If I read instructions right, the first time it is not going to be up to par, and some where on the forum it sais the shorter the strokes the more steam. I am thinking of buying another to have in case anything happens to this one. Then I wont have to go through withdrawels ,til another one arrives.LOL Gail

Yes...I tried it last night and had mixed feelings about it at first. I started on my kitchen floor, the one that is so rough, and it didn't seem like I had much steam and the floors weren't wet AT ALL which made me wonder if it was even working. Couple that with the fact that this same floor NEVER shows any dirt ever, and I wasn't even sure that I was really accomplishing anything. But I pressed on and moved to the master bathroom next, the one with all the hairspray build up. It worked great in there!!! Those tiles are smoother and I could really see the steam and it took the hairspray right up. When I used to mop in there 'the old way with a bucket' I would have to first clean the floor with Windex and papertowels because that was the only thing that would remove the hairspary. My vinegar and water solution, no matter how hot, wouldn't do it. But the shark did great and it did seem like I had more steam the longer I used it and after reading some of the lastest posts I am hopeful that like Victorian I will only see improvement with the output of steam each time I use it. I am going to steam my guest bath tile tonight and I'll let you know if I think it seems more powerful on day two.

I do have a question for all of you who have the mop though. When I opened mine (it came from Sears), the little cap that holds in the water was wet on the inside. The pads weren't dirty and the mop appeared to be straight from the factory. And while my steam was hot, I didn't feel that it would burn me or anything and I was able to immediately remove my pad when I was done because the edges of the pad weren't hot at all. Does this sound right? I just want to make sure that mine wasn't used and returned or something and maybe I'm not getting all the power that this mop has to offer because it was damaged in some way.

And I echo what so many of you have said before...I too am so glad that I found this forum!! :)

How do you clean shower doors with dryer sheets...I must know!!!!!

Oh and one more thing. My mop didn't slide well at all on my hardwoods. It kind of skidded along like a pair of bad windshield wipers on a car?!?!

Does anybody know of a steam mop that is rechargeable rather than plug in? I have 3 stories to clean and hate to fight with cords going up & down the stairs!

Leanne-rn, I've never tried removing the pad right away, and I know if I put my hand in the steam now it would burn. I would use it few times and see if the steam increases. I do think it was odd that the plug was wet though. At least if you have a problem it's more convenient to take it back locally. Have you used wax on your wooden floors? Could be why the mop is skipping. You right about the forum it is a lot of fun. The bad thing is that I work at home and it is very tempting to peak at the postings through out the day. LOL!!

Gail, I know what you mean I am addicted to mine. I checked on the one I bought for my daughter and it shipped on Monday. Once she gets hers I will at least have a back up in case mine breaks.

Leanne-I also bought mine from Sears. And the cap on mine was also wet. Mine even had condensation in the tank. I too was worried that it had been used. But everything else (the pads, the cord etc) was still packaged as though it were brand new. I asked my husband about it and he told me not to worry that during shipping from here to there it probably went from hot to cold in several places and that caused the condensation. I have only used it the one time so far and it worked great. My pad was also not hot to the touch when I took it off, and I took it off while still hot. But I did grab it at the edge of the pad. Next time I think I will wait till it cools off to be on the safe side and not burn myself.

About the shower doors and dryer sheets. The post I read said to take about 6 to 8 dryer sheets with me into the shower (while actually taking a shower). And just wet a few of them at a time and start rubbing on the glass door. I did this, and the soap scum just wiped right off. The best thing ever!! Then I just finished my shower and got out with clean doors. I got to thinking about putting fabric softener diluted with water in a spray bottle and spraying down the tiles and door and wiping them off with a wash cloth, I wonder if that might work too? I am going to try it on the tiles next time I take a shower. I'll let you know how it works out. I was so excited about getting the soap scum off without having to use those strong smelling cleaners. They give me such headaches and make me sick. This is so much better. PS: That post also said that any dryer sheets would work, even the very cheap ones from the dollar stores.

Talk2bw- That makes me feel better that your mop had some moisture too and you were also able to remove your pad immediately without burning yourself. I'm going to clean my guest bath floor in the next hour or so and hopefully it will work even better than it did last night.

