Purchase Advice. Shark Floor Steamer?

I have one and LOVE it! I use it on my hard wood floors and its GREAT. I have a floor mate too but compared to the shark, its way too much work to deal with. Good luck!

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I was able to get one on my local Freecycle list. I have white tile floors in my bathroom. It did pretty well, but it was not as easy and quick as they make it look on TV. If I had paid money for this I probably would have been disappointed. Also, I used it on the tiles inside my shower. It did well on some hard water stains. But I ended up using chemical cleaner on the soap scum. It did not do so great on my carpet, either. If you do decide to try this out, try Freecycle or Craigslist instead of new. Just my two cents...

I have the shark and I love it. My mother-in-law recommended it and she doesn't usually recommend things that cost more than $15-20. I use it on my hardwood floors mostly and I think it does a wonderful job. The first time I used it it was really hard to push and I was really disappointed, then I realized it was ungluing all the old detergents that I'd used before which left a residue. I think it's a wonderful choice and I hope it works well on your tile. I've used it on my tile but my tile is beige with dark grout so it's a very different situation.

Good luck (and consider getting it at Bed Bath and Beyond when you have a 20% off coupon).

Liz

As I told Kelly last week, I have a Shark and it works very well. I have white marble tile in my kitchen. You do need to vacuum first, just as you would to clean a floor with a bucket and mop. The shark gets it clean with no streaks or filmy look.

Thanks for posting all of this - I've been wondering about the Shark also, as I'm looking for a more 'green' way to clean the floors (not to mention, this sounds like it's going to be A LOT cheaper, as my whole house is hard wood). I trust more what you guys have to say then all the 'reviews' the other websites. Sounds like all the complaints from those sources are do to misuse.

I'll take the advice for getting extra mop heads... Sounds like I'm going to need them.

Thanks, M. for starting this tread and all the ladies who gave their two cents! I'm off to Costco (hopefully my Costco carries them) today!

M., I got one for Christmas and I LOVE IT. Our floor was nasty, all the dirt and gime in it the steam cleaner really works more and more each time I use the steam cleaner I notice it gets more and more of the dirt and gime. The only thing I don't care for is that you can't use it on carpet or furniture. But it was a gift and it was a great gift.
Good luck on what ever you decide.Oh don't forget you can wash the pads, I love that I don't have water sitting around and I don't have to buy replacement pads.
B.

I received a Shark for Christmas. I have three children of varying ages, two large dogs and a cat--so you can just imagine the dirt and fur we deal with daily. I love the Shark. It cleans the tile floors as well or better than a traditional mop and bucket, and it is much better on the wood floors.

It does take a little getting used to, however. You have to use a bit more pressure to move it across the floor than a sponge mop or a string mop; if you are doing a large room, you will need to refill the tank. You will want extra pads as the mop only comes with two. They are available by mail order or at shops like Bed Bath and Beyond. I do know people who have made their own with success.

You do have to prep the floors just as you would before you wash with a traditional mop.

I haven't ever tried a Floor Mate so I can't make any comparison to that model.

My father in law brought his Shark when he came to live with us for a while and I fell in love with it. I was amazed at the job it did. He took it with him when he moved back out and I miss it. The only issue I have is when I used it in the laundry room and didn't notice the microscopic lent particals on the floor (thought I'd swept them all up first). When they got damp because of the steam, they collected and were pushed against the wall. I'd make sure to vac. first from now on.

I purchased a higher priced version ($136.00) at the Dulles Home & Expo center, but am returning it as I type because it didn't do as well as the Shark and cost so much more. I did find the Shark available at Costco in Manassas for $69.99 which is less than online and at Target/Walmart etc. I'll be making a new purchase as soon as I get my money back from the other one.

Maybe a silly question here- Do you have to vacuum before using the floor steamer? My hardwoods could really use some cleaning and the steamer sounds like a great idea.

Hi there! I have the Shark Steamer and love it! I keep a clean house but have very high-grade wood floors that need constant cleaning. I got the steamer at Costco for $69 and just love it. It's really fun, and super easy to use and you just feel like it MUST be deep cleaning. The proof is actually in the washable, reusable pads! I just did my floors and the pad was literally black, and this is after sweeping and shop-vaccing the whole space.