fine mist of Flash solution as you push it along, which is easier on the wrist than a manual trigger over a whole kitchen. The big change since the old Powermop is the washable pad: Flash now sell a three-zone microfibre one you wash and reuse, which is the version we would buy. It turns a wasteful mop into a reasonable one.
The catch is that it is still a proprietary system. The sprayer is built for Flash’s solution, so you cannot just decant your own cleaner, and the batteries are a small ongoing cost. If you want a quick powered mop for daily messes and you do not mind buying the brand’s refills, it earns a place. Buy the washable pad with it and skip the disposables.
Where to buy
Starter kit, solution, washable pad and disposable pads sold separately in Asda, Tesco and Morrisons. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Vileda 1-2 Spray
The cheap, no-fuss refillable that does the job for about a tenner.
| Type | Refillable tank, manual trigger |
|---|---|
| Tank | About 250ml |
| Pad | Washable microfibre flat pad |
| Refill | Any floor cleaner, or just water |
| Floors | Sealed hard floors: laminate, tile, vinyl |
| Price | About £11–£17 |
Reasons to buy
- Often around £11 to £17, which makes it the cheapest sensible spray mop here
- Refillable with your own cleaner and water, so it costs next to nothing to run
- Light, simple and quick to grab for a daily wipe of the kitchen floor
- Washable pad and cheap, easy-to-find refill pads
Reasons to avoid
- The 250ml tank is small, so you refill it more often on a big floor
- Flat pad has no scrub zone, so really stuck-on bits need a going-over
- Feels less solid than the pricier Spray Max
This is the one we suggest when someone wants a spray mop and does not want to spend much. It is the same idea as the Spray Max, just smaller and plainer: a refillable tank in the handle, a microfibre pad on a swivel head, and a trigger to mist the floor. For a flat or a small house it is plenty, and because you fill it yourself it is as cheap to run as the dearer Vileda. We have handed these to clients on a budget plenty of times and they do not complain.
The smaller tank is the only real downside. On a big kitchen-diner you will be back to the tap sooner than with the 650ml model, and the flat pad asks for a bit more elbow grease on dried-on spills. For the money, none of that bothers us. Kit it out with your own pH-neutral floor cleaner and you are set.
Where to buy
Sold through Argos, Amazon, Waitrose and most supermarkets, with cheap refill pads. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Koh Spray Mop
Five washable pads and a plant-friendly concentrate, built to cut waste.
| Type | Refillable bottle, manual trigger |
|---|---|
| Tank | Refillable trigger handle |
| Pad | Five machine-washable microfibre pads in the kit |
| Refill | Koh Universal Cleaner concentrate |
| Floors | Sealed hard floors: timber, lino, tile |
| Price | About £34.95 (kit) |
Reasons to buy
- The kit comes with five washable pads, two everyday and three deep-clean, so nothing gets thrown away
- Runs on Koh’s plant-friendly Universal Cleaner concentrate, which dilutes a long way and cuts plastic
- Light at around 1.5kg, with a built-in scraper for dried-on bits
- Sold direct in the UK with a money-back guarantee, so you can try it
Reasons to avoid
- Designed around Koh’s own cleaner, so it suits people already in that habit
- More of an up-front spend than the basic Vileda
- Mostly sold direct rather than on the high street, so refills come by post
If cutting waste matters to you, the Koh kit is the pick. You get a refillable trigger mop and five microfibre pads, so you are washing and reusing rather than buying throwaway cloths, and the floors run on Koh’s Universal Cleaner, a plant-friendly concentrate that goes a long way from one bottle. It is the tidy choice for someone who wants the no-bucket convenience of a spray mop without a pile of disposables in the bin. The little scraper on the head is handier than it sounds for dried spills.
It does lean on Koh’s own cleaner, so it fits best if you already use their products or like the eco angle. It is sold mostly direct, so refills arrive by post rather than off a shelf. For a low-waste home it is a smart, well-made kit, and the spare pads mean you always have a clean one ready.
Where to buy
Sold direct from Koh in the UK with refill pads and cleaner concentrate. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Refillable tank vs proprietary cartridge: what it costs to run
This is the bit that decides what a spray mop really costs you, and most reviews skip it. The mop is cheap. The cleaner and the pads are where the money goes over the years, so the feeding system matters more than the price on the box.
There are three setups, and we would rank them like this for running cost:
- Refillable tank, your own cleaner. The Vileda mops work this way. You top up with a capful of any floor cleaner in water, or plain water, so a clean costs pennies. Cheapest to run, and our default advice.
- Refillable cartridge, the brand’s cleaner. The Bona works this way. You refill the cartridge rather than bin it, but you buy Bona’s solution. Dearer than your own bottle, fair for a floor you want to protect.
- Proprietary system. Flash and the cartridge-and-disposable-pad mops like Swiffer’s WetJet sit here. You buy the brand’s solution, and with some you buy throwaway pads on top. Most expensive over time, and the throwaway pads are the real drain, so pick a washable pad where the brand offers one.
Our rule of thumb: a refillable-tank mop you fill yourself is cheapest, and a washable microfibre pad beats throwaway pads every time. A pack of disposable pads can cost more in a year than the mop did. If you want green floors and a small bill, fill your own tank and wash your pads.
The one rule that matters: sealed floors only
Every spray mop here is for sealed hard floors. That means lacquered or factory-finished wood, sealed engineered boards, laminate, vinyl, lino and glazed tile. On those, a light mist and a damp microfibre pad clean beautifully and dry fast.
