News Beat
The best steam mops and steam cleaners for spotless kitchen, bathroom and laminate floors
Everyone should have a steam mop or steam cleaner. These devices can be used to steam hard floors, carpets and rugs, and sometimes come with accessories for other tasks, such as cleaning upholstery or glass surfaces.
However, not all steam mops are created equal. There are several brands, including Kärcher, Vax, Polti and Russell Hobbs, and prices range widely, from as little as £35 to over £300. A higher spend will often get you better specs, such as stronger steam cleaning power and superior accessories for different cleaning tasks, although there are some brilliant basic models available.
Alongside reviewer Ellis Cochrane, I tested a comprehensive range of steam mops and steam cleaners to bring you the top-rated selection of models below. We’ll keep this guide regularly updated to reflect the latest advancements in home steam cleaning, which is still a new and transformative cleaning method for many households. Here’s a quick look at our top five, and check below for some frequently asked questions.
The best steam mops: At a glance
How to choose the best steam cleaner or steam mop
A steam cleaner is usually a compact, handheld device which emits an intense, targeted spray of steam onto a surface in order to loosen dirt particles.
Steam cleaners are the more versatile devices, as they can be used to clean a number of different surfaces and fabrics, including clothing. A steam mop is generally used only to clean floors, and takes the shape of a traditional mop or floor cleaner but with the added power of jets of steam, which help clean the surface more effectively.
If you are buying a floor steamer, the following features are useful to look out for:
- Different heat settings
- A carpet glider which helps to refresh carpets and rugs
- A number of accessories to help you get into every nook and cranny of your flooring
How we test steam cleaners
First, we assemble each model and rate it for ease of setup, factoring in the various attachments supplied with certain steam cleaners or mops. We then test the appliances on a representative range of surfaces, such as hard floors, carpets, rugs, upholstery and bathroom fittings, depending on the cleaner’s capabilities.
To thoroughly assess the cleaning performance, we challenge each device to clean up a variety of substances from dried wellington boot prints to orange juice spillages and vegetable oil splatterings. We take notes on speed, ease, efficiency and handling (especially in tight corners and under low furniture) during testing, test all supplied accessories, and wash then reattach the cleaning pads after use to gain a thorough understanding of how users will experience each cleaner.
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