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Please leave a comment if you have bought a steam mop and leave thoughts and opinions about it so others can make an educated decision on buying a steam mop. Thanks!

Is The Shark Steam Mop Legit?

Update: The Shark Steam Mop has been updated and we have a new review of the Shark Steam Pocket Mop.

Many of you have seen the As Seen On TV commercials and have made it very clear that you wanted me to try the Shark Steam Mop in the past few months! The amount of requests I have received to try this amazing as seen on tv shark steam mop has been impressive to say the least. The Shark Steam Mop is a revolutionary chemical-free way to clean hard surface flooring (not carpets). The Shark Steam Mop sanitizes your floors and is safe for sealed hardwood flooring, something you do not see on the market very often. This unique product is available for $70 -$100 from retailers who sell as seen on tv products.

Well, I made the decision to try the Shark Steamer Mop for myself and I was very surprised with the end results. For the first test, I put the Shark Steam Mop in my car and headed out to my good friends place of business. My friend has rented a large office in town for his expanding business for the last six months. In this time, I knew for a fact that my friend had not hired anyone to come and clean up in his office nor had cleaned the floors in the entire six months he had been there (not to mention the private bathroom that is included in his monthly rent). On my drive over to the office space, I was encouraged to find out that the Shark Steam Mop states that it can clean caked on dirt on hard wood flooring. As I arrived up into the office I immediately noticed that there was indeed a lot of caked on dirt on the floors from the very wet and stormy winter we were having. My friend greeted me with enthusiasm; he was a bit skeptical about the power of the product I brought but this was a free clean for his office so he was extremely grateful.


After taking some photos of the office "before" our little cleaing experiment, I entered my friends bathroom and filled the Shark Steam Mop with regular tap water, walk into the main office area and begin with the hardest hit areas with the most caked on dirt. The as seen on tv product performs pretty well all in all. As soon as it starts up it picks up most of the dirt; but some of it ends up around the edges of the wall which get picked up later. The Shark works extremely well on the areas that have no caked dirt but are still dirty. “Wow, man, this thing is amazing!” adds my friend who is flabbergasted that this is not coming from a professional cleaning service. “What do you think about those scuff marks by the door?” he adds. I give him a grin and finish cleaning the smaller areas of unclean hard surface flooring and make my way over to the entrance to let the Shark Steam Mop tackle the scuff marks on the floor. The Shark handles this area, an area full of scuff marks from moving heavy desks , tables and chairs back and forth over the years, with great aplomb. “Wow! That was amazing!” my friend remarks, “Im sold,” he adds.


I was impressed with how the Shark performed today. The more I pumped the handle on the unit, the more steam I got, giving me more cleaning power. After a quick break, I took out a full bottle of orange juice and a can of soda from my bag I had brought with me. I turned to my friend, smiled and poured both bottles on his new clean office floor. “Now is the time for a nice little demonstration you only see on TV” I said as I saw him look up from his desk in horror. The Shark handles the sticky wet mess extremely good and leaves no marks or residues after I finish. I finished up the entire office and bathroom very quickly and made sure I took some photos that I could email to my friend later to prove to him that his office looks much better than we saw earlier in the day! I explain to my friend that a good bonus to the Shark is that you do not have keep on buying shark steam mop replacement pads (like a Swiffer or like product). All you do is throw your used pad in the washing machine after use and they are like new and ready to go again! The Shark seems to be a nice alternative to chemical based hardwood floor cleaning machines and if you are fed up with buying countless refills for your mops this could be a great investment. I always recommend following the directions on the Shark before first use, but I have no doubt you will be happy with your decision to try the Shark Steam Mop.

Not everyone has been as happy with the Shark Steam Mop as I have. To give a balanced view I have included a link to a negative Shark Steam Pocket Mop review if you want to read another review. I should note that this a review on the newer version on the mop that I reviewed in this post.

83 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have the old Shark mop which I really liked. Based on that experience I purchased the new pocket mop. (20% off coupon <$100) I love it. My floors not only look clean...they feel clean. I have ceramic tile in Kitchen, baths, etc. I keep the old one in the upstairs bath) I like the idea that germs are reduced!!!

R Moran said...

I found the Shark steam mop to be horrible. I used it to "clean" a large wooden floor area and the result was a murky and streaked sheen over the floor. When I called for a return authorization Iwas told that the return shipping was my responsibility and that I would have to insure the package as well.

Anonymous said...

I also think the Shark Steam mop is HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!! try the Hoover Floormate. It is much better and it won't leave streaks.

