Is the Shark Steam Pocket Mop Really a Good Buy?

The Shark company is quickly building a name for itself, and the Shark Steam Pocket Mop is one of their more popular products. It combines the same sort of function as you’d expect from today’s modern mops, but it adds a few unique features that separate it from the rest of the pack. We went in-depth on this mop to find out if it’s something you should add to your home-cleaning arsenal.

Overview
When it comes to getting your hardwood and other floor surfaces really clean, there’s only so many ways you can go about it. The Swiffer Wet Jet pretty much replaced traditional mops in most homes a while back, but it has certain limitations that make it far from the ideal choice. By adding steam into the mix, the Shark company is getting you one step closer to having floors you can eat off of. If you’ve got a home with a crawling baby in it, this might be something you need to have.

The Claim
The Shark Steam Pocket Mop claims that it makes cleaning hard surfaces faster, easier and just plain better. It says it accomplishes this by letting you either dust, mop, or scrub, and by letting you control the level of steam that comes out of it. This lets you easily move between different surfaces, and between different jobs. If you just need to clean up a spill, you don’t need to add any steam to the mix, and it works just like a mop. If you’ve got some dried on, caked on mess then you’ll need to blast it with some steam to loosen it up and disinfect it.

The Hype
The hype comes from the rising popularity of Shark products, and the fact that this uses steam in order to clean the floors. There have been plenty of steam cleaners to come and go, and it is hard to find one that works the way it says it will, and stands up to the test of time and repeated use.

The Cost
The Shark Steam Pocket Mop is $160, which for a steam product like this is pretty competitive. You want something that’s going to work, not just now but in the future, so you don’t want to bargain shop too much on this, or you’ll just end up getting something that is designed to break down before long.

The Commitment
This should reduce the amount of time you

spend getting your floors clean, and also reduce the amount of effort you have to put in to doing it. By loosening up stuck on dirt and stains you won’t have to wrestle with your floors like you would with a non-steam mop.

Things We Like
We like that the pad it uses is reversible, as this immediately adds twice as much cleaning potential to it. But the good part is that it is not hard to reverse it. Some mops make it a real pain to get the pad on and off, but with the Shark it pops right off, flips around and pops right back on so you don’t miss a beat. Plus it’s washable and reusable so you won’t have to buy replacements pads like you do with other models.

When you’re talking about steam, you’re talking about disinfecting the floors as well as just cleaning them. This can provide an overall cleaner home, and can be a great thing to consider if you’ve got little ones in the house that like to crawl around and explore. By keeping your floors clean regularly you will reduce the likelihood of them coming into contact with something they shouldn’t.

Evaluation
Shark Steam Pocket Mop is getting its fair share of thumbs up, and positive reviews. The majority of people say it works great. There are some people that don’t like it, but after analyzing their complaints it seems that most of them are due to user error. Some people don’t realize that there are multiple steam settings, which should be adjusted based on the type of floor your cleaning, and the type of mess you’re cleaning up.

Another area of user error is on the type of floor surface people are trying to clean. Shark states that their steam mop works well on laminates, bamboo flooring, hardwood, marble, tile and stone. If you try using it on waxed floors, or unsealed floors, you’re not going to get the results you were expecting, and can even damage your flooring. Be sure to read and follow the directions on this one and you’ll be alright.

You should also be aware that you’ll want to sweep up the dry stuff before using this. Its basic function is as a mop, so if you don’t sweep or vacuum beforehand, you won’t get as good results. We recommend giving the hardwood floor the once over with your upright vacuum’s attachment and then using this to clean up any remaining dirt, and worn in grime.

Final Shark Steam Pocket Mop Review

Shark Steam Pocket Mop gets our nod of approval and is quickly gaining ground as the steam mop of choice at this price point. The right tool for the job is important, and if you don’t have it you’ll end up needlessly spending more time on a mundane task, and less time away from what you really want to be doing. By using steam, you are getting your floors as clean as you possibly can, and you don’t have to buy any more floor cleaners, as this uses ordinary tap water.

Our Recommendation
You should get this, as it makes a nice compliment to your home by providing the solution to keeping a majority of your floor spic and span. If you combine this with the Shark Navigator Lift-Away for carpets you’ll basically have your entire house covered from floor to ceiling. The Shark company is doing a great job of finding that middle ground between the higher priced Dyson line, and the lower priced models like Hoover and Eureka.

Read user reviews on the Shark Steam Mop

What do you think? Does the Shark Steam Pocket Mop work or not?