First I want to say thank you to Shark for taking the time to chat with us concerning a review for the Shark PRO Steam & Spray. It is no secret I am a busy mom, whom is not fond of cleaning. Even though I don’t like to do it, I do and usually daily. Everyday my floors get swept and once a week they are mopped. Unless my toddler does something naughty which happens often and I have to spot treat during the week. Ah, the joys of mommyhood. So something to provide a better clean without taking up too much time was just what I needed and Shark delivered.
The Shark PRO Steam & Spray is a mop uniquely not like any other I have tried in the past. I have tried a variety of pad style units in the past including those that you place, clean and toss as well as those you fill, spray and wash. While all of them seems to work just fine, I was a little shocked at what I discovered after our first test run with the PRO Steam & Spray.
Before I get to far ahead of myself, let’s back up and walk you through what we actually experienced from box open to cleaning finish.
The box itself has some amazing visual appeal. I am one of those people that like the wow factor and the color, presentation and information provided by Shark right on the box, was enough to make me want to purchase one of their products.
Then once you open that beautiful box, you get two more interesting tidbit flaps. First Shark thanks your for begin a customer. Now that is super nice and you’re welcome. That every same section tells you everything that should be included in the box. So you know right away when you unpack is anything is missing. No waiting till you get close to the end to find out – whoops that is not there.
The next flap opening reminds you of why you selected Shark in the first place: 3 methods of clean and explains the two types of pads you will find in the box.
Of course, little reminders help folks like me make sure that things run properly. Apparently the Shark team also understands this and gives us the battery speech in small words. No reason for me to mess this one up.
This is where the dread moment comes to me. I am one of those who tends to screw things up when I have to put them together. Like the bookcase top board upside down and such. My husband still will not let me live that down. However while it looks a bit scary when you have the box open at the beginning, actually putting together the Shark Pro was as easy as inserting the handle piece to the main unit. Thankful I didn’t have to use my words this round.
Here is where we are after pulling everything out of the box and laying it out. Few parks to a good clean. What a wonderful way to be.
The next step is to add the batteries and attached the power cord. While the Shark PRO Steam & Spray requires that you have the batteries in at all times to function, this product does run off electric via power cord or cordless use from the 4 AA batteries {which are included}. This means you can get into those awkward spaces even in the event the cord will not reach.
You are supplied lots of cord length however for those of you like me that prefer to use the power cord method. With four younger children at home, we already go through batteries so fast; I wonder if they are eating them. Let’s hope not anyway. So plug-in power is the way for me!
Again here I am applauding Shark on their consumer knowledge as they even included a funnel to fill the water container. It’s thoughtfulness like that, picky consumers like me appreciate and will remember in the future as we make buying decisions. You will also notice the handy fill line showing you when enough is enough.
The Shark Pro features a very nice swivel connection from handle to mop. It allows for you to be able to completely lay the unit flat if ever needed. I like this because it makes it possible for me to get under areas such as my dresser and side table with ease.
You can see the nozzel in the front of the unit. This is where the cleaning spray come out of and onto the floor. You control how much solution is expelled with the push of a button located in the front of the handle.
Cleaning pads are connected to the bottom of the mop with velcro. When you first hear that, you might think that is not going to hold very well. That was my first fear too but darn it, if I wasn’t proved wrong. The cleaning pad stuck on tight, even through scrub mode where I pushed hard and dug in deep. Then I had to press my foot down and hold tight to remove after cleaning. Have no doubt that the single cleaning pad that comes in the box will last for months to come.
Remember when we mentioned the 3 methods of cleaning with the Shark PRO Steam & Spray? Well the handle is where you can locate and activate each one.
There is the SaniFiber where you use the disposable pads. These are the only disposable pad with the cleaning performance of washable microfiber. These are great for those super dirty jobs that you just do not want to see in your washing machine later on.
Then you have the basic mop option which is what I will use most often during our routine weekly cleanings. This is just like it sounds, a method of mopping where you use the Shark Steam Energized™ Cleanser in combination with old fashion willpower to take your floors from dirty to clean. Note that the cleanser is non-toxic, biodegradable and safe around kids & pets. Woot! That is grand to know. Safety check complete.
Last, you have the scrub method where you get a combination of steam and cleanser clean. This is what I used for the floor cleaning example below and I still cannot believe my floor was that nasty even though I just mopped with a everyday disposable unit two days early. Had I realized that my floors were not even coming close to clean, I would have tossed my old method of mopping a long time ago. It is amazing what a difference the Shark made on my hardwood flooring.
So now we have put the unit together and read up on what each method is for and how to use our Shark PRO Steam & Spray, we are ready to actually mop the floor. Reminder we are using the scrub method as an example of the difference between what looks clean and what is Shark clean.
I tried really hard to capture the steam that comes from the mop unit which using the Pro in scrub cleaning method. However all I could get to come out was the haze of appearance. I will say that I booboo’ed at first and held the cleaner button too long, which caused an excess of liquid to come out. However with it being the first run of the cleansing pad, it was soaked up quickly no harm done.
The Shark PRO Steam & Spray heats up fast and steam cleans your floors without much effort at all. Less time consuming than the mop and bucket method and provides a superior clean to the mop and toss units available out there. By combining both the cleaning solution and steam with scrub method, I was able to see exactly what my weekly mopping routine was leaving behind. To say I was shocked and even a bit angry would be a fair assessment.
Not only can you see what the Shark PRO Steam & Spray picked up on the cleaning pad, you can also visually tell a difference on the floor itself. Of course you can see the spots are no longer present on the clean side. Though the biggest change that I noticed was the sheen on the floor itself. With previous use, the floors always looked polished or oiled. After using the Shark PRO, I can see a natural clean. There is no phony after glow or harmful chemicals to be concerned about. Only basic clean floors that I am happy to raise a family on. That is a success story in itself.
The only factor that I found about the Shark PRO that was nah was that after using the scrub method, the bottom of the mop remains hot for sometime. So keeping that in mind, I would set aside the unit with the cleaning pad attached with several minutes to allow to cool before removing the pad and storing away. Of course it makes since that it would be warm since it is a steam creating product. Other than that, I have absolutely no complaints or even another so so moment to report.
Would I buy this again? Absolutely! Just seeing what was left behind from our previous mop opened my eyes to what is really clean and what only looks clean. From a mom, it is important that my floors be in a condition in which I would allow my children to play and even have picnics on. No way would I go back after this experience.
Purchase the Shark PRO Steam & Clean from SharkClean.com.
