If your priority is steam cleaning without adding detergent, first choose an appliance that suits the surfaces you want to clean: a steam mop for compatible floors, or a cylinder steam cleaner if its accessories will come in useful elsewhere. A floor washer is better suited to picking up everyday dirt and washing hard floors. According to UFC-Que Choisir, these appliances generally use cold water with detergent, and their tanks and rollers need cleaning.
You want to clean surfaces that are suitable for water turned into steam, without adding detergent. This preference doesn’t mean you can skip checking the flooring, nor does it guarantee a sanitising effect, as the guidance on use from UFC-Que Choisir makes clear.
As well as floors, you may want to clean grout, kitchen or bathroom surfaces, and even windows if the appliance is designed for the job. In that case, a cylinder steam cleaner’s accessories may be more useful than the simplicity of a steam mop, provided each surface is suitable for steam.
If picking up dirt and washing the floor as part of the same routine matters more than avoiding detergent, consider a floor washer. UFC-Que Choisir points out, however, that tanks, rollers or pads and filters need maintenance, and that these appliances have limitations when dealing with stubborn stains.
Start by checking the care instructions for your surfaces: they’ll tell you whether steam is an option. Then compare steam cleaners with floor washers based on the dirt you need to tackle and how much time you’re willing to spend maintaining the appliance after use.
Choose this if: you mainly clean floors that are suitable for steam and want an upright design.
Bear in mind: UFC-Que Choisir says steam mops are often designed primarily for floors, so check what else they can be used for before buying.
Choose this if: you’ll make good use of its accessories on different suitable surfaces around your home.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to move and store the appliance, and having the right nozzle doesn’t automatically make every surface suitable for steam.
Choose this if: your priority is picking up everyday dirt and washing compatible hard floors.
Bear in mind: according to UFC-Que Choisir, these appliances generally use detergent, and they have limited effectiveness on stubborn stains.
Choose this if: the surface isn’t suitable for steam, or the area is too small to warrant getting an appliance out.
Bear in mind: your chosen method still needs to follow the flooring instructions, and won’t offer steam or water pick-up.
| What matters to you | What to check | Who this applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Surfaces and versatility | Check the care instructions for your flooring and the appliance; make sure it comes with the accessories you need for the areas you plan to clean. | My floors and other surfaces don’t all have the same care requirements, so I want to avoid buying an appliance whose accessories I won’t use. Around 36% of consumers prioritise this compatibility and useful versatility. |
| No detergent | Understand the difference between steam and washing with cold water, and check the manufacturer’s instructions on which products to add. | My main aim is to clean suitable surfaces without adding detergent, even if I need to tackle some types of dirt another way. This is the main priority for around 28% of consumers. |
| Dirt on hard floors | Check which types of dirt the model can pick up while washing, and whether it’s suitable for your flooring. | When crumbs or spills are a regular occurrence on my hard floors, I’d rather pick them up as part of my floor-cleaning routine. This is the top priority for around 18% of consumers. |
| Routine and maintenance | Compare the stated heat-up time or run time, then check what’s involved in emptying, cleaning and drying the appliance after use. | I want to get the appliance out, use it and put it away without adding lots of extra tasks each time. Around 18% of consumers prioritise a simple routine. |
UFC-Que Choisir advises against using steam on wood. Polti’s instructions for parquet or terracotta tiles only apply to floors already declared suitable for steam cleaning, so a low setting alone isn’t enough to confirm compatibility.
Before using the appliance, check the instructions from both the flooring manufacturer and the appliance manufacturer. If steam cleaning isn’t explicitly approved, choose another cleaning method.
Cleaning your flooring against its instructions could damage it.
A steam cleaner uses water that has been turned into steam, whereas floor washers generally use cold water with detergent, according to UFC-Que Choisir. The two appliances don’t meet the same needs.
If avoiding detergent is essential, check the model’s filling instructions before you choose it, then make sure your surfaces are suitable for steam.
A floor washer may also need regular cleaning of its tanks, rollers or filters.
UFC-Que Choisir says a floor washer won’t necessarily replace a vacuum cleaner for dust and debris on dry floors. Its tests also found that these appliances have limited effectiveness on stubborn stains.
Think about what you deal with most at home: everyday dirt on hard floors, dry dust or ingrained stains. The promise of cleaning in one pass isn’t enough to decide which option is right for you.
You may still need a separate vacuum cleaner or have to tackle some stains separately.
A short heat-up time doesn’t tell you how much cleaning you’ll need to do afterwards. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the need to maintain the tanks, rollers or pads and filters on floor washers.
Before choosing, consider how often you’ll use the appliance and what the instructions say you’ll need to do: empty it, clean it, leave it to dry and put the relevant parts away.
Polti lets you compare a steam mop designed mainly for floors, the Vaporetto SV400_Hygiene, with a cylinder model that comes with accessories, the Vaporetto Smart 120.
The X-Clean range is worth considering if vacuuming and washing hard floors as part of the same routine matters more to you than steam cleaning.
Kärcher is one of the brands featured by UFC-Que Choisir in its steam cleaner and floor washer comparisons.
These two steam cleaners are designed for different tasks: an adjustable steam mop for floors and some handheld jobs, and a handheld model for targeted cleaning. For both, check the instructions to make sure your surfaces are suitable before use.
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Consider this if you want to switch from floor cleaning to targeted jobs with one steam appliance. Check which materials it’s suitable for before each use.
The product name lists 1 200 W, 3 bar steam pressure, a 25-second heat-up time, a 6 m cord and five accessories.
For cleaning without detergent, follow the filling instructions and don’t add any other liquid unless the manufacturer says it’s permitted.
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Consider this for targeted cleaning if a handheld design suits your routine. Check the instructions for compatible surfaces and filling guidance.
The product name lists a steam setting and accessories. Before buying, check exactly what’s included, along with the electrical specifications required.
Only if the flooring manufacturer explicitly approves it and the appliance instructions allow it. UFC-Que Choisir advises against using steam on wood. Polti’s advice to use the lowest setting intermittently applies only to floors already declared suitable for steam cleaning. If you can’t find clear approval, use another method.
Not for every task. A steam cleaner is designed for using water as steam, without detergent, on suitable surfaces. A floor washer is designed to pick up dirt and wash hard floors. UFC-Que Choisir also points out that a floor washer won’t necessarily replace a vacuum cleaner for dust and debris on dry floors.
Choose accessories based on the areas you’ll actually clean: a brush and cloths for suitable floors, or nozzles and small brushes for targeted jobs. For windows, check that the model and its accessory are designed for this use. A nozzle alone doesn’t mean you can safely use steam on any material.
Plan to empty and clean the tanks, and maintain the rollers or pads and filters in line with the instructions. Rowenta says the X-Clean 10 has an automatic cleaning and drying cycle, but you’ll still need to check the parts that come into contact with dirty water.