The best steam mops for carpet help keep our homes safe and clean by blitzing bacteria off all manner of floors and surfaces. Heat treatment requires nothing but tap water, meaning you can steer clear of harsh chemical cleaning products, and it has been shown to be effective at killing viruses like coronavirus.
In fact, the government recommends using the best steam mops for carpet to disinfect items that cannot be washed or cleaned with regular detergents, such as soft furnishings, upholstery, and mattresses.
Do you need to clean up the crumbs first? No need to worry: our roundup of the best steam mops for carpet will lift any loose debris before you sweep with steam.
This premium, cylinder-style steam cleaner is not to be confused with a steam mop. It does an excellent job of cleaning much more than floors, and it can clean for hours. It has a 6m power cord and a large 1.5 litre water tank, which is then pumped into a pressurised steam tank. This means that you can refill the machine at any time, even while it’s in use, without having to stop cleaning.
The only disadvantage of its constant, powerful steam is that you must wait 3 minutes for it to heat up. The tools and onboard storage are excellent. The 2m hose can be extended with one or both lance sections to clean floors and high-up or difficult-to-reach areas.
After that, you can attach various tools. A large, rectangular floor head is included, as are two Velcro cloths and a clip-on carpet glider. This steam cleaner also comes with a large square brush with cloth and a large round brush – both of which can be stored on the Kärcher.
The Shark’s fancy features set it apart from its other upright competitors (along with the extra £40). This steam mop includes double-sided pads with ‘Dirt Grip Technology’. The ‘klik and flip’ feature allows you to flip the mop head to the fresh, clean side, which is both efficient and satisfying.
It also has three different steam settings and a ‘steam blaster mode’ that uses a concentrated blast of steam to remove those particularly stubborn stains (we’re looking at you, baby vomit).
All of this contributes to Shark’s claim that it “eradicates 99.9 percent of common household bacteria.” It also has one of the longest cords of any product we recommend (8m), if that is important to you.
The Vileda Steam Mop is the best budget option if all you need is a simple steam mop to clean your floors. It’s extremely simple to use, with only a few buttons, and the 400ml water tank will keep you cleaning for more than 15 minutes at a time, with only a 15-second wait while it heats up when you need to refill it.
It’s lightweight, but it’s excellent at removing tough stains from hard floors, and it even comes with a plastic glider for cleaning rugs and carpets. If you have a larger space to clean or a lot of messy devils in your house, you might want something with a little more beef. The Vileda isn’t as versatile as more expensive steam mops, and it struggles with heavier dirt buildup.
To get the most out of it, turn the power all the way up to maximum. This mop, on the other hand, is ideal for those with lighter cleaning requirements.
Our tester had recently had some construction work done in their kitchen area, so this Beldray steam cleaner had been put through its paces. Despite being one of the cheapest models in our final selection, it easily restored floors and kitchen cabinets to hygienic condition after an initial sweep and vacuum to remove builders’ dust and grit.
Although the power of steam cleaning can remove stains and almost all germs from surfaces, some people prefer a spritz of detergent to make things smell better. This model has a small tank for just that purpose, with a trigger action that releases a short spray in front of the cleaning head when necessary. The swivel head made this light floor cleaner very easy to use, and the glider made it simple to push over rugs and carpeting.
If cylinders are too cumbersome for you, try this 2-in-1 mop instead. It has a long cord to reduce plug socket faff and a flexible joint to help you manoeuvre through tight spaces with ease.
It scrubbed dirt off our vinyl flooring effectively but struggled to remove embedded stains from our carpet. It’s an excellent kitchen companion, doubling as a handheld for hobs and worktops.
This Kärcher model is great if you’re looking for a relatively cheap yet sturdy, lightweight, and reliable steamer for all your cleaning tasks around the home.
This steamer comes with a variety of attachments for cleaning various areas of the home, including a power nozzle, round brush, detail nozzle, and hand nozzle, as well as a terry cloth cover and storage bag to keep them all organised and safe. It includes a ‘lamella’ floor tool that is specifically designed for cleaning engineered wood floors.
By attaching the extension tube to the handheld unit, you can also use this steamer as a traditional mop.
The Bissell Vac & Steam 1977E vacuums and cleans at the same time, which saves time. We adored the original, and now the 1977E model has received a minor update and is available in an enticing blue colour. This model will not win any awards as a standalone steam cleaner or vacuum cleaner; however, the combination of the two features produces some impressive cleaning results.
Small particles are sucked up by a 400W bagless vacuum cleaner and 1100W steam heater before the microfibre pad steams the floor and picks up stains. The Bissell Vac & Steam 1977E can effectively cut cleaning time in half for well-traveled areas of your home with hard floors. Bissell suggests three passes for a dirty area, which worked well for picking up dust and removing stains.
The system’s disadvantage is that it is not very adaptable, and it is neither a good vacuum nor a versatile and powerful steam cleaner. Still, it’s the sum of the parts that counts, and the Bissell Vac & Steam 1977E excels at hard floor cleaning.
