Steam cleaners are one of the most popular cleaning products in 2009 and they show no sign of slowing for 2010. One of the big things driving the sales of these products is the new lower price point. Steam cleaning machines that used to go for thousands of dollars now can be in the $100 dollar price range. Another big reason for the growing popularity is that these products allow you to clean and disinfect surfaces with out having to use harsh chemicals. This is especially attractive to those people who have pets or small children. Another group of people who are embracing the power of vapor steam cleaners are those with allergies since the steam is very effective at killing dust mites and mold. If you are in the market to purchase a hand held steam cleaner/portable steam cleaner then you probably have a number of questions. We have compiled a number of questions you might have along with some answers. As always, we would love your feedback. Please leave your personal experiences in a comment.
What Surfaces Can I clean with a Steam Cleaner?
Steam cleaners excel on the following surfaces: Carpet, upholstery, tile, marble, vinyl, and grout.
People with allergies were one of the first groups of people to adopt these products because of their ability to kill such things as fleas, dust mites and other allergens. Portable cleaners can be used on carpets, furniture, bedding, and even your cloths. With one application of steam, you can rid your house of allergens, germs, and viruses, all without the use of dangerous chemicals. Users often report that after cleaning with steam that they can tell a difference in the smell of their house. It’s ideal for cleaning damp places like bathrooms where mold and soap scum build up and can be a very laborious task to keep clean. Vapor cleaners make quick work of grout and tile. You can use them on cloths as well although I have found that using an old fashioned iron tends to work better but if I were in a hurry I might use steam.
Another great use for these products is in your car. Have you ever spilt something in your car and then have it smell months later. Not long ago I had some milk leek in the back carpeted area and it was stinking the car up for some time until I used a steam cleaner which totally eliminated the smell. I’ve even used it to get rid of the break dust that builds up on the rims which is very hard to get clean.
Another very popular place to clean with steam is the kitchen. If you spend any time at all cooking in your kitchen you know how quickly it get’s dirty and sticky with grease. One of my least favorite tasks is cleaning the oven. The power of steam makes this much easier. I was grossed out to find out that the kitchen, more than any area in the house, has more living bacteria. It only makes sense that you want to stay away from using harsh chemicals in the area where you prepare your food. The Vapor cleaner also does a great job cleaning stovetops. I should also ad that these steam devices also work great on bbq that can almost impossible to clean with a wire brush.
The surfaces you can clean with steam are many but there are some things you should not attempt to clean with steam. For example there are some types of vinyl surfaces that can loose their shine when high temperatures are applied to them. Also, sensitive fabrics such as Persian rugs should not be used with a home steam cleaner.
How do steam cleaners work?
First off, steam cleaners should not be confused with those devices that are used to clean carpet. Carpet cleaners use a process that extracts water that is injected by the carpet cleaner and although maybe hot, is not actually steam. You should also know that the commercial truck mounted systems are very effective at deep cleaning large areas of carpet and you should not expect the same kinds of results with a home unit.
That being said, actually home portable steam cleaners work by heating tap water via a built in heating element to a range of 240 to 260 degrees. Some high-end cleaners actually heat the water even more. The steam that is created in this process is then shot through a nozzle where it can be applied to the area that you want to clean. The best steam cleaners come with a wide variety of attachments so that you can easily clean all sorts of surfaces. It is important note that steam cleaning still requires some work. After you apply steam to an area you must then wipe up the dirty residue that is released.
If you are cleaning up large areas at a time then you should pay attention to how water is added to the steam cleaning system. Some units have you ad water straight to the boiler while others have a reservoir system. Be aware that if the steam cleaner does not have a reservoir system then there is a substantial time period where you must wait up to 30 min for the steamer to cool down before you can add more water. The more advanced and often more expensive units have the reservoir system so that you don’t ever have to stop and wait to add more water. You can add as much water as you want on the go. Again, this is not a big deal unless you plan on cleaning large areas at one time.
What psi do steam cleaners generate?
Portable steam machines typically run at fairly low levels of pressure. Check the specifics for the model you are considering. The average unit produces about 50 to 60 psi. The more advanced and usually more expensive products allow you to adjust the the level of pressure. This is important feature because if you are working in a small area then the last thing you want is to blast the dirt all over. Although the tv advertisements make cleaning look like a snap it often can be a little tedious as you must hold the steamer in one hand and a rag of some sort in the other hand to wipe up the mess.
Can I use a steam cleaner to clean my carpets?
It should be made very clear that a vacuum is not a steam cleaner and most certainly the other way around. You can use a portable steam vapor cleaner to clean carpet but it works best to spot clean and remove stains. When cleaning carpet you still have to use some elbow grease. The steam causes the stain from the fibers in the carpet to the top, where they must be soaked up with a towel or rag. It is not a replacement for a carpet cleaner. If your carpets are heavily soiled then you should still hire a professional carpet cleaner to get the best results.
Coming Soon: steam cleaner reviews on the best steam cleaners on the market.
Portable Pocket Shark Steam Cleaner Review
The people at Euro Pro, the company that is most famous for the shark steam mop and their latest update the Shark Steam Pocket Mop has just released their latest product the Shark Portable Steam Pocket. It is basically a hand held version on the mop so that you can easily clean just about every surface in your house. What makes the Shark Steam Cleaners so popular is that you are able to clean and disinfect with out the use of chemicals. One of the features I really like about the Portable Steamer is that it does not store hot water inside the unit. Instead, it stores cool tap water in the base and then has an instant steam chamber that creates the steam and pushes it out through the hose to the pocket attachment.