Anonymous said...

I tried the Shark Euro Mop. Barely any steam came out, and certainly not enough to clean the floor. It wasn't even hot enough to clean the area. This is the second product I bought from them. I also bought the hand held clean steamer, and it also didn't put out enough heat to clean surfaces. Wiping works much better! DO NOT BUY IT!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I have a shark steam mop. It hasn't been even a year since I bought it, and I haven't used it much. The steamer stopped working last month. The pads are hard to wash, the residue stays on them. I'm trying to contact customer service and can't find the number for "shark".

Anonymous said...

I got The Shark this weekend and I love it. I live on a busy street in downtown Los Angeles so I get a lot of dust. I had to go over the floor twice but it worked great. With regular cleaning Im sure it will do the job. I got mine at Big Lots! It is refurbished and it only cost $55.00. Two Thumbs Up.

Anonymous said...

It isn't bad, but it pushes a rim of dirt wherever it moves and this has to be picked up by hand or rag later which is a pain. As well, the velcro backed pad gets dirty very fast and it takes more work to get it really clean. These imperfections need to be dealt with properly before I would recommend this product.

Anonymous said...

I get streaks once the steam drys on the foors. It looks horrible. I figured it was the well water so switched to use the filtered water from my fridge. Still leaves nasty streaks.

Scott said...

I just bought one at Costco and tried it on my tile floors, and like others, I'm not thrilled with the streaky residue it left behind. Yes, my tiles are glazed (and very high quality). And I swept (twice) AND vacuumed with my hard-floor vacuum before mopping. I even went so far as to wet mop--thoroughly and twice over--but the residue remains. I don't like to use chemicals, but I am NOT thrilled...

Anonymous said...

I was thrilled with my Shark vac and use it daily, but really needed a mopping solution since the swiffer thing wasn't working. I decided to try the steam mop and I'm in love. I use it every day, (I have 3 year old twins, so you can understand the need for such frequency, especially after three meals). At night, it takes just a few minutes and the floor is sparkling clean and best of all feels great under your feet. The first day I used it I tested the cleanliness with some white socks and papertowels...it passed with flying colors! I noticed some of the negative reviews, and can only guess it might be the type of flooring, and maybe it's better on some than others. I'm using it on basic ceramic tile, with more of a satin finish. I've notice no streaking or residue whatsoever. I highly recommend!!!

Anonymous said...

I also love my shark steam mop and have had it for about a year. It is a perfect solution for reducing chemical use in a household. I have horrible reactions to chemicals that cause hives and swelling and this has eliminated that problem. Can't wait to try their new steamer. I highly recommend the mop!

Anonymous said...

I got the old shark steam mop 2 yrs ago and LOVE it. I too have horrible allergic reactions to many of the scented cleaners, and this is an awesome alternative. When I got it, I first cleaned my original 1953 hardwoods using my normal method and then used the steam mop....I was horrified at how much filth the steamer got up off my "clean" floor. I have pets and a toddler grandson and I love not worrying about cleaning around them with chemicals. I use it on ceramic and vinyl tile in addition to the hardwood and have had no issues with streaking and it does an amazing job of cleaning. I highly recommend purchasing the additional pads, as you cannot clean any large or multiple areas with just one. I can't wait to purchase the newer model!!

Anonymous said...

The only time I have a problem with the older version is if the floors are not properly swept/vacuumed before using the steamer. To me the steamer is like a mop, you have to get any loose debris/dirt up first, then mop. I let it heat up for a good 5 mins before using and the pad is so hot I can barely touch it to pull it off. I bought 3 additional pads with my original order and wash them in hot water with oxy cleaner along with the detergent. I have had those pads really dirty, but this method has them looking like they did new. I use mine on just about every hard flooring surface and have had no problems with streaking. I always go over the area once really well and then switch to a clean pad and do a final pass. It is still MUCH faster than using a mop and bucket or getting on my hands and knees...plus I love that there are no chemicals.

Anonymous said...

I have the older mode steamer and loved it at first, but after one year the steamer is not working. I loved the fact that it did a decent job cleaning my hardwood kitchen floor and even used it on tile and linoleum, but am VERY disappointed in how quickly is broke down especially for the money paid for it. I will look at another brand with a better return policy

Anonymous said...