What kind of shower door do you have? Real clear glass or the kind that you can't see clearly through - don't know what it's called. Thanks for the info.

So, here is an additional question. Went to see my parents today who have a prefinished wood floor in their house (hallways). Let me preface this by saying that my father is kind of (!!!!) nuerotic, and my mother is suffering from osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis. She uses a cane and is painful to watch. They are 72 years old. Today I go there and I smell Butchers Paste Wax. Father (both hips replaced as well as a knee) is on the floor WAXING the prefinished floor in their 6 year old house. He then takes out the floor buffer they had in my childhood house (the buffer is way older than I am) and is buffing rhe floor. My dog almost lost his life within the first 5 minutes of being in the house, the floors were so slippery. You really would have to have grown up in my house to appreciate the house that my father LOVES BUTCHERS PASTE WAX and would use it everywhere in anyone's house if he could.
Mom told me she damn near went down 3 times that morning, and she is having gall bladder surgery next week, so I am frightened about the slippery floors and the fact that she will likely be using a walker in the house post surgery. Dad could care less, he said the floors were dirty and that they needed cleaning and that is why he waxed them. (Please don't ask...I know these people are nuts, but they are my parents!!)
I told my mother about the Shark and that I was going to try to get one this weekend at Sears. She told me she might want one. What would this do to the prefinished floors? Would it take off the wax. They were so shiny today I could see my teeth in them! That cannot be a good thing.
Will anyone with crazy parents please provide your opinion? The rest of you with normal parents; count your blessings!

Leanne-I hope that your mop does even better the second time. Like I said, I thought mine worked great the first time, if it just gets better after that then wow, that would be great. Let us know. My shower door is not clear glass, but smooth on the inside toward the shower and pebbly on the outside toward the bathroom. I used the dryer sheets on the smooth side. The soap scum even came off easily on the chrome around the glass. What type of door do you have?

Ree-thanks for your information on the scunci and using it on my grout. When I use it I will post how it worked. Do you know how easy it is to seal the grout and what to use?

Talk2bw-I have the same type of shower door that you do and I will be trying out the dryer sheet thing soon. I used my mop again tonight and got the same results...it worked great on the smoother surface of the bath tiles, but didn't seem to do much on the kitchen floor. When we built the house I really liked that tile for my kitchen and while it doesn't show dirt ever, it is very difficult to clean. I guess it could be worse, it could show every little speck of dirt AND be hard to clean!! The only thing that shows dirt in my kitchen is the grout and the mop doesn't seem to be cleaning the kitchen grout very well, so I may need to invest in a hand held steamer to do that job.

Does anyone know...when you have your grout and tile sealed, does it make it smoother and shinier? I'm not talking high gloss shiny, but I'm wondering if that would make my kitchen floor not so rough and easier to clean.

Finally used mt Shark mop today..Love Love Love it!!!

Leanne-m:
Went to Sears today and they had 2 Sharks, which the woman told me they just started carrying last week. She knew nothing about the machine, and they did not have one put together out with the other vacuums, etc. My price was also $85.49 plus tax. I'll let you know what I think of it after I give it a whirl.

I bought the shark steam mop at Sears for myself and my daughter after I heard about it here. It was a long time ago I saw the infomercial, is it the same mop? I forgot what the tv one looked like, thanks.

Ladies,

I don't know how Shark does its quality control, but the condensation in your water tank could be from a quality check at the factory prior to shipping out: you know: does this unit produce steam?

I used my Shark tonight (how boring am I, on a Friday night), and a few comments: It was simple to put together. I filled the tank and it started steaming after about 30 seconds. I did the all the wood floors in my kitchen, living room, and small hallway, as well as the tile in my bathroom. I have to say it did a really good job. I used the Pledge dry wipes and vacuumed first (cat and a dog, lots of hair). The cloth steam head was somewhat dirty, but not filthy, after cleaning. I will probably use it one more time before washing it. One negative: I hate having a power cord on such a lightweight piece of equipment. It would be much easier if there was a rechargeable battery on it. The cord seems to get in the way more so than with the vacuum cleaner cord. But it is lightweight, and my floors look clean. It also did a decent job getting up the hairspray from the floor in the bathroom, which is surprising.
I am pleased based on my first time experience.