The Shark Portable Pocket comes with five very helpful attachments. The one I liked the most was the wedged shaped one. It works great on appliances like the front of the fridge, stove and cabinets. Steam comes out all four sides of the wedge, which is great because it give you a lot of surface to clean with before you have to use another pad. There is also a wand attachment that is great for those hard to reach places such as door handles, couch, or just about any place you want to clean and sanitize. Finally there is the dusting wand, which can be used on blinds, lampshades, and other hard to reach places. There is also a jet attachment, which shoots steam in a powerful stream for intense cleaning. The infomercial showed them using the portable steamer on rims of a car. I would be interested to see how well this really works. It’s also got an attachment for cleaning grout both in the kitchen and in the bathroom. I hate trying to keep grout clean so this is a great tool for me.
The Shark Portable Steam Pocket is being sold for $99 dollars but can be found cheaper if you shop around. It can be bought off the Shark website for 3 payments if you don’t want to pay for it all upfront. The company does offer a money back guarantee so if you don’t like it you can return it. However, you will be charged for the shipping so just be ready for that.
Do you own the Shark Portable Steamer? Have you been happy with the product? Where do you find it cleans the best? Leave a comment and share your experience.
The Shark Portable Pocket comes with five very helpful attachments. The one I liked the most was the wedged shaped one. It works great on appliances like the front of the fridge, stove and cabinets. Steam comes out all four sides of the wedge, which is great because it give you a lot of surface to clean with before you have to use another pad. There is also a wand attachment that is great for those hard to reach places such as door handles, couch, or just about any place you want to clean and sanitize. Finally there is the dusting wand, which can be used on blinds, lampshades, and other hard to reach places. There is also a jet attachment, which shoots steam in a powerful stream for intense cleaning. The infomercial showed them using the portable steamer on rims of a car. I would be interested to see how well this really works. It’s also got an attachment for cleaning grout both in the kitchen and in the bathroom. I hate trying to keep grout clean so this is a great tool for me.
The Shark Portable Steam Pocket is being sold for $99 dollars but can be found cheaper if you shop around. It can be bought off the Shark website for 3 payments if you don’t want to pay for it all upfront. The company does offer a money back guarantee so if you don’t like it you can return it. However, you will be charged for the shipping so just be ready for that.
Do you own the Shark Portable Steamer? Have you been happy with the product? Where do you find it cleans the best? Leave a comment and share your experience.
Shark Navigator Review, Does This Upright Vacuum Suck?
Euro-pro is the company behind the Shark steam products that have become super popular these days. I’m sure if you spend any time at all watching late night or early morning TV then you’ve seen an ad for these products. Recently Euro Pro LLC has launched themselves into the vacuum market with their latest product the Shark Navigator. It is supposed to compete with the line of high-end bagless upright vacuum cleaners like Dyson, Hoover and Bissell. The big advantage that the Shark Navigator has is that it’s much cheaper than the higher end models with a price tag of $199.
The Navigator vacuum is advertised to never loose its suction power because of the bagless technology it uses. Shark has named this technology “Infinity”. The idea behind it is that it swirls the dirt and dust into a HEPA filter that would escape through a standard bag vacuum. Those with allergies wanting to minimize the amount of particles that get put back into the air should consider looking into this type of vacuum. Not only does this “Infinity” system help with trapping dust particles and making your air cleaner but it also helps to give you consistent suction power. Standard vacuums that use bags start to loose suction because dust and dirt gets caught in the filter and hurts it’s ability to maintain a high level of suction. It seems like a lot of As Seen On TV products get you with the parts that you have to continue ordering to use the product. That is a definite bonus with the Shark Navigator; there are never any filters that need replacing. Even the HEPA filter is totally reusable after a quick wash.
The Shark Navigator comes with a host of features that you can find with the higher end brands. Included in the $199 price is a twenty-four inch extension to so you can reach into dark corners and those hard to reach places above. One feature that users have really raved about is the tool made for removing pet hair. As far as I know Shark is the only one to offer such an attachment. The vacuum comes with what seems like a never-ending twelve-foot hose. Shark has obviously done their research to find out what people want in a vacuum. They have also made the Navigator with a thirty-foot cord. That means you don’t have to stop and try and find the next closest power outlet.
The vacuum seems to work well on multiple surfaces from varying levels of carpets to tile and linoleum. The Shark Vacuum does have an auto-adjusting feature for different surfaces, which seems to work pretty well. I personally would stick to using the Shark Navigator Vacuum Cleaner on carpet, but that’s just me. The product is super light though, at least compared to my other upright vacuum. I have no problem carrying this thing up the stairs.
One of the cons is that it does have a rather narrow cleaning path. I find this to be kind of a pain because I have to go over an area more. However it can be nice because it can fit into spaces that my old vacuum could not. It’s a good thing I don’t have a very big house or I might have an issue with the size of the dust cup but being that I just have an apartment, it’s no big deal.
I should also mention that the Shark people are running a special right now. If you buy the Shark Navigator you can get the Shark Steam Mop for free. It’s their first version and is not the Shark Steam Pocket Mop. You can check out reviews of both the Shark Steam mops with the links provided.
I cannot attest to how the Shark Navigator will hold up over time. If you have had the vacuum a while please leave a comment and ad your two cents and if the product is working as well for you know as it did in the beginning.
The Navigator vacuum is advertised to never loose its suction power because of the bagless technology it uses. Shark has named this technology “Infinity”. The idea behind it is that it swirls the dirt and dust into a HEPA filter that would escape through a standard bag vacuum. Those with allergies wanting to minimize the amount of particles that get put back into the air should consider looking into this type of vacuum. Not only does this “Infinity” system help with trapping dust particles and making your air cleaner but it also helps to give you consistent suction power. Standard vacuums that use bags start to loose suction because dust and dirt gets caught in the filter and hurts it’s ability to maintain a high level of suction. It seems like a lot of As Seen On TV products get you with the parts that you have to continue ordering to use the product. That is a definite bonus with the Shark Navigator; there are never any filters that need replacing. Even the HEPA filter is totally reusable after a quick wash.