I recently purchased the mop... Not sure which model but it is single sided. I really do not like it. I have all kinds of floors; Peel n stick, lenoleum, glossy tile, and rough tile. It is extremely hard to push around even on my smooth floors. I also feel it does not get hot enough to actually clean anything. It steams a little and appears to get up the dirt, but it is a lot of work. It's flimsy too! I feel as if it's going to snap in two any second! 90 seconds to warm up is also a bust. Mine takes a good 5-10 minutes and "warm" up is what it does. I do plan to use the pads on my swifter though!

Anonymous said...

I purchased the Shark Steam Pocket Mop in September 2009. I reccomend purchasing additional pads as the pads get dirty quickly.

As for cleaning it does a nice job. If you have grout that is not level with your tile, you may not get all the dirt out.

Overall I do like the mop. It is easier to use than a bucket and scrub brush, which I used previously. I also find myself cleaning my floors more often since it is easy to use(1 to 2 times a week), and that helps to reduce build up.

In late November, my mop just stopped working, the light did not go on, no steam. This was after just using it 30 minutes earlier. I bought it at Bed Bath and Beyond. I went back there and they gave me a new unit right away.

Finally I recommend using distilled water in my unit, as I do, if you have hard water.

Unknown said...

Is it safeto use Shark Steamer on Quick Step laminate flooring? I have paid 124.99 for this product to QVC and just saw the same prodcut at Target for $69.99 How is that fair?

Anonymous said...

I bought the new Shark steam mop a few months ago and absolutely love it! I was also skeptical about the product before I used it and thought that it would be difficult to use or not work at all but I was pleasantly surprised. Though I did see the streaks that some others commented on it was only due to the excessive amount of dirt that was on the floors. Once I cleaned them again the streaks were gone. I have sealed hardwood and ceramic tile and the steam mop works wonderfully on both types of floors.

Anonymous said...

We purchased the Shark steam mop for $99 a few months ago. For some reason, after 4 uses, the steam generator just quit working. It was working fine then just stopped. Very dissappointed.

SarahAnne said...

After two uses, my mop no longer steams. What a piece of junk.

Justine said...

Here's the deal: the mop is perfectly functional but you HAVE TO READ the MANUAL!!!! NO TAP WATER... Duh... the deposits is water that has not been deionized clogs the parts that make it steam. Its really a no brainer, just as you would do with clothes iron and humidifiers.

Anonymous said...

I have the Euro Shark Steam Mop. I like it on my ceramic tile, but on the linoleum in my bathroom, it didn't work. There are however, draw backs. Like others have said, it leaves a dirt streak around the edges that have to be picked up-I use a paper towel. I have to go over and over stuck on dirt & food before it will come up and sometimes I have to use my fingernails to loosen it. I use distilled water as per the instructions and not tap water because we have very hard water when I live and I didn't think using the water ran through my watersofterner would be good for the machine. The steamer leaves water on the floor and takes as long to dry sometimes as the old mop & bucket. Also the residue remains on the pads even after washing them following the instructions. Using a mild detergent with no bleach they don't get white. Mine are beginning to look black. I'm afraid to try it on my new hardwood floor.

Anonymous said...

I just purchased the Euro Shark Steam Mop, the delux model. I have used it two times now and absolutely love it and do not ever want to go back to using swifter wet pads. It is quick and my tile and hardwood floors look beautiful.
The only thing I did not like is that I had to go over some of the trim with a rag. I recommended this model to my best friend and she went out to purchase one. Worth every cent. The pads do not come clean when washed in hot water.

Anonymous said...

I bought the Shark Steam Pocket Mop in August and really liked it but by December it just stopped working. The customer service number puts you on hold forever and they don't respond to customer service inquiries via their web site. I'm afraid the money spent is lost. If you buy one, buy from a store with a good return policy. It seems this is not an uncommon problem with this product. I won't buy again but I will try another brand as I prefer steam mopping to anything else I've tried.

Anonymous said...

Purchased mine back in September 09 - use weekly with minimal complaints. Last week the handle just snapped in my hands - could not believe it. Not sure if anyone will take it back but it is made like a piece of junk and would not buy another one.

Anonymous said...

purchased the shark vacuum and it's a piece of junk. A regular vacuum does a much better job and isn't so flimsy. Thanks for all the honest reviews- I've been trying to decide whether to keep the steam pocket mop- need something better than the swiffer to clean my floors with a toddler constantly running around. I guess my next question is what is a better alternative?

Anonymous said...

I used my Shark once and was very happy. The second time I tried to use it, no steam would come out! Any suggestions?

Anonymous said...

