by Janet Martinelli
What makes the best steam mop for tile floors and grout cleaning machine or other hard surfaces, is pretty much the same thing that makes it good for hardwood: versatility, heat, and maneuverability.
You can use these steam mops to clean tile and other messes on hard surfaces. Today I’m going to go over some of my favorites, and how I chose the best steam mop cleaner. If your short on time, here’s my top pick.
These steamers do an excellent job of steaming and disinfecting, however if you are looking for something that can vaccuum too, check out our vacuum and mop reviews.
TOP CHOICE OVERALL
BISSELL Power Steamer Heavy Duty 3-in-1 Steam Mop
Reasons to buy:
- Powerful, high-temperature steam to blast away dirt
- On-demand trigger allows you to control the intensity and amount of steam
- Great for use on interior and exterior floors and surfaces including grout and tile
- wall mount for easy and convenient storage
- Includes 29 accessories to tackle tough indoor and outdoor messes
Reasons to avoid:
- If you prefer a dedicated upright steamer look at the Power Fresh 1940 model.
- No lock on the trigger to keep it engaged while working.
Quick picks:
Best Tile and Grout Steam Mop
Previously Reviewed Steam Mops:
Here's How We Did the Test:
Making this evaluation possible would require us a team of people who will check the pros and cons each product, a wide variety of models to test, and a specific number of hours to be utilized to assess all the units.
7 USERS
23 MODELS
28 HOURS
Bonus Choice
Even though it didn't make our list there is one other steamer you should consider if you are primarily cleaning grout and would like to steam mattresses, curtains, and furniture in addition to your floors. If this is your requirement, you should take a look at the Dupray Neat Steamer. Why didn't this make our top 5? We didn't feel people would like to carry the cube around while steaming their tile. Other than that, this is an excellent multi-purpose steamer.
Best Steam Mop For Tile Floors & Grout Cleaning
Tile is a nice hard surface that doesn't collect dust and are more resistant to stains and spills than carpet. However grout between the tile is porous and can create some challenges to keep clean. There are several machines with the magic of steam that are made to resolve tile & grout cleaning issues. Read our reviews for the best floor machine especially for both tile and grout. In addition to these steamers, if your starting with a particularly stained or dirty grout you may also want to use a grout cleaner first, then then follow-up using the steamers recommended to keep things clean going forward.
If your grout is particularly dirty we found it effective to use a cleaner in addition to the the steamer. This is the cleaner we prefer: [amazon link="B0721NFGC4" title="Two bottles of cleaner and a free brush." link_icon="amazon"]
Bissell Power Steamer Heavy Duty 3-in-1 Steam Mop
USER RATING:
PRODUCT DETAILS:
- Tank: about 2 cups
- Cord: 25 ft
- Weight: 6.13 lbs
- For: hardwood, linoleum, ceramic, marble, granite, bathroom
PROS
- Swivel steering
- On-hand storage kit
- Includes 29 accessories including wall mounts and floor mop steam attachment
CONS
- Less efficient on pet hair
Upright floor steamers are excellent at larger spaces, but do have the admitted drawback of being pretty big and lacking attachments other options or even vacuums may have. The Powersteamer more than makes up for that.
This is the perfect for bathroom tile and grout cleaning, in my opinion. Works well no matter the kind of tile, comes with a multitude of attachments (including a grout cleaning tool to keep that grout clean!), can get into those hard to reach spaces (behind the toilet for example), and doubles as a fabric steam cleaner as well!
That doesn’t mean it’s a slouch at working as a straight mop, mind you. It has a wide path and the handheld portion works great for ovens and stoves as well. With a approx 16 ounce tank, and 25 foot power cord it can work on any size room and carry its way across multiple if need be, providing enough good steam for about a half hour of use per refill.
A lower cost (about half that of the Crosswave) and the same 2 year warranty. Given that we were looking for a tile and a grout steamer in this review the attachments and special brushes for grout put this model over the top. The only weakness is there isn't a vacuum component to pick up hair and debris before steaming.
