When it comes to ensuring that your home’s surfaces remain hygienic, nothing gets the job done quite like the best hard floor cleaners.
It doesn’t matter if you live in a compact apartment or a sprawling multi-storey home; the importance of having one of the best vacuum cleaners to hand isn’t really lost on anyone. However, hard floor cleaners are rarely treated with the same reverence, even though they are an essential part of making sure that stains and dirt are truly removed from your floors.
After all, even the most powerful vacuum cleaner on the market won’t make the slightest bit of difference when coming up against tough, dried-in stains, and the longer they go uncleaned, the more your floors become a breeding ground for unwanted germs. If you’re now struggling to remember the last time your floors were given a proper clean, then fear not, you’re in the right place.
Within this list, we’ve made sure to cater to all types of buyers, so whether you’re tied to a strict budget or need a heavy-duty hard floor cleaner that can swiftly undo the messes made by kids and pets alike, we’ve got you covered.
At all ends of the market, any hard floor cleaner that comes to our headquarters is put through rigorous tests to measure AirWatts, the level of sound emitted during use and of course, how well the cleaners in question can deal with messes of various difficulty.
Keep on reading to see which hard floor cleaners made the cut, or check out our other home appliance guides to the best steam cleaner and the best robot vacuum, to see what else is out there.
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Learn how we test floor cleaners
We put all of our cleaners through a standard set of tests, so that we can compare and contrast the performance of them. We use real-world testing with real dirt, so that we can accurately depict the kind of performance you can expect in real life.
You can find out more in our how we test hard floor cleaners guide.
Pros
- Effortless to push around
- Cleans brilliantly
- Excellent separation of solids and liquids
Cons
- Expensive
- Tanks aren’t very well marked
Pros
- Cleans well
- Light and simple to use
- Excellent anti-odour tech
Cons
- No vacuum-only mode
- Doesn’t get close to the edge
Pros
- Integrated water sterilisation
- Simple to use
- Powerful cleaning
Cons
- Turns off if the handle is lifted too high
Pros
- Efficient mopping and cleaning
- Clever kickstand
- Smart Auto mode
Cons
- Hair can clog rollers
- Loud
Pros
- Powerful vacuuming with automatic power mode
- Fluffy Optic highlights dirt
- Mops hard floors
- Great battery life
Cons
- Small water tank
- Unsealed dirty water tank
Pros
- Well priced
- Cleaning solutions for different floor types
- Gentle and environmentally friendly
Pros
- Picks up solids and liquids
- Cleans without chemicals
- Fast and powerful
Cons
- Limited space for solid waste
Pros
- Glides easily
- Fast stain removal
- Steam blaster works brilliantly
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Effortless to push around -
Cleans brilliantly -
Excellent separation of solids and liquids
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Expensive -
Tanks aren’t very well marked
Sporting a dual-roller system that makes it easy to manoeuvre and separate deposits for solids and dirty water, the Dyson WashG1 is a fantastic hard floor cleaner that left our floors sparkling. Just be wary that such powerful and clever cleaning comes with a high price tag.
Despite weighing a hefty 4.9kg, the Dyson WashG1 is impressively easy to push around, thanks to its dual-roller floor head which helps the cleaner glide across floors with minimal effort.
The WashG1’s floorhead also makes cleaning that much easier, as it picks up solids while simultaneously mopping stains. Not only that but its brushes then cleverly remove and deposit solids into a tray while dirty water is filtered into the 0.8-litre dirty tank, resulting in hassle-free emptying.
You can select between three cleaning modes based on how dirty the floor is, plus there’s an additional Max button that adds even more water to the clean for tackling particularly tough stains. Regardless of the mode you opt for, the battery life will remain constant at 35-minutes.
We were impressed with how the Dyson WashG1 took dried-on stains, from tough dirt to red wine, in its stride. Even edge performance was admirable, with the WashG1 able to get much closer than other hard floor cleaners we’ve reviewed.
