Shark Steam Mop: Does it Work? - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

Shark Steam Mop: Does it Work?
By: Lauren Keith

Dozens of you requested I try the Shark Steam Mop on Does it Work Wednesday.  It's a chemical-free way to clean your hard-surface flooring. It's not made for carpet.  The Shark promises to sanitize your floors and is even safe for *sealed* hardwood flooring.  It'd better be---the Shark ranges in price from $70 to $100.

For this test, I head to Anderson Green Insurance in Sikeston. The office staff here contacted me about this product, after the company recently expanded. They just moved in, and the girls think the bathroom floor hasn't been cleaned in six months, prior to them moving here.  They're in luck, the Shark promises it can clean caked-on dirt.

After filling the Shark with regular tap water, it starts up right away, but Chrissy White notices this.

"It doesn't turn very well," she says. "It also kind of just pushes the dirt around."

The Shark slides right through the layers of dirt on the tile floor, but Chrissy's right---with that much caked-on dirt, the Shark picks up most of it, but some does gather around the wall.

"Ugh!" says Chrissy looking at the pad after cleaning.

Just like the box says---the "proof is in the pad!"  With a little maneuvering, Chrissy and I eventually get all the dirt mopped up.

Now, it's time to see if the Shark can take a "bite" out of some scuff marks in the company kitchen.

"That's a pretty good scuff--and it takes it right away! This is really good on this," notes another co-worker, Mary Cappel.  

Mary says she's tried for years to get certain scuff marks off her floors, but the hot steam from the Shark wiped them away in seconds.

"I didn't think it'd take up scuff marks and it did. I'm impressed," says Mary.

And the more you pump the handle, the more steam you get. So, the Shark can clean caked-on dirt and old scuff marks, but what about a simple soda spill?

It's not sticky afterwards either, and the floors dry quickly afterwards, too.

"Definitely a grade 'B.'  It's pricey, but you don't buy refills with this like you do with a Swiffer.  You wash the pads in your washer," notes Mary.

Plus, Mary bumps up that letter grade after I let her take the Shark home.  She tried it on her *sealed* hardwood floors, and absolutley loved it.  She said the Shark's steam ate right through some grease spots on her wood floor in the kitchen.

"I was very impressed," says Mary.

The Anderson Green staff and I agree, if you're looking for a chemical-free way to clean and don't like buying refills for your other mops, then maybe you'll want to buy the Shark.

The girls give it a "B plus" only because they still wish the Shark cost a little less.  It easily steams up a very good grade on this Does it Work Wednesday test.  I got the Shark at Sears Grand in Cape Girardeau.  Please make sure your floors will work with this product, and the product also says *not* to leave the mop pad standing on your floor, as it might cause spots.  Follow the direcitons and you should be fine!  Also, the floors dried very quickly when using this product, which made our testers very happy.