Keep a spray mop off these:
- Unsealed, raw, waxed or oiled wood. Water and cleaner soak into open timber, lift the finish and leave marks. If you are not sure your wood is sealed, test a hidden corner or use a cloth barely damp with the right wood cleaner.
- Unsealed natural stone such as untreated marble, limestone or slate. Many cleaners are slightly acidic and can dull or etch polished stone. Use a pH-neutral stone cleaner instead.
- Unsealed or porous tiles and grout, which can soak up water and any colour in the cleaner.
Match the cleaner to the floor too. Bona’s mop pairs with a pH-neutral wood cleaner for a reason. On a sealed wood floor, never soak it: the lightest mist is the whole point of a spray mop, and it is why we use them over a dripping string mop on good floors.
How to choose a spray mop
Start with your floors and your budget, not the feature list. Most homes are best served by a refillable-tank mop you fill yourself, because it is cheap to run and works on every sealed hard floor. From there, a few things decide which one.
Tank size
A bigger tank means fewer trips to the tap. The 650ml Vileda Spray Max will do a normal floor in one fill; a 250ml model is fine for a flat but needs topping up in a big kitchen. If you have a lot of floor, go bigger.
Washable pad or throwaway?
Always pick a washable microfibre pad if you can. It saves money and waste, and a good one lasts hundreds of washes. Throwaway pads are convenient for a day but expensive over a year. Where a brand sells both, like Flash, buy the washable one.
Powered or manual?
A battery sprayer like the Flash saves your wrist on big floors and is quicker for a daily once-over. A manual trigger is simpler, has no batteries to replace and tends to cost less. For most homes a manual mop is plenty; pick powered if you have a lot of floor or find squeezing a trigger awkward.
Any cleaner or the brand’s own?
A mop that takes any cleaner is cheaper to live with and more flexible. A brand-tied system like Bona or Flash locks you into one solution, which is worth it for Bona on wood, but think about the long-term cost before you buy in.
How we picked these
We clean homes for a living, so this list comes from what we actually use and trust, cross-checked against what is on UK sale now. We looked at how each mop is fed and what that costs to run, tank or cartridge size, whether the pad is washable, how it handles sealed wood, tile and laminate, the build quality, and the price.
Prices and specs were checked against UK retailers and manufacturer listings in May 2026, and they do move. If your floors need more than a quick mop, our professional floor cleaning team covers hard floors of every kind, and our end of tenancy cleaning service handles the grimy ones at move-out. For a price, ask us for a quote or call 0333 555 2076.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best spray mop in 2026?
For most people the Vileda 1-2 Spray Max is the best spray mop, because it has a big 650ml refillable tank, a washable scrub-zone pad, and it takes any cleaner so it is cheap to run. For wood floors the Bona Premium Spray Mop is the better pick thanks to its pH-neutral cleaner, and the cheaper Vileda 1-2 Spray is the best value at around £11 to £17.
Can you use a spray mop on wooden floors?
Yes, but only on sealed or lacquered wood, and you should use a fine mist rather than soaking it. A spray mop is actually one of the safest ways to clean sealed wood because it uses very little water. The Bona Premium Spray Mop is made for this, with a pH-neutral, residue-free cleaner. Keep any spray mop off raw, waxed or oiled wood, where water can lift the finish.
Are refillable spray mops better than cartridge ones?
For running cost, yes. A refillable-tank mop like the Vileda lets you fill it with your own cleaner and water, so each clean costs pennies. A cartridge system like Bona’s is still good because you refill rather than bin the cartridge, but you buy the brand’s solution. Fully proprietary systems with throwaway pads cost the most over time.
Do spray mops use their own cleaning solution?
It depends on the mop. Refillable-tank models like the Vileda 1-2 Spray and Spray Max take any floor cleaner you like, or just water. Brand systems like the Bona and the Flash Power Spray Mop are designed around their own solution, so you buy refills from that brand. The Koh mop runs on Koh’s own concentrate.
Are spray mop pads washable?
Most of the good ones are. The Vileda, Bona and Koh pads are machine-washable microfibre, and the Bona pad is rated for around 500 washes. Flash now sell a washable pad for the Power Spray Mop as well as disposable ones. We always recommend a washable pad: it saves money and waste, since a pack of throwaway pads can cost more in a year than the mop itself.
Do spray mops need batteries?
Only the powered ones. Manual spray mops like the Vileda, Bona and Koh have a trigger you squeeze by hand, so there are no batteries. The Flash Power Spray Mop has a battery-driven sprayer that mists the floor at the press of a button, which saves your wrist on big floors but means replacing the batteries now and then.
What floors should you not use a spray mop on?
Keep spray mops off unsealed, raw, waxed or oiled wood, and off unsealed natural stone like untreated marble or slate, because water and cleaner can soak in, lift the finish or dull the surface. They are made for sealed hard floors: sealed wood, laminate, vinyl, lino and glazed tile. If you are unsure whether a floor is sealed, test a hidden corner first.
Is a spray mop better than a mop and bucket?
For day-to-day cleaning of sealed hard floors, usually yes. A spray mop uses far less water, so it is quicker, lighter and kinder to wood, and there is no bucket of dirty water to lug about. For a heavily soiled floor or a deep clean you may still want a bucket and a proper mop, but for regular upkeep a spray mop is faster and easier.
Last updated 29 May 2026. Written by the team at Monster Cleaning, professional cleaners working in UK homes since 2014. Prices and specifications were checked against UK retailers and manufacturer listings at the time of writing and do change.