I really loved my steam mop because it was so easy to use and it was fast. But I had a similar problem. The mop just shut down. No light came on and it had no steam. I was using the mop perhaps and hour earlier...I'm very disappointment on how fast it broke down. Otherwise I did like it very much.

Anonymous said...

Though I loved it for about the first week! After that no matter how I washed the pads or pre cleaned the tile floor, the steam mop ALWAYS streaks! Great Concept, but I too was a sucker! Lost 80bucks on this purchase!

Anonymous said...

I've had mine for almost 2 years but don't use it that much, although I DID love it. It's light weight so it's easy to push and the steam DID a great job cleaning my laminate wood floor and hardwood floor. I say DID because I just tried to use it and hardly no steam is coming out. The light is one though. Is that true that we aren't supposed to use tap water?? I can't find my manual

Anonymous said...

You clean coffee pots with vinegar and water. You clean steam irons with vinegar and water. Why not try vinegar and water on these broken down steam cleaners and see how it works after that. What do you have to loose.

Anonymous said...

I have bought the old S3101 works great but the handle splits open very poorely made plastic material holding the handle with two screws .so i end up buying the new model S3501A the one cleans on both sides guess what after the secound use the handle starts spliting again .i dont get it this company has a good product but uses cheap material to make it.

Anonymous said...

I wish I had checked here earlier. I've had my mop for about six months, today I have no steam. I'm really disappointed.

Anonymous said...

yup ... our Shark Steam mop used to work very well ... USED TO !!! just stopped working - no heated water - no steam. I took it apart - there are no burnt wires or blown fuses. I tried hot water and vinegar - water pumps thru, but the heating element is dead. not gonna buy another Shark ... try to find a different brand

Michelle in Missouri said...

I got my Shark Steam Mop (not the pocket one, the "old school" version) for Christmas and LOVE IT. I am much more motivated to clean more often with an easy-to-propel device like this one, and do! The only annoyance I have is these pads DO NOT COME CLEAN very easily once used. I think I probably had some pretty nasty dirty floors to begin with! Mine came from Bed, Bath & Beyond - had 5 pads and the carpet glider attachment with it for around $80. Today I am trying a little "soaking in hot water with bleach" trick with the pads prior to machine-washing them to see where that gets me! I do believe the distilled water only is the key here to not destroying the steam mechanism also.

Anonymous said...

my husband bought me the Shark Steam cleaner. Its the worst product I have ever tried. It was very hard to push, I had to go over any soiled area (being a small dirt circle on my floor) multiple times for the steamer to clean it up, It left my floor very dull and streaky. Would not recomment the product to anyone.

Anonymous said...

i got a remanufactured steam pocket mop today at big lots for 79.99 and not much steam comes out and I tried it again later and now barely any comes out, im taking it back tomorrow found a h20 mop on craigslist for 20

Unknown said...

We have Hardwood floors with a Tung Oil finish, and ceramic floors in the baths and laundry area. The Shark has just about ruined my hardwood floors with scratches caused by the back and forth downward pressure exerted during the cleaning. You don't see the scratches until the floors dry, but by then it's too late. I examined the triangular head when finished and could find no protruding screws or other flaws. I may have picked up a tiny piece of stone/rock/dirt somehow with the fabric cleaner head, but couldn't find anything. Has anyone else experienced scratching like this? Oh, I did dust mop the floor before starting, so there was no standing dirt anywhere. I have not seen this problem mentioned on any of these review sites so far.

Anonymous said...

I bought my first steam cleaner from Bed, Bath and Beyond almost 2 years ago and I really liked it. It was very easy to use and convenient but, the other day the plastic piece in the middle of the handle snapped and broke. I bought another one at Target because I figured there was no way to fix it. After reading these other reviews, I'm worried that the same thing will happen again.

Anonymous said...

I was satisfied with the Shark Steam cleaner the first time I used it on my ceramic floors. I was thrilled the second time when I used it on a fixer upper home with filthy ceramic tiled floors. It took a lot of strokes, but came clean. The third time I went to use it, a little steam came out, but mostly it was just puddles of water. I got out the directions to troubleshoot and read how I shouldn’t have washed the pads with powdered soap or bleach or fabric softener (which I had). I purchased new pads and tried again.The forth time, no water and no steam, but I could feel the warmth in the water tank. Euro Pro has offered to "fix" it for about $40 total, (shipping and handling both ways, plus $17.95), because it is now slightly over a year old. I had used tap water since the safety instructions suggested you use distilled water if you have hard water. (which we don’t). Next, I tried using the distilled vinegar (like in a coffee pot), and it still won’t steam or even pump the water out. The only thing that works is the heating element as the water resivour was hot. I won’t be paying to have it fixed. A product that quits working after two usages is not worth it.

