Steam Mop Review

Steam mops: Pros and cons

Steam mops allow you to clean hard floors with heated water, offering a greener alternative to cleaning. By eliminating the need for chemical detergents, you can save money and for homes with children or pets you can avoid the fumes and floor residue left behind by some cleaning agents. Some (but not all) steam mops also sanitize, emitting steam hot enough to kill bacteria, germs and dust mites. Several also have attachments that allow you to sanitize upholstery, mattresses and countertops among other surfaces.

Most reviews agree that steam mops are easier to use than a regular mop. There's no pail of water to deal with, the floors dry faster and the steam is especially useful for loosening stains and sticky or tough food. Reviews are mixed as to whether or not a steam mop actually cleans a floor better than a regular mop, however. Even if results are about the same, though, most owners say they prefer a steam mop simply because of the convenience.

Before you buy a steam mop, be aware that there are a few drawbacks. You have to be able to plug in the mop, and there are often complaints about the power cords being too short. If you have a large area to clean, you'll have to keep switching the mop from one outlet to another. Also, though the microfiber covers are machine-washable, reviewers warn that they should be washed separately from clothes so they do not become covered with lint, and they should not be placed in the dryer as they can shrink.

While you can save money by eliminating the need to purchase cleaning chemicals for floors or disposable mop covers for a Swiffer, steam mops may not save you as much money as you might expect. If you have a large area to clean you may need to purchase more mop covers and even though they're reusable, they can need replacing every few months. Some steam mops also use filters that need replacement at least twice a year. Though many steam mops can use tap water, using distilled water is recommended to prevent mineral buildup.

Steam mops are designed to clean vinyl, tile, sealed wood and laminate flooring. They are not effective on cork flooring, unsealed wood or waxed floors. The steam can melt the wax and leave behind streaks or a haze. We did find some reports of damage to laminate flooring, and it is not advised to leave any steam mop in one place for longer than 20 seconds. This can become a balancing act as some models only sanitize if held in place for 15 seconds. Most steam mops clean ceramic tile well, but they aren't good at cleaning the grout between tiles. This holds true for any flooring that is uneven as the flat-bottomed steam mops are unable to scrub the recessed surfaces.

If you use a steam mop, you still will need to sweep or vacuum your floor before mopping. There are a handful of new combination models available that combine sweepers or vacuums with steam mops (called steam vacuums or steam sweepers), but there are few reviews or comparisons of these models yet. Those few user reviews that are available give these steam vacuums average scores, praising them for their ease of use but complaining that they don't pick up loose debris as well as a regular vacuum cleaner.

Beyond steam mops there are canister and handheld steam cleaners, which can be used on appliances, countertops, bathtubs, shower doors and other places. Canister steam cleaners usually come with floor-mopping attachments, and reviews say the best ones are more convenient than a steam mop -- but also much more expensive. For example, the Ladybug XL4300 (*Est. $1,450) costs almost 15 times as much as a steam mop. For more on canister and handheld steam cleaners please see our report on steam cleaners.

Finding steam mop reviews

ConsumerReports.org provides good guidelines for cleaning with steam mops and offers a buying guide to help you match your flooring type with an appropriate steam mop. It also rates 10 steam mops based in part on their ability to clean vinyl floors and the amount of water residue left after cleaning.

At Amazon.com, we found an excellent comparison test of seven steam mops by an Austin, Texas, resident. She enlists the help of her neighbors and reviews in depth the heat of the steam, number of steam holes, construction and ease of use for each steam mop.

An older 2007 review from Good Housekeeping tests steam mops on a variety of floors stained with chocolate syrup, ketchup and fruit juice. Tests at The Wall Street Journal compare five steam mops in the same price range, evaluating their ease of use and cleaning ability. Excellent steam-mop tests are also reported at About.com, where the site's guide to housekeeping reviews six models, testing each on a variety of hard floor surfaces. Pros and cons for each steam mop are listed. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Owner-written reviews from Amazon.com offer insight into product performance on various flooring types as well as a steam mop's durability over time. Quite a few other retail sites – including Sears.com, Target.com, BestBuy.com and Walmart.com -- provide useful reviews and ratings by owners. QVC.com offers user reviews and a helpful question-and-answer section in which prospective buyers are able to ask questions of current owners.

Regardless of which steam-mop brand or model you buy, owner-written reviews make clear that there is a good chance of getting a lemon. Even well-reviewed steam mops only earn positive ratings from about 75 percent of their owners, with other owners complaining about units that don't work properly, break down within 18 months or cause electrical shorts. A frequent problem is the handle breaking off the steam mop. That's so common in fact that some manufacturers sell handle replacement kits. Nevertheless, many steam-mop owners are positive about their mops, emphasizing the importance of reading and following the directions thoroughly, no matter which brand or model you buy, to avoid water leaks and some of these early malfunctions.