The separate collection for solids was undoubtedly a stand-out for us, as we found no debris was left in the dirty water tank which made emptying impressively easy. However, when we added human hair to the floor, although the WashG1 did pick this up with ease, the hair became wrapped around the brushes inside and needed cutting out.
With this in mind, if you live with pets or people with long hair then you should vacuum first before using the Dyson WashG1.
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Cleans well -
Light and simple to use -
Excellent anti-odour tech
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No vacuum-only mode -
Doesn’t get close to the edge
Weighing just 3.95kg, the Shark HydroVac Hard Floor Cleaner is one of the lightest hard floor cleaners we’ve reviewed. As a three-in-one cleaner, it works as a vacuum, mop and self-cleans to eliminate bacteria and odours.
Not only is the HydroVac lightweight, but it’s also cordless, making it convenient to clean and carry around the whole house. Thanks to its LED display, you can also easily monitor its remaining battery life, surface type and cleanser level and top up accordingly.
The HydroVac can be used to deep clean hard floors, mop up spills and grime and even freshen up rugs and carpets. Dirt is collected into the 500ml dirty water tank, which also houses the washable filter and a solids separator, which catches debris like pet fur and dust.
Once cleaning is finished, the dirty water tank should be poured away, a task made easier thanks to its spout, and all collected solids emptied into the bin.
It’s worth noting that while being able to vacuum and clean simultaneously is useful, it’s recommended that you vacuum up any noticeable solids first to reduce having to deal with emptying wet mess in the solids separator. This issue is something that’s found with most similar hard floor cleaners.
The HydroVac also comes with a dedicated multi-surface cleaning solution that neutralises odours on floors. We found in our test that the bottle included has enough to fill the tank seven times. In addition, HydroVac’s brush-roll is treated with antimicrobial substances to help preserve the roller and resist bacterial odours.
Once you finish cleaning, simply place the HydroVac back onto its dock to charge and activate its self-cleaning mode, ready for the next clean.
Its battery life allows for around 25 minutes of runtime, which should be enough to tackle your entire house.
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Integrated water sterilisation -
Simple to use -
Powerful cleaning
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Turns off if the handle is lifted too high
The Gtech Orca is a very good hard floor cleaner that’s able to sanitise and clean floors admirably. Having said that, you will need to overlook the questionable design choices that can make it frustrating to use.
While it is generally easy to use and manoeuvre, we noted that if you lift the handle too high then the Gtech Orca will instantly turn off, which means cleaning in smaller and more confined spaces can be difficult.
Unlike other hard floor cleaners that just rely on steam, the Gtech Orca comes equipped with a dedicated cleaning detergent that should be poured into the clean water tank, which then sanitises floors and leaves them smelling fresh too.
Inside the dirty water tank is a washable filter and a solids separator to keep debris away from liquid, which is designed to make emptying easier.
There are three hard floor cleaning modes to select from, depending on how dirty your floors are, however most notably there’s the Sterilisation option which uses an electrolysing process to generate clean water that’s free from viruses, bacteria and any unpleasant odours.
There are also two vacuum-only modes which can be used for picking up mess before mopping. While the Orca can deal with larger bits of debris with ease, we’d recommend vacuuming if there’s hair or smaller solids on the floor before using the hard floor mode.
In our tests we found the Gtech Orca was able to cope with most tough stains, such as dried-on mud and red wine, although some messes did need multiple passes to completely clean.
Overall the Gtech Orca is a powerful hard floor cleaner, that makes light work of sanitising floors thanks to the inclusion of Gtech’s detergent. However just be wary that it’s fiddly to use, especially in smaller rooms.
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Efficient mopping and cleaning -
Clever kickstand -
Smart Auto mode
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Hair can clog rollers -
Loud
Coping with wet and dry messes, as well as self-cleaning, the powerful Roborock Dyad is both a vacuum cleaner and a hard floor cleaner.
