Which Steam Cleaner Works Best on Tile Floors

Updated on May 29, 2012
D.C. asks from Frisco, TX
6 answers

Hello Moms,

I am in the process of purchasing a steamer for my tile floors and I would like to know what works best. I purchased a shark lift away pocket mop steamer yesterday from Walmart and returned it after I saw all of the horrible reviews online. I then found another review that the Eureka Environsteamer was excellent but now that I am going through those reviews, the general consensus is that it leaks water. I am tired of the old mop and bucket because it hurts my back and my swiffer makes the floor sticky. I just need something that works and will sanitize the floor. My husband wants me to buy this monster machine that steams carpets and floors but considering he doesn't clean anything, he doesn't understand how extremely heavy that thing is. I need a steamer that gets really hot, doesn't run out of water after five minutes and won't break down after two uses. I don't mind paying for it if it's a awesome device. Please help, the germs are killing me.

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So What Happened?

Thank you for all of your advice. It seems as if it's a toss up between the Eureka and the Shark. I couldn't find the Eureka in any store so I would have to order it online. I walked into Best buy today and saw the Bissell Steam Mop Select and it was 69 bucks so I am going to give that a try. Right now I need a quick fix until I can get either of the other two machines. I am going to use this one to compare with the other two. The reviews for the Bissell were so good I had to give it a try. I'll let you know how it works for me.

More Answers

A.R.

answers from Houston on

We love our Eureka Enviro Steamer and we haven’t had any problems with leaks. It doesn't clean grout but even good mopping won't do that in my opinion. We seal our grout and scrub it by hand for the best results.

You should pay attention to how hot the water actually gets. Not all get to steaming temperatures so you have keep the mop in place to clean more effectively and/or deeply (equals more cleaning time). We bought multiple cleaning pads because we don’t like reusing the same cleaning pad from cleaning to cleaning. We noticed if the cleaning pad was allowed to dry on the mop, the next cleaning would result in a funky mold smell. Most likely the moldy smell is from the trapped water between the cleaning pad, the foam cooling tray and the mop itself. We can go a pretty good length of time between refills and it doesn’t take forever to get to temperature. Finally keep in the mind the short cord lengths of the vast majority of the steam mops. We liked the Eureka because while it didn’t have the longest cord, it quickly reached steaming temperatures and had a reasonable length cord. It takes some creative/strategic plugging in to cover the desired floor. To cover the laundry room and half the kitchen, we use a plug closer to the laundry room. To cover the rest of the kitchen and half of the living room, we use a plug closer to the living room. And so on around the house. My husband created a game out of it and he uses the fewest number of “replugs” as he calls it. We clean both parquet floors and tile with ours with no problem.

We found Amazon had the best reviews (largest number of reviewers across a good range of models/brands. Also like Jo mentions take some of the reviews with a grain of salt (more reviews can help you find the truth). Good luck.

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M.P.

answers from Green Bay on

I had one that my mom bought off of QVC, I loved it...it was yellow...but I don't know the brand/model. But now, two years later, it just stopped working...not sure why.

I am in the market for one as well because they are SO simple and I LOVE the idea that it cleans/sanitizes without the harsh chemicals of typical cleaners. I will be anxious to see what others' input is on this one!!

Good luck!

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

All of them work in generally the same way. I have a Shark and have had no problem with them. My old one died an early death but that was my fault for putting tap water in it. It got clogged with minerals.

I will tell you that no steam mop will get the grout really well. Even with the nubby attachment for carpets it just doesn't get the grout. So pretty much once a month I mop the old fashioned way.

One thing I must warn you since my husband is also addicted to reviews. Read them for content but also read them for indication about the intelligence of the reviewer. My favorite example was a one star review of the pool filter we ended up buying. She complained about how hard it was to remove from the box. Complained about them not fully explaining which parts were what. (even though the instructions had pictures) Sorry but when someone like that gives it one star saying it was too complicated to maintain I figure best to ignore that review, ya know?

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

I have a Eureka Envirosteamer, and it doesn't leak. I did read somewhere, that the first use, sometimes the water is rather, well, a lot. But after that, it fine. I don't recall having any issues even with the first use, though.
And it works great!

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T.W.

answers from Syracuse on

I have a Shark steam mop and I think it works well, I've been happy with mine for both the kitchen and wood floors. I used it a lot more before having kids however. My floors get so much food dropped on them now that I feel I need to use the mop and bucket to really get them clean.

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M.M.

answers from Lake Charles on

I love my shark.. I have tile and hardwood and it's AMAZING. I've used a few and I'm totally happy with my bottom-of-the-line model :)

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