Shall I get a steam mop? Or get a robot hoover/mop?

[P0PP]

I have a Hoover, I was considering a steam mop as most of our floors are hard floors.
but now I see these robots!
what do you think?

We've got a robot mop - I don't know if it was faulty but it took forever to mop and by the time it had finished the dog had traipsed another load of muddy footprints over the kitchen floor. I've got a lakeland spray mop now and to be honest that suits me much better.

Our robot hoover is great, we have had a roomba for years. But you do have to clear up first - pick up cables etc.

That’s very useful thank you! I do have a spray mop but was feeling like the floor isn’t properly clean

The robot mops are OK if you're starting with a clean floor which doesn't get very dirty. They basically rub a damp cold cloth on the floor, which is very different IMO from actual mopping. It's a sort of little and often approach preventing more dirt from building up. At worst though they are potentially just spreading bacteria and muck all over the place, especially if you let them go into your kitchen or downstairs loo. We have one and it's OK - we have LVP with underfloor heating (that sounds incredibly fancy but we are renting so we didn't pay for it!) and I think the heating helps because even if you had a mop that heats the water first, it would cool down almost immediately on contact with a cold floor. We don't have pets but do have primary aged children. We don't wear shoes inside as a rule, but the kids will run in and out in their socks at times. The mop/hoover thing doesn't have any way of judging how dirty the mop pads are, so it just goes back to clean them and get more detergent-and-water on a timed basis.

I'm old school and feel the best way to a clean hard floor is with an old fashioned mop and bucket using liquid Flash. My DD who lives at home uses the steam mop in the kitchen and bathroom, I wet mop when it's my turn and feel the floors are cleaner afterwards going by the colour of the water in the bucket compared to the colour of the steam mop head. Just treated myself to a new vileda set for £20.

Robot mops just basically waft a damp rag over your floors. Not too bad for keeping on top of general day to day mess but won't deal with anything major - really it's just dusting.

Steam mops are really good as they let you clean without using bleach or anything. Get one which detaches and you can use it for general cleaning of bathrooms etc.

I did have a steam one and felt it was gimmicky and now I'm not sure if it's safe to use on the LVP so don't use it.

TBH, I think for mopping you really just need hot water, some kind of detergent that doesn't leave sticky residue, and a way to clean the mop easily so you're not just slopping dirty water around.

They do different jobs so you cannot really compare.
the robot will keep the floors ‘ticking over’ while the steam mop will help you properly clean it.
I have a robot hoover (without the mop function). and a steam mop.
if they were both to break at the same time I would replace the robot. I could live without the steam mop 🤣

This is all really really helpful!
so I thi k the mop part of a robot is not worth it from people are saying. Now I’m not sure what to do at all! Perhaps I get a robot and a steam mop, still cheaper than the combo robot

I have a steam mop (it's just approaching its 10th anniversary!) I love the flexibility- I can do floor's (including my laminate stairs), tiles, various nooks and crannies etc as it has different attachments and can be full size and hand held. It does an excellent job of cleaning the floors and doesn't leave them streaky.