It has two tanks: a 850ml clean water tank, which can also take suitable machine detergent for extra cleaning power, and a 620ml dirty water tank, into which all the dirt is sucked. The cleaner will tell you when the dirty water tank is full. There’s also a filter for any solid mess.
The controls on the handle include a power toggle button plus a button to change modes. You can get a visual indicator of the level of dirt by looking at the coloured bar that runs around the LCD: the more red there is, the dirtier the floor.
Pushing the Dyad around is easy, with the smooth joint on the head making it quick to zip around chairs. And when you’ve finished, you simply tap the button on top to run the automatic cleaning process, which delivers clean water over the rollers and works brilliantly.
In our tests the Dyad performed superbly, cleaning up loose debris and tougher stains and bringing hard floors back to their best. And with battery life of up to 35 minutes, this floor cleaner should be able to cope with large areas without needing to be recharged.
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Powerful vacuuming with automatic power mode -
Fluffy Optic highlights dirt -
Mops hard floors -
Great battery life
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Small water tank -
Unsealed dirty water tank
A revamp on the Dyson V15 Detect, the V15s Detect Submarine is a fantastic two-in-one vacuum and hard floor cleaner that sports a clever software upgrade, plus a brand new floor head, coined the Submarine Wet Roller.
Otherwise, the V15s Detect Submarine sports a similar design to its vacuum-only sibling, with a piezo sensor which monitors dust particles as they’re picked up, a small display at the back and a trigger to operate the vacuum.
The piezo sensor is useful as it allows the cleaner to automatically adjust its power based on how much dirt is detected when in vacuuming mode. All information, including the particle size, is displayed at the screen on the back so you can see how dirty your floor is in real-time.
We found this system to be nothing short of brilliant, as it takes the guesswork out of which power mode to use. However, you can also opt for Eco or Boost modes whenever you need either gentler cleaning or maximum power.
To engage mopping mode, simply attach the Submarine Wet Roller Head. Made up of a soft microfibre roller and a 300ml water reservoir, enough for about 16-minutes of cleaning, the wet roller head is also designed to ensure liquid doesn’t get into the vacuum.
We found that while the Submarine Roller Head makes light work of regular stains, it does require multiple passes in tougher, ground-in stains.
It’s also worth noting that we would recommend vacuuming before using the Submarine Wet Roller Head to avoid picking up and mixing any unwanted debris in with the water tank.
Otherwise, Dyson also throws in numerous extra tools and attachments for vacuuming, including the Digital Motorbar head for carpet and Fluffy Optic which is fitted with a green laser to illuminate your path.
Overall, if you have a mixture of carpets and hard floors at home then the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is a great choice. However, if your home is mostly made up of hard floors then we’d recommend a dedicated hard floor cleaner like the Dyson Wash G1.
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Well priced -
Cleaning solutions for different floor types -
Gentle and environmentally friendly
Although at first glance this may seem like a more basic option, if you have delicate wood or tiled floors that won’t cope well with powerful motorised brushes then the Bona Premium Spray Mop is exactly what you need.
Out of the box you’ll receive the mop itself, one microfibre pad and one bottle of cleaning solution to get you started. Which solution you receive will depend on the model you buy, with options for wood, hard-surface or oiled wood floors.
You can also switch out bottles of solution in-between cleans, which is ideal if you have multiple floor types in your home.
Regardless of which one you choose, all of the water-based cleaning solutions are designed to dry quickly without leaving any residue.
Once the bottle is clipped into the mop, cleaning solution is then dosed via the trigger at the top. Each spray is powerful with a wide jet that shoots out in front of the cleaning head, which makes it easy to roughly direct where the solution goes.
As it reaches out past the sides of the mop-head, the velcro-attached machine-washable microfibre cloth can clean right to the edge of the room which is something we’ve found most hard floor cleaners struggle with.
