It started simple enough. A friend said, "You HAVE to get a Shark steamer mop thing. It's awesome."

But if you're a type-A like me, that's where the simplicity ends.

I researched the (older model) Shark and because of the not so great reviews, I ended up ordering the Eureka ENVIRO STEAMER. I chose the Eureka primarily because of a comparison review by a user. Turns out, alot of the qualities written in the review, like water tank size and cord length, didn't apply anymore.

So then, I ordered the Haan FS20-Plus 800-Watt Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer with Deluxe Sanitizing Tray based on the same reviewer's awesome comparison. But again, the info didn't match up to what I ordered/got.

Today, I finally broke down and just went to a brick and morter Bedbathandbeyond. The guy was very helpful and showed me the various Sharks and told me this new model (the most expensive at $119) had a bigger tank than previous.

So, here I am with 3 different steamer mops. Since I buy most of my stuff based on reviews, I thought I would take the time to do a very non-scientific comparison.

*Euro-Pro Shark S3501 Deluxe Steam Pocket Mop ($106 with my 20%coup plus tax at BBB)
*Haan FS20-Plus 800-Watt Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer with Deluxe Sanitizing Tray ($90 via Amazon)
*Eureka ENVIRO STEAMER ($69 via Amazon)

OUT OF THE BOX:
All three were very easy to put together. Handle either snapped/or screwed into base.

HANDLE:
All are plastic and for the most part, feel a bit flimsy. None really stood out above the others.

CORD:
Shark has 30' (the longest)
Haan and Eureka were same... about 18'.

WATER TANK: ((my top priority, behind obviously cleaning))
Shark -- approx 1 3/4 cups* (fill cup provided is not marked)
Eureka -- 1 1/4 cups* (fill cup provided is not marked but manual says capacity total 12 oz)
Haan -- 1 cup* (fill cup provided is marked)

*cup is based on the cup that came with Haan, the only one clearly marked. So I just filled the others and then dumped into the Haan cup. Hence, minor discrepancy. If you convert 12 oz into cups, it's 1 1/2 cups... but for some reason when I filled the Eureka container and dumped it into the Haan cup, it only filled it 1 1/4 ways. Go figure.

CLEANING PAD:
Shark's cleaning cloth covers the head but the design allows you to flip it so you can use both sides with ease. The whole head actually flips on the mop so it's not like you're taking the cloth off and then putting it back on. (2 rectangular cloths included, along with 2 triangular cloths, for the triangular head -- I guess for corners or tight spaces. But I have not used or tried out. Also, 1 fluffy looking thing that's for dusting...again, have not tried this out either.)

**edited to add 1/8/2010** I've used the purple duster on wood floors and love it! Cleans great.

Eureka -- waffle type of towel, held in place by clamps on the base. After 1 wash, the trim started coming off and it already had a very worn/old look to it. Not sure how long it would have held up. (2 included)

Haan -- a thick, microfiber trapazoid that just sort of velcros onto the bottom. Very sturdy. (2 included)

OVERALL CLEANING (see photo):
Obviously, not very scientific but I swiped a wet paper towel on a portion of my tile that I was planning to clean.

I split the area into thirds so each steam mop was used in one section (I have large stone tile with deep grout lines (see photo).
Then I went over that cleaned section with another wet paper towel to see how much dirt could be picked up.

NONE: (first paper towel on left) Clearly, the dirtiest.
Haan: cleaned the best (again, not scientific just how much was picked up on a paper towel after using the steam mop)
Eureka Enviro: cleaned the worst (but obviously, still great, compared to nothing)
Shark: in the middle.

CONCLUSION:
I'm keeping the Shark because of several factors:
*big water chamber (thus longer steam time)
*long cord (convenience of not using extension cord or unplugging and re-plugging)
*dual head cleaning cover (pretty handy)
*complete swivel head... but because of this feature, the drawback is that you have to lean the handle up against a counter because it won't stand on its own, like the Haan or Eureka.

I won't go into detail about the wetness factor because frankly, all three left the surface wet but all three dried pretty quickly (much more quickly than when I use a traditional sponge mop/pinesol). This was really not an issue for me.

OVERALL, seriously, I would be thrilled with any one of these... because they do cut down tile floor cleaning time tremendously-- and without using chemicals. Any one of them clearly beats the old mop and bucket method.