If you are looking for the best multipurpose steam cleaner for use all-around your home, then try out this steam cleaner by Mlmlant. It comes complete with a 20-piece accessory kit, so whatever you are looking to clean, this steam mop is likely to have an attachment for it.
The Mlmlmant steam cleaner comes with a five-foot hose that makes it easy to reach hard-to-reach areas. Furthermore, the superheated steam it generates is low in moisture. This means less work for you because it cleans faster and dries faster. However, because the tank is so large, it takes much longer to heat up than other smaller models.
If you are comparing steam mops, we believe this model may not be the best choice for you if you are looking for a quick start or will be doing small cleaning tasks. When compared to some upright models, it can also be a little bulky to pull around behind you. Furthermore, the four-metre cord can be a little restricting, so if you have a larger home, you might want to try a cordless steam mop instead.
We liked how simple this machine is to operate, and the effortless gliding across the floor made it feel more like a relaxing task than a chore. It’s lightweight and slim in design, which made it so easy to handle while cleaning. When the tank is empty, it is simple to refill because there is no need to wait for it to cool before topping it off. This saves a lot of time and effort.
The cleaning pads provided are simple to install and completely washable, providing you with a reusable solution to the grime on your hard floor. Because of the steam pump, you can blast stains and tough areas without hesitation, and it is quite effective at breaking through them.
The mop head has a low profile as well, allowing it to reach under furniture and other tight spaces.
This Vax steam mop is the model to choose if you want your steam mop to do more than just clean floors. It not only cleans floors but also comes with a handheld reach wand, allowing you to easily clean the tops of cupboards, around the shower, and other difficult-to-reach areas.
Whatever cleaning mode you choose, thanks to the use of detergent rather than just steam, this steam mop will break down dirt quickly and easily, leaving your home smelling fresh. It’s even safe to use in the oven!
This one is truly multifunctional, as it includes a handheld reach wand as well as a number of add-ons that allow you to clean a variety of surfaces such as ovens, hobs, and showers. This function gives you extra cleaning power when you need it, which is ideal for getting down and dirty with stubborn stains.
What are steam mops?
These combine the boiler and the cleaning head into a single upright cleaning machine. As the name implies, these are primarily intended to function as a super-powered mop, but an increasing number can also function as a regular steam cleaner, either by having a smaller, removable boiler unit or by allowing you to attach additional heads in place of the mop head. They’re now almost as versatile as the traditional steam cleaner, but they’re much easier to use and much smaller.
What should I keep an eye out for?
When it comes to capacity, convenience, and cleaning power, steam cleaners differ. The size of the tank obviously makes a big difference. Some models allow you to refill the tank only after the steam has been turned off and the cleaner has cooled, which means you can only clean for as long as there is water in the tank, which may limit each stint to ten or fifteen minutes. Some models, however, now include a separate feeder tank that you can refill while the cleaner is running, or even an inlet that you can keep filling with water while the machine is running. You’re more likely to run out of steam with those cleaners, and you can keep going until, say, the downstairs floors are clean or the bathroom is free of any trace of dirt or grime.
Because it can take time to boil and pressurise the steam, the power of the boiler also has an effect. Newer cleaners have gotten much better at cutting down on that wait time, but it can still take several minutes to get a usable head of steam. Furthermore, many steamers require a breather every now and then while they build up steam before continuing. Certain cleaners are better than others at minimising this.
Another thing to keep an eye out for is pressure. The faster the steam jets out and the better it dissolves dirt and grime, the higher the steam pressure. As a result, a steam cleaner with 3.5 to 4 bar of pressure will have significantly more cleaning power than a handheld cleaner with less than 3 bar.
Are there any practicalities to consider?
Examine the accessories that come with the cleaner carefully. The more brushes, nozzles, and scrapers you have, the better, and a gliding mop-head cover for cleaning carpets is an added bonus. Also, keep an eye out for the mains lead and the length of any steam hose, as nothing is more aggravating than being unable to steam clean in a corner of your shower because it won’t reach without an extension cable.
Previously, some steam cleaners required distilled/deionized water or they would quickly become clogged with limescale. Many newer models are less fussy and include a filter or limescale prevention system, though it’s still a good idea to use filtered water if you live in a hard water area.
Finally, before purchasing a steam cleaner, ensure that the surfaces you intend to mop can withstand steam cleaning. While hardwood floors, tiles, most worktops, and sheet vinyl flooring can be cleaned with a steam cleaner, some softwood, laminate, or modular floorings must be cleaned with a broom, mop, or vacuum cleaner, unless you enjoy the sight of an expensive kitchen floor peeling up in front of your eyes.
The best steam mops for carpet are excellent for removing grime from almost any hard surface, as well as cleaning some soft furnishings such as carpets. It’s true that nothing can’t be cleaned with the right tools and a little elbow grease, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make it easier on yourself.
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