Steam cleaners and steam mops are everywhere at the moment, but if you’ve never cleaned with one, you may not know where to begin when looking for a model to meet your needs. Or, if you already have an idea, let us guide you to our best picks such as Shark's Deluxe Mop or a clothes steam cleaner from Russell Hobbs.
As always, we have researched the best 10 steam cleaners for your clothes, floors, carpets, tile grout and everything in between from popular retailers like Amazon, eBay and Argos to help you make informed choices. So no need to blow off steam – we’ve got you covered!
Quick List - Top Steam Cleaners
Shark
A Top-Quality All-Rounder From a Reliable Cleaning Brand
Dupray
A Smart Design Offering Powerful, Uninterrupted Cleaning for 50 Minutes
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Owing to their compact size, handheld cleaners are really easy to use and store. They're ideal for getting rid of small stains from upholstery and carpets as well as for getting into hard-to-reach spots. However, they’re not very well suited for cleaning larger spaces as they're not supplied with the appropriate tools.
Look into more ways to care for your carpet with carpet shampoos.
Cylinder steam cleaners come with a variety of attachments that are useful for cleaning many different areas such as grouting, ovens, and hard surfaces. While versatile, they do have large water tanks that take a while to heat up; however, this also means they don’t need to be refilled as often and have a higher output of steam that results in a better clean.
Combat the mess in your oven with oven cleaning products too.
Steam mops are lightweight and quick to heat up. They're ideal for cleaning hard floors and have adjustable settings for use on laminate floorings. Though convenient, steam mops will need refilling more frequently than other models and they’re not as versatile for cleaning hard surfaces other than floors.
Multipurpose steam cleaners combine the functionality of a steam mop and a handheld steam cleaner to give you more options to get your house spotless. As with both these cleaners individually, the water tank isn’t huge because it is integrated into the handle to keep everything lightweight.
Most steam cleaners come with a few attachments and accessories to allow you to tackle different surfaces and areas. Some manufacturers also have the option to purchase additional attachments that are maybe a bit more specific, as well as accessories such as extra cleaning pads and cleaning solutions to add to the tank if you choose to use a detergent.
Some other common attachments often included come in the form of nozzles, carpet gliders, glass brushes, grout brushes, and even special upholstery attachments. The more attachments a steam cleaner comes with, the more use you'll get out of it.
Unlike vacuum cleaners where you just plug in and go, every time you unplug and replug the power lead on steam cleaners you have to let them heat back up to their steam-producing temperature. Therefore, having a shorter cord which you're constantly plugging in again can end up being really frustrating!
To make sure you have as little faff as possible, it's worth checking the length of the cord against the size of the space you have to clean. A cord of 5-6 metres or above should fare well for larger homes, though some models offer lengths up to a mighty 8 metres.
Free yourself from cords and bags with our top cordless and bagless vacuum cleaner picks!
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Shark Klik n' Flip Smartronic Deluxe Mop|S6003UK | ![]() | A Top-Quality All-Rounder From a Reliable Cleaning Brand | |
2 | Vileda Steam Mop|157171 | ![]() | For Those After a Simple Steam Mop for Floors and Carpets | |
3 | Dupray NEAT Steam Cleaner|15308272 | ![]() | A Smart Design Offering Powerful, Uninterrupted Cleaning for 50 Minutes | |
4 | MLMLANT Multipurpose Steam Cleaner | ![]() | The Cleaner That Offers Plenty in the Way of Accessories | |
5 | Kärcher SC3 EasyFix Steam Cleaner|15131200 | ![]() | Speedy, High Pressure Cleaning From Kärcher | |
6 | Bush Upright Steam Mop With Detachable Hand Held Cleaner|4190370 | ![]() | A Versatile Mop That Offers Great Value for Money | |
7 | Vax Steam Fresh Combi Multifunction Steam Cleaner|S86-SF-C | ![]() | Ideal for Larger Homes in Need of a Extra-Long Power Cord | |
8 | Morphy Richards 12-in-1 Steam Cleaner|720512 | ![]() | An Adaptable Multi-Purpose Tool to Tackle Worktops, Tiles and More | |
9 | Russell Hobbs Steam Genie Handheld Fabric and Clothes Steamer|25600 | ![]() | A Handy Cleaner to Freshen Up Clothing and Upholstery | |
10 | Hoover Steamjet Handy Handheld Steam Cleaner|SGE1000 | ![]() | An Affordable Buy for Smaller Jobs or Fabrics |
Shark have really made a name for themselves in the cleaning world, especially so with fans of Mrs Hinch who love their products. This is another great appliance from them with its thick and durable double-sided cleaning pads that can be reused time and time again, picking up every trace of dirt as they go.
The 8-metre power cord is also a great plus as it will allow you to clean more of your house without having to unplug. The steam blast technology is super for tackling areas that need more oomph and the swivel head is easy to move and get into all those hard-to-reach spots.
