I live in a neighborhood where EVERY home is "green built certified" this means that, to have that certification, the builder built no homes with carpet. All the main floors are polished concrete and the upper floors wood. The bathrooms all have tile and/or slate in every home.
Because of this, as you could imagine, steam mops are quite the neccessity...not only because they get the hard surfaces better than anything else, but because they are also "green" and clean chemical free. I''ll be honest, for us...that''s a bonus but we weren''t cleaning chemical free before. We like chemical free for our pet''s paws but I''ll confess I was mopping with chemicals before I got my steamer and just kept the pets out of the room while doing it because, up until then, I couldn''t get it clean any other way.
Okay, so that said...we decided to have a steamer show down to compare 5 different steamers because my friends and I knew as long as we are in these homes we are gonna have to have a steamer to get all these hard floors clean...we may as well figure out which one to buy next go round. Because my own home is graced with 2 cats, 3 dogs, and two gregarious cooks, my kitchen floor (which had not ever been cleaned by a steamer since my steamer had just arrived) was the testing spot.
Mind you, I vaccuum twice per week and do a mega mop twice a week. I THOUGHT I had pretty clean floors in spite of my pet capacity.
I thought wrong. These picked up dirt so well it''s scary
So here''s the results:
1. steam mops are the mac daddys of clean floors. What these things picked up was tremendous and no comparison to my vigorous prior constant major mopping.
2. So now I''ll break down the elements of each mop we used and then go into more detail about each at the end.
We tried out:
"S": The shark by Europro
"E" The Envirosteamer by Eureka
"H" the haan steamer
"M" the Monster
"B" The Bissell Green Tea
CORD LENGTH: so you don''t have to stop and unplug and replug in somewhere else:
Shark ( will be referred to as S):20 feet
Envirosteamer (will be referred to as E): 25 feet
Haan: (will be referred to as H)19''8"
Monster (will be referred to as M): 25 feet
Bissell (will be referred to as B) 17 feet
STEAM TEMPERATURE: this is a primary element. The hotter the steam, the more dirt picked up and hot steam will also kill parasites, mold and mildew and loosen more dirt:
S 110 degrees. lame
E 220 degrees. very hot
H 212 degrees. very hot
M 266 degrees. hottest...although the envirosteamer and haan seemed plenty hot enough. The shark didn''t clean nearly as well and this was one reason. 110 degrees just isn''t going to melt off stuck on grime.
B 125 degrees. Note that, because of this low steam temperature the manual said that if I wanted to sanitize the floor or pick up caked on spills, I had to "hold the steamer on the spot for 15 seconds but no more than 20 because that could damage some floors". Now I don''t know about you, but if I can sanitize with one swipe of the other steamers because of their sanitizing temps my floor will be done WAY faster...and I also don''t have to carry a timer to worry about the extra 5 seconds where my wood floors could get damaged when I have to hold the Bissell for 15 seconds on my wood but no more than 20! My sink water is hotter than the Bissell so it would take less time to use a regular mop if I have to hold the steamer on every spot of my floor for 15 seconds to sanitize. Just sayin
BUILD:
We found how it was made corresponded with issues with the steamer. The Shark, for example, was quite flimsy and they actually sell replacement handle kits because so many people have issues with the handle breaking! We know this because my neighbor''s shark broke and the store had a replacement handle kit on the shelf because he said "it happens often". That''s an extra cost.
Envirosteamer: Was 5.4 lbs which made it lightweight but strong enough that you didn''t have to press down to clean. Very well made and strong parts
Haan: not made as well as the envirosteamer but it''s more expensive so this was a surprise. A bit flimsy and you need to press down on it more to clean at 3.15 lbs.