The Shark Navigator comes with a host of features that you can find with the higher end brands. Included in the $199 price is a twenty-four inch extension to so you can reach into dark corners and those hard to reach places above. One feature that users have really raved about is the tool made for removing pet hair. As far as I know Shark is the only one to offer such an attachment. The vacuum comes with what seems like a never-ending twelve-foot hose. Shark has obviously done their research to find out what people want in a vacuum. They have also made the Navigator with a thirty-foot cord. That means you don’t have to stop and try and find the next closest power outlet.
The vacuum seems to work well on multiple surfaces from varying levels of carpets to tile and linoleum. The Shark Vacuum does have an auto-adjusting feature for different surfaces, which seems to work pretty well. I personally would stick to using the Shark Navigator Vacuum Cleaner on carpet, but that’s just me. The product is super light though, at least compared to my other upright vacuum. I have no problem carrying this thing up the stairs.
One of the cons is that it does have a rather narrow cleaning path. I find this to be kind of a pain because I have to go over an area more. However it can be nice because it can fit into spaces that my old vacuum could not. It’s a good thing I don’t have a very big house or I might have an issue with the size of the dust cup but being that I just have an apartment, it’s no big deal.
I should also mention that the Shark people are running a special right now. If you buy the Shark Navigator you can get the Shark Steam Mop for free. It’s their first version and is not the Shark Steam Pocket Mop. You can check out reviews of both the Shark Steam mops with the links provided.
I cannot attest to how the Shark Navigator will hold up over time. If you have had the vacuum a while please leave a comment and ad your two cents and if the product is working as well for you know as it did in the beginning.
Bona Mop - Micro Fiber Mop Review
The Bona Mop is a premium solution for cleaning hardwood floors and other surfaces in the household, without fearing they may get damaged. The mop has a microfiber pad and a floor cleaner cartridge which sprays the cleaning solution into the mop head when the trigger on the handle is squeezed. The mechanism is simple and efficient, the trigger is set up to spray the exact amount of solution needed, therefore it doesn’t leave any leaks of liquid behind. Besides, since there are no electric parts, it’s durable and convenient, as it doesn’t need recharging or plugging to the power supply. Bona Mop works with special cartridges of either hardwood floor cleaner or stone, tile and laminate cleaner. Cartridges aren’t refillable. All Bona cleaning solutions are water-based, environment-friendly, non-toxic, safe for families with children or pets. Their special formula cleans all kind of spills, dirt and stains, leaving the floors shiny, without oil residues or mop traces. One of the best parts is that the cleaner solutions are odorless and they don’t require rinsing, therefore the cleaning time and efforts are significantly reduced. Moreover, Bona cleaners are GREENGUARD certified for indoor air quality. The microfiber pads are easy to attach and to remove, thanks to a Velcro-like system, and they can be machine washed up to 300 times. Because the mop pads have a good absorption capacity, the floors get completely dry in a very short time.
Although the cleaning liquid cartridge makes the Bona Mop heavier than regular mops, it is still lightweight and easy to use. Besides, it has the advantage of not needing to carry a bucket with water all over the place, from one room to another. Priced at $39.99, the Bona Mop offers a good quality for money. The refill cartridges are 28.75 ounces and they cost $8.99 a piece.
Although the cleaning liquid cartridge makes the Bona Mop heavier than regular mops, it is still lightweight and easy to use. Besides, it has the advantage of not needing to carry a bucket with water all over the place, from one room to another. Priced at $39.99, the Bona Mop offers a good quality for money. The refill cartridges are 28.75 ounces and they cost $8.99 a piece.
As Seen On TV Swivel Sweeper G2 Review
Does the Swivel Sweeper Really work? Could the Swivel Sweeper replace my old vacuum? Even though the Swivel Sweeper is not a steam mop I figured I would try it out and review it here on this site.
The Swivel Sweeper G2 is very tempting product at $40.00 and if you are like me, avoid digging the vacuum out of the back of the closet. What is great about this product is that it uses a powerful rechargeable battery to power the vacuum like brushes. They even claim that it can run up to forty-five minutes one charge. I can’t really so a reason why you would ever need to run it that long but it’s good to know that it can last that long if you need it to. Another great feature is that the cleaning head can maneuver 360 degrees, which makes getting into awkward places easier than ever.
Another thing that stood out to me immediately was how light this little Swivel Sweeper was. In fact, it seemed even lighter than the 2 pounds that it’s advertised as. It’s not a huge selling point for me but if some one had a problems maneuvering a much heavier vacuum than this would be very appealing feature. It also comes with a nice little attachment for cleaning the brushes, which tend to get tangled easily with pet hair. If only I could keep track of this tool so I did not have to clean the Swivel Sweeper by hand. To empty the debris that you’ve collected, simply push the tabs and just like that, you’ve emptied the Swivel Sweeper. This system seems to work pretty well, but the tabs are a bit flimsy and I am a little concerned about breaking them.
