The Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop cleans and sanitizes sealed, hard floors. The Shark is a steam mop with three settings depending on the type of floor and level of dirtiness, allowing you to clean floors without the use of soap or bleach or any other cleaning agents. Should you ditch the mop and bucket for an all-in-one floor cleaner that’s easier to use but has a higher cost? We tried out the flat mop on our own floors to find out.
Setup Process: Minor assembly required
This steam mop requires some assembly, but it takes literal seconds—you only need to attach the handle and then the mop portion, all of which clearly state which side is the front. Initially, we had trouble opening the water tank because it required us to pull so hard we were worried we were going to break it. This struggle had us wondering if we were even doing it correctly in the first place. With some force, it did open. Just don’t overfill the jug, or you’ll probably end up spilling some like we did. Don’t overfill the tank, either—we were able to see the water height through the semi-transparent material.
Included Products/Accessories: Two washable mop pads
The mop comes with two double-sided Dirt Grip pads, which are washable. It also comes with a Fill Flask, which we thought was unnecessary at first (we’d rather use something we already own over adding yet another plastic container to our collection). But when the time came to actually try it, we were grateful. The opening to the water tank is so small, and the slim spout of the water vessel fit perfectly.
Cleaning Performance: Picks up dirt
We have three different floors in our home: black granite tile, white porcelain tile, and sealed wood laminate. We tested the Shark Genius on all three with mostly positive results on each. We vacuumed before using the mop in order to pick up stray dust and crumbs even though the instructions don’t say whether this is necessary. We recommend it because the mop doesn’t pick up hair or fur as much as it just sort of spreads it around. We started with our sealed wood floors and kept the mop at the lowest steam level, which is recommended for laminate and hardwood. Moving it over the floors was easy and smooth, but we still found ourselves working up a sweat while using the Shark. It was worth it when we saw how much dirt it had picked up already. We thought our wood floors already looked clean, but the mop gave them a little extra sheen. The mop head always revealed that the floors were actually quite dirty, as they ended up grayed by dust and dirt. We were most interested in seeing what the Shark Mop could do for our bathroom floors, where the small white tiles reveal every speck of dirt, and the grout is noticeably darker in high traffic areas. Here, we used the highest steam setting, which is designed to deep clean and sanitize (the only level that does). While we didn’t see our grout completely transformed (in general, it takes a lot more effort to clean grout than just using a steam mop), we did walk away feeling that our bathroom was much cleaner than before. Still, it didn’t remove every little mess, and we were disappointed that we had to go back in and manually scrub away a few spots. We had the same experience in our kitchen, though there the black granite tile tends to hide dirt. While we have no doubt the Shark mop picked up dust and dirt, it left behind a noticeable film on the black tile. A second pass of the mop didn’t remove this, but we noticed that it was gone by the next day. The blackened mop pad is proof that the Shark steam mop really does clean floors. Our one complaint is that we wish that it took less effort to scrub; we really had to push hard to remove anything stuck to the floor. The Steam Blaster setting, which is activated by flipping the mop around and pressing down, sends a jet of hot steam down onto the floor to help clear extra stuck-on messes, and we found that it did help us wipe up some things that had attached to the ground (but not everything). Note that for larger areas, you’ll probably need to refill the water tank. We had about a quarter left after mopping a 300-square-foot area.
Design and Comfort: Enjoyable to use
At 6 pounds, this Shark mop isn’t too heavy to maneuver but still has a solid weight to it. It’s built like a sturdy cleaning tool. The mop has a round handle, which seemed odd at first, but it allowed us to angle the mop any which way and still have a good, comfortable hold. While we were happy that we wouldn’t have any batteries to worry about charging, we were worried about the cord being a nuisance. But once we started using the Shark, we found it wasn’t an issue to keep the 22.4-inch cord contained and off the ground for the most part.
Ease of Cleaning: Throw it in the wash
Cleaning products are no fun if they create more of a mess than you had in the beginning. Luckily, the Shark steam pocket mop comes equipped with a machine-washable mop pad. It’s easy to release the pad from the mop without much effort and without touching the actual pad. Just use the release button to drop it right into your laundry basket or washer. And since it comes with two pads, you don’t have to wait until the first pad is cleaned to use the steam mop again.
Price: Around $135
The mop goes for around $135 depending on where it’s purchased, so shop around if you decide to buy. As far as steam mops go, the price falls about in the middle. Some go for half the price, and others cost double. Still, you can find a quality, comparable mop for less.
Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop vs. BISSELL PowerFresh Steam Mop
In general, we love this mop for picking up dirt and grime where we didn’t even realize we had it in the first place. It’s easy (and even a little fun) to use, so with regular use you’ll notice a much cleaner home. While it’s a great product, you can find similar mops—some with extra features—for cheaper. Keep an eye on this product during sales like Black Friday and Prime Day.
