Tried and Tested: Shark Steam & Scrub Mop review
We’ve tried and tested Shark’s Steam and Scrub Mop, which promises serious stain removing power without harsh chemicals.
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Who knew a steam mop, admittedly one of the lesser ‘trendy’ home appliances, would be stealing hearts on social media?
As someone who spends most of her days writing about cleaning machines, I couldn’t help but get excited when users collectively geeked out over the Shark Steam and Scrub Mop S7001* – which can scrub and sanitise at the same time, including notoriously tricky surfaces like hardwood, laminate and vinyl. Now, that’s some steaming good stuff.
It has over 2,400 positive Amazon reviews, which shows how much shoppers love it.
This Shark steam mop isn’t the cheapest at $449.99. But investing more in a quality product definitely pays in the world of appliances, even if it’s something typically used weekly or monthly, rather than daily.
We take a hands-on look at Shark’s popular item to find out whether the unit is really worth all the hype.
P.S. The Shark Steam and Scrub Mop is currently on sale for $250 off, dropping to $299.99, so if you like what you see in this review, this is the perfect time to grab one.
HOW WE TESTED THE SHARK STEAM & SCRUB MOP
At news.com.au checkout it’s our mission to help you make informed shopping decisions. To ensure you buy the right product at the best price, we rigorously test products so you don’t have to. As well as sorting through mountains of consumer reviews, product manuals and conducting thorough product research, our team of expert writers puts each product we review through a series of hands-on tests to ensure we give you honest feedback about its performance and whether it’s worth your hard-earned money.
ONE MINUTE REVIEW: SHARK STEAM & SCRUB MOP
Shark Steam & Scrub Mop, $199.99 (down from $499.99) at Shark
WHAT WE LOOKED FOR WHEN TESTING THE SHARK STEAM MOP
- What’s in the box
- Features
- Setting up
- Ease of use
- Cleaning tile floors
- Cleaning hardwood floors
- Cleaning and maintenance
- Price
- Verdict: Should you buy the shark steam and scrub?
SHARK STEAM AND SCRUB MOP: WHAT’S IN THE BOX
When it comes to accessories, the Shark Steam and Scrub Mop offers the essentials. Included with it are a filling flask and two sets of Dirt Grip pads that have an absorbent microfibre material to loosen tough, stuck-on dirt and stains.
The reusable scrubbing pads cost $29.99 to replace, which the brand recommends to do every three to four months.
If you have hardwood floors, you can buy additional reusable dusting pads to polish the flooring after going it over with the scrubbing pads.
SHARK STEAM AND SCRUB MOP: FEATURES
Want to level up your mopping game but worried about ruining your floors? The Shark Steam and Scrub Mop is made to scrub and sanitise, including delicate flooring that need extra care such as hardwood. And this is all done without the use of harsh chemicals.
The Shark steam mop comes with three settings to suit a wide variety of surfaces, plus a sanitise option for when you need to give your floors extra attention.
• Light mode: Ideal for light cleaning and dusting. Suitable for delicate surfaces including hardwood, laminate and vinyl floors.
• Normal mode: Ideal for cleaning large and heavy traffic areas. It can be used in tile, stone and marble.
• Deep mode: Ideal for heavy traffic areas and heavily soiled floors with tough stains. This setting can also sanitise floors.
• Sanitise: You can sanitise your floors by choosing the Deep setting. It takes three minutes before you can start sanitising, although you can begin going over the area beforehand. Shark suggests slowly going over the area at least eight times.
• Specs: Design wise, the unit weighs 3.1kg and packs 1120W of power, has a long 8m cord and a 350ml water tank capacity. It’s suitable for all sealed hard floors and takes up to a minute to heat up.
SETTING UP THE SHARK STEAM AND SCRUB MOP
The Shark Steam and Scrub Mop doesn’t have any removable parts, aside from the mop pads, so setting it up is just a matter of pouring water into the machine with the filling flask and clicking the scrubbing mop pads into place. You can place the pads side-by-side on the floor and plop the appliance on top for a quick and convenient set up.
Once you plug the steam mop in, three steam settings will appear on front of the unit. You can press the Mode button to switch between each option as well as stop the machine once you’re done cleaning.
It takes 60 seconds for the steam mop to heat up, but will return to standby mode if the handle isn’t reclined within 30 seconds of selecting a setting. Honestly, I had a little trouble getting things started because I was being overly gentle with the unit.
The build feels very sturdy and good quality, and the handle doesn’t feel loose at all. But it unlocks easily and clicks back in just as simple.
Just like the nozzle, the handle itself is flexible and can recline to the side to help you maintain a good grip when going under low lying furniture and awkward spaces.
SHARK STEAM AND SCRUB MOP: EASE OF USE
The Shark Steam and Scrub mop is fairly lightweight, but it can feel heavy and tiring on your arms the longer you use it.
It required more effort than I thought it would, especially with the spinning motion of the pads slightly pulling on the unit. But it’s still super portable and lightweight enough to easily carry around the house. Plus, it’s freestanding so it doesn’t need to be mounted on a wall or require much floor space.
The 350ml water tank capacity was enough for a light to moderate clean of the main areas of my house (living room, laundry room, kitchen, bathrooms and home office) without needing to refill. When I did need to pause and refill while deep cleaning multiple rooms, it didn’t take long to top up or add inconvenience.