This models heavy duty construction gives it the added bonus of being affective for both outdoor and indoor jobs.
Bissell PowerFresh Vac & Steam Steamer for Tile and Grout Cleaning
USER RATING:
PRODUCT DETAILS:
- Tank: 28 oz
- Cord: 25 ft
- Weight: 11.5 lbs
- For: tile, sealed wood, laminate, linoleum, vinyl
PROS
- Tangle-Free Pet Brush Roll
- Vacuum and Wash
- Tangle-Free Pet Brush Roll
- Two Reservoir Technology
- Easy to apply and Maintain
CONS
- Relatively high cost
Great for any surface. This is my favorite steam mop, bar none.
The steam and vacuum cleaner combo cleans carpet as well as hard surfaces, it is designed to prevent pet hair from tangling the microfiber brushes on the roller.
This saves time on messy kitchen spills and drops as well, acts as a vacuum and steam cleaner at the same time. Drop your pot of beans, or bowl of soup? No problem.
You can quickly swap between the hard surface and area rug modes (raising or lowering the roller as needed), and put your preferred solution into the secondary reservoir (no need to mix the formulas, which can destroy a steam mop, or spray a bottle ahead of your path!).
The cost is a little steep…but great vacuums are hard to come by, and so are the best steam mops. The two together is more than worth the cost of admission.
Bissell PowerFresh Cleaner, 1940
USER RATING:
PRODUCT DETAILS:
- Tank: 16 oz
- Cord: 23 ft
- Weight: 6 lbs
- For: tile, marble, hardwood, Ceramic, granite, linoleum
PROS
- 3 Levels of Steam
- Spring Breeze fragrance discs
- Mop Pad Kit
- Easy Scrubber
CONS
- No handheld
- Not versatile enough
We liked this unit for those that only want an upright steamer and don't want to deal with a bunch of different attachments.
This is just the steam mop (no hand-held), but does have its own advantages. Digital setting controls start us off, and the 23 foot cable and 1500 watts of power keep us rolling with the good features. That power means the steam is ready to go in under 30 seconds, and you get about 20 minutes of steam from it, always nice to see.
For some there is an issue in that it really ONLY does tile and sealed planks properly, and doesn’t come with a handheld or any major attachments. This can be a pro or a con depending on your specific use case.
As just a steam mop it’s good and because its single purposed without a lot of additional components, its priced right as well.
Shark Lift-Away Pro
USER RATING:
PRODUCT DETAILS:
- Tank: 7.4 oz
- Cord: 18 ft
- Weight: 4.8 lbs
- For: tile, hard surfaces, counter tops, curtains
PROS
- Steam Blaster Technology
- Intelligent Steam Control
- Steam mop system
- 3 ft. hose with steam pocket mop tool
- Triangle scrubber head with pad
CONS
- Relatively high purchase cost
Just a bit too expensive for what it offers. At a base level, this one’s pretty good.
This light weight steam mop has the break away handheld portion I like so much, a good sized tank (17 ounces), giving it a solid 30 minutes of steam), and a nice quality of life feature: “no touch” pads that can be detached with the press of a button and dropped in the laundry.
Of course you’ll have to touch it to put it IN the washer, but at least you’ll have a buffer between “just cleaned up that mess” and “now it’s on my fingers”.
Not bad…but not worth the cost in my opinion. Pretty solid if you ever find it on a deep sale, but at its regular rate, not really worth it.
PowerFresh Lift-Off Pet Steam Mop
USER RATING:
PRODUCT DETAILS:
- Tank: 13.5 oz
- Cord: 18 ft
- Weight: 10 lbs
- For: Sealed hardwood, ceramic, linoleum, granite, marble, above-floor cleaning
PROS
- 2-in-1 With Handheld Steam Cleaner
- 13 Versatile Tools For Use With The Handheld Steam Cleaner
- 30 second heat up time
- BISSELL purchase helps save pets
- Microfiber Soft Pad, Microfiber Scrubby Pad, Odor Eliminating Fragrance Discs
CONS
- No trigger on the handle of the steamer attachments
This model performed very well as a floor steamer. It was on par with the power fresh 1940 model.
