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Will Mrs Hinch's favourite mop stand up to our expert's tests?

The season for spring cleaning has sprung and if you're looking to give your home a proper refresh, your floors will likely sparkle more if you give your mop an update too.

On paper, a mop may not seem like the most exciting purchase to make, but what is exciting is how well some of these new-gen products perform, tackling grease and grime effortlessly thanks to a range of clever design features. So, our expert homes tester put some of these to the test to help you choose the best mop for your home.

These days, mops come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Here's all you need to know about the different types:

This is the traditional mop you likely grew up with. While these are typically sold with a wringer bucket, you will need to buy one separately if not. They're durable and perfect for tougher cleaning jobs.

These mops are – you guessed it – flat-headed. This makes them ideal for reaching awkward corners. Great for everyday cleaning, they’re not so suited to a proper deep clean. This type of mop can come with either reusable or disposable cloths, and some can clean using just water, while others will need a bucket too.

Spray mops are flat mops that come with solution already inside the body. All you have to do is press a trigger to spray some of the cleaning liquid onto the pad. Since this eliminates the need for a bucket, spray mops are ideal for smaller spaces.

Another appropriately named cleaning device, sponge mops come with an absorbent spongy head, making them extra effective on spills. They feature integrated wringing technology that makes it easier to squeeze out liquid. Like a regular sponge, the head can start to smell and mould if you don't wash it properly, so make sure to read the care instructions to avoid this.

Most hard floors can be mopped (we doubt you're likely to try mopping your carpet, anyway), but you may need to tread with caution in some cases. Avoid using water on waxed and unsealed wooden floors, and keep chemicals away from stone tiles; use a microfibre mop and water there instead. Below our tester has selected the best mops for laminate floors, as well as hard wood and tiled areas.

As a rule of thumb, replace your mop head every three months. If it's obviously dirty or damaged, you can replace it before that. Read the care instructions properly to avoid having to change the mop head constantly, but in general, you'll want to keep it away from moisture as much as possible when not in use. Make sure to let it air dry before putting it away too.

To test each mop, our team of testers spilt a set amount of mud, tea and cooking oil on vinyl, ceramic tiles and wood laminate. After letting the stains set, they cleaned each surface and observed how efficient it was at lifting the dirt. They assessed comfort and any special features, too.

Without any further ado, here are the best mops to upgrade your cleaning routine, as selected by our expert tester.

Our winner's microfibre strings are designed to pick up dirt more efficiently than traditional cotton ones, and they delivered tenfold. On tiles (and on the grouting), this mop removed dried mud with zero scrubbing involved, it didn't redeposit any grimy water back onto the floor, or leave smears or streaks. It performed near perfectly on vinyl and wood laminate, too.

Not only was this mop able to reach awkward corners – like the pesky area around the toilet – but it was also a joy to direct and control around the floor. We love that the bucket has wheels, and its wringer left our mop head almost completely dry. Yes, it's a pricier product, but for our part, it's the best in show.

Key specifications Type: String Material: Microfibre Suitable for: Hard floors, including wood and laminate Machine washable head: Yes Replacement heads available: Yes, £9.99 for 1 Telescopic handle: Yes

It may be the most affordable product on our list, but we could hardly fault this mop on test. Although its bucket (sold separately) has an XL, 10-litre capacity for cleaning larger rooms, it's actually incredibly compact and easy to store.

As for the mop itself, it delivered fantastic results on all floor types, even when they were heavily soiled. Like our winner, this string-style mop has microfibre strands rather than cotton, meaning it can pick up a load of dust and dirt before you need to rinse it. We couldn't quite fit the mop head under kitchen appliances, but we were able to get a partial clean there by flicking the strings.

Key specifications Type: String Material: Microfibre Suitable for: All hard floor surfaces including tiles, laminate, wood and vinyl Machine washable head: Yes Replacement heads available: Yes, £5.79 for 1 Telescopic handle: Yes

This mop's telescopic handle made it comfortable to use, and its round head was a breeze to manoeuvre. It removed all dirt from flooring in just two sweeps – plus it picked up oil without the need for detergent. The round, flat head has downsides though; it got quickly saturated with dirt when used on very muddy floors and struggled to fit into awkward areas.