I guess it comes down to how you prioritize the features. For me, after this exhaustive research -- I'm sticking with the Shark! Good luck on yours... and my you NOT find yourself in a similar dilemma where you're obsessing over minor details like I did.

EXTRA FYI:
"Pocket" vs "deluxe" -- what's the difference between the gold and purple set?
Both Pocket (gold) and Deluxe(purple) are priced the same but the Pocket comes with ONE set of cleaning cloths. But you do get a third head -- that's an XL rectagular head. The purple set comes with two sets of cleaning cloths. I think for the money, the purple set is the way to go.

Hope that helps!

First off, I researched for days before buying this Shark Mop. Many of the reviews slammed it due to lack of pivoting head, small tank and flimsy handle.

Well, the NEW model has NONE of these issues! The head pivots, the water tank is much larger (I cleaned my medium sized kitchen and entryway floor and still have almost a full thing of water) and it feels pretty sturdy - not flimsy. The handle is also adjustable in height to make it easier.

Now to how it performed. Let me start by saying house cleaning week saw me with 2 or more different mops! I have laminated wood flooring, hardwood flooring and kitchen tile. The Swiffer Wet Jet I bought left streaks on my laminate, was afraid to use it on the hardwood and since my kitchen tile is bumpy and uneven it left puddles and some areas would not even get touched by Wet Jet pad. So, I would clean my laminate with windex on my knees, my hardwood with hardwood cleaner and mop and my kitchen with a rope mop w/ammonia and water (ONLY thing that would pick up the grime this horrible floor attracts). Having been diagnosed with a spinal disease, I would be hurting and exhausted from the bending, lifting bucket of water and mopping action. I finally got fed up and went to Bed, Bath and Beyond to try the Shark Mop - bad reviews and all.

I have NEVER mopped so many floors so fast, had them ALL looking great AND not be hurting or exhausted. I can actually say mopping if FUN with this! Now remodeling the second bathroom, it will have a different type of laminate - i'm so glad I will NOT have to have a 4th mop or system to clean it too. The grime on the horrible, bumpy white tile in the kitchen? It is so clean and streak free I'm keep looking at it with the thought of "wow" going through my head. It NEVER looked this good and ALWAYS had streaks unless I squirted some Jet Dry in the mop water.

In addition, after cleaning the kitchen floor, while preparing dinner, I had dropped the spatula with butter and egg on the floor. Then the youngest child decided to walk through the garage with bare wet feet and then onto my clean white tile floor. 30 seconds of heat up and less than 60 seconds later, floor was clean again. SO EASY. I will NEVER go back to regular mopping ever again. I can't wait to try it in the travel trailer (I do that linoleum on my hands and knees after trips).

You won't be disappointed in the new one - spend the extra $$$ to get larger tank, pivoting head, extra mop head attachments and steam duster!

I just bought this steam mop today in my local Bed Bath & Beyond and I couldn't wait to get it home and try it out! Once I unpacked all of the accessories it comes with, ( 4 double sided floor pads - two rectangular and two triangular, two quick switch cleaning heads, a purple duster pad for hardwood floors, and the carpet glider) the assembly was a piece of cake. You simply snap the 3 pieces together, fill it with water and you're good to go! I cleaned every floor in my house today (2,800 sq. ft.) in less than an hour and they are spotless! I have a variety of flooring also--hardwood, laminate, and tile. Cleans equally well on all surfaces and does not streak at all! It glides easily across all surfaces and the swivel head makes cleaning in tight spots so easy! My harwood floors do need to be refinished in the near future, but this mop actually took away some of the cloudy appearance abd they look quite a bit better! I also cleaned my garage floor with it and I cannot believe the dirt it picked up! I would definitely recommend getting this mop! It does a great job cleaning and will make your life much easier!

Admittedly, I've only taken the Shark for one spin so far, having purchased it at Bed, Bath and Beyond only the day before (with the ever-popular 20 percent-off coupon.) It's the first such "steam mop" I've ever tried, though I did a lot of online review searching on a variety of steamers in advance. Anyway, I'm absolutely sold on this model, which I understand is Shark's newest entry in steam mops. Here was my initial experience:

My kitchen floor extends to another room and is pretty large. The tile has a decorative "dimpling" in it, which has defeated other types of cleaning instruments in the past. But the Shark did a fabulous, fabulous job, going beneath surface dirt to grime below. I have the cleanest kitchen floor I've had since I moved in six years ago. Also nice? The cord is wonderfully long, liberating me from the necessity of stopping to find a new outlet. The water in the steam container lasted my whole cycle as well. (I did use both sides of two pads, but as I said, this was a pretty tough job.)