This is a great steam mop for the money from cleaning brand leader, Vileda. A single 0.4 L tank can let the mop run for up to 28 minutes and it only takes 15 seconds to heat up. It also has a fantastic 6-metre operating radius and comes with a glider to keep your carpets fresh and bacteria-free.
With it being a mop. it doesn't have quite the range of functionality as other types of steam cleaner, but this is an excellent option if you only really need to clean floors and carpets.
The cube design of this cleaner is really attractive, but it's not only about good looks. It has a large 1.6 L capacity water tank which, while taking 7 minutes to heat, gives up to 50 minutes of cleaning time before a refill is needed.
The only negative to note is that the handle can get hot while in use, so caution is needed to avoid burns. That aside, this is a really powerful yet compact cleaner that will tackle almost any job that you throw at it.
This cleaner has a lot to offer with its 21 accessories and steam lock switch which allows for continuous steam without having to press a button repeatedly. The long extension hoses also mean that you get extra reach on top of the 5 m power cord, so you can keep cleaning for that bit longer before moving to another plug socket.
The main downside of this model is the fact it takes 5 minutes to heat up its roomy 1.5 L water tank, so you'd have to weigh up how important a larger tank is to you.
This cylinder cleaner from Kärcher is ready to use in just 30 seconds and produces powerful 3.5 bar pressure to give fantastic cleaning ability. The attachments include a descaling cartridge which helps prevent the buildup of limescale – something especially useful if you live in a hard water area like London.
For such a substantial cleaner, the power cord is relatively short, so you may have to keep changing power sockets as you move around the house. This cleaner also can leave tiles quite wet and when they are dry, streaks and water spots can be left behind.
Bush's steam cleaner offering is ready to use in 25 seconds, and the triangle-shaped head with its swivel steering means that you can get into all the corners and leave your floors sparkling clean. It changes quickly to handheld, so you can clean tiles, hobs and ovens really quickly.
As with some of the other cheaper models in this listing, users have said that the steam output isn't as consistent as it should be and it could be more powerful to give a more thorough clean. That said, the price will appeal to those looking for something only for occasional use.
This multipurpose model from Vax is quick drying so you won't be left with wet floors and damp footprints as you clean. The 20-second heat-up is really quick so there's minimal downtime and the 8-metre power cord gives you a huge cleaning area without having to change plug sockets.
However, there have been cases of the steam being intermittent which has affected the cleaning ability. Other users also found that the tools and attachments would not stay in the inbuilt holders and had a tendency to fall out onto the floor.
This 12-in-1 steam cleaner has both upright and handheld units to give it lots of different uses around the home. In upright mode it easily changes between hard floors and carpets, and it quickly converts to handheld mode for cleaning worktops, tiles, ovens, grout and more.
As useful as it is, this is further down our top ten listing owing to the fact that the water tank has a tendency to leak, especially when used in handheld mode. It's also quite noisy during use which could put some buyers off.
This lightweight and very portable cleaner has a really quick 45 second heat-up time, and is really useful for freshening and taking creases out of clothes and other fabrics. It comes with attachments to suit most types of fabric as well as a detachable lint brush to lift any fluff or pet hairs that may be caught in the weave.
Where this cleaner is very compact, the downside is the small size of the water tank – it's only 260 ml, which is not much different from an iron. This means that you'd need to refill it every few minutes if you've got a fair few curtains to clean, and it can be lacking in power against larger models if you've got stains to tackle.
This handheld cleaner from the well-known brand Hoover is small and relatively light and is perfect for cleaning upholstery, hobs, ovens and bathrooms. It comes with 12 different attachments to tackle a wide variety of jobs and its long cord makes it easy to move around the house without having to unplug and reheat.
This may not be a cleaner for tougher jobs, however, as the steam pressure is not as strong as it would be with larger, more powerful cleaners. It also needs to be reheated after a few minutes of use in order to maintain the steam flow, which could be annoying if you have quite a bit of cleaning to do.
Steam cleaners can be used on a multitude of different surfaces including sealed ceramic or porcelain tile and hardwood floors, grout, sinks, tubs, countertops, carpets, mattresses, upholstery, showers, ovens, stovetops, grills, glass, and more.
With a steam cleaner, you can expect high-temperature cleaning that eliminates bacteria without the need for detergent. It heats water to past boiling point which is then forced out of the cleaner as pressurised steam, loosening dirt while killing bacteria and viruses at the same time.
No. 1: Shark|Klik n' Flip Smartronic Deluxe Mop|S6003UK
No. 2: Vileda|Steam Mop|157171
No. 3: Dupray|NEAT Steam Cleaner|15308272
No. 4: MLMLANT|Multipurpose Steam Cleaner
No. 5: Kärcher|SC3 EasyFix Steam Cleaner|15131200
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