Bissell 1867-7 Steam Mop Hard-Floor Cleaner, Green Tea

Love this floor steamer. Does not get up much dirt but at least I know the germs have been killed.......so I guess it's clean dirt!
Heats up FAST and easy to use.

There were marks on the wood floor from a rug pad. I just thought that the finish was worn away and that was why it wouldn't come up. I used the steam mop and to my surprise the marks came up and the floor looks great. I also have an 18 month old and I like the idea of not leaving chemical residues behind. I do not like it on bathroom tile flooring. Great for wood, but I don't feel it gets into the grout that well and I prefer to scrub that with a brush by hand. It is fine for touch ups though, but not intensive bathroom cleaning.

May I also point out, using the steam mop is VERY eco-friendly (as well as wallet friendly). Just think of all the swiffer mop pads you have to $purchase$ and then throw out and they end up as one more thing in a landfill (with chemical cleaning residues on it). These are great, you mop with the reusable pad and then just throw it in the wash. They wash great too!

Let me start with the review by saying that I'm waiting for the floor to dry after using the Bissell steam mop AND drying the floor with a white towel.

I posted a review of the Shark Steam Mop so feel free to check that out. Anyway, here's the backgroud: I have BR-111 engineered hardwood floor and laminate floor in the house, and I also bought the Bissell and Shark steam mops for comparison. After reading the reviews on both products, I decided to start with the Shark's because it generates less steam than the Bissell's, and that's important due to the hardwood floors.

So I used the Shark's last night and the result was satisfactory, although the mop itself is flimsy, as noted by many other reviewers. With Bissell sitting brand new in the box and would hate to pick the wrong product, I decided to give the Bissell a try.

Now, comparing the Shark and Bissell...
Construction: Bissell wins hands down. Not only the build is more uniform, you do feel how solid it's built. No doubht it's twice as heavy as the Shark's (7lb vs 3lb), the added weight is a GOOD thing (as long as it's not too heavy) because it puts slightly more pressure on the floor for better clean.

The pads: Bissell wins again in this department, I feel Bissell's will last longer than Shark's. I don't like the shark's Velcro-approach. Bissell's has elastic band around the top, and it's adjustable as well.

The move: It's true that Bissell's allows 360-degree spin, while Shark's only allow front-back move, Bissell's got the right idea but failed to execute properly. There're times that the mop doesn't go in the direction that I want. Having said that, I still prefer Bissell's over Shark's.

The steam: The size of water tank on both mops are similar, but the Bissell's can run out quickly given one would conveniently pull the trigger on constantly while mopping, not to mention the mop releases TONS of steam. It generates so much that the pad is already soaking wet in the first couple of minutes. Now I see why some people who have used Shark's feel like it's mopping with a dry rag. It may not be an issue for those who live in dry weather, but it definitley is a concern for hardwood floor owners, sealed or not, or even those who want to use the mop on tiles (or other hard surfaces) but the surroundings is humid. I would suggest Bissell adding some tips so users wouldn't apply too much steam, or simply modify the design to reduce it. Bissell's has a water filter which could mean the mop can last longer, but then I also wonder how much the replacement cost could be.

The result: I'd say Shark's and Bissell's both clean fine BUT Bissell's simply generates way too much steam.

My verdict... as much as I like how the Bissell's is built, I'm going to keep the Shark's with me. The Bissell's just generating way too much steam that it will take a long time to dry if not being addressed. I gave 3 stars to Shark's because it produces the right amount of steam and it gets the job done right. I'm giving 3 stars to Bissell's for its construction and the idea of having water filter to keep the device last longer.

I wonder if there's a steam mop out there that combines the pros from both of them...

My son has a huge Lab dog that slobbers on the floor when you start getting his meal ready. The steamer works ok but is more effective on dirty floors if you use a floor cleaner to loosen the old slobber stuff before using the steamer.

I love, love, LOVE this mop. I have glossy finished wood floors through out the downstairs and over two years ago I thought that I had ruined them by using an orange glow product that left it cloudy and oily. No matter what I did, it looked as if there were always foot prints on it and it needed to be cleaned. No products, nor a damp dust mop as suggested by many, would work. I was quoted anywhere from $10,000 to $12,000 to have them refinished. This mop deep cleaned and removed the film completely. I now use it whenever necessary, but have beautiful, shiny and clean floors again! This steam mop is worth every penny, and I would not take anything for mine.