The 9 Best Steam Mops
Editor's Notes
July 09, 2021:
The relatively heavy Hoover SteamScrub Pro appears to be completely out of production, so we've removed it, but the rest of our selections are the same. The truth is, you don't have to spend a fortune for something nice like the Bissell PowerFresh 1940, which should satisfy most users. If you need a bit more cleaning power, though, the Shark Lift-Away Pro offers a slight bump in performance as well as a convenient handheld mode. Speaking of convenience, the canister-style design of the Pure Enrichment PureClean XL makes it especially easy to use in tight spaces and the wide variety of attachments makes it highly versatile.
February 12, 2020:
Joining our list of the best steam mops today is the versatile Shark Lift-Away Pro which, in addition to floors, can be used to clean things like curtains, screens, countertops, and shower doors. For anything above the floor, just remove the handheld component from its base and insert the appropriate attachment. This model features reusable, machine washable pads and a reservoir that’s easy to fill and to empty. It’s also lightweight and easy to maneuver, with a generous power cord length that lets you cover a lot of ground without having to find a new outlet. It replaces the Sienna Luna Plus, which doesn’t always produce an adequate amount of steam.
Another new addition is the multipurpose PurSteam ThermaPro, which is not only great for floors, but also for carpets, mirrors and glass, and even garments, since it too features a removable handheld unit. This machine heats up in just 30 seconds and has a larger reservoir than many others, with a 340-milliliter capacity. It comes with many brush accessories, a squeegee, and two cleaning pads. It replaces the SKG 1500W, which is no longer available at this time.
No matter which model you choose, make sure your type of flooring is compatible with one of these devices. Many adhesives used in flooring installation can become damaged by heat and moisture, and materials such as vinyl can warp from exposure to high heat. If need be, contact your flooring’s manufacturer to check whether it’s safe to use a steam mop on it.
A manual mop is often still necessary as a supplement to a steamer model. Those in the market should check out our list of best mops, many of which feature handy bells and whistles like 360-degree control and rapid-drying heads.
Inventor Of The Steam Mop
Romi Haan, known as Haan Gyung-Hee in Korean, is an anomaly in Korea; a country not typically known for inventiveness.
Romi Haan, known as Haan Gyung-Hee in Korean, is an anomaly in Korea; a country not typically known for inventiveness. It is also a neo-Confucian society with firm subservient expectations placed on women in both business and at home. This makes Haan's story all the more incredible, as she not only morphed her career to become an extremely successful CEO, but she did so by creating a product unfairly associated with "women's work": the steam mop.
She has a French literature undergraduate degree from Ewha Women's University in Seoul and an M.B.A. from California State in Los Angeles. Upon graduating from California State, she started working in hotels and real estate before moving on to a sales job for Concord Enterprises, a wholesale supplier to overstock stores. After 8 years spent going to school and working in the U.S., she returned to Korea where, at her parents urging, she married and took a civil service job in 1996.
As a housewife in Korea, it is normal to clean the floors at least once everyday. Koreans are obsessive about the cleanliness of their floors because they spend a lot of time on them. Unlike Americans who generally sit in chairs at high tables, Koreans sit on the floor when meeting with friends in the home. They eat dinner on the floor in front of low tables, sleep on mats laid out on the floor, and their kids play there.
Haan dreaded cleaning the floors every day, which was often done on the hands and knees with a rag and a bucket. In 1998, after performing the task daily for just two years, she envisioned a product that could make cleaning the floors easier and quicker. In 1999, she quit her civil service job, mortgaged her family home, and raised a considerable amount of money to found Hanyoung Electric and start working on developing a prototype.
Things did not got as expected and, after using up all of the money in just 6 months, she had to convince her in-laws to mortgage their home as well, and then her parents. Her determination and the faith of her family paid off. By 2003 she had a product ready for market. Her first year, she had millions in sales and that only increased as the years went on.
Steam Mops Versus Traditional Mops
Steam mops offer a number of benefits over traditional mops. With the proliferation of chemicals we are exposed through in our daily life, it is not unusual to look for ways to reduce them in our home. Cleaning the floors with a steam mop is not just about convenience, it can also be a great way to remove one more chemical exposure from your life.
This makes them a great versatile appliance and allows them to accomplish so much more than a traditional mop.
They work by using intense heat to sanitize surfaces, without requiring the addition of harsh chemical cleaners. They can actually remove more invisible bacteria than a standard mop can with bleach or other floor cleaners. They also won't leave the overpowering smell of a floor cleaner behind for a few hour as traditional mopping does. In addition, they allow you to save money in the long run. Steam mops may be more expensive at first, but you won't need to lay out money buying expensive floor cleaners every couple of months. Over the years, this can add up to significant savings.
Steam cleaned floors also dry quicker than floors which have been cleaned with a traditional mop. This is because less water gets left behind, and the water that is left behind is warm, making it evaporate quicker.
Some steam cleaners come with attachments that allow one to clean carpets, countertops, curtains and more. This makes them a great versatile appliance and allows them to accomplish so much more than a traditional mop. If your home is pressed for space, it might be unfeasible to buy a different appliance for every one of these applications, but a steam mop can do it all, while still being easy to store in a compact way.
Health Benefits Of House Cleaning
Cleaning the home can not only be therapeutic, but can improve one's physical health as well. First and foremost, cleaning removes many potentially harmful viruses, microbes, mold and fungi commonly found in a home.
When it comes to mental health, cleaning the home offers a number of other benefits.
These harmful contaminants can be imbibed by the body in myriad of ways. They can be absorbed by the skin, inhaled while breathing, or contaminate food that if it accidentally touches the countertop. Cleaning the home regularly can help reduce the chance of infection by the toxins.
For those looking to get or stay fit, cleaning the home is known to burn a large amount of calories. Light cleaning, such as dusting and picking up the kid's toys can burn 170 calories every hour. For comparison, the average person can burn around 100 calories while running one mile.
When it comes to mental health, cleaning the home offers a number of other benefits. A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine states that just twenty minutes of cleaning can reduce a person's anxiety and stress by 20%. It also helps with anger management and is considered a productive way to relieve frustration and anger, especially after a heated argument or a long day at work.