The bucket comes with a self-wringing, spinning system that worked well, and the mop heads are machine-washable, too. A convenient, efficient buy.

Key specifications Type: Flat Material: Microfibre Suitable for: Laminate, wood, stone and vinyl floors Machine washable head: Yes Replacement heads available: Yes, £6.49 for 1 Telescopic handle: Yes

An all-in-one spray mop can make your life so much easier since it doesn't require a separate bucket. Not only was this the best spray mop we tried, but it's also Mrs Hinch’s go-to.

It was especially impressive on tiles and grouting, lifting dirt without the need to scrub, and leaving the floor lovely and shiny. It took a few more sweeps to get the vinyl and laminate clean, but we got there in the end. We did notice a bit of residue left on all floors after mopping, however.

The mop was super easy to assemble and scored extra points for its cloths, which are recyclable through TerraCycle. Overall, a great one for everyday use.

Key specifications Type: Spray, including batteries, cleaning solution and five pads Material: Synthetic, recyclable through Terracycle Suitable for: Sealed hard floors only Machine washable head: No Replacement heads available: Yes, £6 for 16 Telescopic handle: No

This mop is a total time-saver – it cleans, absorbs and dries floors at the same time, so you can swiftly move on with your day. It left tiles, vinyl and wood laminate sparkling, and worked great for picking up pet hair, too.

Our one complaint is that the sponge head isn't machine-washable, so it does need replacing every three months. Still, thanks to its great cleaning ability, telescopic handle and nifty wringing lever, this mop easily gets the Prima seal of approval.

Key specifications Type: Sponge Material: Sponge Suitable for: Lino and vinyl, natural stone, ceramic and glazed tiles Machine washable head: No Replacement heads available: Yes, £6.50 for 1 Telescopic handle: Yes

If you're looking for ways to simplify your life, look no further. This flat mop lifts grime and bacteria with just water, making cleaning products redundant and your routine more eco-friendly. Its cleaning head, which is handily attached with Velcro, is wide enough to sweep across large areas in one go.

Although it left minor watermarks on wooden laminate, we did find it did a great job on all three types of flooring we tested it on, especially vinyl. The telescopic handle felt a bit loose at times, but along with the flexible cleaning head, it made this mop compact and incredibly easy to store.

Key specifications Type: Flat Material: Polyester and polyamide Suitable for: All hard floors including laminate, wood, tiles, vinyl and stone Machine washable head: Yes Replacement heads available: Yes, £7 for 1 Telescopic handle: Yes

This is definitely not your grandma's string mop. The upgraded version features 3D micro bristle dirt pockets that made light work of clearing up mud, dirt and oil. It took a little more elbow grease to get rid of larger clumps of mud, but all in all this mop left tiles, vinyl and laminate shiny and new. It can reach awkward areas, too, though we would have preferred it to be able to pivot.

Perhaps the strongest argument for this model is how user-friendly it is: it's easy to assemble, carry around, use and store. Plus the mop heads are easy to wring and wash, by hand or in the machine.

Key specifications Type: String, including bucket and one replacement head Material: Microfibre Suitable for: Hard floors, including wood and laminate Machine washable head: Yes Replacement heads available: Yes, £5.50 for 1 Telescopic handle: Yes

Cleaning your home is enough of a job without worrying about cleaning your mop, too. With its machine-washable cloth, this Lakeland product should make life easier, and it's able to clean your floors nicely using just water. You can still add a cleaning solution to the canister, though, if you'd prefer.

We were quite happy with our cleaning results on tiles, vinyl and wood laminate, and they dried quickly as well. There was a little streaking, but clever features such as the swivel head and the option to disassemble the mop for easy storage make that a small price to pay.

Key specifications Type: Spray Material: Microfibre Suitable for: Hard floors Machine washable head: Yes Replacement heads available: Yes, £4.99 for 1 Telescopic handle: No