Haan SI-35 Slim And Light Steam Mop

One of the reasons you might buy a steam mop is for its sanitizing ability.  Without the use of bleach or other harsh chemicals, a steam mop disinfects floors using just the heat from the steam.  At 212 degrees, steam from the Haan SI-35 Slim And Light Steam Cleaner is certainly hot enough to meet this criteria.  While it doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of the more expensive models, it doesn't the more expensive price either - but more on that later.

Features At A Glance

• 15 steam jets in the cleaning head
• 30 second heat-up time
• 20 minute operating time between water refills
• Steam temperature of 212 degrees
• Carpet Glide attacment
• 19.5 ft power cord

Product Assembly

Assembly for this unit is relatively straight forward - no tools required.  You simply slide the pistol grip onto the top end of the aluminum tubing handle shaft, then slide the aluminum tube of the handle shaft into the top of the water tank housing.  The pieces are held in place by spring-loaded locking pins

Operation

The unit has a detachable water tank (13.5 oz.) - this gives you an operating time of around 20 minutes.  When you run out of steam, you can remove the water tank again to refill it (the user manual advises turning the unit off and unplugging it before you detach the water tank).  While the detachable water tank is a reasonably common feature on newer steam mops, it is still a nice feature to have.  One of the benefits is that you are able to empty the excess water very easily when you are finished cleaning.  Some models require you to keep steaming until the built-in tank is empty.

The microfiber pads (the unit comes with 2) each have a cleaning side and 'hook and loop' side.  The hook and loop side is designed to attach to the underside of the mop head.  After allowing the unit to heat up (resting on the floor protector - provided) you place a microfiber pad on the floor - hook and loop side up - then gently press the mop head down onto the pad.  This will attach the pad to the cleaning head.  Now you're ready to clean.

The SI-35 also comes with a 'Glide Attachment'.  This attachment resembles a tray with a slot cut out of the middle (see image below).  The attachment clips onto the bottom of the steam head.  The cut-out slot aligns with the steam heads so the steam is directed to the carpet while the body of the tray provides a suitable surface to allow the mop to slide easily.  The glide attachment allows you to use the unit on carpets, upholstery and other soft furnishings.

Glide Attachment

While the glide attachment may be useful on carpets, it may become a little awkward when used on soft furnishings. There is no short handle attachment so the unit may become unwieldy for more delicate jobs.  If you plan on doing a lot of above floor steam cleaning, then you might want to consider one of the models with a removable hand held steamer like the Haan 'Multi' (SI70) or the Bissell Lift Off Steam Mop.

The mops head is indeed slim.  This low profile means it's easier to to reach under furniture where there's relatively low clearance.  It's worth noting that while the head tilts backwards and forwards, it does not swivel (from side to side).  For this you would need to move up to the next model in Haan's range - the SI40 'Agile'.  The swivel action can be useful for reaching into and around tight corners.

What's In The Box?

• Floor-protector
• 2 Washable Microfiber Cleaning Pads
• Carpet Glide Attachment
• Lime and Scale Remover
• User Manual

The Haan SI-35 Slim And Light Steam Mop is available for around $100 online and comes with a 1 year limited warranty.

Bissell Lift Off Steam Mop - Model 39W7

The new Lift-Off Steam Mop from Bissell does just what it says.  The detachable 'steam pod' lifts off the body of the mop and can be used independently as a hand held steam cleaner.

I really like the 2-in-1 design of this type of mop.  Having the one appliance to clean floors as well as above-floor surfaces is really very useful.

In operation...

The 39W7 has a built-in water purification system.  This means that you can use normal tap water and the filter will remove minerals and other impurities from the water.  This should help prevent the build-up of mineral deposits and lime scale that tends to occur with appliances such as steam mops and irons.

According to the user manual, the purification system will need to be replaced once the grains inside turn from a bright green to a blue color.  However, it also says you can use distilled water instead of tap water and this will maximize the performance of the filter.

Once you've added your water and turned on the power, the unit warms up in around 30 seconds.  The ready light will come on to tell you that the unit is warmed up and ready to go.

The power cord is 28 feet long.  This seems adequate but it will depend on your needs.  In my opinion, longer is always better.  It's a pain having to change power outlets halfway through mopping the floors.

As with most steam mops, this model from Bissell is suitable on most hard surfaces.  These include sealed timber, ceramic tiles, vinyl and laminate.

Once you're finished cleaning the floors, the steam pod can be detached and used as a hand held steam cleaner.  It comes with a 4 foot hose which should provide reasonable reach and is useful for getting into hard to reach places.  And there are a number of attachments designed for cleaning different surfaces.

The grout brush attachment is for use on those tough to clean spots between tiles in the bathroom or kitchen.  There are also a couple of small circular brushes of different bristle-stiffness for cleaning things like stove tops and sinks.  Lastly, it comes with a microfiber flat surface cleaning attachment.  This is kind of like a small mop head, but for use in 'portable steam cleaner' mode.

Variable control

Befitting the versatile nature of this mop / steam cleaner is the variable flow control.  On the side of the detachable steam pod is a knob which you can turn to control the amount (or pressure) of the steam coming out.  There is a light setting for delicate surfaces, medium for normal everyday use and a tough setting for heavy duty cleaning jobs.  There's also a trigger for controlling the flow of steam - pull the trigger to start the flow and release it to stop.

What's in the box?

The Lift Off Steam Mop comes with the following:

•  the mop handle, body and head
• the detatchable 'steam pod' with 4 ft hose
• 3 washable microfiber pads (this number may vary depending on where you buy - so make sure you check)
• a flat surface microfiber cleaning tool
• a grout brush
• 2 circular brushes
• 39W7 Series User Guide

The Bissell Lift Off Steam Mop comes with a 2 year warranty and is available for around $150.