We all hate to clean. Anything that makes the laborious task easier is always welcomed. The folks who created the Swivel Sweeper G2 really thought things through. They made the handle adjustable allowing an unbelievable 4 feet of extra extension. Another selling point for the Sweeper is that it works effectively on many surfaces, which include hardwoods, linoleum, and of course carpet. While it does a good job cleaning all surfaces, users have complained that the Swivel Sweeper tends to drop some of the debris when moving directly from one surface to another, which can cause a lot of extra work. Others have complained that the battery does not last as long as advertised and tends to loose it’s charge over time. This is understandable though because all battery powered products loose there juice over time. I would not suggest that you throw away your vacuum for the Swivel Sweeper but for a fairly low cost of $40.00, the Swivel Sweeper definitely can make your life easier.
The Swivel Sweeper G2 is very tempting product at $40.00 and if you are like me, avoid digging the vacuum out of the back of the closet. What is great about this product is that it uses a powerful rechargeable battery to power the vacuum like brushes. They even claim that it can run up to forty-five minutes one charge. I can’t really so a reason why you would ever need to run it that long but it’s good to know that it can last that long if you need it to. Another great feature is that the cleaning head can maneuver 360 degrees, which makes getting into awkward places easier than ever.
Another thing that stood out to me immediately was how light this little Swivel Sweeper was. In fact, it seemed even lighter than the 2 pounds that it’s advertised as. It’s not a huge selling point for me but if some one had a problems maneuvering a much heavier vacuum than this would be very appealing feature. It also comes with a nice little attachment for cleaning the brushes, which tend to get tangled easily with pet hair. If only I could keep track of this tool so I did not have to clean the Swivel Sweeper by hand. To empty the debris that you’ve collected, simply push the tabs and just like that, you’ve emptied the Swivel Sweeper. This system seems to work pretty well, but the tabs are a bit flimsy and I am a little concerned about breaking them.
We all hate to clean. Anything that makes the laborious task easier is always welcomed. The folks who created the Swivel Sweeper G2 really thought things through. They made the handle adjustable allowing an unbelievable 4 feet of extra extension. Another selling point for the Sweeper is that it works effectively on many surfaces, which include hardwoods, linoleum, and of course carpet. While it does a good job cleaning all surfaces, users have complained that the Swivel Sweeper tends to drop some of the debris when moving directly from one surface to another, which can cause a lot of extra work. Others have complained that the battery does not last as long as advertised and tends to loose it’s charge over time. This is understandable though because all battery powered products loose there juice over time. I would not suggest that you throw away your vacuum for the Swivel Sweeper but for a fairly low cost of $40.00, the Swivel Sweeper definitely can make your life easier.
Is The Shark Steam Mop Legit?
Update: The Shark Steam Mop has been updated and we have a new review of the Shark Steam Pocket Mop.
Many of you have seen the As Seen On TV commercials and have made it very clear that you wanted me to try the Shark Steam Mop in the past few months! The amount of requests I have received to try this amazing as seen on tv shark steam mop has been impressive to say the least. The Shark Steam Mop is a revolutionary chemical-free way to clean hard surface flooring (not carpets). The Shark Steam Mop sanitizes your floors and is safe for sealed hardwood flooring, something you do not see on the market very often. This unique product is available for $70 -$100 from retailers who sell as seen on tv products.
Well, I made the decision to try the Shark Steamer Mop for myself and I was very surprised with the end results. For the first test, I put the Shark Steam Mop in my car and headed out to my good friends place of business. My friend has rented a large office in town for his expanding business for the last six months. In this time, I knew for a fact that my friend had not hired anyone to come and clean up in his office nor had cleaned the floors in the entire six months he had been there (not to mention the private bathroom that is included in his monthly rent). On my drive over to the office space, I was encouraged to find out that the Shark Steam Mop states that it can clean caked on dirt on hard wood flooring. As I arrived up into the office I immediately noticed that there was indeed a lot of caked on dirt on the floors from the very wet and stormy winter we were having. My friend greeted me with enthusiasm; he was a bit skeptical about the power of the product I brought but this was a free clean for his office so he was extremely grateful.
After taking some photos of the office "before" our little cleaing experiment, I entered my friends bathroom and filled the Shark Steam Mop with regular tap water, walk into the main office area and begin with the hardest hit areas with the most caked on dirt. The as seen on tv product performs pretty well all in all. As soon as it starts up it picks up most of the dirt; but some of it ends up around the edges of the wall which get picked up later. The Shark works extremely well on the areas that have no caked dirt but are still dirty. “Wow, man, this thing is amazing!” adds my friend who is flabbergasted that this is not coming from a professional cleaning service. “What do you think about those scuff marks by the door?” he adds. I give him a grin and finish cleaning the smaller areas of unclean hard surface flooring and make my way over to the entrance to let the Shark Steam Mop tackle the scuff marks on the floor. The Shark handles this area, an area full of scuff marks from moving heavy desks , tables and chairs back and forth over the years, with great aplomb. “Wow! That was amazing!” my friend remarks, “Im sold,” he adds.
I was impressed with how the Shark performed today. The more I pumped the handle on the unit, the more steam I got, giving me more cleaning power. After a quick break, I took out a full bottle of orange juice and a can of soda from my bag I had brought with me. I turned to my friend, smiled and poured both bottles on his new clean office floor. “Now is the time for a nice little demonstration you only see on TV” I said as I saw him look up from his desk in horror. The Shark handles the sticky wet mess extremely good and leaves no marks or residues after I finish. I finished up the entire office and bathroom very quickly and made sure I took some photos that I could email to my friend later to prove to him that his office looks much better than we saw earlier in the day! I explain to my friend that a good bonus to the Shark is that you do not have keep on buying shark steam mop replacement pads (like a Swiffer or like product). All you do is throw your used pad in the washing machine after use and they are like new and ready to go again! The Shark seems to be a nice alternative to chemical based hardwood floor cleaning machines and if you are fed up with buying countless refills for your mops this could be a great investment. I always recommend following the directions on the Shark before first use, but I have no doubt you will be happy with your decision to try the Shark Steam Mop.