Anonymous said...

I've had my Shark Steam mop for about a year. Went to use it today and there is no light, no steam....it's dead. I am VERY disappointed. I had used my mop weekly. For those of you with streak problems the key to NO STREAKS is NOT to use fabric softener when you wash the pads and let them air dry too. Do not dry them in the dryer with fabric softeners.

Anonymous said...

We bought the Shark Mop for $80.00, on sale.... I couldn't dislike it more! Good concept of steamer but horrible in usability. I went back to my mop and bucket of HOT water and soap. It works. I wanted to take this monster back, had saved the box and receipt but husband threw both away. I wish I could get my money back. This mop, along with leaving streaks, pushes all that comes up onto the pad into the baseboard leaving very dirty baseboard edges. I sweep the floor very good before using this ugly mop but feel I need to mop with my regular mop then use the shark. That wouldn't make my work better at all.

Anonymous said...

Never again. Our steam mop worked great for two months - then it just stopped working. I checked my papers and the steam mop was still under warranty. I still had my receipt so I called the company, they gave me a return authorization, saying they would repair my mop and return it in 4 to 6 weeks. Ridiculous, but what was I going to do. I shipped the mop to their repair facility in NC on Apr 16, 2010 per their exact instructions along with a check for $9.95 for return shipping. After waiting the full six weeks for repair, I called to find out the status of my steam mop. They said they received my mop on April 29th (13 days after I shipped it...), my mop had been repaired and that I would receive it via Fed Ex delivery within two days. If I did not receive it by the second day, call back. A week later, still no mop. I called back to find out what went wrong this time. They said since it had been longer than six weeks since they received my steam mop, they directed me to their coorporate customer service department in Canada (Euro Pro). Coorporate said they never ship anything Fed Ex, but they would ship me a new steam mop since it had been over 6 weeks. It's now June 22 and still no mop. I know many people have posted great reviews for Shark products, and that may be great as long as the product works. But these are very poorly made products and when your $100 investment stops working for no reason, you expect the company who stands behind their product. This has been a most disappointing experience and I'll never buy a Shark/Euro-pro product again.

Anonymous said...

I bought a used Shark mop from a friend who was leaving town, she had used it maybe weekly for about a year and couldn't take it with her. she also advised me to use distilled water, which she had done all that time.

I enjoyed using it about 5-6 times -- yes, with distilled water (it worked great, btw!) until it suddenly stopped steaming. Water came out alright, but it was cold. I read repair tips online for the mop and tried using a vinegar solution (3x!) to clean out any deposits in the heating element, but no change. There obviously isn't a clog, because when I push the mop, the water is getting from the reservoir to the floor, so all I get is damp mopping rather than steam mopping.

It doesn't seem worth it to get it repaired, I'm just miffed that my friend asked so much for it when I hardly got any use out of it. And especially when we DID take care of it well, following the manufacturer's recommendations.

Anonymous said...

It seems like all the reviews are similar to my experience, the mop worked really well at first and then broke down within the first year. My mop wouldn't even turn on after about 8 months so I decided to open it to try to fix it myself. Well there seems like there was an electrical short inside as a bunch of wires were burnt. It is too bad that they use cheap materials as the concept of the mop is very good. I would not buy this product again. It is very cheaply made.

Anonymous said...

If your Shark stopped working suddenly, a wire most likely came off. My son fixed mine in about 10 minutes. I love mine!!! I have ceramic tile floors, and it cleans them fantastically. My son and his wife have one for their hardword floors and love it just as much as I do. My daughter finally got one, too, and she is also sold on it. You do have to take care of your unit, and wash the pads after each use. If you are seeing dirt along baseboards (as one poster said)...honey you need to clean more often. Read the instructions and use the Shark properly and you will have no problems. If this one wears out, I will get another one.

Anonymous said...

I've had my Shark S3501 a couple of weeks now, and so far so good. In fact, I love it - no more crawling around on a cold tile floor. My floor was relatively clean when I first tried it, and I always vacuum thoroughly before using it. I use it often on the kitchen and bathroom floors, probably more often than once a week. The floors look great and feel very clean when walking barefoot on them. When mopping, I carry a small Oxo brush that holds cleaning solution and occanionally bend down to scrub a small area of tile grout that didn't come clean and then steam mop the area. The concept of the steam mop is so great that if this one falls apart I'll be seeking another steam mop. It's the answer to a long search for good floor maintenance.

