Euro-Pro Shark S3501N Deluxe Steam Pocket Mop Review

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(More customer reviews)It started simple enough. A friend said, "You HAVE to get a Shark steamer mop thing. It's awesome."
But if you're a type-A like me, that's where the simplicity ends.
I researched the (older model) Shark and because of the not so great reviews, I ended up ordering the Eureka ENVIRO STEAMER. I chose the Eureka primarily because of a comparison review by a user. Turns out, alot of the qualities written in the review, like water tank size and cord length, didn't apply anymore.
So then, I ordered the Haan FS20-Plus 800-Watt Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer with Deluxe Sanitizing Tray based on the same reviewer's awesome comparison. But again, the info didn't match up to what I ordered/got.
Today, I finally broke down and just went to a brick and morter Bedbathandbeyond. The guy was very helpful and showed me the various Sharks and told me this new model (the most expensive at $119) had a bigger tank than previous.
So, here I am with 3 different steamer mops. Since I buy most of my stuff based on reviews, I thought I would take the time to do a very non-scientific comparison.
*Euro-Pro Shark S3501 Deluxe Steam Pocket Mop ($106 with my 20%coup plus tax at BBB)
*Haan FS20-Plus 800-Watt Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer with Deluxe Sanitizing Tray ($90 via Amazon)
*Eureka ENVIRO STEAMER ($69 via Amazon)
OUT OF THE BOX:
All three were very easy to put together. Handle either snapped/or screwed into base.
HANDLE:
All are plastic and for the most part, feel a bit flimsy. None really stood out above the others.
CORD:
Shark has 30' (the longest)
Haan and Eureka were same... about 18'.
WATER TANK: ((my top priority, behind obviously cleaning))
Shark -- approx 1 3/4 cups* (fill cup provided is not marked)
Eureka -- 1 1/4 cups* (fill cup provided is not marked but manual says capacity total 12 oz)
Haan -- 1 cup* (fill cup provided is marked)
*cup is based on the cup that came with Haan, the only one clearly marked. So I just filled the others and then dumped into the Haan cup. Hence, minor discrepancy. If you convert 12 oz into cups, it's 1 1/2 cups... but for some reason when I filled the Eureka container and dumped it into the Haan cup, it only filled it 1 1/4 ways. Go figure.
CLEANING PAD:
Shark's cleaning cloth covers the head but the design allows you to flip it so you can use both sides with ease. The whole head actually flips on the mop so it's not like you're taking the cloth off and then putting it back on. (2 rectangular cloths included, along with 2 triangular cloths, for the triangular head -- I guess for corners or tight spaces. But I have not used or tried out. Also, 1 fluffy looking thing that's for dusting...again, have not tried this out either.)
**edited to add 1/8/2010** I've used the purple duster on wood floors and love it! Cleans great.
Eureka -- waffle type of towel, held in place by clamps on the base. After 1 wash, the trim started coming off and it already had a very worn/old look to it. Not sure how long it would have held up. (2 included)
Haan -- a thick, microfiber trapazoid that just sort of velcros onto the bottom. Very sturdy. (2 included)
OVERALL CLEANING (see photo):
Obviously, not very scientific but I swiped a wet paper towel on a portion of my tile that I was planning to clean.
I split the area into thirds so each steam mop was used in one section (I have large stone tile with deep grout lines (see photo).
Then I went over that cleaned section with another wet paper towel to see how much dirt could be picked up.
NONE: (first paper towel on left) Clearly, the dirtiest.
Haan: cleaned the best (again, not scientific just how much was picked up on a paper towel after using the steam mop)
Eureka Enviro: cleaned the worst (but obviously, still great, compared to nothing)
Shark: in the middle.
CONCLUSION:
I'm keeping the Shark because of several factors:
*big water chamber (thus longer steam time)
*long cord (convenience of not using extension cord or unplugging and re-plugging)
*dual head cleaning cover (pretty handy)
*complete swivel head... but because of this feature, the drawback is that you have to lean the handle up against a counter because it won't stand on its own, like the Haan or Eureka.
I won't go into detail about the wetness factor because frankly, all three left the surface wet but all three dried pretty quickly (much more quickly than when I use a traditional sponge mop/pinesol). This was really not an issue for me.
OVERALL, seriously, I would be thrilled with any one of these... because they do cut down tile floor cleaning time tremendously-- and without using chemicals. Any one of them clearly beats the old mop and bucket method.
I guess it comes down to how you prioritize the features. For me, after this exhaustive research -- I'm sticking with the Shark! Good luck on yours... and my you NOT find yourself in a similar dilemma where you're obsessing over minor details like I did.
EXTRA FYI:
"Pocket" vs "deluxe" -- what's the difference between the gold and purple set?
Both Pocket (gold) and Deluxe(purple) are priced the same but the Pocket comes with ONE set of cleaning cloths. But you do get a third head -- that's an XL rectagular head. The purple set comes with two sets of cleaning cloths. I think for the money, the purple set is the way to go.
Hope that helps!

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Deep-clean and sanitize sealed hard floors--including wood, tile, linoleum, and vinyl--in one fell swoop with the Euro-Pro Shark Deluxe Steam Pocket Mop. Using just superheated tap water and patented two-sided microfiber pads, this lightweight, easy-to-use tool heats up in 30 seconds and automatically releases steam with every push-forward motion. A powerful weapon against ground-in dirt, dust, and dried spills, it also kills harmful germs including e-coli, then leaves the floor virtually dry behind it.
This Shark model also offers an adjustable-height handle and 180-degree swivel steering for smooth maneuverability and comes with two cleaning pads. Additional features include an extra-large 15-ounce water tank, a long 30-foot power cord, and a deodorizing carpet glider. The mop measures 7 inches by 13 inches by 51-1/2 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

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