I later used one side of one wedge pad on two bathroom floors and blazed through them in a heartbeat. I also used it on my tiled shower floor. Amazing. I love the idea I can do this without chemicals or having to constantly buy new pads. I also love that the machine is light in weight -- a real plus if you have a bad back or other such issues.

Bottom line? I'm far more impressed than I expected to be and if it lasts a good long while and the pads really do wash up nicely, Shark will have found itself a new customer for other products as well.

I've tried multiple steam mops prior to this one (bissell, original shark, steamboy) and have returned all of them to the store for one reason or another. I was skeptical trying another one, but this one looked to have some nice features. I have to say, this one is by far the best steam mop that I've used. Large water reservoir allows you to mop a large area without refilling. This is the ONLY steam mop I've tried that works as advertised as far as steaming the floor. All of the others left the floor soaking wet, but not this one. It cleans amazingly and dries very quickly. Cleaned my whole kitchen, dinette, foyer, and bathroom and only needed to use one side of the two-sided pad, so the other side is ready for the next use.

I love to clean my floors. I hate laundry, dishes, and bathrooms, but love love love cleaning my floors. So, of course, when I saw the infomercial for this on late night TV, I desperately wanted one.

First, yes, you MUST vacuum or sweep (minimum) before using this product, because it's not made to pick up little things that a five-year-old drops on the floor! This, for me, is a no-brainer and no problem. I have a Roomba, which I have set to go off each day before my son and I come home from school, so vacuuming is easy. If you vacuum before using the steam mop, you will still be amazed at the grime that comes off of your floor! Each time I use this (about 2-3 times a week), I get one side of the pad dirty in the kitchen and bathrooms (both with ceramic tile and dark grout, which was so dirty, but now is back to the original color!).

Second, the tank is plenty big enough to do my house once, sometimes twice. I refilled today after deep cleaning and before going back over the floor to kill the germs.

Third, the duster is pretty good. I prefer the way it works (as compared to the white pad) on my hardwood floors and wood furniture (sealed, of course). I have never had a problem with streaking, and my floor is shiny, but not as shiny as Murphy's gets it every other month.

Flaw 1--It works great on the baseboards, but they are definitely a challenge. It's difficult for me to get the pad to stay flush against the baseboards, so I have to put my hand closer to the pad than I would really consider easy, because that forces me to get in a squatting position.

Flaw 2--The carpet glider, eh. I don't find it deodorizes or really does anything to the carpet. To get a carpet fresh, it needs to be professionally cleaned twice a year, and a scented powder and vacuum will work between cleanings.

The best part--I wanted to see how it would work on a really gross, sticky surface, and I had just the spot. In our pantry, apparently we left a bag of potatoes in their hanging basket too long. They rotted, dripped gross rot-juice on the floor, and stunk. I used the steam mop on that after deep cleaning the regular floors, and even thought the pad was already dirty, it took ALL of the stinky, sticky, slimy mess off the floor, and poof, the smell was gone too! Of course, it took quite a few passes and steaming over the spot, but it still worked pretty quickly (less than a full minute on one tile).

This is a great product, and I would recommend it to anyone. When I walk on my bare tile floors, there is NO residue, and my floor is literally squeaky clean!

I just bought this at Bed, Bath and Beyond with a coupon. Hint: if you have a Discover card you can buy discounted BB&B gift cards with your cash back bonus. Doing all that I got it for $80 instead of $120. I already mopped the tile foyer, hallway, and kitchen. It worked great. The floor dried very quickly. I ran out of water but I think I was over doing it by going over every tile several times (also the manual doesn't tell you how much water you can put in it. I just put one of the included pitchers full). The mophead was very dirty so I feel it did a good job. I could tell the mop was cycling on and off because occasionally I had to pump it alot (in the handle) to get it to start steaming again. I don't think I would make the claim that the floors are sanitized by the steam. It just doesn't get the floor hot enough to really kill germs. I could walk on it barefoot immediately so I'm thinking no. Also, you'd have to hold the steam over the same spot for a while to really kill anything. But all in all, it got the floor clean. I do not have little kids crawling around anymore so the sanitizing is not crucial to me. It sure beats getting out a wet mop and cleaners and carrying them to various rooms, dripping as I go.

