Steam Cleaners

Hi N.,
I have the Shark Steam Mop and I LOVE it!! I use it to clean my vinyl floors weekly and I use it occasionally on my wood laminate if it's gooped up with something. I used to use just a mop and some sort of cleanser and always felt like my floors were sticky. Once I started using this steam mop, my floors are smooth and so clean feeling!

I have read better reviews on the Bissell on Amazon, but cannot speak for that particular model. I also have a handheld Shark steam cleaner that I use for smaller areas (corners, toilets, showers) and love that too!

Good luck with your purchase!
S.

Hi N.,

We have the hoover floormate. It works pretty well, because it scrubs and sucks up all the water, rather than just being a steamer with a pad, which ends up kind of smearing the dirt. It's bulky and heavy, and not exactly fast, those are the downsides, but it does get things cleaner. We had to get a new one after our first one. The first one, I think might have had some design issues, because the second one works better. Also I think we killed our first one by not using the floormate solution, but Murphy's soap (which would probably leave some residue in the lines). So I'd recommend using their solution, which is what we do now.

I also wanted this especially for the hardwood, since it pulls basically all the water off, which is better for the floors.

Depending on the steam cleaner you currently have, you may be able to use it on your laminate and hardwood.
I have the hoover steam vac V and i use it for the carpet and the laminate. It works great, this is the only way that i do my laminate floors anymore.
I also have the bissel pro heat turbo, i have used this on my laminate before but it doesn't do as well as the hoover.
Hope you find something that works.
J.

N.,

Orek makes a floor cleaner that looks really good. It is new, I believe. I just looked at it while looking at thier new vacuum "Halo". Orek has been by far the best vacuum ever, so that might be worth a look?

K.

All I have to say is BISSELL, BISSELL, BISSELL. I wouldn't have any other brand.

N.;

I went through 2 different floor cleaners before I gave up. I had the Hoover upright steam vaccuum, and what I discovered is this: The minute your friends/family/neighbors find out that you have a steam cleaner, they all want to borrow it. DON'T LET THEM!! They will then break it, and it will cost more to repair than it is worth. The water bladder on my Hoover Steam Cleaner (top of the line purchased @costco) broke 2 times, and the repairman says that this is common with the non-commercial type cleaners. Each time it cost me $100.

I also bought the Bissel hardwood floor cleaner...supposedly vacuumed, mopped and "dried" the floors at the same time.....big waste of money. It was faster and easier to sweep/mop.

For what it's worth, I've decided to rent a carpet cleaner a few times a year. I use a local vacuum store (Stark's in Portland, OR) because I know they do a better job of servicing the steam cleaner than a grocery store. I rent a Rug Doctor, and it always does a good job. It is superior to any home carpet cleaner.

I've been watching the ads on TV for the Shark Steam Broom and am thinking of buying it. I have an Eureka Enviro Steamer. Its a canister style. It has a hose and tubes so that you can use it to clean the floors. I mostly use the attachments to focus the steam in corners and around the edge of the floors, around the toilet. It's advertised to use to sanitize all surfaces including the stove top, sinks, tubs, showers and to easily get hard to clean surfaces clean without scrubbing. I haven't tried it for those.

I don't use the steamer very often because it seems like a chore to get it out and put together. I am glad to have it because the space next to the wall never gets clean and crud builds up. We use Mop and Glo and the dips in the linoleum get grey with wax build up. I used the Steam Cleaner to strip the floor.

I think an upright all in one like the Shark steam broom would be more convenient for everyday floor cleaning.