I decided to explore the world of steam mops as I was getting a lot of questions on them. In this video, let’s understand the pros and cons of steam mops and which one is the best if you do decide to purchase one.
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Are steam mops useful at all? Well if you are someone who likes to disinfect your home using chemical based cleaners, a steam mop is a good chemical free alternative to disinfect. Some steam mops also come with attachments that help you steam different types of surfaces - for example your kitchen countertop for stubborn oil stains, grout in your tiles, your bathroom walls and so on. Remember not all steam mops have these attachments - some are pure floor mops, some come with additional attachments.
So what’s the catch? The two main reasons I am apprehensive about steam mops currently available in the market.
The run time - steam mops have a run time of 15-25 minutes only after which you need to give it a break from steaming. This can be a very short time if you are mopping your entire house or you are doing deep cleaning of specific areas of your house - like bathrooms.
The connectivity - since these are corded - a long cord length is required if you want to cover an entire room without continuing to switch the plugpoint every time you want to clean a different portion of the room. This can be worked around by using an extension cord but this can be a hassle for daily cleaning. But irrespective of the length, remember you have to move the connection every time - which can be cumbersome. In addition, some of the models don’t have an Indian plug point so you may need an adapter.
There are not too many steam mop models in the market currently. Given the specifications of the models available currently - consider a steam mop only when:
If you have a small to medium sized house - since the run time is small, a steam mop cannot be used easily for one continuous cleaning in a large house. If you can mop your house in less than 15-25 minutes - then you can consider this.
If you don’t like to use chemical disinfectants - a steam mop can be an alternative for using chemicals in your mopping water.
If you are looking for an answer for deep cleaning surfaces and grout - some steam mops have attachments that you can use for cleaning your kitchen counter tops, windows, shower doors, grout. These can be useful for cleaning the surfaces and grout. Based on reviews, tough grout stains do not go but if you are just about starting to get grout, this may be useful.
By now if you are convinced you need a steam mop - which one to buy? I compared Deerma, multiple models of Black and Decker and multiple models of Eureka Forbes. My main criteria was run time as a short run time does not help at all in this case. Other factors considered were wattage, cord length, swivel angle, attachments. Here are my top two recommendations:
If you are looking for one with both floor and surface cleaning - I recommend the BLACK+DECKER 1321 which has a 20 minute run time, a 1600W motor - which is one of the highest, a 6m cord length - which is again one of the highest amongst all models compared. With a 3.8 rating and around a 10,000 rupees price point, this model is ideal as a multi purpose steam mop
If you are only looking for floor cleaning - I recommend the BLACK+DECKER 1620 which has the best run time of 25 minutes, a 1600W motor, and a 4m cord length. With a 3.7 rating and around 7.5k price point, this model is ideal as a single purpose floor steam mop.
Both of these models offer a 1 year warranty on the product, can be up and running with steam in 15 seconds and have a 180 degree swivel for more flexibility in cleaning.
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