In testing the "lift-off" or detachable component, we found it to be somewhat clumsy. The attachments don't have a trigger so you have to go to the main unit to turn the steam on or off.
If you're going to do light steaming activities with the attachments this unit does ok. However we felt the other multifunction models performed better and had a little bit better quality attachments..
This model is best for those that primarily want to steam mop their tile or other hard surface floors with light duty on the using the detachable hand held component.
Conclusion: Best Mop for Tile and Grout Cleaning
Battle for between the best steam mops for tile grout cleaning is a hard toss up between the several Bissell models.
All three have their own merits (as do all the entries on this list), but it really comes down to what you value more: a vacuum, the handheld detachments, or “works on any surface” ability.
For tile with like cleaning of grout we preferred the vacuuming and steaming capabilities of the Bissell Power Steamer Heavy Duty 3-in-1. If you are primarily focused on mopping the floor with out the added attachments, then the upright models start to edge it out.
What to Look for when choosing your Tile and Grout Steam Mop
There are three things I look at: versatility (how many different things can it do?), cost, and its basic functions. Let’s start at the end:
Basic Steamer Functions
To set a baseline, I figure these are the minimum steam mops should have to be considered good, barring extenuating circumstances (like big, unique features):
Water Tank Capacity: A larger water tank capacity will allow you to clean larger areas without having to refill the tank frequently. However, a larger tank will also make the steam mop heavier. Look for a grout steamer with at least a 10-ounce reservoir.
Heat-Up Time: A shorter heat-up time will allow you to start cleaning quickly, but it may also mean that the steam mop has a shorter runtime. At a minimum you want to have a 30 second or less heating time.
Cord Length: Make sure that the steam mop cord is long enough to reach all the areas you need to clean without having to switch outlets frequently. A 20-foot power cord will do for most home situations.
Steam Output: Look for a steam mop with high steam output as it will provide better cleaning. Steam output is measured in grams per minute (gpm) or ounces per minute (oz/min). Multiple steam settings will give you more flexibility in your cleaning. Look for 3 or more settings if possible.
Everything above that is a bonus point.
Versatility
Anything the steam mop does on top of just being one is a plus. The biggest is a handheld feature. Having a break away handheld feature is probably the biggest plus there is, since it instantly makes it twice or three times as useful.
Attachments: Look for steam mops that come with attachments such as scrubbing brushes, squeegees, and upholstery tools. These attachments will help you clean different surfaces more effectively.
Other things like doubling as a vacuum or coming with a bunch of attachments also count here and add to the overall “score”. These are big value boosters, so it’s always good to look for them (since you’d usually end up buying them separately anyway if they don’t come included).
Cost
As with any tile cleaning appliance, you’re looking at paying a certain amount, and significantly more for increased quality in many cases. Our winner for a reason that has become obvious, and I’d suggest against straying THAT high for steam mops that don’t have a similar specific function to that (where it’s two unique apparatuses you’d normally require to clean a house anyway).
Benefits of Using a Steam Mop for Grout and Tile
Are there any chemicals needed for a Steam Mop?
No that is probably the biggest benefit of a steam mop. Over 99% over the germs are killed ensuring that your floors are clean and save.
Will My Floors be wet and slippery after use?
Typically, no, unless you overuse the water. Because the water is hot as it reaches the floor, and the pad absorbs excess water. The water evaporates very quickly.
Is Steam Mopping Better?
Our believe is that Steam Mopping is ideal for grout and tile floors. Not only does it kill germs the steam with the scrubbing action of the pad gets your tile quite clean. Traditional mopping pushes the dirty water around on the floor and in our opinion can leave a little bit of a residue of the cleaning solution you were using.
Can I Put Vinegar in My Steam Mop?
The steam does a good job by itself. But you can add a little vinegar to the water to give it extra cleaning power.
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Last Updated on February 22, 2026