The magazine “60 Millions de consommateurs” tested seven steam mops, and published its results in the November issue. Steam mops have become household favorites. How to differentiate and choose them?
Sales of steam mops are soaring, but are they all really effective? Sylvie Metzelard, editor-in-chief of the magazine 60 Million consumers, is publishing this month the results of tests carried out on 7 steam mops in a comparative testing center.
franceinfo: Overall, are these steam mops effective and what is the operating principle?
Sylvie Metzelard: For cleaning floors, yes, overall, they are effective! The water contained in the device’s tank is heated by an electrical resistance which will produce steam. And it is the steam, diffused at high temperature, which will dissolve the dirt.
All work the same, except the karcher model, what makes it different?
The karcher incorporates a pressurized mini-boiler to produce steam, which depressurizes as soon as the tank is empty.
In terms of efficiency, is it the best? What stains need to be removed?
Yes, it is the most effective, whether on floors or windows. And we really tested it after having done some rather gratin stains (mustard coffee, well-encrusted jam, including in cracks in the floor… and good grease also for the windows).
The advantage of a steam mop is that you can do without detergent products, but does it disinfect the floors?
So no, for cleaning the floors, it’s impeccable, but for disinfecting, you shouldn’t count on it too much. For it to work, you would have to stay on the surface to be disinfected for a very long time, with maximum steam flow, which we never do.
And for cleaning sofas, against bedbugs for example, even if the professionals who come to your home use steam devices, they are not the same. You need devices that raise the steam to 120°. A heat that none of the devices we tested can achieve.
He there are also accessories, that, thatis important, because it allows you to do something other than washing the floors. OYou can clean windows for example. Do all devices allow it?
No, for example, the Shark does not offer any. Otherwise the other devices offer two operating modes. In broom mode, with a head fitted with a microfiber mop, for floors. In hand cleaner mode, once the body of the device has been removed. And we can then install various accessories depending on the surface to be cleaned.
All the devices you have tested are corded steam mops. Do you have to plug them into the mains? Here too, are all of them equally practical, is the wire length satisfactory, for all the brushes that you have tested?
Yes, they are all wired, so depending on the size of the parts you have to clean, it is still better to look at the length of the cords, which range from 4m (for the Karcher) to 8m for the Black and Decker. Afterwards, you can always use an extension cord.
Generally speaking, what are the things to look at before buying?
The size of the tank which will therefore give you a more or less long autonomy, the maneuverability of the device, its weight; you have to see the accessories offered…
And in terms of prices, there are great disparities, how much does the famous Karcher which comes out at the top of your test cost?
It costs 133 euros; these devices range from 50 euros (an Elsay, second in our ranking) with 14 out of 20, to 200 euros for the Black and Decker, penultimate, with 12 out of 20.