Yahoo Finance 8 best steam cleaners to keep your floors sparkling
Steam cleaners have joined vacuums as a household essential – they presen a quick, handy way to keep surfaces free from the bugs and bacteria other products can’t reach. So how do they do this?
This, dear readers, is the best bit, because the key ingredient is water, heated and turned into a powerful jet of steam which is hot enough not only to remove stubborn stains, but to kill any microscopic nasties – all without any chemicals.
Steam cleaners are generally described as being suitable for hard sealed surfaces and soft furnishings. The word sealed is important here – ask the average steam cleaner manufacturer whether their product can be used on vinyl or laminated flooring and they’ll reply with the “sealed surfaces” line.
The reason? Some vinyl flooring can be more delicate than others, which is why manufacturers are wary of giving the green light for blanket use. For this reason, the best approach is to test your steam cleaner on a small patch first, before proceeding with caution.
How we tested
We spent more time than we care to remember steam cleaning a huge range of surfaces – whether it was the limescale-adorned tiles in our bathroom (living in an area infamous for its hard water meant we had the perfect testing ground), the sealed floors in our hallway or our oven doors. You can’t say we’re not thorough.
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We paid careful consideration to ease of use and options for customisation – could it be used as a handheld model, and were the different nozzles easy to remove and replace? Long running times were a major bonus, although generally we found that these came in around the 15-minute mark. Profile was also important – low, flat designs that could slide under low-hanging items such as wardrobes and armchairs saved huge amounts of time and effort.
The best steam cleaners for 2022 are:
Best overall – Shark S6003UK klik n flip automatic steam mop cleaner: £99.98, Sharksteam.co.uk
Best premium product – Kaercher steam cleaner SC 5 easyfix premium: £519.99, Kaercher.com
Best for small homes – Bissell steam shot steam cleaner: £59.99, Lakeland.co.uk
Best value – Kärcher SC2 upright easyfix: £99.99, Kaercher.com
Best for ease of use – Hoover CAD1700D steam cleaner: £90, Ao.com
Best compact design – Bissell powerfresh slim steam: £119.99, Bisselldirect.co.uk
Best for speedy cleaning – Russell Hobbs 1400W steam and clean steam mop and 5 extra mop pads: £49.99, Russellhobbs.com
Best for all areas – Vax steam fresh power plus steam cleaner: £99.99, Vax.co.uk
Shark S6003UK klik n flip automatic steam mop cleaner
Best: Overall
Rating: 10/10
Thought all steam cleaners were equal? Think again, because Shark has packed a surprising amount of tech into this one, which has three settings designed to ensure targeted cleaning power on different surfaces. We cranked it up on a stained patch of hard flooring and were seriously impressed with how quickly it worked its magic, although the blast mode can take some of the credit – activate this for an extra zap of dirt-busting steam. It’s also incredibly easy to use, with an easily accessible front-facing reservoir, and a mop head which can be changed with a press of a button, which left our hands free from grime.
Buy now £99.98, Sharksteam.co.uk
Kaercher steam cleaner SC 5 easyfix premium
Best: Premium product
Rating: 9/10
This brilliant steam cleaner, ideal for larger properties, is a reminder that Kärcher’s expertise doesn’t just relate to power washers and leaf blowers. Yes, £519 is a lot to spend on a steam cleaner but we suspect you’ll deem it a worthy investment. It’s an incredibly powerful appliance that comes which a huge range of attachments (including a floor cloth, large round brush, power nozzle and carpet glider), hence the reason we’d say this particular model is best suited to larger homes. The massive 1.l water tank (which you’ll need to remove to refill) meant we could prolong our steaming sessions, although at the same time, we appreciated time-saving features such as the vapohydro function, which combines a blast of hot air with hot water for unbeatable cleaning power (we found this especially useful on areas such as limescale-stained tiles and oven doors).
Buy now £519.99, Kaercher.com
Bissell steam shot steam cleaner
Best: For small homes
Rating: 9/10
This looks unlike any other steam cleaner we’ve come across – and we love it. Whipping out this stylish device for a quick session couldn’t be easier, and its ergonomic design minimises the risk of wrist fatigue. Don’t make the mistake of thinking its tapered nozzle means it’s only suitable for tight corners and specific areas, either – it comes with a staggering 10 accessories, our favourite of which is the fabric steamer tool, which made sprucing up soft furnishings a breeze.
Buy now £59.99, Lakeland.co.uk
Kärcher SC2 upright easyfix
Best: Value
Rating: 8/10
Think of this as Kärcher’s budget steam cleaner – albeit one which is still more than up to the task in hand (or more specifically, any type of hard, sealed flooring). Its upright design makes it a breeze to use, and although there are fewer accessories, we’re confident you won’t find yourself wanting. The microfibre cloths were incredibly easy to attach and slip off, thanks to the hook-and-loop fastener, and the blasts of steam (there are two power settings) made light work of stains on hard wood floors, tiles and vinyl. It took just under the promised 30 seconds to heat up, and the ultra-smooth swivel action of the head made it easy to access tricky areas.