Not everyone has been as happy with the Shark Steam Mop as I have. To give a balanced view I have included a link to a negative Shark Steam Pocket Mop review if you want to read another review. I should note that this a review on the newer version on the mop that I reviewed in this post.
Many of you have seen the As Seen On TV commercials and have made it very clear that you wanted me to try the Shark Steam Mop in the past few months! The amount of requests I have received to try this amazing as seen on tv shark steam mop has been impressive to say the least. The Shark Steam Mop is a revolutionary chemical-free way to clean hard surface flooring (not carpets). The Shark Steam Mop sanitizes your floors and is safe for sealed hardwood flooring, something you do not see on the market very often. This unique product is available for $70 -$100 from retailers who sell as seen on tv products.
Well, I made the decision to try the Shark Steamer Mop for myself and I was very surprised with the end results. For the first test, I put the Shark Steam Mop in my car and headed out to my good friends place of business. My friend has rented a large office in town for his expanding business for the last six months. In this time, I knew for a fact that my friend had not hired anyone to come and clean up in his office nor had cleaned the floors in the entire six months he had been there (not to mention the private bathroom that is included in his monthly rent). On my drive over to the office space, I was encouraged to find out that the Shark Steam Mop states that it can clean caked on dirt on hard wood flooring. As I arrived up into the office I immediately noticed that there was indeed a lot of caked on dirt on the floors from the very wet and stormy winter we were having. My friend greeted me with enthusiasm; he was a bit skeptical about the power of the product I brought but this was a free clean for his office so he was extremely grateful.
After taking some photos of the office "before" our little cleaing experiment, I entered my friends bathroom and filled the Shark Steam Mop with regular tap water, walk into the main office area and begin with the hardest hit areas with the most caked on dirt. The as seen on tv product performs pretty well all in all. As soon as it starts up it picks up most of the dirt; but some of it ends up around the edges of the wall which get picked up later. The Shark works extremely well on the areas that have no caked dirt but are still dirty. “Wow, man, this thing is amazing!” adds my friend who is flabbergasted that this is not coming from a professional cleaning service. “What do you think about those scuff marks by the door?” he adds. I give him a grin and finish cleaning the smaller areas of unclean hard surface flooring and make my way over to the entrance to let the Shark Steam Mop tackle the scuff marks on the floor. The Shark handles this area, an area full of scuff marks from moving heavy desks , tables and chairs back and forth over the years, with great aplomb. “Wow! That was amazing!” my friend remarks, “Im sold,” he adds.
I was impressed with how the Shark performed today. The more I pumped the handle on the unit, the more steam I got, giving me more cleaning power. After a quick break, I took out a full bottle of orange juice and a can of soda from my bag I had brought with me. I turned to my friend, smiled and poured both bottles on his new clean office floor. “Now is the time for a nice little demonstration you only see on TV” I said as I saw him look up from his desk in horror. The Shark handles the sticky wet mess extremely good and leaves no marks or residues after I finish. I finished up the entire office and bathroom very quickly and made sure I took some photos that I could email to my friend later to prove to him that his office looks much better than we saw earlier in the day! I explain to my friend that a good bonus to the Shark is that you do not have keep on buying shark steam mop replacement pads (like a Swiffer or like product). All you do is throw your used pad in the washing machine after use and they are like new and ready to go again! The Shark seems to be a nice alternative to chemical based hardwood floor cleaning machines and if you are fed up with buying countless refills for your mops this could be a great investment. I always recommend following the directions on the Shark before first use, but I have no doubt you will be happy with your decision to try the Shark Steam Mop.
Not everyone has been as happy with the Shark Steam Mop as I have. To give a balanced view I have included a link to a negative Shark Steam Pocket Mop review if you want to read another review. I should note that this a review on the newer version on the mop that I reviewed in this post.
As Seen On TV Steamboy T1 Mop Review
CLICK HERE TO BUY STEAMBOY T1 MOP
Reliable Corporation, the manufacturers of the Steamboy T1 steam cleaning product, have been around for more than fifty years. The corporation has braced themselves for the future of cleaning products when they released the Steamboy T1 mop and have obviously enjoyed being a front runner in this highly competitive market. The Steam boy T1 steam mop is equipped for the normal homeowner or renter with two machine/hand washable cloth pads, a water filter system to enable the user to be able to use normal tap water for the steam cleaner, and a carpet glide system for cleaning and deodorizing carpets.
Every Steam boy mop contains a 180 degree swivel head, the two heavy duty cloth microfiber reusable cleaning pads, up to thirty minutes of instant and continuous steam and the replaceable water filter. When I first got the opportunity to try out the Steamboy T1 I was a little skeptical. I started in the hallway by the front door. This was in the winter, after heavy rains in my town and the hard surface flooring was caked with mud, dirt and other grime I could not identify. I had used other mop systems before and had had limited success with them, that is why I was a little apprehensive. It seemed that in the past, I had spent quite a lot of time and money on replacement pads for the mopping systems I owned.
Well, I have to say after plugging the as seen on tv Steamboy mop in and waiting a couple of seconds for it to be ready, I was amazed at the ease in which the product started to cut through the grime and dirt instantly with real steam. I held down the trigger and moved the mop along all of the hard surface flooring in my house. The entry way was spotless in seconds with minimal effort; I moved into the kitchen and living room (where I have hardwood oak flooring) and was simply taken away by how much grime I had in the first place and how the Steam boy cut through this grime with so much grace. After I was finished, I unplugged the mop and simply took the microfiber cloth off, threw it in the washing machine, amazingly easy! I would recommend this product to anyone who listens! The flooring looked amazing, the Steamboy was easy to use, and the product was easily maneuverable around all of the nooks and crannies of my home.
