The Shark Steam Mop Revived my Nearly 100-Year-Old Hardwood Floors—Here's My Honest Review of the Steam & Scrub

When I recently moved in with my boyfriend, I immediately felt at home. The apartment’s 1930s charm is abundant—the French windows, the board and batten millwork, the brass peep window on the front door. Just don’t look down. The floors are another far-from-charming story.

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My boyfriend had lived in the space for over 15 years before my near-obsessive cleaning habits were given a key. Let’s call his cleaning skills…questionable. (Love you, babe.) We also have a dog who leaves a trail of hair everywhere he trots. (Love you too, bubba.) Calling the excessive little white hairs “pug glitter” is cute until it’s time to vacuum every day.

Who knows how many decades ago, someone thought it was a great, or cheap, idea to lay white tile with (what used to be) white grout in the cramped kitchen. Every little crumb shows. The bathroom fairs a little better, if only because the butter yellow hexagonal tile boasts serious personality. Everywhere else in the apartment has what were once beautiful thin planks of hardwood that have suffered through nearly a century of dirty shoes, dragging furniture, and everyday wear and tear.

The floors needed help. I needed help! That’s when I put my bets on Shark’s Steam and Scrub to revive the hardwood and tile. The steam mop guarantees to be tough on stains but gentle on floors, which is important for the longevity of all floors, but especially ones nearing 100 years old. Not only will it clean your floors, but sanitize them too. The Steam and Scrub promises to remove 99.99 percent of bacteria with just the power of steam—no harsh chemicals necessary. And, perhaps best of all, it’s currently on sale at Target.

Shark Steam & Scrub All-in-One Scrubbing and Sanitizing Hard Floor Steam Mop

How Does the Shark Steam Mop Work?

The mop is designed for use on all sealed hard floors, including hardwood, marble, tile, and stone. Unlike other one-mode steam mops, the Steam and Scrub features three steam settings. Use the light setting for quick, easy cleanups. Switch it to the normal setting for everyday use. (Oops, dropped a can of tomato paste while making spaghetti.) Upgrade to the deep setting for stuck-on messes and stains. The combination of steam and two rotating pads will pull up layers of dust, grease, residue, and bacteria, leaving you with clean and sanitized floors.

The Steam and Scrub rotates the scrubbing pads more than 150 times per minute. Gently push it in the direction you want, then let the pads do the rest of the work. It has an effortless glide for the easiest mopping experience of your life, even if the mop itself weighs nearly eight pounds. No more giant pails of dirty water and no more getting on your knees. Mopping with the Steam and Scrub is almost, dare I say, meditative. After a quick vacuum, put on a podcast and let the mop do its thing.

Final Verdict

The results are impressive, to say the least. My revived hardwood and tile can tell you. Plus, perhaps my favorite unexpected result, is how fresh the floors feel underfoot after a steam session—no trace of anything dirty or sticky.

It’s also easy to maneuver, thanks to swivel steering, and easy to store too, since the handle locks into place. The front LED headlights are a cool feature too; they highlight all the debris (*ahem* dog hair) on your floors so you won’t miss any trouble spots. The 22-foot-long power cord ensures you won’t have to stop midway through a room to crawl behind the couch looking for another outlet either.

Both Mother Earth and I also love that the mop pads are washable, relieving myself of the guilt that I used to feel tossing disposable wet mop pads. Since the Steam and Scrub only uses water, you’ll never have to re-up on a solution either.

I love the Steam and Scrub for reviving my old apartment’s worn floors, but there’s really no home it wouldn’t be a godsend for. Maybe you have a crawling baby, or want to gift a grandparent a cleaning tool that isn’t physically taxing. Maybe you’ve moved into a new home, or are moving out of an old one. No matter what kind of floors and how many square feet you’re dealing with, the Steam and Scrub is a must-have.

Before you go, check out these chic cookware brands that give Le Creuset a run for its money: