Vileda Steam Mop Plus review: can it rejuvenate carpet and hard floors?

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Price on writing: £79 | Buy now from Amazon

What we like

• Swivelling triangular head gets right into corners and up to edges

• Easy to set up

• Lightweight and easy to manoeuvre

• Microfibre mop head is machine washable

• Good cord length

What we don't like

• You may find yourself running out of mop heads - but these can be bought separately

• Mop can’t be used with a carpet or floor cleaner

• Better for light, regular mopping rather than deep cleans

Key specs

Type: Steam mop | Heating time: 15 seconds | Steaming time: 28 minutes | Variable steam?: Three different settings | Water tank capacity: 0.4L | Cord length: 6m | Weight: Not specified | Limescale filter: N | Wattage: ‎Not specified | Included accessories: Carpet glider, two machine-washable microfibre pads | Guarantee: Two years

What Mumsnet users say

“I got the Vileda off Amazon and I love it. Easy to use, lightweight and great value.” Brand recommended by Mumsnet user dragonflyee

Our verdict

The Vileda Steam Mop Plus is a great value-for-money upright steam cleaner that heats up quickly, allowing you to get to work almost immediately. 

As well as making short work of grime on hard-sealed floors, such as tiles, wood, vinyl and laminate, the Steam Mop Plus comes with a carpet glider that allows you to clean carpets with ease. Included in the box are two machine-washable microfibre cleaning cloths which fit on the floor head and can be used up to 200 times each - which is an awful lot of mopping. The swivelling, triangle-shaped floor head makes it easy to clean in corners of rooms, right up to skirting boards and in any other nooks and crannies where dirt and grime may be hiding.

Vileda says that the Steam Mop Plus kills 99.9% of bacteria from all types of floor surfaces making this a great chemical-free cleaning option, especially for pet owners.

How does it feel to hold?

The Vileda Steam Mop Plus has an ergonomically designed handle, meaning it feels comfortable and easy to hold. It is also lightweight and, coupled with the swivelling floor head, this meant it was easy to use without the need for any extra elbow grease.

What's the Vileda Steam Mop Plus like to assemble?

The Vileda Steam Mop Plus was incredibly easy to assemble, with no tools required. The handle clicks into the main body of the mop that contains the water tank. This in turn clicks into the floor head and the mop pad is attached by velcro underneath. If you are planning to use the steam mop on your carpets, then the plastic carpet glider clips on over the mop pad.

Before using the Vileda Steam Mop Plus, I had to unscrew the cap on the water tank and add up to 400ml of water with the plastic jug provided before replacing the cap. 

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What's the Vileda Steam Mop Plus like to use day-to-day?

The Vileda Steam Mop Plus is pretty straightforward to use. After setting up the machine, it was just a case of plugging it in and turning the dial to the right setting - minimum for delicate floors such as wood and laminate, medium for carpets, and maximum for tiles and vinyl floors. It took a super speedy 15 seconds to heat up, which is pretty impressive.

I liked that there was a lot of movement in the swivelling triangular head, which helped the mop to move smoothly across the floor and find its way into corners and right up against skirting boards and kitchen units with ease. And if that wasn't enough, the mop comes with a generous six-metre-long cord, which gave me freedom to roam while steaming.

The Vileda Steam Mop Plus can clean up to 120 m² with one full tank of water and a transparent viewing window on the tank means it is easy to see exactly how much is left. You can steam for up to 28 minutes at a time, which allowed me to tackle several rooms in one go without needing to stop for a top-up.

Once you’ve finished getting steamy, the handle can be folded down for easy storage, which is great if you are limited on space. The mop stands up on its own, too - just stand the body of the mop up until you hear it click into the floor head.

Read next: Best floor mops to keep wood, laminate and tile floors spotlessly clean

How well does the Vileda Steam Mop Plus clean hard floors?

The Vileda Steam Mop Plus uses steam to soften up stubborn dirt by dissolving it, before pressure lifts it from the floor and it is wiped away by the microfibre pad. I tested the Steam Mop Plus on laminate and tiled flooring and was pleasantly surprised at the amount of grime and stains that were lifted off the floor.

Read next: Best floor cleaning products to keep wooden, tile, vinyl and laminate floors clean

How well does the Vileda Steam Mop Plus clean carpets?

The Vileda Steam Mop Plus performed well on carpet, and managed to shift a horrifying amount of filth from dark carpets in high-traffic areas of the house. Stubborn, long-standing stains from spilt tea and dropped make-up still refused to budge. However, the carpets did look noticeably fresher, so the Steam Mop Plus would be a great investment to help you keep on top of grubby carpets. 

And if that’s not enough to convince you, the Vileda Steam Mop Plus also works wonders on rugs, upholstery and mattresses too.

Read next: Best carpet cleaners for pristine and tidy floors, tested by Mumsnetters

How do you clean the Vileda Steam Mop Plus?

One thing I really love about the Vileda Steam Mop Plus is the durability of the mop pads. The microfibre cleaning pads, which are made up of 91% polyester and 9% other materials, are reusable and can be washed and reused up to a whopping 200 times. When a pad looks a bit mucky, just take it off the mop and chuck it in the washing machine on any cycle up to 60c. 

Vileda recommends using distilled water in the steam mop if you live in a hard water area. Limescale can develop over time on the metal parts and potentially affect the performance of the mop, so you will need to descale it regularly, as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Read next: The best water softeners to combat hard water damage

Is the Vileda Steam Mop Plus good value for money?

I would say yes, the Vileda Steam Mop Plus is good value for money. Retailing at just £79 at the time of writing (January 30th, 2024), it’s a good investment for anyone looking to keep on top of their floor care regime. I preferred the Steam Mop Plus to the Vileda Looper, the electric spray mop that cost nearly double the price but didn’t have the same manoeuvrability. I feel the Vileda Steam Mop Plus is priced at the right level and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

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How we tested

Mumsnet reviewer Laura Cooke lives in Sussex with her husband and two children, aged four and six.

The Vileda Steam Mop Plus was tested on carpet and hard flooring, including laminate and tiles. It was tested on a range of common household stains, including makeup, tea and mud. The mop was scored on how easy it was to set up, use and clean, its performance on carpet and hard floors and whether it offered value for money.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.