A surprise has been the carpet refresher feature. The manual states it doesn't steam the carpet but refreshes it. I tried it expecting nothing, and was amazed that in about 5 minutes in a large room the carpet did look fluffy and cleaner.

Anonymous said...

I've been using the Shark steam mop for a few months on my new Congoleum Xclusive vinyl flooring. It did a good job cleaning. About a month ago I noticed a round spot that looked like the matte finish had come off of. A few weeks later I noticed a larger round spot not far away. Then after steam mopping again I saw in the same general area two new round spots about the size of a 50 cent piece. I wrote the company and they said they thought it was from the steam mop and they do not recommend using a steam mop on any of their flooring. Now I have to buy another Congoleum product to try to put the finish back on those spots. I'm really disappointed as I love the steam mop, but not if it's going to ruin my flooring. And, I did not let the mop set in one spot for a long time so I know that is not the reason. Now what do I do with a steam mop that shouldn't be used on our flooring. So disappointed!

Anonymous said...

i think i will stick with the broom , old cloth mop and bucket. dont have money to waist. if you want to send one on trial bacis i will buy if it works.

thanks.

Anonymous said...

I have the Shark. I lost the directions, only having used it once. The model #is 269653. Do you know where I can get a manual?

Anonymous said...

Shark Deluxe Steam Mop

Used three times ..... no steam. This is a poorly made product with no support from the company. They should be ashamed of themselves for the lack of support. Will never buy another product from EURO-PRO

Anonymous said...

i loved my steam mop the older kind.. but then it stopped producing steam ( i have only had it a couple of months - used it once a week). My hubby opened it up and saw that the hot steam had broken the tube that the steam passes through... this is a manufacture default... and i will surly let them know about it.. hopefully they do something about it...KNOWING that customer service is outsourced....ugh!!

Anonymous said...

Purchased TWO (not one but, two) Shark steam packet mops, bummer! The first one worked only 3 times!! The second mop (S3501) worked only TWICE, thats two times, then ..NO STEAM. Who would have though! Forget about phone support it does not EXIST! Never again!

Anonymous said...

I puchased the Shark Steam Pocket mop at COSTCO, which included a $25 manufactures discount for our newly installed wood floors. After two uses, the steamer no longer works. I would avoid purchasing the Shark Steam Pocket until they improve the machine. We puchased the ScotchBrite microfiber hardwood floor mop and a pack of microfiber cloths, which can be used wet or dry. Easy to use, washable and better than the Swifters. Forget about the fancy machines and use the good old fashion mop.

Anonymous said...

I've had my Shark steam mop for almost two years. I highly recommended it to a friend just two days ago. Then, I plugged it in to use it, and it isn't steaming. The heating element is working, because the water container gets very hot, but only cold water comes out the bottom. I was going to buy another one, because I do like the convenience of not using the bucket and mop. But after reading this, I think I will shop around for a better brand.

Anonymous said...

I purchased the Shark 2 & 1 (vacuum and steamer mop). I like the vacuum portion but the steamer mop does leave streaks. I have vinyl floors and was told by a co-worker as well as the outside of the box it could be used on vinyl floors. The directions stated if you live in a hard water area; in which I do, not to use tap water but distilled water. I had distilled water in the house and upon first use I filled the tank with distilled water and received streaks after drying. I plan on returning the Shark 2 & 1 back to Lowes and just get the Sharp vaccum. I guess the old fashioned mop and bucket is the best alternative and it will also give me a little exercise at the same time.

Anonymous said...

Is there anything I can do about the film that is still on my floor? I used the vac then steam shark and I loved it..the vacum part works great and the steam came out fine...my hardwood floors looked so good and then it dried and looked like a greasy film showed up? Is that just wax build up? we used Oarnge glow for years...could that be why there is a film even after steam cleaning? I really thought I loved this product until an hour after using and the film showed up! Any suggestions?

Anonymous said...

It is a piece of junk! Don't waste your money!!
The handle is flimsy and unable to use it side to side, or the handle breaks off!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

SHARK STEAM MOP IS A PIECE OF JUNK!!!
The unit stopped steaming but my wife is steaming mad! For those of you who still use the steaming Shark mop, your day of no steam is on the horizon! Sell if it is still functional. You may recoup some of your bad investment.

Anonymous said...

