To wonder if all steam mops are rubbish?

[2kidsnopets]

I live in a house with a lot of hard flooring, and two mess creating kids.
I thought a steam mop would be the ideal solution for floor cleaning. I bought a cheapish one (about £30) but it was useless and I returned it. It seemed really flimsy and didn't make enough steam to actually clean anything.

Does anyone have a steam mop that they rate? Or are they all just as rubbish? The ones on the shopping channel look amazing but everything looks amazing on there so not sure that's a good thing to go by!

I have a Vax steam mop, we have five bathrooms to clean and it was a revelation.

It was one of the more expensive models though, IIRC it was in the sake and still over £100. Worth every penny though.

Go on *cream^ tells us why it’s vulgar?

I use both, I tried a cheap steam mop and it was rubbish, I now have the green x5 like a poster above and I really like it, It gets the floor clean and dries quicker than a mop.

I never seem to have time to do the other things you can do but have had some sucess with carpet cleaning

I have a Hoover one, it's about 6 years old, still going strong, doesn't leave pools of water on the wooden floor like a conventional mop, nor leaves streaks on the ceramic tiled floor. (I have to hand dry the ceramic floor if I use a standard mop!)

On mine the middle triangle section comes out and has a brush attached to for very stubborn areas.

I had a cheap one, broke after about four years, got a shark it broke within a year, but I got my money back ( offer at the time) I now have that H2O one, special offer in B&Q and it’s ok...works very well really, so no complaints, need one witha muddy dog.

Can you use it on laminate?

Hmm I’ve been wondering if they’re worth the investment. I’ve got a lot of tiles and the floor gets mopped once a week and I use a spray mop for going over any marks. I think I like the spray mop because I don’t have to faff with plugs etc, I see a mark and just poodle it across the floor

Describing a steam mop as vulgar has to be one of the most MN things ever. Now to be added to the list along with loo brushes and using towels more than once.

Vulgar and proud here.

PS mine is a Vax one. Had a Hoover one before. After returning it for faults under warranty on 4 occasions, I went cheap. It has been fine. I use it on Karndean.

I have a green X5 steam mop that I use. Hoover first, then mop and it's fine.

One of the questions and answers on the Murphy Richards one linked to on Argos talks about using distilled water - is that necessary?

I've not used distilled water in mine, I must be honest. I just stick some boiled water in from the kettle. Been using it 3 years and it is still good as new, not gunked up or corroded or anything. I do have very soft water here though, imagine that makes a difference?

scaredofthecity-Can you use it on laminate?

I wouldn't use a steam mop on laminate or some other kinds of hard flooring. Steam can do a heck of a lot of damage

I've got a bissel one that will hover up crumbs and steam. It's fab. It does take a while to get going though.

I use mine on laminate but you do have to work quickly, not leave it to sit for even a few seconds. Same's true for hardwood really.

I do have to use distilled water in mine as the lime scale builds up and destroys it otherwise.

I suspect it’s vulgar because it must mean you clean your own floors. Cleaning your own floors is vulgar - unless done by hand with a tissue and gloves like cleaning the toilet. Mopping is done by the staff dontchaknow.

Meanwhile back in the real world - not massively impressed with our Vax, it was ok but DH didn’t take to it, I’ve just ordered an ecloth mop for my new bathroom. I have a bad back so I’m hoping it will be easier to swoosh across the tiles. We also have no where to easily store the steam mop now.

Ok thanks. I love a cleaning gadget but not sure I want to risk damaging my newly laid floor!

@Queenie8 I think we have the same Hoover one! It's fab- does what it says it will & mine is still going strong. I saw them reduced in Tesco recently.

It was that Hoover one (Duo?) that I had and had to keep returning.

I have a karcher steam stick.... I didn’t use it for the first 12 months I had it but now I love it. Floor dries really quickly and now the tiles sparkle

I had a huge industrial one which was brilliant with many attachments and an extra long lead. It was a bit bulky to store but the large tank meant I could do the whole house and not need to refill. It took a while to heat up when you first turned it on though. It really steamed everywhere. I used it to steam clothes and all manky areas in the bathroom too. Everyone borrowed it. It got used to strip wall paper in dozens of houses, cleaning kennels and on many cars.

I used a carpet washer and I steamed the carpets afterwards to get the pile up. In my rented house the carpets were manky and the steamer made a massive difference after getting all the muck out with the carpet washer.

I also used it in the bathroom and kitchen. I lost a main floor attachment bit when I moved house and was unable to get a replacement part.

I replaced it with a much smaller 'Beldray'. The smaller one I just use in the kitchen and bathroom. It's just a basic steamer so much lighter but can only be used on the floors. It's a bit boring.

We’ve a vax one too. It’s definitely not vulgar, I think the opposite! It’s amazing when you don’t have to wait for the floor to dry and also there’s no sticky chemicals.

Moo, only had the Shark so cannot compare with others. Brilliant on tiled kitchen and bathroom floors and great for refreshing carpets.

I've got a cheap Vax one; it came with a thin microfiber cloth thingy but I bought two off brand replacements on eBay that are sort of long thick shagpile stringy stuff which are mich better. We've got laminate floor in 2/3 house and it makes shorticultural work of it. I mix 1:1 Zoflora and water in a spray bottle and give a quick squirt around as I go, because I like the smell (tried putting some in the tank but burnt Zoflora smells nasty!)

Never have I enjoyed a phrase more on MN, than ‘using a steam mop is vulgar’

Another vote for Vax Steam Mop

Perplexed as to how using a steam mop is vulgar - that aside I have a cheap one that will probably break but it's got me converted. No more wet floors. Lovely white shiney ones instead.

I bought a shark but I find a mop and bucket gets the floor much cleaner, our kitchen is very big and we have dogs and I find the shark gets dirty too quickly and it's a faff to keep taking the pad off to swill it under the tap.

I only use it for window sills now.