Housework Tuesday - Shark Steam Mop

So as many of you already know from various complaints and comments over the past months – I HATE cleaning my hardwood floors. We have hardwoods throughout our entire house, and while they are beautiful, they are a pain to keep clean. Sweeping and moping the entire house can take anywhere from 2-3 hours depending on how dirty the floors are.

When we first moved into our house I completed the entire process the old fashioned way: sweeping with a broom and shining the floors wood cleaner & a mop. It was exhausting. Less than half an hour in, my back would begin to ache. By the time I was finished, my entire body was covered in sweat, my head was pounding & my every muscle in my back twitched with throbbing pain.

I will never forget the day I was introduced to the Shark Steam Mop. I was on the treadmill banging out a quick run when an infomercial flashed across my personal TV. Billy Mays promised that the Shark Steam Mop would change the way I felt about cleaning my floors – it would save me time and pain. I’m a thrifty spender so the price tag sent up a red flag - $100 for a mop!?!? I wrote off the infomercial and decided I would rather spend the $100 on something better and I would just deal with the hassle of cleaning my hardwood floors.

Midway through my next weekly (okay – back then I hated it so much it was sometimes more like biweekly) flooring cleaning ritual, I broke down. I was beyond my breaking point – I couldn’t do it anymore! Covered in dust and dog hair from sweeping, with my hair all a mess and reeking of floor cleaner I grabbed my nearest 20% off coupon to Bed, Bath & Beyond and sprinted out the door. As I walked through the doors of BB&B I was approached by a salesman, “Can I help you ma’am?” “No – I know exactly what I’m here for.” Fifteen minutes later I walked out the door with my $80 steam mop in hand (gotta love those coupons!)

My husband was more than shocked when he came home that evening. “I spent $80 on a mop today. If you get to spend money on tools and equipment for the yard then I can spend money to make my chores in the house a little easier.” The blank stare on Steven’s face was answer enough…whatever you say sweetie…whatever you say…..

The first time I used the steam mop I was beyond amazed. It really does clean anything – Billy Mays did not tell a lie! I love how easily the mop glides across my floors. It makes cleaning so much easier and less tiresome. Recently I picked up Pledge Hard Wood Floor cleaner. I spray a gentle mist over the floors before I mop with the steam cleaner and it adds an extra shine that I love – plus it makes the house smell great!

I’m not going to lie – I still hate cleaning my floors. I especially hate how quickly they become dirty again (dogs will do that I guess!) But I will say that the Shark Steam Mop has saved my back and quite possibly my marriage. You see, if I had to spend one more grueling minute cleaning my floors while my husband sat on the couch asking me “Why are you pushing so hard?? Just calm down” someone was going to get hurt – and considering that I was the worked up one with a long, metal object in my hand, chances are it would have been Steven.

For anyone who has hard wood or tile floors, I would strongly recommend the Shark Steam Mop. In my opinion it is well worth the money – and I truly do not say that often! What about you? Have you made any “splurges” on an appliance that has saved your cleaning life? Have you ever wasted a lot of money on something that was supposed to be the best but turned out to be a dud?