Bissell SpinWave Review: The Best of the 15 Floor Scrubbers We Tested

My house is full of hard floors—hardwoods in the main living areas, luxury vinyl plank in the basement, and ceramic tile in the bathrooms. With three kids that constantly track in dirt and spill food, it’s a challenge to keep up with the mess, and the longer it stays there, the harder it is to clean up. To find the best floor scrubbers to tackle the chore, I researched 15 popular mops and scrub brushes and tested the top nine. After extensive use, I found a winner: the Bissell SpinWave Cordless Pet hard floor spin mop.

The Bissell SpinWave cordless mop is a floor scrubber with rotating mop pads that do the heavy work, reducing the need for manual scrubbing. It’s lightweight, effortless to maneuver, and safe for all sealed hard floors. It even features an on-demand spray button to dispense a customizable amount of cleaning solution.

I tested this mop over several weeks, using it to clean up everyday messes, and then it put it through more rigorous testing. It earned the top spot among the best floor scrubbers, but it does have a couple of disadvantages. Read on to find out what to consider before buying.

Bissell SpinWave Cordless Pet Hard Floor Spin Mop: At a Glance

Rating: 8/10

SPECS

• Electric vs. manual: Electric
• Corded vs. cordless: Cordless
• Scrubber type: Microfiber floor pads

PROS

• Spinning action self-propels the mop, making it effortless to maneuver
• Gentle microfiber mop pads remove dirt well and shine floors without leaving streaks
• On-demand cleaning solution prevents oversaturation of liquid on the floor
• Microfiber mop pads hold up well even after several cycles through the washing machine

CONS

• A 20-minute battery life isn’t sufficient to fully clean most homes
• Stubborn, dried-on messes require several passes to fully remove

Get the Bissell SpinWave Cordless Pet hard floor spin mop at Amazon for $154.49. 

What is the Bissell Spinwave Cordless Pet hard floor spin mop?

The Bissell SpinWave Cordless Pet is an electric spin mop featuring rotating microfiber pads. The mop’s spinning action self-propels it to glide across a hard floor, scrubbing as it goes. The gentle spinning action combined with the on-demand spray helps the mop lift dirt, scrub off tough messes, and buff the floor, leaving it clean and streak-free. It’s safe for all sealed hard floor surfaces, including vinyl, luxury vinyl plank, tile, laminate, and hardwoods.

The mop has a 28-ounce refillable tank with water and formula fill lines for small and large areas, so there’s no guessing how much cleaning solution to add. It came with two sets of microfiber pads (soft-touch and scrubby pads) and two 8-ounce trial-size bottles of Bissell’s Pet Multi-Surface formula. It also has an 18-volt battery that runs for 20 minutes between charges.

How easy is the Bissell SpinWave Cordless to use?

When I received the Bissell SpinWave, it was in two pieces: the body and the handle. It took less than a minute to assemble. All I had to do was click the handle in place and then charge the mop. Before testing, I charged the mop for 4 hours and filled the tank with the Pet Multi-Surface formula and water.

I tested the Bissell SpinWave to see how well it could handle everyday dirt buildup as well as more challenging messes. For my first round of cleaning, I tackled the hardwoods in my kitchen, which are always the dirtiest floors in my house. I turned the mop on, and as the pads started spinning, it gently pulled me forward. I wondered if the self-propelled action from the spinning discs might make the SpinWave hard to control, but just the opposite: It was effortless to maneuver, making for a quick cleanup. The on-demand spray button was in a comfortable spot on the handle. I sprayed and glided the mop over my floor, and it did a great job, leaving it clean and streak-free.

I continued using the Bissell for several weeks, cleaning over 2,000 square feet of hardwoods, ceramic tile, and luxury vinyl plank flooring. It cleaned so quickly that it became my go-to for mopping my kitchen each morning. After cleaning, I tossed the microfiber pads in the washing machine, and even after several washes, they’ve held up great.

How well does the Bissell SpinWave clean?

The Bissell SpinWave does great with everyday messes. It uses gentle pressure, has an on-demand cleaning solution, and features soft microfiber pads that absorb dirt. I used it on hardwoods, vinyl, laminate, and ceramic tile, and the mop pads were noticeably dirty after each use. Since the microfiber pads extend past the rotating discs, they were able to clean along baseboards and up against toilets. The head was also slim enough to fit under most of my furniture except pieces that were very low to the ground.

Testing proved that the Bissell SpinWave was especially good for moisture- and pressure-sensitive surfaces like hardwoods and laminate, but it cleans well on all sealed hard floors. However, as much as I liked the mop after hours of testing, I did note a couple of drawbacks. First, it’s not the best mop for cleaning grout. It certainly was not as good as a manual scrub brush when it came to dirty grout between ceramic tiles. Second, it didn’t do as well as cleaning stuck-on food messes as other mops I’ve tried ( steam mops, for example).

To test how well the Bissell cordless spin mop could tackle heavier messes, I dribbled soda and pasta sauce on my hardwoods, allowing each to dry for a few hours. It took a few passes and a lot of cleaning solution, but eventually, the SpinWave removed both substances. I wouldn’t recommend this mop for kitchen floors always caked in food messes, but the Bissell SpinWave is hard to beat for everyday floor scrubbing.

Is the Bissell SpinWave worth the money?

For those who want an easy-to-use mop that’s gentle yet efficient, the Bissell SpinWave Pet Cordless is worth the money. At around $150, it’s more expensive than a mop and bucket or spray mop, but it’s more convenient. The spinning pads do the work, so there’s very little physical effort required, unlike with manual mops.

The SpinWave’s microfiber pads are machine washable, saving users money when compared to mops with disposable pads. Bissell recommends using one of their cleaning formulas, and they have several to choose from, including Multi-Surface, Hard Floor Sanitize, and Pet Multi-Surface Floor Cleaning Formula. Extra microfiber pads are also available, ranging from $10 to $20, depending on sales.

Is the Bissell SpinWave Cordless right for you?

Those who have households with pets and small kids, or who simply mop frequently to keep floors looking great, will appreciate the convenience and versatility of the SpinWave. As a parent with three kids, I’ve found the SpinWave to be very efficient, allowing me to easily clean my kitchen floor in only a few minutes each morning. Since the SpinWave comes with two sets of washable microfiber pads, I always have at least one set clean and ready to go.

The biggest downside to the Bissell SpinWave Pet Cordless is the short 20-minute battery life. A possible solution is to opt for the corded version of the Bissell SpinWave Pet. I’ve also had the chance to test this mop, and it offers the same cleaning power and ease of use. The cord makes it slightly less convenient for mopping up quick messes, since it does have to be plugged in, but unlimited cleaning time may be a real value to those with a whole house full of hard floors needing attention.

For daily cleaning or houses full of laminate, luxury vinyl plank, and hardwood, the SpinWave is my top choice out of the dozens of mops I’ve tested. However, those with lots of tile floors (and their dirt-magnet grout) might prefer a different floor scrubber or a steam mop. Since the Bissell SpinWave is a gentle cleaner, it doesn’t deliver the power needed to remove stains from grout.

Get the Bissell SpinWave Cordless Pet hard floor spin mop at Amazon for $154.49. 

Meet the Tester

Katie Barton has more than 10 years of experience in product writing, has tested dozens of cleaning products, and has authored hundreds of articles for major media outlets. Her cleaning and organizing advice has been featured on a variety of popular home and finance websites including Yahoo!, Realtor.com, and GoBankingRates. She takes an unbiased approach to product testing, using each product multiple times or for several days to determine efficacy. Her goal is to help readers decide which products are worth their hard-earned money and which fall flat.