I read in the instruction booklet to wash the microfiber pad before using it and letting in dry for 24 hours. I just want to use it, is this something everyone did? Thanks again.

I ordered my shark steam mop through the website about a week and a half ago. When I submitted my order, I didnt get a confirmation number, email, and my CC hasn't even been charged yet. I am ready to get started cleaning my floors!!! I hate using that swifter or mop and bucket, they both suck! And my carpets could use a little freshening up since I have an 80 lb dobie running lose in my house :) Anyway, has anyone else had this prob and can anyone provide the number for CC so I can call them and ask them where my mop is? I didnt see the number on the website at all. Thanks!

luvmypets-I didn't want to wait, so I used one of the pads before washing. It was so dirty after doing the kitchen, hallway (which is very long), laundry room and entry way (lot of tile), that it definetly needed washing. So I tossed the dirty one and the clean one in the wash. It says not to put other things in the wash with it so as not to pick up lint from other items. I did put the liquid laundry detergent on the dirty pad before tossing it in the machine. It didn't come out brand new looking, but got pretty clean. Now both pads are ready to go for the next time. What did you other girls do?

leanne-wanted to let you know I tried the shower tiles with the fabric softener diluted with water in a spray bottle. It did take the soap scum off but took much more elbow grease, so I would stick with the fabric softener sheets, I think they worked much better.

For those of you who are interested, I received an email back from Customer Service, and they do sell the carpet glider attachment separate from the mop. They said it is worth $19.95 (too much to me) and they would process the order through CS at 800-798-7935. Has anyone found that they really love the carpet glider attachment and would use it a lot? It would have been nice if it had been free in the Sears purchase but I'm wondering if it would be worth the extra purchase or not. Comments please?

Mishj-Several of the ladies had problems with the timing of their delivery and with CS, so you are not the only one. But the number above is the number you would use. Good luck.

talk2bw- I did exactly the same thing you did. I couldn't wait to use my mop and so I didn't wash my pads first. I used one of them and it was moderately dirty and then I washed both pads together in a lingerie bag with some towels. I let them air dry. My used pad didn't come out sparkling white but it was pretty good. I didn't use any fabric softener, but I noticed the next night when I mopped that the washed pads didn't seem to stick as well to my mop so I'm concerned that that will be a problem long before the actual pad wears out. Anyone else notice this?

I did not wash any of the pads before using them ..I really didn't see the point..

talk2bw..I have washed mine a million times already, I have not had the problem with the pads..maybe call CS and tell them you are having a problem ..maybe they will send you two new ones..I would ask for sure, can't hurt to try... as far as the carpet ring?? It is not worth 19.95..what a joke that is.. it is a cheap plastic "ring" they have some nerve..I honestly do not think you are missing anything at all.. I will probably never use mine..I honestly have no interest to even try it.. Ree

If you are having trouble with the cord being in the way, try to make sure that the cord is clipped into the cord clip just below the handle. I was frustrated at first with the cord and kept thinking "this thing needs to be attached at the top" then I noticed the "cord clip"! I have gone off of rechargeable things because they never seem to have enough power to last the whole job. I did, however, attach a lightweight extension cord to it as the cord is far too short.

Forgive me for this, but I have been searching the site for my answer and have gone cross-eyed in the process. And I still haven't found my answer and I know that some of you here will know. How do I use white vinegar in my fabric softener dispenser? Do I fill it to the line using full strength vinegar? Can I use it if I have used Mule Team Borax in my wash cycle? Are they compatible? Thanks a bunch. I promise not to ever post a question in the wrong category again. :)

Thank you reeree for letting me know about the carpet glider. I thought $19.95 was a bit much, especially since it was free with some of them. And then to add s&h on that? I don't think I will miss it at all so I won't be purchasing it. By the way, how exactly do you wash your pads?

hi talk2bw.. I wouldn't buy that ring for that kind of money..they could keep it.. I think that should be part of the mop no matter where you buy it.. it's like buying a vacuum and they tell you if you buy it "here"..the attachments are free..and if you don't, you have to buy them..I think it is pretty nervy to give it to some for free and sell it to others for that price..