I'm sure there are plenty of you who would like to know how the Steamboy mop compares to the Shark Steam Mop or the H20 steam mop. Make sure you check out our other posts on these steam mops.
Bissell Steam Mop Review
A Bissell Steam Mop? Let me explain...Last week my boss and I had a great conversation regarding how he was going to use his Visa card “points” that he had gained over the past year through purchases. His idea was to cash these Visa rewards points in and use them to purchase his brother’s wedding gift for the upcoming wedding in Mexico instead of using good old cash. This conversation got me thinking; just how many “points” do I have sitting there in my rewards points account? I have to tell you that when I checked my balance it was just like finding real money (notes, not simple change) under the cushions of my couch; the feeling was great! I decided immediately to cash these points in and gave myself a treat of a gift card to do some shopping.
Primarily, I thought I would be practical and purchase some of the stuff I use all the time such as tea, bread, milk and some steaks. I walked around my usual large store and put a few of these staples into my basket. I then decided “hey, it’s almost pay day, why don’t I buy something I have wanted for a long time and something that I need?” I put the food staples back where I got them and headed straight for the cleaning supplies isle. There it sat before me, behold the Bissell Steam Mop. This mop was something I had seen on TV and had always wanted to try it. This would be a good story for my boss. I immediately took the steam mop up to the checkout and used the gift card from my credit card company and raced home to try the product out.
This steam mop has been touted to get rid of dirt, sticky stuff, and grime on all hard floor surfaces (not carpet). My apartment was in great need of a solid cleaning and had been for some time so I could not wait to get started. My apartment consists of beautiful bamboo floors with nice dark tiles in the kitchen and bathroom. The only problem with these nice surfaces is that mud, dirt and grime easily shows up. The disposable mopping systems I had been using in the past just have not cut it and I had grown tired of buying replacement heads and wipes for my mop.
I took the Bissell mop out of the box and plugged it in. The steam charged in seconds and was ready to use. I started on the bamboo floors and was simply amazed at how much of the dirt got removed; it was just like moving into a new apartment! The product handled equally well on the tiled floor, the microfiber heads cut through the grime with ease; I was impressed. I invited my mother over that weekend for brunch and she could not believe how much I time I had spent on getting the place spotless. “About ten minutes!” I replied. At less than one hundred dollars this product is the real deal and I would recommend it to any homeowner with hard floors.
Check out our other posts on the Shark Steam mop, H2O Steam mop, and the Steamboy T1 mop. If you are looking for a micro fiber mop then check out the Bona Mop.
Primarily, I thought I would be practical and purchase some of the stuff I use all the time such as tea, bread, milk and some steaks. I walked around my usual large store and put a few of these staples into my basket. I then decided “hey, it’s almost pay day, why don’t I buy something I have wanted for a long time and something that I need?” I put the food staples back where I got them and headed straight for the cleaning supplies isle. There it sat before me, behold the Bissell Steam Mop. This mop was something I had seen on TV and had always wanted to try it. This would be a good story for my boss. I immediately took the steam mop up to the checkout and used the gift card from my credit card company and raced home to try the product out.
This steam mop has been touted to get rid of dirt, sticky stuff, and grime on all hard floor surfaces (not carpet). My apartment was in great need of a solid cleaning and had been for some time so I could not wait to get started. My apartment consists of beautiful bamboo floors with nice dark tiles in the kitchen and bathroom. The only problem with these nice surfaces is that mud, dirt and grime easily shows up. The disposable mopping systems I had been using in the past just have not cut it and I had grown tired of buying replacement heads and wipes for my mop.
I took the Bissell mop out of the box and plugged it in. The steam charged in seconds and was ready to use. I started on the bamboo floors and was simply amazed at how much of the dirt got removed; it was just like moving into a new apartment! The product handled equally well on the tiled floor, the microfiber heads cut through the grime with ease; I was impressed. I invited my mother over that weekend for brunch and she could not believe how much I time I had spent on getting the place spotless. “About ten minutes!” I replied. At less than one hundred dollars this product is the real deal and I would recommend it to any homeowner with hard floors.
Check out our other posts on the Shark Steam mop, H2O Steam mop, and the Steamboy T1 mop. If you are looking for a micro fiber mop then check out the Bona Mop.
Steam Buggy Review
The Steam Buggy was received with much anticipation and excitement. A machine that is able to clean up the most stubborn messes, clean the tightest areas, and all with the power of steam. Unfortunately, the Steam Buggy failed to meet even the lowest expectations.
The infomercial for the Steam Buggy featured this product tackling a variety of cleaning challenges: Getting burnt-on residue off of a stove burner, dirt off a cutting board that wasn’t even noticeable until the Steam Buggy showed how much cleaner it could be, cleaning mold and mildew from bathroom tile grout, cleaning dirt from sinks and toilets with ease, and steam cleaning stains from carpets.
In our first test, we had a stove burner that was caked with burnt-on milk. The infomercial showed the Steam Buggy cleaning this up with little effort—using the included brush attachment. In our test, the Steam Buggy failed to clean up our burner—in reality very little of the burnt on milk came off and far more was removed when we used a cleaner and scrub pad.