One downside is it’s not very corner and tight space friendly. Unlike some other mops, the pads are round and pretty sizeable so it’s great for covering lots of ground but not ideal for small crevices.
Like with any appliance, make sure to familiarise yourself with the instruction manual. Here are some of highlights to keep in mind:
• You cannot add cleaning solutions, vinegars, scented perfumes, oils or other chemicals to the water. It may damage the steam mop and void your warranty.
• The steam mop cannot be used on walls or windows.
• It cannot be used on unsealed wood or unglazed ceramic floors, just like with any other steam appliance.
• The brand recommends using distilled water if you live in a hard water area.
CLEANING TILE FLOORS WITH THE SHARK STEAM AND SCRUB MOP
My first impressions of this Shark Steam and Scrub mop blew me away. I tried to get a feel for each setting and kicked things off on the light setting. The appliance removed very stuck-in dirt that hugged the kitchen tiles for as long as I remember. They were certainly some of the worst stains I’ve had.
After going over the same beauty spots with multiple cleaners and mops, I was beyond impressed to see the Shark Steam and Scrub mop tackle them within a couple of minutes on a mode designed for light dusting and cleaning.
And if you’re wondering how delicate this option is on your floors, I filmed a quick video of the model in action and saw an ant get swept under the mop pads and walk out unscathed. Talk about mastering the perfect balance!
When it comes to fresh spills, the steam mop wasn’t quite as efficient. It still gave a clean finish but turned a small puddle of juice into a wider issue before getting it perfect. Perhaps it’s best to leave wet messes like these for kitchen towel or your wet-dry vacuum.
Deep cleaning made the floor pretty slippery but also made the tiles noticeably cleaner and refreshed. I was surprised how quiet the Shark Steam and Scrub mop was on all three settings, especially on Deep mode. Higher settings typically attract some noisy cleaning, but this unit wasn’t too bad.
At the end of trying each setting out in individual cleaning sessions, my tiles were left feeling pretty warm. I loved how the floor didn’t end up sticky and had none of that unpleasant post-mop ‘aftertaste’ you can get from regular-type mopping (aka the unpleasant odour left from cleaning chemicals and repeatedly dunking a mop into dirty water).
CLEANING HARDWOOD FLOORS WITH THE SHARK STEAM AND SCRUB MOP
Mopping hardwood floors always makes me nervous, but I was impressed at how the Shark Steam and Scrub mop didn’t leave any annoying marks, which even some vacuums can’t avoid. It gave a bright and spotless finish I could definitely get used to.
The steam mop did produce a little too much water than I would like for hard floors. Thankfully, it dries quickly and without the usual stickiness.
SHARK STEAM AND SCRUB MOP: CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
Maintaining the Shark Steam and Scrub mop couldn’t be easier. The Dirt Grip pads are machine washable and can be washed on a warm cycle with some liquid detergent. The box comes with a backup set of mop pads for particularly big sessions, or when you’ve forgotten to clean them after steam mopping.
There are a few things to take note of when caring for your Shark steam mop and the mop pads:
• You cannot clean the pads with bleach, powdered detergent or fabric softener. Simply throw them in the washing machine and add liquid detergent.
• Don’t store the Shark steam mop with the Dirt Grip pad still attached. Make sure to let the mop pad cool before removing it after each use.
SHARK STEAM AND SCRUB MOP: PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
The Shark Steam and Scrub Mop retails for $449.99 and you can buy it from Shark’s website and most retailers including Amazon Australia, Myer, The Good Guys.
VERDICT: IS THE SHARK STEAM AND SCRUB MOP WORTH IT?
For sanitising floors and general steam mopping, I think this Shark steam mop does a really great job and can certainly be useful for homes with hard to mop surfaces like hardwood, laminate and vinyl. The rotating pads and high heat make the unit perfect for anyone wanting a more sanitary way to get rid of stains and bacteria, especially if you don’t want to use harsh chemicals that might damage your floor over time.
I’m a fan of using the Shark Steam and Scrub Mop to sanitise tiles once a week and monthly for hardwood. It makes the floors look and feel fresher, and it’s just so satisfying knowing all the steam, heat and scrubbing kills any lingering bacteria.
Although it’s worth keeping in mind the floors can get particularly wet, especially when deep cleaning and sanitising, so it’s not something you can take out when there are kids are running around or if you’re in a rush. Think of it like giving your floor a facial; keep it slow and steady.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CAN YOU ADD A CLEANING SOLUTION TO THE SHARK STEAM MOP?
Unfortunately, you cannot add vinegar, cleaning solutions, scented perfumes, oils or any other chemicals to the water. It may end up damaging the steam mop or make it unsafe to use.
IS STEAMING FLOORS BETTER THAN MOPPING?
Using a steam mop is much more convenient than regular mopping since you’re not lugging around a heavy bucket and constantly wringing out the mop. They’re also seen as more sanitary because you’re not washing out the mop in dirty water, and the high heat helps kill any bacteria lurking on your floors.
On the downside, steam mops are more expensive than regular mops and often need to be plugged in.
Think the Shark Steam and Scrub Mop will clean up nicely in your home? Don’t forget to check out our news.com.au Coupons page to see discounts from retailers such as Myer, The Good Guys and Bing Lee. You can also sign up to our free weekly shopping newsletter and stay in the know on the latest sales and trends.
*Product was provided by Shark for a 100 per cent independent, honest review.
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