I had been debating buying a steam mop for a while since having tiled flooring in the extension of our new home and when I came across the Shark model (that also had a handheld steamer function) I thought I had to give it a try!
The steam mop itself is great because it comes with 2 mop heads that easily clip on and off so you can alternate them easily for washing machine use. Our floor rarely looks particularly dirty but the first use was astonishing – the dirt it picked up that the usual water mop doesn’t was insane!
There is also a major benefit to using this as opposed to a water bucket mop in the sense that it dries very quickly and can be walked on again much sooner. I always felt that was a downside with the kitchen being such a busy room (the dog wanting to go out to the toilet as soon as the floor was wet – typical)
There are various functions with different head fittings to use. I have tried it on the grout on the kitchen floor and it is SO good! Definitely a time consuming task to do the full floor but only as much as any grout cleaning would be – never that fun! You could see the water colour difference when using it and after leaving it a day to fully dry out, it has become much cleaner and brighter again where I tried it. I have included photos below for a ‘before & after’
Other functions include steaming the oven which looks like a great option. I have an AEG ‘ self-cleaning oven’ which I will write a review on in future, but they clean so well that in all honesty there isn’t anything on the shelf racks to clean off! I’d rather be honest on these reviews so I can’t confirm BUT considering the power of it on the grout I can imagine it is definitely helpful even if it doesn’t remove all of the oven marks completely, it would give a good head start with a lot less physical effort than hand scrubbing.
I would say a key benefit of the steam mop is that it’s extremely easy to use. I consider mopping quite strenuous and a bit like a workout when you’re trying to deep clean – perhaps I just get carried away but I really noticed it when I had a shoulder injury and couldn’t clean properly – the steam mop is far less demanding and cleans considerably deeper in my opinion.
There is a mini double-sided pad for the handheld option and I went over all the quartz worktops, bifold doors, oven glass door and glass hob – this easily brought out any more stubborn/dried food marks. It didn’t leave it a streak-free finish when I first used it with a cleaning product in the water (you aren’t actually meant to & I’m too impatient to read instructions) BUT the second time with purely water it was much better. I would suggest to go over it lightly with a cloth if you wanted it 100& buff finish but it’s not as streaky as I thought it may end up! We have dark quartz which is much more time-consuming to manage than white (which we have had in the past) because it shows up streak marks a lot easier! I suspect that using this function on white quartz would probably be fine and wouldn’t need wiping over afterwards at all.
The booklet also includes an option to add/purchase a garment steamer attachment, which I am going to do because that is another product I am dying to have to make life easier so I’m really pleased to have that as an add on!
POSITIVES:
- Heats up very quickly
Very easy/lightweight to move around
Multi-purpose – can use the mop or handheld function
Mop pads easy to remove
Mop pads easy to clean thoroughly in the washing machine
Comes with 2 mop pads to alternate
Comes with a filler pot to refill the water
fairly priced considering the different functions
- Grout cleaner works extremely well
NEGATIVES:
- Grout cleaner function leaves a lot of water to dab dry
- I’d prefer a cordless option (although the cord is very long so reaches everywhere easily)
- It says to only use water rather than any additional cleaning products although I read this afterwards (lol at me) and it hasn’t damaged it so far…. But I like a nice fresh cleaning scent!
Overall I think it is a great purchase and an absolute must-have if you have tiled/stone flooring. Please check if your flooring type is suitable prior to use. The handbook says hardwood is suitable. I tried it on my engineered wood flooring and super thick laminate flooring – both worked well although I wouldn’t make a regular habit of this to ensure no damage is caused due to the excessive heat and moisture not being overly suitable for wood/laminate. Please check the instructions for your specific flooring.
*NOTE – I have noticed regular price fluctuations on John Lewis website so I have posted this blog earlier than planned whilst it has been reduced!
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