Are there any good steam mops

In theory, this steam loosens grime, and the cloth cleaning head wipes it away. Steam mops claim to make it easy to clean grimy floors without the use of chemicals; some manufacturers even claim that the hot steam helps kill bacteria and mites. We think steam mops are far more convenient than a mop and bucket but will only work well in certain circumstances.

Like vacuum cleaners , steam mops come in stick and canister forms, but they don't have suction power. If you need to clean up large amounts of spilled liquids, you'll need a conventional mop or a wet and dry vacuum cleaner instead. We also recommend sweeping up or wiping excess dirt or stains from the floor before using a steam mop because you'll probably still be spreading the muck around.

Steam mops aren't great at stain removal but keep in mind that this is dependent on the flooring you have, as some stains soak more easily into certain types of floors over others. While not perfect, they probably do remove stains better than a mop and bucket.

And while they can be good at removing new stains, don't expect them to instantly lift years of longstanding dirt. If you clean infrequently or have in-ground stains, particularly in the grout, then a steam mop may not be the best choice.

We tested how well steam mops cleaned cola and tea stains from grout, and they all did a poor job. Steam mop pads aren't designed to get into recessed grout, and steam is, well, just hot water, and that's often not enough to remove in-ground dirt.

For these jobs a steam cleaner with jet nozzle tools and a brush may help, but they're only useful on small areas. Most models claim to rejuvenate carpet and upholstery, and while we've found they do refresh the carpet's appearance, they don't actually clean it.

Steam mops can damage the surfaces of cork tiles and unsealed or waxed timber. However, they should be suitable for most hard floors, including vinyl, ceramic tiles, linoleum, marble, stone and sealed timber — with some caveats. Some manufacturers of timber flooring express concerns that the steam is forced between the boards and cracks in the surface, causing them to expand.

Over time this could cause problems such as delamination, buckling and cupping raised board edges , or it may shorten the life of some coatings. Flooring maker Armstrong wrote in a strongly worded blog post about steam mops since removed from its website that you should, under no circumstances, ever use a steam mop, especially on hardwood or engineered-wood floors.

Our own testing confirmed that these products have the potential to damage floors. Every single steam mop we tested, on all settings, left behind a good amount of water on the floor. Flooring maker Armstrong plainly prohibits against using water let alone steam to clean any hardwood flooring, as does TrafficMaster , Anderson , Bellawood , Heritage Mill , and many others.

The steam itself combines moisture and heat, which can break down the adhesive holding engineered pieces together, causing floors to swell and buckle. The heat can discolor and damage even seemingly impervious materials, like vinyl—testing two steam mops for a few minutes on the stick-on vinyl floor in my laundry room caused cloudlike white spots to form.

Some floors are safe to clean with a steam mop, though. Glazed tile, sealed granite, and most other sealed stone floors usually will come out of the cleaning undamaged. Luckily, this is also the kind of floor that steam mops work best on.

We interviewed Jolie Kerr, host of the Ask a Clean Person podcast , right after she had finished testing a steam mop for a magazine review.

There are a few more things to know when deciding if this product is right for you. The steam produced by these mops is quite hot, enough that you have to wait a good 3 to 5 minutes before you can replace a pad. Using them for more than a few minutes in a closed room makes the room itself uncomfortable. Last, steam mops often tout benefits such as sanitizing floors and killing bacteria. Do you really expect your floor to be sanitary, or stay that way for any length of time?

Knowing their limits, we focused on finding steam mops that seemed reliable, available, and popular, and we stayed away from those that promised far more than we knew they could deliver. Some publications have tested steam mops, like Good Housekeeping , but provide very little detail on how they tested or what made one better at cleaning than another.

Consumer Search did a meta-review of reviews to praise three steam mops in July , including our two picks. We also read as many owner reviews as we could, although steam mop reviews on Amazon are heavily influenced by reviewers provided with free samples by a few companies.

Reviewers also often fail to specify the type of floors they are cleaning, or suggest uses for their mop that most people should avoid. If you have to buy a steam mop for one or two small rooms worth of glazed tile or sealed stone, you should buy the Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop It was the easiest mop to push around, get into corners, or tilt under sinks, tables, or other low surfaces.