Buy now £99.99, Kaercher.com
Hoover CAD1700D steam cleaner
Best: For ease of use
Rating: 9/10
Don’t be put off by this cleaner’s slightly bulkier look. We found it incredibly easy to manoeuvre around our testing space – an awkwardly-shaped living room with numerous obstacles to navigate – and the combination of a 7m cord and a run time of up to 50 minutes (a rare thing in the world of steam cleaners) allowed us to indulge in lengthy sessions without worrying whether we’d run out of either time or cable. We’d have loved to see a larger water tank (this one has a capacity of 0.7l), but the ease with which we could switch between power settings resulted in efficiency that more than made up for the slightly smaller reservoir.
Buy now £90.00, Ao.com
Bissell powerfresh slim steam
Best: Compact design
Rating: 8/10
One of the first things we noticed was this steam cleaner’s oversized head – it’s one of the biggest we’ve come across, allowing us to cover large areas in record time, although it was fantastic on more targeted areas, too. The best bit? The cleaning power doesn’t seem to be compromised either, and the on-demand steam trigger, placed right where it should be, meant we could easily summon up extra steam power when needed. We also loved the way we would transform this steam cleaner from an upright model to a handheld version in seconds, allowing us to switch from cleaning our hard floors to our work surfaces in a nano-second. Our one gripe? The relatively short run time of 15 minutes.
Buy now £119.99, Bisselldirect.co.uk
Russell Hobbs 1400W steam and clean steam mop and 5 extra mop pads
Best: For speedy cleaning
Rating: 9/10
This is a fantastic steam cleaner for smaller homes – its 5m cable and 380ml water tank admittedly means you’d struggle with larger areas, but don’t let that put you off. We loved everything about this cleaner, which had an incredibly slimline design that’s perfect for stashing into our overfilled cleaning cupboard, and a low profile, which made it easy to thoroughly clean easily overlooked areas, such as beneath low-slung sofas and chairs. We also appreciated the added extras, which included seven mop pads (including two microfibre ones), a carpet glider and a filler cup to minimise the risk of spillages when refilling the reservoir (why don’t more steam cleaners come with these)?
Buy now £49.99, Russellhobbs.com
Vax steam fresh power plus steam cleaner
Best: All areas
Rating: 9/10
One of the main selling points promoted in conjunction with this steam cleaner is the ability to use it with detergent, although this is an option with most cleaners, so we’ll gloss over this bit (and please don’t feel the need make a repeat purchase of Vax’s own-brand detergent, a bottle of which is provided). Our favourite thing about this cleaner was its versatility – the ergonomic variable steam controls made it simple to switch power settings depending on the surface in question, and the steam boost function provided an extra-powerful blast of cleaning power (often we struggle to see the difference after activating boost functions). Converting it to a handheld device took just a couple of seconds, and the interchangeable heads, which includes a soft scrub brush and precision tool, are ridiculously easy to fit – they simply twist on and off, locking into place was a reassuring sturdiness.
Buy now £99.99, Vax.co.uk
Steam cleaner FAQs
Do you need to use any cleaning products with a steam cleaner?
It is advised to not use anything other than water in the steam cleaner, including any cleaning solutions or bleaches, as putting chemicals in your steam cleaner can cause corrosion. The heat of the steam will sterilise surfaces and floors, so you don’t really need any harsh chemicals or detergent. Most manufacturers also recommend only using demineralised water.
What to look for in a steam cleaner
Water tank capacity – When picking a steam cleaner, you should consider your cleaning needs, and how big your space is. Smaller steam cleaners will heat up faster, but that also means that you may have to refill your water tank more often, perhaps in the middle of your chores. On the other hand, larger tanks will last longer so are great for bigger spaces or mammoth cleaning sessions, but will often take longer to heat up, so you may be stuck waiting around to get started.
Heat up time –Most steam cleaners will take around five to 15 minutes. Depending on your time constraints, you may want to invest in a more pricey model that has a quicker heat up time.
Weight/size –While it may seem like a good decision to get a bigger cleaner as you can cover more ground without having to fill up as often, you may find that the compact designs can really get in those nooks and crannies and are easier on the arms.
Variable steam settings – Some steam cleaners have variable settings which allow you to clean on all surfaces, including more delicate floors.
The verdict: Steam cleaners
For sheer cleaning power in a compact, lightweight package, we love Shark’s n flip automatic steam mop cleaner. It’s also incredibly easy to use, and can quickly get to the tricky places other steam cleaners can’t reach. If you’re looking for a steam cleaner that packs plenty of power and is suitable for larger homes, you can’t go wrong with the Kärcher steam cleaner SC 5 easyfix premium. Trying a steam cleaner for the first time? Bissell’s steam shot steam cleaner is a great entry-level product and is a fantastic choice for smaller properties, too.
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