★★★★★ 4
but found myself missing the ease and convenience of a good steam mop
Style: PowerFresh Steam Mop
This steam mop is a replacement for an older one (different brand) that kept breaking on me. I went back to the old "tried and true" method of mop and bucket of soapy water for a time, but found myself missing the ease and convenience of a good steam mop. I was definitely attracted to the positive reviews on the Bissell, so that was a big draw. The price was right too. I've been happy with it since I've had it. Easy to use and very effective at cleaning. We have sealed hardwood, seal laminate, and ceramic tile in our house, so this mop has been tested on different types of floors.
Hardwood: works great. The basic mop cloth is better than the one with the little "grippers" etched into it. It glides much more smoothly across the floor. To keep the shine up, I'll spray a fine mist of vinegar over small areas as I steam mop.
Ceramic: My favorite type of flooring by far to use this on, mostly because you don't have to even think about moisture issues with it. Cleans perfectly every single time. If something does get stuck in the grout, there is a small scrubber attachment that you can use to scrub as you mop.
Laminate: I'm always extremely careful whenever cleaning my laminate, regardless of how I'm cleaning it. Let's face it, laminate and water do not mix. We installed our flooring and sealed it at all the seams, but I still worry. While you can't turn off the steam on this mop during usage (if it's plugged in, the steam is going), you can reduce the amount of steam to the lowest level, which I've found to be just right for "delicate" floors like laminate. In the past (with my other steam mop) I did begin to notice a bit of a dull build up that happened after using the steam mop exclusively for about 3 months; using a regular mop and some laminate floor cleaner seamed to clear that up quickly. I don't know if that will happen with this steam mop, but I'm anticipating it and am prepared for it.
Things to consider:
--If this is your first steam mop, be aware that it's not the same as cleaning with a mop. I remember wondering how it was cleaning my floor at all; but it does. In fact, it does an amazing job. I'm constantly repulsed by how nasty the mop cover is after one use. Yuck.
--Expect to buy more mop covers. You'll get 2 with this unit. And those 2 are great. But the thing about steam mops is that the cover will become gross as you mop around your house---especially if you're doing a major cleaning that is picking up a lot of dirt. The more dirty that mop cover gets, the better the chance of leftover streaks on your floor will be. Decide which sort of mop cover you use most and pick up an extra pack of them. You may want to use a fresh mop cover for each high-traffic area.
---Be aware that some floors just love to show streaks and there isn't too much you can do about it. My hardwood and ceramic are a dream to clean with the steam mop, but the laminate is a bit more fussy. If the cover isn't clean, the floor will look streaky and almost like there's a film on it when you're done. I try to do that flooring first to reduce that risk. If you notice a build up after a while, do a mop/bucket round of cleaning with a designated laminate cleaner. That should cut through the "film"; you'll be fine to steam mop once again.
Overall opinion: I like this machine. It's simple. Straight forward. Easy to use. You can't turn the steam off while the unit is plugged in, but I'm okay with that and have never had any issues because of it. Changing between steam levels is as easy as pushing a button and the result is almost immediate. The water heats up quickly (about 30 seconds) so my mop is ready to use when I'm ready to use it. There is a slight "knocking" sound that happens while the mop is plugged in and as I'm using it, but it doesn't affect the usage and hasn't been a problem. The manual mentions that it can happen, and I think it has to do with how the water is drawn from the water tank by the machine. My one complaint is that one of the mop covers has a rip in the seam (where the elastic is sewn on). I can stitch it and it will be fine, but it's annoying that it happened after one wash. Also, the mop covers will not be white ever again after you've used them. No matter how you wash or pretreat them. I've gotten over that too and it doesn't really matter. In the end, so long as this machine continues to work well, I'm happy.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2015