It offers continuous steam, which is more convenient and comfortable than pump handles or triggers, with three levels of intensity.

The PowerFresh has thousands of positive reviews from owners, its pads are relatively easy to remove and clean, and it sells for less than many other steam mops we found which were not worth the price. Its handle and tank can dip lower than most other steam mops, so the steaming head maneuvers underneath sinks and other furniture. The PowerFresh can also lock into a standing position, while most other steam mops make you find something to lean them against. One key benefit of using a steam mop over a traditional mop is that it's an all-in-one system.

Aside from the pad, there are no separate cleaners to buy and store and no heavy buckets to fill and empty. And since the pad gets tossed or washed when you're done, steam mops are neater and easier to store than messy, drippy string or sponge mops. Finally, unlike just about every other type of floor mop, steam mops reach temperatures high enough kill germs and bacteria on hard surfaces. Just pass them slowly in areas you want to sanitize to give the steam time to do its job.

Steam mops can also provide a deeper clean in homes where kids or pets like to play and lie on the floors. And the fact that they kill germs can give you peace of mind that your floors are really clean for these family members.

Consider switching to a steam mop if you have a busy household with lots of foot traffic and need to wash your floors often, as it will streamline your cleaning routine and save you from having to buy and stock up on floor-cleaning formulas. Finally, if you just want to cut down or eliminate some of the cleaning products in your home, switching to a steam mop is an easy fix!

Below, you'll find more about the steam mops that have done well in our tests or models from brands we know and trust, plus information on the features we've found to be most helpful. And for more great floor cleaners, be sure to check out our favorite vacuums and hardwood floor cleaners :.

Reliable irons are known for billowing out lots of steam in GH Cleaning Lab tests, so it makes sense that their steam mops perform well, too. And they do! This model's triangular triangular swivel head makes it especially well-suited to cleaning in corners and it even comes with a scrubber brush to plow through stuck-on messes and clean dirty tile grout better than steam alone can do. We like that the package includes two microfiber pads, so a clean one is always ready and a glide that snaps onto the head for freshening carpets.

The slim design and large grip handle make it easy to carry up and down stairs and the on-demand steam button is easy to access. You'll barely lift a finger! This updated version of Shark's original steam mop is a great starter model for new homeowners or recent grads starting out on their own and a great value. Amazon reviewers loved the super-easy set-up , too — just snap the pole and top handle into place and fill the tank to use.

The water tank is removable for easy filling at the sink and the steam is dispensed on demand when you want it. This steamer locks in the upright position for easy storage—unlike some others that annoyingly fall over—and the foot cord means no corner is out of reach.

If you're looking for one appliance to both vacuum and steam clean your floors, the Bissell Symphony Pet is the perfect choice.

Use it just as a vacuum for dry debris like pet hair, as a steam mop to wet clean or sanitize or as both at the same time. And because dry pickup stays separate from the wet dispensing, there's no mess inside the machine. The dust cup is super easy to empty without getting your hands dirty and in our GH Cleaning Lab tests, the Bissell was easy to use and maneuver, lightweight and comfortable to hold.

We especially like that it comes with both reusable microfiber pads and disposable pads for cleaning up super icky messes and has multiple levels of on-demand steam.

All of these plusses and more helped make it one of our most recent Good Housekeeping Seal stars! Simply pop off the attached handheld steamer and with or without the included accessory hose, use it to steam clean shower walls and doors, the grill, kitchen surfaces, appliances, glass and mirrors and even de-wrinkle draperies and clothing with its garment steamer attachment. It has several steam settings and produces continuous steam, so there's no trigger or button to press.

This Shark also does double duty as a steam mop and above-the-floor steam cleaning tool. In mopping mode, it works with adjustable continuous steam and has a Steam Blaster nozzle for zapping stuck-on stains that need extra muscle on-the-go without having to stop cleaning to scrub them. Other helpful add-ons include a triangular scrubber head, a soft microfiber pocket pad for delicate surfaces and a double-sided mopping pad for more cleaning time between pad changes.