February 13, 2011
I purchased the basic Shark Steam Mop and loved it so much that I gave it to my single son and bought myself the deluxe version. After about 9 months of good service on tile floors and hardwoods, it quit--simply stopped-no light-no steam. A call to Shark Customer Service told me that I needed to send the whole machine plus all pads and attachments to NC for repair--cost about $40.00. I had originally paid $99.00 and had received extra pads etc with the unit.Now, I have researched the web for information as to the best steam mops. I'm thinking that I might check Big Lots for a re-furbished unit that I can use the "extras" on as a short term solution. Then after more research, I'll buy a more substantial/commercial unit that will hold up better. I think that steam cleaning IS the way to go. I can't imagine how clean dipping a mop into dirty mop water and sloshing it around on your floors can be clean!
So, I would recommend buying the cheapest Shark only and expecting it to last maybe a year.

Anonymous said...

I have an OLD, OLD Shark steamer - the kind with the round body, loooong neck hose and attachments that fit on the end of the hose. Instead of pricey pads, I use plain old washcloths. BEST MACHINE I'VE EVER USED on floors! I've been using it for years & years - I wouldn't trade it for anything else.
SHARK NEEDS TO BRING BACK THIS OLD MODEL! It never streaks & it cleans absolutely anything from floors to glass to stoves to machinery to bathtubs!

Anonymous said...

Tried the shark steam mop and love it. The steam is really hot and my floors, hardwood and linoleum, all look great. I read that after a year there is a fuse that tends to burn out. Seems they would fix this problem. They would have more happy customers! So far so Good with mine.

kkerski said...

my steam mop handle broke and would not lock after only 10 uses. Now the steam won't come out after 20 uses. Customer service uses people who are rude, talk over you and have heavy accent. They don't keep your warranty card that they insist you send in so they don't have a record of your purchase. When it did work it dulled my wood floors.

Anonymous said...

have not been able to find one sided pads or get dirt ouy of th two i haveI

Anonymous said...

I just bough the Shark steam mop, and I was so excited to use it. We have 2 small dogs and they get it dirty fast. I was pretty satisfied with the mop it didn't get in the grout like I would have liked, but it cleaned the tops of my tile great and didn't leave streaks. I do like that it is chemical free cause my baby is about to start crawling, not a bad mop for 50 bucks.

Anonymous said...

my steam mop developed leaks comming out of the the handle and out of the the mop end. it was leaving water on the floor with minimum amount of steam. The water canaster got so hot that i burned my fingers when i touched it. I think they should have a warning on the machine. The machine stinks it is only one year old.

Anonymous said...

I bought my Steam Mop for $38 on Black Friday. I just cleaned a huge amount of wood flooring and vinyl. Everything looks great ! I'm also happy it cleans 99.9% of germs without chemicals. If you read the instructions it says the cloudy streaks others have mentioned in previous posts could be due to cleaning product build up and it make take a few times to remove it from your floor.

Eric The Half Bee said...

Hello people. Yes, I owned a Shark Steam Mop and used it mostly for a large tiled area on the main floor of our house. Up to about 1 year, as others have found - it worked very well. PROS: Heats up fast, Cleans well, Floor dries very quickly, Multiple heads are handy, Small neck lets you get behind and under things like chairs and toilets. CONS: #1=Died after one year due to blockages. Once the pinhole sized entry on the attachments gets plugged - in my case deep within the attachment, steam backs up into the main body, which causes water to squirt out the filler relief hole, then the body sides, then you get steam and water basically everywhere. What a disaster. #2-minor functional clumsiness like no on/off button (plug does the work), the head sits permanently at 90 degrees to the handle...so when you hang it up on the wall when you're done, it doesn't hang flat (its a much bigger pain than it sounds and would have been easily corrected with a little forethought. Work-around is it must be stored with the head removed). OVERALL: Works very well (not excellent) but very well for 1 year. Unfortunately that works out to about $10/month with no equity return on investment! I'm looking for something new. Maybe Haan. Thanks for listening.

Anonymous said...

The Shark model S3501A steam mop worked great while it lasted! It did not last very long! I am in the process of dismantling it to troubleshoot the reason that it crapped out. It seems obvious that it is either a fusible link (if there is one) or the heating element(s). I am not very impressed! Not very durable!

Anonymous said...

The mop has no capability to pick up and wring out large quantities of liquid yet the reviewer claims they poured a full bottle of orange juice and a can of soda on the floor. The mop may or may not be legit but the reveiwer should stick to writing paperback fictions.

