Top 5 steam mops for hard floors

In the line of steam mops of the American manufacturer Black & Decker, the model belongs to junior solutions that have received a democratic price tag. The device is made in the blue-white coloring characteristic of the brand, it is characterized by a small weight (2.7 kg) and the presence of a 6-metre power cord that provides an acceptable range from one outlet.

For the "cooking" of steam in Black&Decker FSM1615, a 1300-watt heating element is responsible with a mandatory option by current standards — overheating protection. Thanks to him, in half a minute after switching on, the mop will be ready to work.

The steam supply power is not regulated, as, for example, in Black&Decker FSM1616 Price from 4 699 up to 4 856 ₴, but it is stated that the model is suitable for processing any hard coatings, ranging from delicate wooden floors to tiles. Steam allows you to eliminate most pathogenic organisms, and microfibre fixed on a rotating rectangular nozzle (2 pcs are included in the package) — to clean light impurities. According to users, if you use a mop specifically to maintain cleanliness, then it handles with the task "with a bang".

The model is equipped with a removable water tank, which simplifies the filling process. However, it is quite small (350 mL), so you will have to top up the liquid often (every 14 minutes). At the same time, the tank is made of translucent plastic, therefore, it is not difficult to visually control the filling level. Plus, a filtration system is provided to protect against scale, which means that the device is not demanding on the quality of water and should not suffer due to its excessive rigidity.

Black&Decker FSM1615 is a good model for residents of small apartments (where the surface area is small) and all those who are looking for an inexpensive steam mop for every day.

The steam mop of the French brand Rowenta is positioned as a convenient device for cleaning various floor coverings. So, it is necessary to pour water into a 600 mL removable tank beforehand. And the 1200-watt heating element Rowenta Steam Power RY 6537 WI allows you to supply steam after 30 seconds. A light indicator warns of readiness for work.

The main controls of the model are placed on a loop-like handle: in addition to the actual inclusion, there is a steam power regulator with three modes. It is worth reducing the feed rate to a minimum for delicate floors (parquet and laminate), the average mode is optimal for natural stone, and the maximum is for linoleum and tiles.

The Rowenta RY 6537 WI steam mop is characterized by a small weight (2.65 kg), so it will not be difficult to move around the apartment with it. During storage, vertical parking support is useful, plus there are protrusions on the housing for winding a 5-metre power cord.

To prevent the appearance of stains on floor coverings, a complete microfibre cloth nozzle, worn on a brush, is designed. And to remove it after cleaning is complete, it is not necessary to bend over and dirty your hands — there is a pedal that is convenient to press with your foot.

A useful addition to the model is a descaling cartridge, which prevents deposits from entering the steam system. Its average service life is 6 months, after which it needs to be replaced with a new one or switch to using water purified from hardness salts.

Rowenta Steam Power RY 6537 WI is a noteworthy steam mop, which is a worthy representative of the middle price segment.

The model of the Black&Decker brand, positioned as a multifunctional system, combines the capabilities of a steam mop and a portable manual steam cleaner. So, it is not the water tank that is removable here, but the entire unit with a 1200-watt heating element, and various accessories are already connected to it.

Together with the Black&Decker FSMH1351 comes a flexible steam hose, several microfibres with a working life of up to 100 cycles, a jet nozzle for cleaning dirt in hard-to-reach places, a window scraper, round brushes and a nozzle for vertical steaming of clothing or furniture upholstery. In addition, the model comes with a branded accessory SteamMitt. This is a steam glove that is designed to clean objects of complex shape and does not leave moisture and stains.

The steam mop is notable for its quick readiness to work: they filled a half-liter tank, plugged it into an outlet and started steam treatment after 15 seconds. The time of continuous steaming without topping up the liquid exceeds 20 minutes, which is usually enough for basic household needs. The intensity of the steam supply is regulated by means of a rotary lever. The optimal mode is set for different floor surfaces and types of contamination. The minimum power is recommended for window cleaning and parquet treatment, and the maximum is for old, dried dirt and disinfection of tiles.