I just put the pads in when I am doing my towels..I do pre-wash them in the sink first so they do not sit with the dirt on them, I find they do come out cleaner. if you do that, it avoids the dirt from setting in. I never put them in the dryer, I put them out side in the sun and they dry pretty fast.. Ree

(off topic to Leanne)
leanne-rn..just put an 1/8th of a cup where you would normally put your fabric softener..and yes,,you can use borax with it as well....(put the borax either mixed in with the detergent, or where you put the bleach..) are you using natural laundry detergent? Ree

Ree- I don't use all natural detergent, but I have really hard water and I've looked everywhere for Super Washing Powder and another A&H product called Raindrops and I can't find them anywhere. (I'm in TN.) I'm hoping that the Borax will help my detergent do its job. As far as the vinegar goes, do I use an 1/8th of a cup and that's it. I don't need to dilute it like you do concentrated softener? Thanks so much for your help!!!

leanne..the borax will act like a "whitener" it is a laundry boost also.. the vinegar..yes..just an 1/8th of a cup..maybe you can add a few 'drops' more because you don't want your clothes to smell like vinegar..this works as a natural softener..also natural detergent will soften your clothes in it's self.. maybe give it a try..can't hurt. If you have more questions, you can email me at smittygirl02@aol.com this way I can help you out and recommend with out talking laundry on this steam mop forum.. Ree

Ree and leanne-your subject sounds very interesting, would you mind starting another forum with the subject you are talking about so others like me that are interested can get information? Thanks, BW.

BW - the new thread has been started...let the learning begin. :)

So would any of you think it was crazy to try and steam the dirt off my neglected fiberglass shower floor using my shark steam mop. I don't own a hand held steamer and I'm pretty frugal so I probably won't buy one (at least not yet) and I was thinking that maybe I could steam the ground in dirt off the textured floor of the shower. What do you guys think? It can't hurt anything right? The shower is clean, but I can't get out some of that dirt that's down in the crevices of the non-skid bottom.

Leann, I swear we have the same shower, haha. My shower floor is textured and gets ground in dirt that is awful to clean. That is where the bleach thing comes in and I almost make myself sick. And it still does not clean the imbedded dirt. If you try the mop on it let me know if it works. I do have a scunci steamer, but have never tried it. Guess I should get to using that thing!! haha.

BW - I won't get to do it until at least the middle of the week, but I will let you know how it worked when I try it.

Thanks talk2bw and all for the info. I to love my shark steam mop, that I got at sears. With the extended warr.,which costs 12.00 so the total was 105.00 some change i forget.
I did pre-wash the pads and let them dry in the sun. I guess i'm afraid of anything going wrong. I am washing one with some kitchen towels I use with my scunci steamer.
Tomorrow I will finish under the table and all with the other one until I get out and buy some, you said Target, right? Thanks again to everyone.

My daughters steam mop finally arrived, it shipped on the 8th and got here today. Maybe CS is getting it together better. Still they could at least send a follow up email with an order ID number otherwise you don't know if they received your order or not.

Hey, I'm new and have been reading this forum for about a month now, and it is about as addictive as a soap opera - I finally broke down and ordered my Shark steam mop today - I can't wait. I found it at Sears too, but I went ahead and ordered off the Internet, so I could order the extra cleaning pads at the same time. All of you have had some great advice, thanks for sharing with everyone.

lawless
Welcome to the 'world of steam' lol! can't wait to hear how you like it! keep us posted! Ree

victorian
How is your daughter liking her mop? Very fast shipping (for once..he-he) How are you making out with the home tour plans? getting excited? Ree

Hi Ree,

I've been out of the loop for a few days, had out of town company. My daughter loves her mop. She has a German Shephard puppy and a new lawn LOL! It cleans the laminate beautifully and quickly. The residue left behind from chemicals has disappeared, now the steamer glides more easily across the floor. I'll start a new post in decorating and catch you up on the tour there.