In our second test, we brought the Steam Buggy into the bathroom. The Seam Buggy failed to get any mold and mildew cleaned from the bathtub tile grout, and failed to clean anything other than the easiest dirt from the sink and toilet. The Steam Buggy did, however, clean the caulk between the bathtub and the floor pretty well. The Steam Buggy also included a squeegee attachment for cleaning windows and mirrors. In our test on the bathroom mirror, the Steam Buggy left many streaks and the condensed water from the steam pooled up under the mirror. The design of the squeegee attachment also made it difficult to reach all the way to the bottom of the mirror (the hose got in the way of the vanity) and resulted in the steam dripping down to the bottom of the mirror where it could not be cleaned by the attachment.
Our third test was steam-cleaning carpeting. In the infomercial, the Steam Buggy is shown cleaning up carpet stains in a short time with ease. In our test, the Steam Buggy failed to remove freshly made stains of mud, soft drinks, and pet stains.
To summarize the results of our testing, we found the Steam Buggy to be very disappointing, especially when compared to the claims made on the infomercial. To its credit, we did find that the Steam Buggy did very well when cleaning very tight, impossible to reach places. Unfortunately, that just meant that we found ourselves cleaning areas that, until we started using the Steam Buggy, didn’t care if they were dirty since they were impossible to see (the tiny space between the bathroom mirror and the vanity and the tiny space between the sink drain and bottom of the sink, as examples). If you are interested in this product then I suggest you check out the Shark Steam Mop.
The infomercial for the Steam Buggy featured this product tackling a variety of cleaning challenges: Getting burnt-on residue off of a stove burner, dirt off a cutting board that wasn’t even noticeable until the Steam Buggy showed how much cleaner it could be, cleaning mold and mildew from bathroom tile grout, cleaning dirt from sinks and toilets with ease, and steam cleaning stains from carpets.
In our first test, we had a stove burner that was caked with burnt-on milk. The infomercial showed the Steam Buggy cleaning this up with little effort—using the included brush attachment. In our test, the Steam Buggy failed to clean up our burner—in reality very little of the burnt on milk came off and far more was removed when we used a cleaner and scrub pad.
In our second test, we brought the Steam Buggy into the bathroom. The Seam Buggy failed to get any mold and mildew cleaned from the bathtub tile grout, and failed to clean anything other than the easiest dirt from the sink and toilet. The Steam Buggy did, however, clean the caulk between the bathtub and the floor pretty well. The Steam Buggy also included a squeegee attachment for cleaning windows and mirrors. In our test on the bathroom mirror, the Steam Buggy left many streaks and the condensed water from the steam pooled up under the mirror. The design of the squeegee attachment also made it difficult to reach all the way to the bottom of the mirror (the hose got in the way of the vanity) and resulted in the steam dripping down to the bottom of the mirror where it could not be cleaned by the attachment.
Our third test was steam-cleaning carpeting. In the infomercial, the Steam Buggy is shown cleaning up carpet stains in a short time with ease. In our test, the Steam Buggy failed to remove freshly made stains of mud, soft drinks, and pet stains.
To summarize the results of our testing, we found the Steam Buggy to be very disappointing, especially when compared to the claims made on the infomercial. To its credit, we did find that the Steam Buggy did very well when cleaning very tight, impossible to reach places. Unfortunately, that just meant that we found ourselves cleaning areas that, until we started using the Steam Buggy, didn’t care if they were dirty since they were impossible to see (the tiny space between the bathroom mirror and the vanity and the tiny space between the sink drain and bottom of the sink, as examples). If you are interested in this product then I suggest you check out the Shark Steam Mop.
As Seen On Tv H2O Steam Mop Review
The H2O Mop is advertised to be the ultimate floor cleaning solution on as seen on tv infomercials. It is one of the Shark Steam mop main competitors. I was a little skeptical but I decided to give it a try to see if all of the hype was true. Once I obtained the H2O Mop I couldn’t wait to clean my dirty wood floors in my house; I had been letting the floors get dirty for the last two weeks (for the purpose of my experiment, not from laziness of course!).
Putting the H2o Mop together was a piece of cake, all that is needed is the assembly using two screws. The package comes with two reusable, washable cloths that fit into the bottom of the H2O Steam Mop. This was a huge relief as I was sick and tired of buying expensive refills for my old mopping unit that generally only last about two or three rooms. The package also came provided with a carpet glider.
I was ready to get started and full of anticipation for spotless, gleaming floors. I filled the water tank with ordinary tap water. The H2O Mop converts this water into 1,500 Watts of steaming power, pretty impressive. After the tank is filled with water you plug the mop into a socked and wait for ten to fifteen seconds for the main light on the unit to turn green, which means you are good to go.
I immediately pointed the H2o Steam Mop to the direction of the front door area of my floor, the heaviest hit of the dirty house and got stuck in to the job at hand. The stains and dirt were gone in minutes; “this product really works!” I exclaimed. I then pulled out a soda from my fridge to continue with my experiment and emptied the contents on my tile kitchen floor. The H2O Mop quickly and easily took care of all the sticky wet mess and left my tile floors looking immaculate, something that hadn’t happened in a very long time!
The head of the Steam Mops has a pretty cool swivel head on it which allows the mop to move around the corners and baseboards with ease and can also get into hard to reach areas. I did find that with fresh spills, the H2O Mop has a little more of a tough time than with dried out spills but if you have your second head pad handy no job should be too tough for this amazing product.
If you decide that the steam mops are not for you we did a review on both the Bona Mop and the Swivel Sweeper G2. Steam mops are not for everyone, that's why we decided to branch out a little bit and cover other cleaning products.
Putting the H2o Mop together was a piece of cake, all that is needed is the assembly using two screws. The package comes with two reusable, washable cloths that fit into the bottom of the H2O Steam Mop. This was a huge relief as I was sick and tired of buying expensive refills for my old mopping unit that generally only last about two or three rooms. The package also came provided with a carpet glider.