Monster: hefty and well made at 9 lbs but a bit too heavy unless you want a good workout. (Note: They have changed the Monster handles on the mops now and they are all plastic and people are having breakage issues)
Bissell: It''s 8.4 pounds but that includes a water filter that you have to get for this one (see notes below)
WATER CAPACITY: Very important because having to stop and add more water just adds on to the time you have to spend cleaning, especially if you are cleaning a hallway or livingroom or some other area that has no sink:
S: only holds 10 oz of water. Lasted for 10 miinutes of cleaning
E: holds 20 oz. of water. Lasted for over 20 minutes of cleaning (we stopped at 20 and it was still going)
H: holds 11.83 oz of water. Lasted for 13 minutes of cleaning
M: holds 17 oz. of water. Lasted for 15 minutes of cleaning
B: holds 13 oz of water, lasted for 12.5 minutes of cleaning AND you have to undo and remove the tank from the machine every time you fill it up then hook it back on and the steam tank is on the handle rather than the base so the steam doesn''t flow directly out after heating up which may explain why it''s not as hot once it leaves the machine. The way this mop is made the water flows past heating elements which can, according to Bissell, develop calcium deposits on it so this is the only mop where, because of this, you also have to use a water filter with it and replace the water filter when there is build up which means an extra 12 bucks every few months. The better mops are made to heat the water in a metal tank so this is not an issue and you pour the water directly into the tank.
STEAM HOLES: We found a difference although you''d think they''d all be the same. The shark and Bissell only had one hole that the steam came out of so it wasn''t cleaning things on the edges, just in one spot. All the others had steam coming from bottom and sides.
SIZE: The taller it is the less stooping, the wider the mop head, the more it covers
S: 40"Hx12"Wx7"D. Apparently built only for the height of a small child to push unless you want to bend over and push.
E: 50"Hx13.25"Wx6.75"D (the fact that this depth was smaller made it reach under applicances better...it fit better under things)
H: 50.5x11.5x7.5
M: 48x12.7.5
B: 45.25H (this was uncomfortably short as well) x11 x8.4 (even though this didn''t fit under cabinets because of the depth it did swivel the best)
Conclusion of comparison: First it must be pointed out that, in order to use the shark and the Bissell, you had to keep pumping the water. This was the most annoying feature of anything...the others just steamed on their own and didn''t wear out your fingers. Hated this feature of the shark and Bissell. We liked that the Monster and the Shark and Envirosteamer and the Bissell came with 2 cleaning pads rather than one. The Haan only came with one at the time of the review (I double checked since when she bought hers it was also only one and as of today, that hasn''t changed) so that ups the price even more because I can''t imagine only wanting one to clean. All worked well on sanitizing mattresses and showers. too.
But the winner picked by all of us unanimously as the mop we want to have for our next steam mop order?
The Eureka Envirosteamer. It picked up the most dirt, was made as well as the Monster but was less expensive, held the most water, emitted the most very hot steam so it sanitized as well and quickly wiped up caked on spills, lasted 3 times as long with one water resevoir fill-up as the others, and had a cord as long as the monster. BUT if you have carpets than I might recommend the Monster because it has a carpet attachment that allows you to steam clean your carpets and it picked up pretty close to the same amount of dirt as the Eureka Envirosteamer, and had close to the same features...a bit heavier though but that may make it last even longer. It is costlier, but to clean 2 surfaces I would think that might make it worth it.
UPDATE: The Haan just started including 2 pads with the mop according to the product description page. Not that this changes our opinion since it didn''t work as well and the parts were flimsier, but it should be noted that this issue of not having enough cleaning pads has now been resolved and is equal to the other mops.
ANOTHER UPDATE: 1. The Shark came out with a new machine that holds more water and has a longer cord BUT it still only heats the water to 110 degrees so it won''t sanitize or get rid of trapped grime at this "bathwater" temperature.
Another update: I haven''t tried it yet but was told about an even better mop than the Eureka Envirosteamer but I can''t personally afford it...still, it''s worth mentioning in case you can. It''s called the Ladybug XL2300 and is a canister steam mop. It heats the water to 298 degrees (woah!) so it''s a super sanitizer but it''s over a thousand bucks. It also comes with 6 towels. I didn''t include it in my review because I haven''t ever tried it and I wanted to only include mops I personally tried but it''s got great enough stats that, even though it''s out of my price range, I thought I''d pass it on as a super sanitizer when I read about it.
Also: Don''t spend money buying extra pads for the Eureka. I was in a pinch and used a kitchen dish towel...the rectangular kind...just clip on both ends. It worked just as good or better...because they are thinner so the steam penetrates faster and therefore reaches the floor hotter. However, I would recommend still only using the thick pads that come with it for your wood floors just to be safe. But the super hot steam penetrating the dish towel worked excellent on tile and hard floors. Also, you can flip both the towel and the pads that come with it on the Eureka to double the usage...when it gets dirty, just flip it over and use the other side. I use several old dish towels with this but I like best the kind that just have a bit of texture but no squares sewn on them...but they all work great. So do the pads.
