Best steam mops please?

Most important thing for me is height, I need to find one that has a slightly longer handle as.the one we had cleaned well but gave me back ache from just doing the kitchen, hall and lounge in my small 2 bed terraced. 1st one now broken but will try any further purchases for a non-stooping model, I am only 5ft 5.

I’ve had several steam mops over the years - started with an H2o, then Vax, Shark and now Russell Hobbs which was a fraction of the cost of the first one. In my opinion, they’re all much the same, but when they ‘break’ they can’t be repaired. I wouldn’t be without one and use it on tiles and sealed wood (not laminate).

I have had endless numbers of males and models of steam mops and they have all stopped working or flooded the floors after a few months. I am currently using a Flash Speed Mop after sending my wonderful robot vacuum round, followed by a floor polisher that also vaccine as it goes. It’s a Ewbank. I also have a Bissell Crosswave that scrubs floors and rugs with clean water only. That is also good. But I’ve found the key is vacuum, wash then polish. The floors seem stay cleaner for longer. I also live in a rural area so mud and leaves get traipsed in and I have 3 kittie cats.

I use a Russell Hobbs it’s lightweight and very quick and simple. Only for use on my ceramic tiles though not anything laminate. Highly recommend.

I was given a second hand Vax steam mop over 2 years ago and it's still going strong. Much better than a normal mop. I only us on cushion floor but it is the non slip textured cushion floor which was impossible to clean with a normal mop and bucket.
A word of advice don't go to close to the plinths under kitchen floor units it will ruin them.

I’ve had the same experience with a steam mop - it stopped steaming after a while. I also noticed that our laminate floor in the hall was lifting and my brother told me that he had been warned against using a steam mop on his Amtico floor in the kitchen (as we have) because it melts the glue.

I had a VAX steam mop for one whole day. It was a disaster. The whole kitchen filled up with steam, me pouring with sweat, condensation running down the walls. The floor was clean, yes, for about a square metre, but then the mophead was filthy and just spread dirty water all over the rest of the floor. Complete waste of time for me. Returned same day.

have used a bissell for 2 decades
main thing i learned was do not use tap water use filtered
still works fine

I have a quite old Vax and it's never been very good at steam cleaning tiled floors or carpets. Have recently tried the upholstery attachment and that was just rubbish. Looking for a replacement now.

I am on my third one and definitely the best. It is a Shark that has a good size mophead that can be easily switched to get another clean side. It has a decent cord length too. I use it along with a spray bottle of floor cleaner for the worst bits.

In my experience ‘best steam mop’ is an oxymoron

It would be a good deal cheaper to buy your grandchildren slippers to wear in your house, you know.

I live in a rural area and we have two cats that go out and in as they please, but hoovering once a week or ten days and washing the tiled floors in the back kitchen and hall weekly, leaves me with clean feet and I very rarely wear slippers indoors.

I have a vax. Very pleased and much more efficient than a mop and bucket especially with two dogs in the house.

I've had about three steam mops, none of them lasted very long. Given up on steam now and use an e mop...they are great!

I have a bex bissell crossways as I have old quarry tile and a dog! . Does the same job but without the steam.

Oh, and two of mine were Vax and one was an unbranded one from Groupon or somewhere.

I’ve had three steam mops in the past. All stopped working within a few months. They just stopped heating the water properly so instead of steaming they just wet the floor.

I have had three, and they all gave up after a year or so. They are great when new, but don't last. My husband is pretty good at getting things going again, but these weren't broken - they just stopped producing all the steam.

I now use one of those stick ones with a squirty bottle on the stick. It's not as good as an operational steam mop, but better than a non-working one. Like others, we now have hard flooring in the hall and dining room, so wouldn't be able to use a steam mop on that anyway.

My help gets down on hands and knees to clean the kitchen floor as she finds it more efficient than a mop.

Thank you LadyGracie . I thought as much.

Also, on second thoughts, the actual mopping will take just as long with the electric steamer as with the hand mop. The other bits of the job: sweeping, getting the tools out and putting them back, frequent changing of the cloths, moving the furniture, is just as time-consuming for both methods, so, unless the steamer cleans way, way better, I see no advantage in my case. I don't have pets.

A friend used a steam mop on her hallway laminate floor, over time the floor buckled. She now has cushion floor.

I've never thought about getting one of these although we have a large expanse of tiled and laminate floors - in fact the whole of the ground floor.

Can anyone confirm that they really do clean better than a mop (I change the water frequently and with weekly wiping the mop doesn't get too dirty)

And would it be safe to use on laminate flooring?

Oldbat1 and karmalady - I'm having to have the Karndean flooring in the kitchen replaced, and I'm sure it's because I used my steam mop on it when my GC were very small and crawling about. Several of the strips have bowed and buckled and it's time it was renewed. I won't use it on the new floor (Karndean again but larger tiles rather than wood-effect strips.)

It's a Black and Decker and I will still use as a hand-held steamer for other purposes. It really helps to loosen any leftover grease it and grime in the oven when I clean it and is great for cleaning the grouting in the kitchen/bathroom.

karmalady main reason I stopped using mine. The grout in floor tiles started coming out and we have karndean flooring in our large hall which I was worried about the steam heat causing the strips to lift. Not much point using the mop. My daughter loves her. Luckily mine was one from Lidl.

I got rid of my shark steam mop, it was ok then I read about the hot steam softening the glue below the flooring. Being just ok was not enough for me to keep it, better for me now to use a microfibre mop

My best mop was when I had one with a whirly basket, it was brilliant on a stone floor but too big to keep here. Indoor slippers help a lot, no outdoor shoes inside