Attaching the larger-than-average detail nozzle straight to the main unit, I set about cleaning some soap scum and limescale off my kitchen sink. The cleaner managed to rid most of the marks, with the last bits requiring a bit of a scrub with the brush.

Shark claims that the clever design – which includes a mop head which flips over to reveal a fresh cleaning surface – slashes cleaning times and boosts cleaning power without adding unnecessary weight (it weighs just 2.27kg).Cleaning up your floor, and your walls can be a pretty hard task. Fortunately, there are a lot of tools out there that will allow you to make it so much easier. One of the tools that you can get to make cleaning up easier is a steam cleaner. Steam cleaners do make your life easier by helping you clean. But mind you, some are more high quality than the rest. One of the best steam cleaners out there that I can recommend to you is the Shark S6005UK.

Dirt Grip cleaning pads – machine washable microfibre pads that’ll leave floors shiny and streak-freeIt took barely any time at all for the steamer to heat up and be ready for use. Both the TOOLS and LO lights on the handheld unit were lit up in blue, so it was clear which settings I was using. What took a bit of figuring out, however, was how to get the steam coming out of the tool because, unlike when used as a floor cleaner, this was not automatic - a button on the handheld unit needed to be held down when in use. The strong fumes from a lot of floor cleaners can be too much for some people, not to mention the damage they can cause to the environment. The high temperature of the steam released from Shark’s Lift-Away Steam Mop will kill 99.9% of common household bacteria (a promise only Shark steam mops can make), giving you complete peace of mind without the need for chemical cleaners. Suitable for most sealed hard floors. Most of the mops in our list are two-in-one models that also double up as handheld units for cleaning hobs and tiles. The majority of steam cleaners come equipped with attachable accessories suited to an array of household chores. Standard steam mops that don’t have a detachable handheld unit usually only come with additional cleaning pads.

The 8 metre-long cable will neatly tie away on the steam mop handle so you’re not constantly tripping over it, and it’s a pretty slimline model so it doesn’t take up much space in the corner of the room or cleaning cupboard. But. There’s a total of seven accessories and two dirt grip pads which come with this steam cleaner which can’t be stored on board so I suggest keeping it altogether in a bag, somewhere you can remember where it all is too. Ideal Home's verdict: is the Shark floor and handheld and steam cleaner worth it? This is a lightweight steam mop which can be used as both a corded and handheld device, and which weighs just 2.27kg but has a reassuring rigidity. It’s easy to assemble – the steam mop handle and steam mop body slot together, although you’ll need a flathead screwdriver to secure them in place. Go handheld with Lift-Away technology. A signature feature of Shark’s vacuum cleaners, Lift-Away lets you transform the mop into a handheld cleaner in seconds. Simply detach the unit for effortless steam cleaning on all types of surfaces including, tiles, hobs, sinks, cooker hoods, ovens, taps, glass, grouting and more. Other DetailsHowever, the handle is supplied separately from the frame and needs to be attached with a screw (included). This was easy enough, but you’ll need a screwdriver. It’s clear this steam cleaner has a quality build, but you’d be wise to remove the main unit for storage; it reduces the weight of the appliance meaning it will be less likely to topple over. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a magical machine that could clean your sink, hob, kitchen sides, tiles, floor… almost all of the surfaces in your house, removing the need for scrubbing and chemical-laden cleaning products? Well, it turns out you don’t need magic, you just need Shark’s Lift-Away Steam Mop. Not only will it steam clean your floors to hygienically clean perfection, but the Lift-Away hand-held steamer and accessories allows to clean a multitude of surfaces around the home without the usual elbow grease. Easy to use and taking only 30 seconds to heat up, you’ll have the whole house squeaky-clean in no time. Full steam ahead! The handle and the frame both feature hooks for storing the generously long cable; you can easily release the cable by turning one of the hooks. Additionally, the handle has a smaller side clip, which helps to keep the closest bit of cable out of the way when mopping.

The Good Housekeeping Institute tests every steam cleaner on ceramic tiles, vinyl floors, inside an oven, on gas hobs and on windows, using them in the same way you would at home.How long a steam cleaner takes to heat up before it starts pumping out steam is largely determined by the size of the tank. This may be as little as 20 seconds for a steam mop and two minutes for a cylinder, but exact timings can vary greatly between models. The ultimate test was the oven, for which we used the copper brush. Our oven’s seen better days so we had no concerns about doing so, but we’d recommend the concentration nozzle if you’re worried about scratching your shiny new kitchen appliance.