The Shark S3501 Steam Pocket Mop from Euro-Pro offers a number of improvements over its predecessor. The unit gets its name from the cleaning pad on this model which looks like a pocket and is one of the advances over the older model, along with a longer cord and larger surface area of the cleaning head.
The S3501 contains a rapid water heating system which the Shark marketing material claims will begin generating steam within 30 seconds. However some customers are reporting that two to three minutes is a more realistic wait time.
The capacity of the water tank is 15 oz. While this is fairly generous, I noticed the owner's guide says you need to turn off the unit before refilling the tank. This is in contrast to the Bissell 31N1 Steam Mop Deluxe which allows you to refill then be on your way immediately.
The Shark S3501 comes with two interchangeable cleaning heads - one rectangular and one triangular. The rectangular head is intended for normal cleaning while the rectangular head is designed to get into corners and other tight spots.
One of the new features on this model is the double-sided reversible cleaning head. The idea is that when one side of the cleaning pad becomes too dirty, you can turn it over and keep going - no need to change the cleaning pad for a new one.
Other notable features of the Shark Steam Pocket Mop are the adjustable length handle, the pivoting head and the 30 foot long power cord.
The S3501 normally comes with 2 each of the rectangular and triangular cleaning pads, a steam duster, a carpet glider and a filling flask. I say normally because I think some retailers sell packages with slightly different contents. I think if you buy online you will also receive and extra large rectangular cleaning head.
The Shark S3501 Deluxe Steam Pocket Mop comes with a 1 year limited warranty and is available for around $125.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Bissell 31N1 Series Steam Mop Deluxe
Bissell's Steam Mop Deluxe is one of the most recent additions to the product range of the company which invented the carpet sweeper over 130 years ago. Incidentally, Bissell had the first female corporate CEO - perhaps not relevant to the topic at hand, but an interesting fact none the less.
The 31N1 Steam Mop Deluxe is designed to work on most hard floor surfaces. The company is at pains to point out that cleaning instructions provided by the manufacturer of your flooring should take precedence, but in general this product should be safe to use on the following flooring surfaces:
The unit uses a detachable mop pad which is attached to the swivel head of the mop with an elastic cord. Steam is delivered by pulling the "steam on demand" trigger located near the top of the handle.
The water tank is detachable and holds enough water for about 15 minutes normal use. A nice feature with the water tank is that you can refill it without needing to wait for the unit to cool down or warm up again. Just refill and continue cleaning straight away. I like this feature as my old steam mop didn't quite hold enough water to do the whole house so I had to refill it then wait for the unit to heat up again before I could be on my way again.
The Steam Mop Deluxe also has a built in water purification system. This idea is that it protects the inner workings of the mop by removing any minerals and other impurities that exist in most people's tap water. The filter should be checked regularly and replaced when the grains (which are normally green) turn blue.
A quick word of warning. Some basic assembly is required when you first get your mop. There's only a couple of screws to fasten though. You will need a phillips head screwdriver to complete the job.
Along with the actual cleaner, you also get 2 machine-washable microfiber cleaning pads, a carpet refresher attachment and eucalyptus-mint fragrance water. I can't quite work out the carpet refresher. It's not intended for actually cleaning your carpet, but rather just for refreshing it (whatever that means).
The Bissell 31N1 Steam Mop Deluxe comes with a one year limited warranty. You can expect to pay around $100 at online retailers.
The 31N1 Steam Mop Deluxe is designed to work on most hard floor surfaces. The company is at pains to point out that cleaning instructions provided by the manufacturer of your flooring should take precedence, but in general this product should be safe to use on the following flooring surfaces:
- marble
- ceramic
- stone
- vinyl
- laminate
- linoleum
- sealed hardwood (but not unsealed)
The unit uses a detachable mop pad which is attached to the swivel head of the mop with an elastic cord. Steam is delivered by pulling the "steam on demand" trigger located near the top of the handle.
The water tank is detachable and holds enough water for about 15 minutes normal use. A nice feature with the water tank is that you can refill it without needing to wait for the unit to cool down or warm up again. Just refill and continue cleaning straight away. I like this feature as my old steam mop didn't quite hold enough water to do the whole house so I had to refill it then wait for the unit to heat up again before I could be on my way again.
The Steam Mop Deluxe also has a built in water purification system. This idea is that it protects the inner workings of the mop by removing any minerals and other impurities that exist in most people's tap water. The filter should be checked regularly and replaced when the grains (which are normally green) turn blue.
A quick word of warning. Some basic assembly is required when you first get your mop. There's only a couple of screws to fasten though. You will need a phillips head screwdriver to complete the job.
Along with the actual cleaner, you also get 2 machine-washable microfiber cleaning pads, a carpet refresher attachment and eucalyptus-mint fragrance water. I can't quite work out the carpet refresher. It's not intended for actually cleaning your carpet, but rather just for refreshing it (whatever that means).
The Bissell 31N1 Steam Mop Deluxe comes with a one year limited warranty. You can expect to pay around $100 at online retailers.
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