Hi...looking for feedback on H20 Steam Mop versus the Shark Steam mop....I stuck trying to make decision and leaning towards H20. Any thoughts?
Kim

Got my mop!! Actually got it last week but it was to crazy around here to get it put together and use it until this past weekend. All I've used it on so far is the tile in my kitchen.

omgosh, can you say PIGSSSS lol. We are disgusting. I've mopped twice and both times the pad was soooo dirty. Thank goodness I ordered the extras. I'm totally afraid to use it on the bathrooms. I tried washing the pads out by had right after taking them off, but no way are they going to come clean. I'm sure they are stained somewhat. But better there than on my floor I guess lol. Unfortunately (or fortunately???) my tile hides dirt wonderfully, so I'm not seeing a big difference just yet.

I haven't used it on my laminate yet. I will in the next day or two and let everyone know how it worked. Mine is brand new and I've only used water on it so far, so there shouldn't any residue built up.

Terri

Kim..I don't know of anyone who has actually tried the H20mop..most ordered the shark...Ree

Terrio826
you are too funny! I am glad you are liking it! yes..the pads will never be as white as they are new..but your right..better on th epads! Enjoy it! Happy steaming..let us know how you make out on your laminate! Ree

The shark is also available at target.com and walmart.com, for $79.99 and about $8 shipping.

I would like to know if anyone has any suggestions for a steam mop that picks up hair good. I hate sweeping the bathroom floor and then mopping it, and it seems like the hair is still there.

Wow...you've sold me! I'm gonna go out to Sears this week and purchase one of these babies! I have two 5 month old puppies who still have "accidents" in the house. (actually I don't think they are accidents, I think the puppies just like to see me freak out and frantically scrub the floor!) I am wondering though, my kitchen/family room floors are made up of those individual vinyl self-stick tiles. (sounds ugly just saying it, but the tiles are very pretty..honest!) When I mentioned a steam mop to my husband he mentioned the possibility of the heat causing the tiles to "unstick". Anyone know if that's a valid concern or not?

Thanks!
jiggreen

Will the steam mops work on a linoleum or vinyl floor? My kitchen floor is white and grey; no matter how much I scrub, it still looks dirty (and it's only 4 years old!).

My steam mop arrived last Thursday, so I've been steaming all weekend - even steamed my mom's. We both were in shock on the dirt that came up! Glad I ordered extra pads! I love it, but I was wondering if anyone has seen or used the Shark steam mop that Lowe's sells? I saw it yesterday and it has the mop plus attachments to use for steaming countertops, etc. It is a canister type steamer, and the box says you can work for 50 min w/out refilling. It sells for $99.99.

cheerful1: My kitchen floor is also linoleum and one of my bathrooms is vinyl tile and the mop worked great on both!

I have been reading this forum with a lot of interest but did you see the reviews on he following:
http://shopping.sympatico.msn.ca/reviews/shp/?itemId=12661133

Like Kim, Iam looking for anyone who used the H20 mop? the one with the triangle head.

How is everyone's mops holding up?

I bought the Shark Steam Blaster Jr. - Red (S3210R) Spent half the day Saturday steaming! LOL (This model is very similar to the Rainbow Steamer and Scunci)
It worked well. A few minor complaints. The squeegee attachment was useless, water everywhere when I used it on bathroom mirror. I may try using it again on the inside of my shower doors.

Many of the complaints I read was the amount of time wasted in refilling/waiting for reheat. I found that you can work out a routine to work around the waiting. The steam lasts for about 15-20 minutes. Then I'd wait 5 min. to cool, let out the steam and refill. I didn't mind the wait.

Bathroom: Overall cleaning the bathroom was a success.

Kitchen- WOW! I was pleasantly surprised that it was strong enough to remove baked on grease on my stove that I've been trying to remove for months! It took a little elbow grease. A little trick I used was to drop very small drops of dish detergent directly on the stain then blast it with the steam! BINGO! Beautifully cleaned the microwave, oven door, granite counters, sink, and tile floor grout!

Unfortunately I could not get baked on grease off the bottom of my pans. - SO... I ordered from Walmart the SteamFast SteamMax Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner. LOL! I'll report back when I receive it. And I really wish I had checked Sam's Club.com before ordering from Walmart, b/c they carry the Monster SC60 Steam Cleaner It seems a little bit more powerful than the SteamFast.

I hope all this info helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: SteamFast SteamMax Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner

I thins I have been convinced by all of your comment to purchase the Shark steam mop. Has anyone used the Carpet Glider, if so how well does it work.

Thanks to all