The model is equipped with a 6-metre power cord, weighs quite acceptable 2.74 kg without accessories, has scale protection, and the lack of vertical parking support should be attributed to the shortcomings. Otherwise, the Black&Decker FSMH1351 is a very interesting device with a wide scope of use and a rich set of supplies.

There were no steam mops in the model range of the German manufacturer Karcher for a long time, and one of the pioneers was the SC 3 Upright EasyFix Premium model, released in 2019. The device is positioned as a convenient solution for deep cleaning of various floors, providing efficiency on an area of up to 60 m2.

Made in white and black, the mop received a 0.5 liter removable tank with the possibility of refueling without switching off. It is also permissible to use tap water, since a cartridge that protects against scale is included in the delivery package.

In the more familiar yellow-black coloring, a related version is offered Karcher SC 3 Upright EasyFix Price from 5 760 up to 9 114 ₴, but it is inferior in terms of the richness of the configuration (there is no abrasive cloth and spare microfibre).

The 1600-watt Karcher SC 3 Upright EasyFix Premium heater takes about 30 seconds to prepare steam. The LED backlight gives clarity to the work, which pulsates red during preheating, and when ready for operation, it constantly burns green.

The speed does not go against safety, because in addition to the usual protection against overheating, the device provides a safety valve that serves to drain excess pressure.

The steam mop supports three steam power levels corresponding to different floors, namely wood, tile and carpet. In accordance with the type of surface, certain complete nozzles that are put on the brush are also recommended for use. So, ordinary microfibre is considered a universal solution, an abrasive cloth is suitable for stone or tile floors, and a special sliding pad is designed to refresh carpets. All of them are easily fixed on the brush with Velcro and can be easily removed without contact with dirt.

The effectiveness of Karcher SC 3 Upright EasyFix Premium in the fight against bacteria and viruses, as always, is confirmed by independent tests. Therefore, the popularity of the model is growing, and not so much among fans of the brand and allergy sufferers.

The BISSELL floor-covered cleaning system combines the possibilities of steaming and absorbing dry dirt. Moreover, these functions can be combined or used separately, using the device only as a steam mop or as a vertical vacuum cleaner. By the way, the two working circuits of the system are independent of each other, that is, the contact of dust with steam inside the device is excluded.

BISSELL Vac&Steam 1977-N, as for a steam vacuum cleaner, is not too heavy (4.8 kg), is characterized by a large radius of action from a single outlet (power cord 7.6 metres) and is equipped with an ergonomic handle on which all control buttons are located.

In vacuum cleaner mode, the model is able to collect dust, food crumbs and other contaminants on hard floors, furniture upholstery and/or carpets. A cyclone container with a capacity of 0.95 liters is proposed as a dust collector. It is made of translucent plastic, which simplifies the visual control of filling. For cleaning, it is easily removed, and the Drop IT system built into it allows you to remove the collected garbage without direct contact with them.

The BISSELL Vac&Steam 1977-N heating element requires about 30 seconds for preliminary preparation associated with the transformation of the liquid into a vaporous state. Then two steam supply modes are available to the user. High intensity is intended for the treatment of durable floor coverings, such as tiles, as well as the fight against persistent contamination. Low power is intended for daily cleaning and disinfection of wooden floors, primarily parquet and parquet boards.

The water tank is built-in here, so a measuring cup is included in the delivery package for refueling. Scale protection is claimed, but the manufacturer still recommends using only distilled water. The tank capacity is about 400 mL, and therefore the maximum time of continuous operation will not exceed 15 minutes, that is, with large volumes of cleaning, frequent refueling cannot be avoided. If this is not a critical moment, then BISSELL Vac&Steam 1977-N is an excellent choice both in terms of functionality and price—quality ratio.