Shark Steamer

**UPDATE: April 6, 2010

I will leave the same post below. However, I am going to update my opinion here.

After using the Shark Steamer, and only the steamer, for my linoleum flooring I noticed that dark, dirt looking spots stayed behind. No matter how many times that I would clean it, again, with the steamer, it didn’t seem to budge. These started to spread and I believe that your floor is what makes the inside of your home look good and a well groomed yard is what makes the outside of the home. This wasn’t what I was use to and had to go. I decided to get my Mr. Clean Magic Eraser down to the floor level, since I still believe these are awesome after years of use. Surprise, surprise, it came up. That didn’t make me very happy, as you can imagine. However, I cleaned the floor with the trusty mop, Mr. Clean and elbow grease and it looks terrific. I did purchase the Mr. Clean Mop and have used it on the really tough spots and am thrilled with it as well.

I will no longer use the Shark Steamer for a daily cleaning machine. Before having our friends, with crawling babies, come around I will steam the floor so that I feel more at ease with them down on all fours on our floors. Other than that I will probably only use it for seasonal purposes. Let’s face it, after giving it much thought, I may not use it enough to keep it at this point.

**UPDATE: Please read this before my post below!!!!!

While at the computer one day my husband informed me that he and the kids were going to go and purchase my Christmas gift and that it was something that I had been wanting. I spoke up quickly, “The Shark Steamer!!” Well that isn’t what they had in mind but it is what I received. Later I found out that he was thinking about an embroidery sewing machine. Yes, I would have taken it over the cleaner any day; however that was overspending at that time.

About the Shark Steamer, I can not say enough good things about this product. It is AWESOME!! I just love it. We have 2 indoor dogs and always have several kids including the 2 of ours. Our kitchen floor gets pretty dirty pretty fast. With the steamer there are no chemicals to purchase and it comes with 3 washable pads that Velcro to the bottom of the cleaner. It heats up within seconds and all you do is pump the handle to make it steam more. Glide it over the floor and it is clean as can be. We have had probably all of the “kids” craft items that I have given my opinion on on the floor and it has taken them all up and more. My son and cousins daughter have been painting with finger paints for the past 4-6 days on and off and it has been all over the floor, sewing items on the table, he he. Anyway, it comes up so quickly with no bending. We only have linoleum in the kitchen and utility room, for now. A word of advice, if you are laying new carpet, no matter what the carpet people advise, get linoleum or wood or something other than carpet in the bathrooms. Big mistake, but that’s another story.

We move the refrigerator, stove, washer, dryer and everything out to clean under them regularly and there is no longer any scrubbing and back breaking bending. You just fill up the water canister with the cup and funnel that come with it and plug it in, then let the steam do the work. Like I said, I can not say enough good stuff about this product. Granted the water tank is small but I don’t mind refilling it as many times as needed because I am not mopping and scrubbing as I have for so many years. Oh, and you know that sticky mess that most of us get under and around the garbage can, it is a breeze to get up.

One word of advice or a warning, however you wish to take it. Do not, I repeat, do not clean up sugar with the steamer. I really thought that I had most of the sugar up and began to steam to get the remainder to avoid ants, which we already have seen a few. After I was done I noticed that the floor was really sticky. I switched pads and cleaned again, it was still sticky. What was I doing wrong? It finally hit me; I had made syrup and was continuing to spread it over the floor. LOL I am sure that if I had continued to clean that it would have eventually come up but I did get out the old mop and really dose it with water and get it up. It was funny though, once I realized what I had done.

Take care and God Bless!!