Sometimes you need a bigger, better tool than the average broom or mop to handle lots of liquid-like spills on the floor. The floor squeegee is designed just like a window squeegee to achieve just that. The soft, usually silicone blade easily glides along your floors to push all the unwanted liquid towards the nearest drain.
The best floor squeegee is the Ravmag Silicone Broom & Squeegee. Thanks to its broom-like design, this floor squeegee is just as capable of handling large, solid debris as it is mass amounts of liquids, though its size is a touch too small to handle anything commercial-grade.
The most common materials for floor squeegee blades are neoprene, foam and rubber.
Neoprene: Neoprene is typically the material found in commercial-grade floor squeegees. It’s particularly good for use with oil and grease, thanks to its natural resistance to them.
Foam: An absorbent material, foam floor squeegee blades are best when used on textured floorings like grouted tiles and nonslip floors.
Rubber: The most common material, rubber blades are perfect for debris like water and mud. It’s the least likely to damage the flooring as well.
The most common materials for floor squeegee frames are plastic, aluminum and steel.
Plastic: Plastic handles are naturally resistant to corrosion or rust, unlike their metallic counterparts, and they’re more flexible for cleaning harder-to-reach areas.
Aluminum: The most affordable handle material is the lightest and easiest to use, but it’s also the least durable.
Steel: Generally found in commercial-grade floor squeegees, steel is the most durable handle material but requires a little more maintenance to avoid rust and corrosion (though powder-coating steel better resists corrosion).
Floor squeegee sizes relate to the length of the blade. The larger the blade, the more likely it will be commercially graded. The smallest options are 13 to 18 inches long and work best in small, tight areas like around toilets. The largest are 30- to 36-inch blades, which are best to cover as much ground as fast as you can. Blades that are 22 to 24 inches also exist to handle all the situations in the middle.
Some floor squeegees include bristles made of rubber or foam at the end of the blade to assist in moving and sweeping large debris like dropped trash or scattered pieces of food.
Most floor squeegees are designed to be used only with wet surfaces, but some are able to pull double duty and sweep dry flooring as well. Make absolutely sure yours is designed for dual usage before you use your floor squeegee on a dry floor, as this can easily cause damage to the flooring.
Floor squeegees can have either straight or curved frames. Straight frames are best used when you need to push large amounts of liquids across large amounts of flooring, while curved edges are best when you need to tightly control where your liquids are being pushed to or need to absorb some of the liquid.
A floor squeegee can surprisingly vary considerably in cost depending on factors like its size, various materials and any other features. The entry-level floor squeegees can be as inexpensive as $5, though you won’t find anything commercial-grade here. The mid-tier options, which may or may not be commercially graded, are usually found for between $20-$50, with the best-of-the-best floor squeegees costing as much as $100. That upper threshold is almost exclusively intended for large, commercial-grade use, however.
A. Firstly, floor squeegees are still squeegees and, as such, can easily be used on your windows, though it’ll have to be a fairly small model to accomplish that task easily. Large glass surfaces like glass walls and shower doors are also easily cleaned with a floor squeegee. Lastly, solid messes can also be pushed away by a floor squeegee, especially scattered potting soil.
A. Absolutely. A floor scraper has a much sharper edge than a floor squeegee to better pry off stuck-on objects like chewing gum, stickers and anything else that refuses to budge. You can easily damage the floor with a floor scraper while you’re going at those stuck objects as well, while the floor squeegee rarely, if ever, damages the floor while it glides the liquids away.
Ravmag Silicone Broom & Squeegee
What you need to know: Thanks to its dual ability to sweep dry and wet materials at once, this is a top choice.
What you’ll love: The handle is long enough for comfortable sweeping for anyone of any size and the bristles are resistant to water and non-silicone-based solvents.
What you should consider: This isn’t restaurant-grade, thanks to its medium-sized, 15-inch head.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Rubbermaid Commercial Heavy-Duty Floor Dual Moss Squeegee
What you need to know: A low-cost, efficient and commercial-graded floor squeegee, this model is ideal for home or professional use.
What you’ll love: This floor squeegee is effective even on uneven surfaces and the 22-inch blade easily covers large areas.
What you should consider: The handle’s clamp attachment to the blade isn’t as secure as many would like.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: This is a small, broom-like floor squeegee that prides itself on its affordability.
What you’ll love: As an excellent option for pet hair especially, the handle is adjustable in its length.
What you should consider: Several purchasers have noted that the handle is prone to cracking over time.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Bed Bath & Beyond
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Jordan Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