We bought this steam mop with high expectations. Lots of good reviews. But for us it did not work.

We assembled the mop easily and filled it with water and began to try it out. Our floors are a mix of laminate wood floor and ceramic tiles.

I tried it first on the ceramic tiles. It removed dirt. The pad became dirty. It steamed well. Nice hissing noise. Turned the pad over to use the clean side, went over the tiles again feeling satisfied. When the floor dried, it was dull. Before cleaning it was more reflective, these are not mirror finish tiles but the do shine a bit of reflection, but now they were dull and still looked dirty. Put the second microfiber pad on there and cleaned the floor again, the dullness persisted, but now the pads were not getting dirty.

Tried the triangle connection on the laminate floor. It did the same, dull streaky floor. Second pad, no dirt picked up but floor was dull and streaky. Got down on my knees with a paper towel and easily removed the filmy residue that was causing the dull streakiness. Something that two microfiber pads could not do.

I used distilled water, so I know that the steam was clean, I used all four microfiber pads, two rectangular ones on the tiled area and the two triangular ones on the laminate floor.

To me it seemed the cleaner could remove a portion of the dirt, since the first pad on the tile did get noticeably dirty, but the opposite side and the two additional sides could not clean it to a non dull surface cleanliness.

We tried to return it and were asked if it was defective (i.e. not functioning) and we told them no, it just does not clean like promised. They said they could not refund money for that reason, only replace a defective model with a like model.

Our mop steamed hissed and seemed very good, just does not clean well even using all the available microfiber pads.

Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this product, unfortunately the cost of this learning experience was $119.00, and this has soured me on all of the shark products.

Ok so here is the scoop on the pocket mop. I saw the infomercial the other day and thought this would be a great new cleaning product. I was leary like most of you might be at this point as well. I hated mopping with a bucket, which is probably why you are here. So I bought my pocket mop [...]. I buy everything I can there because they let you return almost anything for however long you own the product. If you don't have a membership get one and buy everything you can there. I returned a vacuum after a year and a half and got my full refund back. So back to the pocket mop. The cloths that attach to the bottom are decent quality. You get one of each size and a furry duster thing that is for hardwood floors. It takes about 2 mins to put together. I filled up the water compartment and plugged it in. Within 30 seconds I had steam coming out. You do have to pump the handle a few times to get things started. I started mopping and at first thought I could go quickly over the floor but soon found out that you must move the mop back and forth at a slow pace. Its not a big deal but its not just a quick back and forth motion. I also found that if you want more steam you just pump the handle more times and you can get plenty. A few people said that they didn't have enough steam. The pumping works every time you push the mop forward which gives you a fair amount of steam. Like I said if you need more to get a stubborn stain up just pump it a few times in a row. The floor is very warm after mopping an area. Not hot to touch but very warm which shows that it actually is doing its job. I was pleasantly surprised to see how quick the water dried from the steam. Everything is dry within about 30 seconds after mopping. It does actually clean well which is why I bought it. If you have any reservations about quality buy it from [...]

Three things: 1)I live in Arizona where the daily dose of dust on my laminate wood floors is impossible to control. 2)I have a toddler and 2 dogs (one of them a puppy and not quite housebroken) that make keeping the floor clean a struggle. And lastly, 4)I dislike mopping with a passion. So I was on the lookout for something to help. I have never owned a Shark product or a steam mop, so I was realy starting from scratch. I did some research and read some reviews, and was considering the lesser expensive Shark steam mop, but when I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond (with my 20% off coupon, which made the price about the same as Amazon is currently charging), this newer model seemed to have so many more features, including the swivel head and the triangular shaped mop head. I am very glad I purchased this item. Now, quick cleaning of the floors every few days is not a huge hassle (it takes less than a minute for the mop to heat up), and I feel like I am really getting the floor clean without dousing it with dirty water or cleansers. If I want some more assurance the floor is getting sanitized, I spray a little kitchen cleaner w/bleach on the floor as I steam it, and it does the job. If I want some shine, a sprinkle of Mop-n-Glo gives the wood laminate a nice sheen. Also, it only takes a few moments for the floor to dry afterward -- much less than with a regular old water mop. I don't find anything flimsy about it, and it's comfortable to use. After a few months of use, I find that this product was well worth the cost.