I''ve owned the older white model for over a year now the old terry pads didn''t bother me as far as shrinking went, but I sure wore holes in them. The new microfiber pads are a nice improvement, easier to get on and off, and appear to be more durable.
I''m a big fan of this product and was very disappointed when Bissell appeared to discontinue it I''ve wanted to purchase one for my mother and mother in law.
So, for the review:
Nothing cleans your floor better than good old fashioned Cinderella-style scrubbing. But given that I have around 1800 square feet of hard flooring, three kids, and four dogs my knees just can''t take that kind of torture cleaning something that is just going to be spilled on, puked on, or smeared with banana in a matter of minutes.
I have tried all the other leading brands of hard floor cleaners, and this one is by far the simplest to use and does a decent enough job that it''s a regular in my household cleaning routine.
Pros:
Uses nothing but water. No chemicals, no expensive solutions. I do purchase distilled since we have hard well water and the filter on my old model hasn''t needed replacing.
Cleans my ceramic tile and bamboo floor quickly and effectively. The water dries very quickly. My tile never looks streaky, but the bamboo flooring does a bit.
Piece of cake clean up. Toss the mop head pad into the laundry, wrap the cord up and you''re done. Small and compact, easy to store.
It''s very quiet. I can clean after my kids are in bed and the soft steaming noise wouldn''t bother even the lightest sleeper.
Cons:
The cord really is too darn short, but I''ve remedied that with an extension cord.
It''s a little short for me. This gripe isn''t very fair because EVERY mop, broom, and vacuum are too short for me (except for the Dyson) I''m tall. But I will mention here that short women aren''t the only people who clean! My 5''10" self and my 6''4" husband both have to hunch over to mop the floor with this. It''d be lovely if the handle could extend.
Doesn''t do a great job on grout but nothing does. I''ve decided I just hate tile and grout period.
It does take some effort to push, but cleans overall more quickly than the Powered Floormate.
Like any machine it can''t get right up close to the walls and though its mophead fits under the cabinets, it simply cannot clean right in the crack where the floor meets. So every so often I have to get down and hand scrub those areas.
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Highly, highly recommend for regular use. Does a great job at steaming the dried on grime and gunk my kids regularly paste the house with.
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Update 10/11/2010 the microfiber pads have worn out, but they lasted much longer than the old terry pads, have had to order replacement pads, but no biggie. If you sew, they''d be easy to patch with some microfiber towels.
Still love this thing, it gets used a couple times a week on our very messy floors! We now have hard flooring in the basement too (more bamboo) so it gets used more than ever.
Buy Bissell Steam Mop Hard-Floor Cleaner, Green Tea Now
This product is just OK. For some with lots of tile that not too dirty, it may be fine. It is a light cleaning tool. If I had lots of heavy regular filth due to heavy animal and kid traffic, I wouldn''t buy either steam cleaner. I am returning the Bissell because I have a lot of wood laminate and it leaves the floors WAY too wet and streaked. But you ought to be aware of the pros and cons since some things may not matter to you. I also borrowed my sister''s Shark Steam Mop so I will compare the two for you as the cost is identical.
*The Bissell has a swivel head which is great around the toilet and the Shark does not swivel at all.
*The Bissell is well made for a such a low profile appliance and feels sturdy with a nice thick cord. The Shark feels cheaply made with a flimsy cord. The lengths of the cord are similar. You''ll need to use an extension cord with both.
*The Bissell has a removeable water bottle (convenient!) and the shark does not.
*The Bissell weighs more than the Shark (about 8 pounds), but is very easy to push. The Shark is harder to push, but weighs only 3 pounds. You''d get an aerobic workout if you cleaned a whole house of flooring with the Shark and was a lightweight like me!
*The Bissell leaves you with a VERY wet floor even if you go easy on the steam trigger. I also had lots of streaks on my laminate wood flooring. I would not use it on laminate or wood w/o drying them off ASAP. The Shark does not leave streaks and did not leave a sopping trail behind. The floors dried on their own in under a minute. This is a HUGE plus!