However, unlike more expensive models such as the Dyson Wash G1, the Bona Premium Spray Mop can’t deal with solids or hair, so you will need to vacuum before mopping.
We tested the mop across different delicate surfaces, with the first being a painted wooden floor. We were seriously impressed with its ability to clean surface dirt without causing any damage to the paint.
Next, we moved onto a plain wooden floor and were equally impressed by the mop’s ability to not only remove minor scratches but also give the floor a nice shiny finish too.
Finally we tested the mop on 100 year old tiles and saw a huge improvement, with fresh dirt removed seamlessly and tiles regaining original colour and sheen.
If you have painted, wooden or tiled floors and need a way to keep them clean without causing any damage then the Bona Premium Spray Mop is not only gentle yet efficient but it’s impressively affordable too.
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Picks up solids and liquids -
Cleans without chemicals -
Fast and powerful
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Limited space for solid waste
Able to pick up both liquids and solids, uses steam rather than detergent and has a self-cleaning brush roll, the Shark SteamPickUp Hard Floor Cleaner (SD200UK) is a brilliant choice for anyone that wants to clean without chemicals.
In fact, Shark advises against adding detergent to the 440ml water tank as this can cause damage to the machine. Instead, steam will more than suffice in cleaning and sanitising the floor.
The SD200UK provides a constant supply of steam which is pushed out onto the floor while the brush roll picks up dirt and deposits it into the dirty tank. There are three steam modes to select from: High, Medium and Low and steam will start to emit after about 20 seconds. We’d recommend starting slow and working your way up to avoid saturating your floor.
Although as a plug-in model it’s not quite as flexible as a cordless alternative, the SD200UK is seriously lightweight and easy to manoeuvre. While it can pick up both solids and liquids, and separate them into their respective tanks, we’d still recommend vacuuming dry messes before using the SD200UK, as we found hair did get wrapped in the brush roll and rice filled up the solids area quickly.
Otherwise, if you have lots of hard floors at home and want to effectively clean and sanitise without relying on chemicals, then you’d be hard pressed to find a better choice than the Shark SteamPickUp Hard Floor Cleaner SD200UK.
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Glides easily -
Fast stain removal -
Steam blaster works brilliantly
If you just want an easy way to effectively clean your hard floors then the Shark Steam & Scrub Automatic Steam Mop with Steam Blaster S8201UK is your best bet. Not only does it offer steam cleaning, which negates the need for detergent, but its spinning microfibre cloths make light work of even ground-in stains.
While it looks similar to its predecessor, the Shark Steam & Scrub Automatic Steam Mop S6002UK, the S8201UK adds a Steam Blaster mode which helps deal with tough stains much faster than relying solely on the mop pads.
Its 350ml water tank might not be as generous as the Shark SteamPickUp Hard Floor Cleaner SD200UK’s 440ml, but we found it should be enough to clean a good-sized room. As a mains-powered appliance, it may not be as flexible as a cordless model but its 5.18m cable offers a decent-sized surface area.
There are three cleaning modes to select from: Light, Normal and Deep and we’d recommend starting with the lower end, increasing the power if necessary. Overall we found that the S8201UK cleans even tough stains well, although you do need to keep an eye on the microfibre pads and how dirty they become.
Another thing to keep in mind is, also unlike the Shark SteamPickUp Hard Floor Cleaner SD200UK, this cannot manage solids, so you will need to vacuum beforehand.
