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Steam mops

Shark S 3101
Shark-S 3101Steam mop-image
Price range:
$49.99 - $89.99
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Summary: This model has been tested by our experts.
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Community icon22 people have reviewed this model.
About - Shark S 3101

The Shark S 3101 is part of the steam mop test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, steam mop models like the S 3101 are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below.


Vinyl-floor cleaning:
Comparative performance cleaning an array of everyday food soils.

Time steaming:
Comparative length of time unit can continuosly steam.

Residual water left on floor:
Comparative amount of water left on wood floors.
Features & Specs - Shark S 3101
info Heats in under a minute Yes
info Wide-angle swivel head No
info Ready light or indicator No
info Empty light or indicator No
info Steam can be varied Yes
info Unit must be pumped in use Yes
info Vacuum feature No
info On-off power switch No
More features and specs
User Reviews - Shark S 3101
Consumer Reports User Reviews
Already own it? Write a review
By from
 
1.0
Electrical Scare !!!
1/22/2013
Pros
Concept is great
No Dirty Mop Head
Cons
Electrically Faulty
Best Uses
Love It On Hardwood
Comment:
I use my shark S3101 on hardwood and tile and love the concept of the device. However, the first time I plugged in my shark and begin to use it, it kept kicking ALL of the breakers in my house. My house is six years old and I have never had any new or old machines, toasters, coffee pots, vacuums, etc kick the breakers thru out my home. Don't use my shark because I spend more time resetting breakers that I do steam vacuuming. Purchased another shark steam vac, the SE450 and have electrical issues with it as well. It sparks and smokes at the end of the plug when plugging into a wall outlet. After my experience witht the shark S3101 that I spoke about above, and now the SE450, I decided to take both of the devices to my friend's home, who has not had electrical problems, and see what would happen. BOTH DID THE SAME THING AT MY FRIEND'S HOME. I'M AFRAID OF BEING ELECTRICUTED SO I DO NOT USE EITHER OF THE DEVICES.
How long have you owned it:
More than six months
Bottom Line
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
By from
 
1.0
Works Well ... While it lasts ...
12/21/2012
Pros
Simplified Cleaning
Cons
Poorly made
Best Uses
Kitchen Bath
Comment:
I was happy with the Shark originally<br />It made quick work out of cleaning the ceramic tile in both kitchen & bath ...<br /><br />BUT ... then it dies, slowly but surely. One day you may notice it seems to take 'a bit' longer to heat up, the next time you're sure its taking longer ... at that point run do not walk for a replacement! Personally I'm going to move up on the list of CR recommendations and see if I can't find a more reliable product. I may be young but I do not believe you should consider everything under $500 as disposible :-(
How long have you owned it:
More than six months
Bottom Line
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
By from
 
2.0
Product breaks after a few uses.
12/1/2012
Pros
Cleans Floor Nicely
Cons
Breaks easily
Best Uses
Laminate floors
Comment:
I have had two of these mops and both have broken after a few uses. I like the way they clean the floors, however the first one broke after 5 uses and the 2nd mop after 2 uses. I would not have purchased a 2nd mop, however my husband surprised me with the 2nd one. What a disappointment.
How long have you owned it:
One-to-three months
Bottom Line
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Other User Reviews
 
2.0

(based on 5 reviews)

By
User has of experience with this product
 
1.0
stinks
07/06/2009
Strength
none.
Weakness
broke after two years..
I've been using this mop for two years. Started having problems with no steaming coming out after one year. Today it finally broke with the steam coming out of the top instead of the bottom. Buyer beware. This mop will break on you after 1 year of weekly use.
By
User has 30 Days of experience with this product
 
1.0
shark steam cleaner with replaceable cleaning pads
05/14/2009
Strength
none
Weakness
machine stopped steam cleaning third time i used it
if u ever buy anything for anyone make sure u keep reciepts and box i threw my box away and my sons threw the reciept away i would have loved to get in touch with the company to tell them how dissapointed i was after telling my kids i wanted a shark for my tile floors because i really dont want them to spend money on me and i knew they would buy something anyway and here they go giving me what i wanted and it turned out to be so inferior to what it said it was what a shame my kids struggle everyday like alot of people to pay bills and catch up and they took time to get me this thing,,,,,,
By
User has 1 Day of experience with this product
 
1.0
Wish I could return it
09/02/2008
Strength
Umm, can't think of any
Weakness
Price, doesn't perform well, not worth the money
Ok, so I've tried a lot of floor cleaning products, many without too much success. I have a white linoleum floor that, after so many years of use, always appears dirty. I thought that the steam mop would help loosen the ground-in dirt that makes my floor appear dingy and that it would leave my floor looking clean, as well as being clean. I also thought that having steam clean my floors would alleviate the sticky feeling you get with some other types of floor cleaners. Well, I was wrong. To begin with, the handle is hard to put together; the upper end (handle) doesn't sit tightly in the center part, and I wasn't sure how far down it should have gone. I would also think that once the mop runs out of steam, it means it's out of water. That proved to be untrue. I ran out of steam with water still remaining in the reservoir and then I was left with the problem of how to remove the water without scalding myself. I ended up dumping the mop upside down over the toilet to drain the remaining water, but the metal reservoir of the mop gets quite hot and only that I'd let the mop sit and cool off for awhile, I think I would have gotten a pretty nasty burn. As it was, my fingers stung from touching the metal part of the mop. As for its cleaning ability, well, I won't be throwing away my old mop and bucket anytime soon. This mop did not remove the dingy look from my floor by steaming out the ground-in dirt, nor did it even manage to remove spots from a spill. The pad got dirty alright, but even my husband said he couldn't tell from the floor that it had been mopped. I tried the mop on the kitchen floor, the bathroom floor, and at the entrance to our side door (all linoleum surfaces) but really wasn't impressed. Like the swiffer mops et. al., this one leaves trails of dirt/dust behind (and yes, I swept before I mopped). All in all, it's another floor care product that will end up sitting in the closet. Perhaps it'll be ok for immediate spill cleanup but I wouldn't recommend it as a cleaning tool. I'm sorry I bought it and wish I could return it.
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