Friday, January 23, 2009
I was the lucky one to come home from the BX with Osan's #1 preferred household item....the Bissell Steam Mop. Eek! I was so excited! I hooked it up right away and did the once over on my floors. And the verdict is now in....not sure.

Pluses:
  • The number one thing on the plus list is the way this puppy gets crayon off the hard floors. Because it's steam, it sort of melts the crayon off and washes it away. Wish it would work on walls. Might have to try it.
  • I like the fact that it can sanitize. I can see this as a useful tool in the bathroom, especially.
  • The floors don't get sopping wet and dangerously slippery.
  • Spot cleaning is pretty effective which is useful in the kitchen.
Disappointments:
  • The steam mop doesn't really clean the way I'd hoped and dreamed. For a good clean, you've still gotta us the ole bucket-and-mop method. Once compeltely dry, the dirt still seems to linger and the floor doesn't feel nice and clean under barefeet. The steam mop would be a good cleaner for between-mop touch-ups.
  • Weird smell. Not sure why. That might go away with more use.
  • It's a little flimsy. It's like a plug-in Swiffer on steroids. (To me, the Swiffer is my most hated "cleaning" products. Good idea. Bad product.)
  • It's no fun to watch people slip and fall when the floors don't get sopping and dangerously wet. (Plus, I use washing the floors as a child-calming method. "Stay there! The floor's wet!")

I'm hoping the love affair will grow, but it might just peter out. Overall, I just don't think it's quite sexy enough. I'll update you later on my progress.

8 comments:

Anna said...

What? You must live in some kind of freaky parallel universe where the steam mop sucks. I just have a few questions about this strange world you live in: is there a Target and/or a Starbucks drive-through? Because I'm willing to move and sacrifice my steam mop.

Helen said...

I know. I know. I knew my opinion might create that reaction within the heart of the indoctorinated. Didn't say it sucks; just a bit disappointed in it's reputed magic cleaning powers. Perhaps my mess is just unalterable. I'm not giving up. I paid darn near $80 for the thing!

aje196 said...

What?! My mop and bucket never worked this well (or maybe that's because the user never used the mop and bucket)

Tori said...

Ok so I need to submit a question to Tips from the Trenches, and Stories from Korea is welcome to participate in answering as well. I am about to move into a fully carpeted (except for the kitchen and bathrooms) apartment. The part that really scares me is the dining room is carpeted. So... what is the all time best of the best carpet cleaner? I'm nervous about the havoc my little one year old is going to create.

Helen said...

Good question...my preferred method is to have the carpet removed and install those self-cleaning windows (extra thick) on your floor. I think you'd have to install a sky light or two because I think they work using solar energy. If that's too involved, we like our BX Bissell model. Cheapest one there and works fine. Even on old stains. It seems Consumer Reports has stopped reviewing them. Hmmmm...perhaps none of them work as well as we'd like.

On a side note, we once had a carpeted dining room when Jack was a baby. We just put a plastic tarp down under the table and chairs. That worked very well.

Anna said...

oh yeah, the tarp! I just put the high chair in one of those plastic kiddy pools for a while, too. Then you can just take it outside and hose it off. The high chair, too. Worked great, but it made the neighbors a little suspicious.

Helen said...

That's because you were hosing it off in the middle of the night. Tomato sauce will resemble blood after dark. (Another less learned the hard way. Duh!

Tori said...

Oh my gosh, you two are too funny. Thank you, I need a good laugh after the night I've had. Call me picky, but I'm not a big fan of tarps or kiddie pools on my floors for everyday use. I wonder if I could get the apartment complex to take out the flooring and add the thick glass. hhhhmmmmm

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