*The Bissell pads have a drawstring and are pretty thin and not absorbant which is a contributing factor to the soppiness the mop leaves behind. The Shark pads are velcro attached (easier!)and are thicker and more absorbant. They are also much more expensive to replace, however.
So, my conclusion is that if I had tile floors, I might consider keeping it as the excess wetness wasn''t as huge streaky issue (I went and cleaned my in-laws white tile with it) and it''s a sturdier product that seems like it will last for years. I would just find some elastic pads that were ALOT better (I was considering the Tersano pads sold here Tersano lotus Wet Mop Cloths, 2-Pack #LMC28 as a possibliity since they will fit). But since the drier steam and the better pads are VERY important to me, I may actaully go with the Shark even though the machine is rather flimsy feeling and appears more cheaply made. I''d just use distilled water in it and hope it goes few years before falling apart. You''d think that by now some manufacturer would be able to provide the best of both products. What happened Bissell? You could have had a GREAT product if the pads were thick and absorbant and you provided us with the dry steam that the infomercials imply!
Read Best Reviews of Bissell Steam Mop Hard-Floor Cleaner, Green Tea Here
Well, it''s a newbie review since the product was just released. Time will tell if I actually use this long term or not...
But so far....
I actually do like it! There are only 8 gazillion options on how to best clean your floor, none which truly compare with getting down on your hands and knees. But, for the TYPICAL user who needs an easier solution to a pretty clean floor a couple times a week and particularly prefers not to use chemicals this actually works quite well. I am not disappointed.
I will make a couple notes though:
I guess I wrongly assumed that since it''s using "steam" water it is going to be sanitizing as it goes along. After reading the manual though it states to actually disinfect an area you have to let it steam in that spot for 15 seconds. Obviously to do a whole floor would take the afternoon. But, okay, if you drop a piece of chicken it''s a nice option I suppose.
Also, I was really hoping it would leave a streak free clean but the floor does end up with a bit of standing water and does leave some streaks. Maybe if you don''t hold down the lever quite so much it would just release less water. Of course, though, then it''s not steaming as much either.
Additionally, the lever is a bit tough to hold down for extended periods of time so not for those users with weak pointer fingers. No biggie though.
The cord is pretty short, so I could see that bothering some people. Although I like short cords. Less opportunities to fall and break my neck.
So, in the product''s favor, it does a decent job which is what I was most concerned about. If I let it steam for 3 seconds or so right over something stuck on the kitchen floor it takes it right off. Also goes under the ledges and stuff nicely. The pads are easy to take on and off and it''s quiet.. Also heats up very quickly (a few seconds) and the water lasts long enough for me to do the whole kitchen and dining room. And it''s heavy enough you don''t feel like you have to bear down on it like you do the Swiffer.
One last thing though. It isn''t a super quick clean, in my opinion. I almost think a mop is a little faster because with this thing you kind of want it to go slower so that it can really steam. So, it isn''t necessarily saving me much time. But it is saving hassle, chemicals, and my back!
For someone who understands that that there are no quick fixes in life and they will never find anything that can replace true blood, sweat and tears of doing the job by hand it would be a good find. It is a nice thing to have and a decent close 2nd.
Want Bissell Steam Mop Hard-Floor Cleaner, Green Tea Discount?
I bought this after much online research and figured it had to be too good to be true. A product that would clean without chemicals, not be hard to use, and not need a million pieces! This mop is very light to move, the pad is easy to clean via wash or sink. I most like how it doesn''t leave streaks. Everything else I''ve used on my sealed hardwood floors leaves streaks. No more on my hands and knees! The only things that are a little pain are that you have to take the pad off the bottom after use so that you don''t leave a wet spot (no different than any other mop), the cord tends to be on the short side, there is no way to turn it off except by unplugging it, and that if you aren''t careful with the amount of steam you will have to go over the flooring with a towel. This is only a problem on the wood, on ceramic it dries without problem. I''ve been on the lookout for a product that is easy and efficient. After having mine for a month I am still happy and would recommend it to anyone. Oh, this is Randall''s wife writing the review.
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