Anonymous said...

I hate this mop! i wouldn't recommend it to anyone because one day it works fine and the next it just stops steming which is really annoying! I want to return it but i dont have the reciept and i read you have to pay for return shipping and packaging ( what the heck). Also not loving the dirty striks its leaving on my floors. I'm sorry but i will not be recommmending it to anyone until they get their mops sorted out!

Anonymous said...

i used to love it. dind't last 7 months in my house and was used probably twice a week. i expect a $200 steam mop to last longer than a year at least.

Anonymous said...

The Shark Steam Mop is a worthless piece of dreck. Like many appliances being sold now, it inevitably stops working and cannot be fixed without spending almost as much money (and involving a lot more time and aggravation) as buying a new one. Mine lasted 16 months but if you read the reviews carefully, it's likely to work just long enough for the suckers who buy them, of which I am one, to post a positive review online or talk some other patsy into buying one. And even when they DO work they don't clean well and the pads disintegrate and don't come clean in the wash, so you end spending even more money for "consumables."

Anonymous said...

Shark steam mop is crap. You have to have a mop head for every room to keep changing to a clean one or all it does is push wet dirt around.Does nothing for grout joints. doesnt work any better than a swifter wet jet.

Anonymous said...

Stupidly we bought a second Shark 'Professional' even though the first one we bought just stopped working. Now this one has also just stopped working.

Anonymous said...

I clean houses for a living and have seen some very expensive wood floors severely damaged by the "Steam Mops" on the market. If you have vinyl sheet floor or hard tile flooring, the steam mops are more of a liablity. I would NEVER use a steam mop on a wood or tounge and groove laminate flooring... as water and wood DO NOT get along! This is just my personal opinion but I have personally seen damage caused by steam mops on wood floors. :o(

Anonymous said...

We just bought the SHARK Pro Steam Pocket Mop and I tried it on my hardwood floors first. Normally I use Swiffer Wet pads so I liked the Shark at first because it was easy to use and dried really fast. The pad didn't look like it was getting very but I flipped it halfway through. When I was done, the floor looked clean but to test it, I went over the floor with my swiffer wet mop and the pads were dirty, as though I'd started from scratch. I thought it was because I didn't change the pad enought so I did a small area in another room with a clean pad and the same thing happened when I swiffered it. So then I thought I would try it on tile, thinking at least it would loosen dirt in the grout. Nope, didn't work there either. The grout looks just as dirty and I tried using a spray cleaner to see if the dirt was at least loosened, but nothing came up. This was a big disappointment. I can't figure out where all the rave reviews are coming from unless people aren't checking to see if their floors are actually clean after they use the Shark. I am returning it today.

Anonymous said...

Just tried to use the steam mop S3501A to clean my kitchen had read the reviews and been using it for a year been working just fine until now. No words to explain it. It got clogged with steam somehow and just blew off the mophead from the mop. As a mother of 3 children I believe this product is very hazardous and unreliable. Very disappointed.

Anonymous said...

guess I won't be purchasing another shark steam mop, mine also quit working. Used less than a year too.

Anonymous said...

Liked the way it cleaned used it about 9 times
Then the head blew off from blocked steam. called Shark offered to let me send it back for repair for about $50. This is my second experience with a shark product that failed
within limited use. I willnot buy another Shark product. also called Walmart where I bought it. They were no help either. Has anyone had a decent steam mop that lasted

Anonymous said...

The Shark is the best investment I have ever made. I love my machine. My sister had one, which made me buy one, then I brought it to help my friends clean and they love it as well. I purchased the hand held one first, using it still, thats been over 3 years ago. I purchased the upridght steam mop last year...I love it.. I could not live without now..

Anonymous said...

I cant believe some of these comments..Its usually the person operating the machine rather than the machine. Its amazing.I have 0 complaints...

Anonymous said...

Mine quit working yesterday. One year old, used only a dozen times. Don't want to beat up hardwoods. I have two large rooms with hardwoods and a large kitchen/dining area with ceramic tile. I loved the way it cleaned both surfaces. Then yesterday, it just wouldn't put out any steam. My husband tried to unblock the ports, but they don't seem to be blocked. The water chamber gets hot but the water is just running out of the base onto the floor along the bottom of the handle. Tried to contact customer support before hubby tried to fix it. Can't even get through...and read other reviews that said they want me to pay to send back a defective product????? Woke up this morning to a shark infomercial and wanted to throw mine at the tv. Do not recommend.

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