Test Data
Dyson WashG1 | Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner WD210UK | Gtech Orca | Roborock Dyad | Dyson V15s Detect Submarine | Bona Premium Spray Mop | Shark SteamPickUp Hard Floor Cleaner SD200UK | Shark Steam & Scrub Automatic Steam Mop S8201UK | |
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Sound (normal) | 70.8 dB | 71.8 dB | 68.5 dB | 80.1 dB | – | – | 56.2 dB | 51.3 dB |
AirWatts (low) | – | – | – | – | 54.31 AW | – | – | – |
AirWatts (medium) | – | – | – | – | 99.53 AW | – | – | – |
AirWatts (high) | – | – | – | – | 281 AW | – | – | – |
Sound (low) | – | – | – | – | 67 dB | – | – | – |
Sound (medium) | – | – | – | – | 69.8 dB | – | – | – |
Sound (high) | – | – | – | – | 71.7 dB | – | – | – |
Full Specs
Dyson WashG1 Review | Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner WD210UK Review | Gtech Orca Review | Roborock Dyad Review | Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Review | Bona Premium Spray Mop Review | Shark SteamPickUp Hard Floor Cleaner SD200UK Review | Shark Steam & Scrub Automatic Steam Mop S8201UK Review | |
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UK RRP | £599.99 | £329.99 | £349.99 | – | £799.99 | £42.99 | £200 | £159.99 |
USA RRP | $999 | – | – | $449 | $949.99 | – | – | – |
Manufacturer | Dyson | – | GTech | roborock | Dyson | – | Shark | Shark |
Size (Dimensions) | 225 x 300 x 1140 MM | 280 x 240 x 110 CM | 335 x 220 x 865 MM | 270 x 170 x 1110 MM | 249 x 267 x 1260 MM | 146 x 114 x 722 MM | 238 x 179 x 1120 MM | 378 x 1206 x 217 MM |
Weight | 4.9 KG | 3.95 KG | 4.1 KG | 5 KG | 3.08 KG | 2.63 KG | 3.69 KG | 3.4 KG |
ASIN | – | – | – | – | – | B073HQTZV9 | – | B0D26CDMJN |
Release Date | 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2021 | 2024 | 2023 | 2025 | 2025 |
First Reviewed Date | 23/08/2024 | 30/10/2023 | 20/08/2024 | 03/02/2022 | 06/03/2024 | 01/10/2024 | 10/03/2025 | 06/03/2025 |
Model Number | Dyson WashG1 | Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner WD210UK | Gtech Orca | Roborock Dyad | Dyson V15s Detect Submarine | Bona Premium Spray Mop | Shark SteamPickUp Hard Floor Cleaner SD200UK | Shark Steam & Scrub Automatic Steam Mop S8201UK |
Vacuum cleaner type | – | – | – | – | Cordless stick | – | – | – |
Provided heads | Floor head | Roller | Floor head | Motorised flor head | Fluffy Optic, Digital Motorbar, hair screw, crevice tool, combination tool, Submarine floor cleaner | Microfibre cleaning pad | Roller brush | Dual spinning microfibre pads |
Bin capacity | 0.8 litres | 0.5 litres | 0.7 litres | 0.62 litres | 0.75 litres | litres | 0.22 litres | 0 litres |
Bagless | – | – | – | – | Yes | – | – | – |
Modes | Three water levels plus Max | On/off | Sterlization (cleaning), vacuuming (Eco and Boost) | Auto, Max, Floor Dry | Low, Medium (Auto). Boost | – | Three steam modes (Min, Mid and Max) | Deep, normal, light |
Filters | – | 1 (washable) | 1 (washable) | 2 (washable) | 1 (washable) | – | N/A | None |
Stated Power | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1230 W | 1120 W |
Run time | 35 mins min | 25 mins min | 20 mins min | 35 mins min | 1 hrs min | – | hrs min | hrs min |
Charge time | – | – | 5 hrs | 3 hrs | 4.5 hrs | – | – | – |
Floor cleaner type | Hard floor cleaner | Vacuum cleaner and floor cleaner | Hard floor cleaner | Hard floor cleaner | – | Spray mop | Steam hard floor cleaner | Steam mop |
Detergent capacity | 1 litres | – | 0.8 litres | 849 litres | – | 0.85 litres | 420 litres | 0.35 litres |