I’ve been looking for a steam mop for a while as we have a wooden floor running through the kitchen, utility and living room but using my normal mop leaves the floor wet for ages which not only a pain in the bum but also a bit risky with three little trip prone kiddies. This week I’ve been testing out a Shark steam mop, the Lift Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop from Homebase to be exact, so here’s how I got on.
Assembly
There is some assembly required when you unpack the mop and after initially scanning the instructions I wasn’t completely sure which way round everything went but after going back and reading them properly it all came together very quickly. It took about 15 minutes all together.
Steam Mop
The unique feature of this mop is it’s double sided head. The pad has a normal mop texture on one side for straight forward cleaning but it can be flipped over to a flatter side with raised ridges to scrub at a stain. I’m not sure it’s entirely necessary to be honest as the mop side seemed to do a perfectly good job but I guess it’s an added bonus.
Attachments
The Shark steam mop comes with a number of attachments that can be used with the detachable handheld steamer and a bag to keep them in. As well as the mop itself in the box you get:
- Direct steam nozzle – great for directing a blast of steam into little nooks and crannies
- Accessory hose
- Window squeegee
- Flat scrubber with all purpose bonnet – works like a small hand held version of the mop so perfect for worktops, oven doors, inside the bath etc
- Detail brush – worked brilliantly on tile grout
- Carpet glider for carpet cleaning – freshens and plumps up carpet and rug pile
- Filling flask
- Tote bag
With all of those you really do have everything covered! As you can see in the picture, our new house has both an electric hob and tiled worktops in the kitchen which are the bane of my life but the combination of the flat scrubber on the hob and the detail brush on the grout worked wonders and without any of the chemical cleaners I normally use. I also found it quick and easy to swap from one accessory to another.
Cost
This model retails at around £150 (check out Homebase for this and other steam cleaners) which I think is good value. There are obviously cheaper steam cleaners on the market but the Shark Lift Away Pro comes with such a comprehensive range of accessories and is of great quality from a construction perspective that I think it is well worth the extra money compared to it’s rivals.
Summary
Overall, I’ve been really impressed with the Shark Lift Away Pro. It is solidly constructed, cleans well and comes with all the accessories you could need for any job around the house. I think it is well worth the £150 price tag compared to other models.
Why not check out Actually Mummy’s post on setting up a Hive Smart Home System or Jamie’s review of the Arlo Wire Free Security System.
It seems great! I have always wanted a steam cleaner. It seems so easy to clean all kinds of dirt with it and it works with water, not with harsh chemicals! Thank you for the detailed review! Greets!