Review: Shark Steam Pocket Mop

I blame it on Costco, that Shangri-La of impulse buying.

I guess I wasn't completely fulfilled by my Swiffer WetJet. It did its job well enough, but throwing away the disposable mophead after each use felt wasteful. Also, I wasn't comfortable using the Swiffer cleaning fluid on my marble floors. So I'd clean those on my hands and knees with a mildly sudsy sponge. I admit that this meant I rarely cleaned those floors.

So the Shark.



Maybe it wasn't all emotional. The Shark makes practical sense. It cleans with steam so I can use it on all my bathroom floors. I can wash and reuse the mopheads. It uses water and not noxious chemicals. It was under $100 cash and carry at my local Costco. During my last Costco trip, I fell for it.

Nitty gritties. The Shark's lightweight. Its cord is quite long and doesn't seem prone to tangling. The little well is easy to fill, and the mopheads are fairly easy to attach and detach. I started in my kitchen. The Shark gave a satisfying little hiss of steam (but not loud enough to set off my dog whose nemeses include the vacuum cleaner and the coffee bean grinder). I ran it over the battered vinyl. This version steams with every push of the mop. It seemed too easy. Was it doing anything? I stepped back, and wow. The grungy old vinyl looked really white. Whiter than it had in awhile. It was still scarred and scraped (nothing steam can do about that). But it looked noticeably better. Notably cleaner. Apparently the old vinyl was gross partially due to my poor housekeeping.

When I encountered particularly stubborn schmutz, I'd place the mop directly over the stain and steam for a little while. Extra steam and a little gentle scrubbing got everything up. I also love the little triangular mophead, perfect for maneuvering in tight spaces. It cleaned all the nooks and crannies in my pocket-sized powder room. One tankful of water was enough to clean my breakfast/kitchen (210 s.f.), one short hallway, and three small bathrooms. We're close to Boston so when I say small bathroom, think really, really, really small. Phone booth-sized.

So far, thumbs up for this little machine.