I was ready to get started and full of anticipation for spotless, gleaming floors. I filled the water tank with ordinary tap water. The H2O Mop converts this water into 1,500 Watts of steaming power, pretty impressive. After the tank is filled with water you plug the mop into a socked and wait for ten to fifteen seconds for the main light on the unit to turn green, which means you are good to go.
I immediately pointed the H2o Steam Mop to the direction of the front door area of my floor, the heaviest hit of the dirty house and got stuck in to the job at hand. The stains and dirt were gone in minutes; “this product really works!” I exclaimed. I then pulled out a soda from my fridge to continue with my experiment and emptied the contents on my tile kitchen floor. The H2O Mop quickly and easily took care of all the sticky wet mess and left my tile floors looking immaculate, something that hadn’t happened in a very long time!
The head of the Steam Mops has a pretty cool swivel head on it which allows the mop to move around the corners and baseboards with ease and can also get into hard to reach areas. I did find that with fresh spills, the H2O Mop has a little more of a tough time than with dried out spills but if you have your second head pad handy no job should be too tough for this amazing product.
If you decide that the steam mops are not for you we did a review on both the Bona Mop and the Swivel Sweeper G2. Steam mops are not for everyone, that's why we decided to branch out a little bit and cover other cleaning products.
What is a Shark Steam Mop?
Meet the steam mop of the future
Meet the Shark Steam Mop. This revolutionary product is simple and straightforward in design and easy to use. The Shark Steam Mop is designed to clean about any type of hard floor surface except carpets. The product works equally as well on wood, linoleum, vinyl, laminate, Pergo, tiles etc. The Shark Steam Mop is incredibly easy to assemble and can be ready for use in minutes. In order to get going, you must first fill the reservoir with ordinary tap water. A handy funnel and pouring container is included with the mop which makes this filling process a snap. The Shark Steam Mop comes equipped with two washable and reusable cleaning pads that are attached to the bottom of the unit’s head with the Velcro strips. You then plug the Shark Steam Mop in and wait for around thirty seconds for the unit to charge. After 30 seconds the unit has heated up sufficiently and is ready to rock-and-roll. There are no floor cleaners or detergents needed with this product which makes it that much more efficient and easy to use. The heated up steam from the reservoir you filled minutes ago serves as all the disinfectant you need for your hard floor surface.
Once the Shark Steam Mop is charged and ready to produce steam from the water the user can push down on the handle use a pumping motion to drive the handle into the head; this creates the pressure needed to produce the actual steam. The unit is ready to go and will force hot steam from the pressure you have just created into the reusable pad and through to the flooring which can clean up dirt, grime, caked on dirt and melt sticky residues with ease.
One of the greatest benefits of using the Shark Steam Mop is that the end user does not have to keep on mopping and wringing out a dirty wet mop like the traditional method. This ensures that you can clean faster and hit problem areas without over exerting yourself physically; the Shark Steam Mop does the work for you! Another solid benefit to this product is that the heated steam that is generated evaporates quickly and quietly which allows the dry time of the hard floor surface to be almost instantaneous.
For extra heavy duty jobs, the Shark Steam Mop has already provided you with two mop pads. This is good if one of the pads becomes extremely soiled before you have the chance to machine wash them.
Meet the Shark Steam Mop. This revolutionary product is simple and straightforward in design and easy to use. The Shark Steam Mop is designed to clean about any type of hard floor surface except carpets. The product works equally as well on wood, linoleum, vinyl, laminate, Pergo, tiles etc. The Shark Steam Mop is incredibly easy to assemble and can be ready for use in minutes. In order to get going, you must first fill the reservoir with ordinary tap water. A handy funnel and pouring container is included with the mop which makes this filling process a snap. The Shark Steam Mop comes equipped with two washable and reusable cleaning pads that are attached to the bottom of the unit’s head with the Velcro strips. You then plug the Shark Steam Mop in and wait for around thirty seconds for the unit to charge. After 30 seconds the unit has heated up sufficiently and is ready to rock-and-roll. There are no floor cleaners or detergents needed with this product which makes it that much more efficient and easy to use. The heated up steam from the reservoir you filled minutes ago serves as all the disinfectant you need for your hard floor surface.
Once the Shark Steam Mop is charged and ready to produce steam from the water the user can push down on the handle use a pumping motion to drive the handle into the head; this creates the pressure needed to produce the actual steam. The unit is ready to go and will force hot steam from the pressure you have just created into the reusable pad and through to the flooring which can clean up dirt, grime, caked on dirt and melt sticky residues with ease.
One of the greatest benefits of using the Shark Steam Mop is that the end user does not have to keep on mopping and wringing out a dirty wet mop like the traditional method. This ensures that you can clean faster and hit problem areas without over exerting yourself physically; the Shark Steam Mop does the work for you! Another solid benefit to this product is that the heated steam that is generated evaporates quickly and quietly which allows the dry time of the hard floor surface to be almost instantaneous.
For extra heavy duty jobs, the Shark Steam Mop has already provided you with two mop pads. This is good if one of the pads becomes extremely soiled before you have the chance to machine wash them.
Welcome to Steam Mop Spot
Hey everyone. I know that there is a lot of buzz these days around steam mops. Do steam mops really work? Is it worth the price? If any of you are like me than you are also probably wondering the differences between the different brands out there. I had a hard time finding the information I needed to make an informed decision so I decided to start this site. I plan to review different types of steam mops including models from Shark, Bissell, ht0, and Eureka. Each brand comes with it's pros and cons. I will do my best to update this blog as often as possible. If you have any questions, please email me. I am pretty busy but I will do my best to get back to you in a timely manner. Thanks for checking out Steam mop Spot!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
