5 Minutes for Mom contributor Jennifer Donovan is here to tell you about her experience with the new Black and Decker Steam Mop. She got a product to review to facilitate this review and was compensated for writing this post and sharing her honest opinion.
True confession time. I’m not a good housekeeper. I struggle every day against my urges to pile things up instead of putting them away, and my house is certainly not white glove clean. However, I have successfully found a way to balance my natural inclination to be lazy with a true desire to have a home that can welcome visitors and be a haven for my family.
When I was offered a chance to check out the Black and Decker SmartSelect Steam mop, I jumped at it (or perhaps like the woman in this video, I danced a little!):
If I was a good housekeeper, I know that I’d sweep every day, and mop every week — right? is that what you good housekeepers do? Well, I don’t. And especially in areas like my kitchen and bathrooms, I don’t always feel like they are as clean and sanitary as I’d like them to be.
Out of the box
Setting up the Black and Decker SmartSelect Steam mop was easy. Within a few minutes of taking it out of the box, it was ready to go. At first, it didn’t turn on, but that is a safety feature. After looking more closely, I hadn’t attached the handle properly. Once I pushed it all the way in, it heated up in less than a minute, as promised.
Steam Cleaning
My first project was my ceramic tile kitchen floor. I swept first, as directed, and then I used the steam mop to clean. There were a couple places that had extra drips, so I used the burst of steam, and after a few passes, it worked. I did find that if I wet the pad lightly first, it worked better. This is not recommended by the manufacturer, but it made me feel like I was getting a better clean.
However, using steam only still made my floors feel clean. The steam didn’t seem dangerous. My 9-year-old son was fascinated, and even got up close to take a look. He thought the floor would be hot after it was cleaned, but it wasn’t.
I also used the mop on my sealed hardwood floors, and I loved the results there as well.
The last thing I tried, was the “carpet freshener” feature. To use that, I snapped on the carpet glider and used it the same way. I’m not sure exactly what this did, but I liked the results on my kitchen rug and my large living room area rug.
The mop comes with two pads, so that you can wash one (in the machine, lay flat to dry) and always have the 2nd ready.
Just fill and go
Perhaps my favorite thing about this mop is how lightweight and maneuverable it is. I was able to get under my sofa, right by the kitchen baseboards, and around corners with ease.
I like that I don’t have to use any other products — just fill the water tank and go — saving me time and money.
It still has that new gadget feel, but I have a feeling that this will be a regular part of my cleaning routine. Perhaps I’ll even join the “good housekeeper” club and give my floors the weekly attention that they want.
Enter to Win
One of you will win the Black and Decker Steam Mop. Use the Rafflecopter form to enter this giveaway. New to Rafflecopter? Watch this 45-second video on how to enter!
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So tell us — what is the worst thing you hate about mopping your floors?
Once my mom tried cleaning her windows with one of those… I’m just going to say it’s not a very good idea. We’re both doing the cleaning the good old classic way.
I dislike cleaning floors in general. I feel like, “What’s the point? Someone’s just gonna walk all over it in a minute anyway.” If this works as well as the review says then I might not mind cleaning my floors as much anymore.
I hate that seconds later someone will make a mess on it!
it takes up so much time
I don’t feel like I’m good at it.
The time it takes.
Thanks for the chance!
That it looks like I am pushing the dirt around
How long it takes to do it, and then how long it takes before you have to do it again!
slinging a mop makes my back hurt
The wringing out of the mop never seems to do the trick for me. I hate mopping up a koolaid of juice spill.
The thing I hate most is never knowing if they are really clean when I use a regular mop. I feel like I am just spreading the dirt.
Dumping out the water when I’m finished. UGH.
I hate cleaning up after cleaning up
I hate when the dog walks on my semi-wet floor.
i hate mopping and then someone walking on it
Wringing out the mop in all that dirty and hot water!
Just having to move everything out of the way so I can get to the entire floor.
I hate having to touch the dirty mop to squeeze it out.
It gets dirty immediately after cleaning.
The worst part is if someone walks in whilst the floor is still wet once it’s dried you have more dirt than you started with ARRRRRRRGGGHH!!!!!
The worst part about cleaning my kitchen floor is how long it takes..
Making sure you have the last of the water up; lots of work
The back pain that comes after and is unbearable!
I hate everything about mopping floors!
Don;t like the mess and having to be on my knees!
I hate the mess involved in mopping. I wish it were easier. Sounds like a great a product.
The water in the bucket at the end.
Sticky gum is the worst.
I hate the whole process of washing the floor
Our floors are old and white and very hard to clean.
That I have to mop everyday, because we have a pup and it makes me feel better in doing so.
i am a perfectionist which makes me feel like nothing is ever clean enough.
The worst thing about mopping is the constant back and forth to the sink to rinse the mop
Is that wood floors collect such horrible dust bunnies especially when you have cats. Thanks!
I hate that it seems like it takes forever to get all floors mopped and ringing out the mop … that really stinks to!
Everything! I would love to try this out. With three messy children, there are always spots on my floor that need extra scrubbing!
I Dislike How Long It Takes To Mop The Floors!
The smell and the time it takes in general!
I don’t like waiting for the floor to dry. And then people walking on my nice clean floor.
I hate when you clean the floor and then dirt gets tracked in right away!
I hate how long it takes and how difficult it is to finish. At least this machine would make it more fun!
I don’t like how long it takes me to mop.
feeling like i am sometimes utting dirty water on the floors
The mop breaking in the middle of the job…as it did today! Needless to say, I could really use this new one!!
I hate seeing all the dirt that was on my floor!
All the dog hair that gets stuck on the floor afterward.
all of it! filling bucket with right amount of pine sol & water, wringing out mop, sloshing what eventually becomes dirty water…..never convinced it’s really clean.
when people walk all over it right after!
The worst is when i’ve just finished up & the kids come walking through it 🙁
waiting for it to dry!
Everything. How time consuming it is, how messy it can be, always feeling like i have to go back over it on my hands and knees.
After I mop my laminate floors, I have to use a towel and dry them or I get streaks. Anyone else have this problem? I seems like it takes me twice as long since I have to do this!
What I hate the most is that nothing seems to do a good job, so I always end up going back over everything on my hands and knees
Trying to get up all the sticky spots of dropped food.
not being able to reach the tough spots
Dirty water. I don’t feel like the floor is clean when I keep dipping the mop back into that water and using it to wipe the floor!
The worst thing is having to move a soap-filled bucket around and then having to dump & refill – yuck!
Filling and dragging a bucket around!
Getting down on my hands and knees to scrub stubborn spots!
The dirty water…
So hard to get sticky stuff of the floors.
Touching the dirty water – even with rubber gloves.
seeing the dirt marks still on the floor
I hate having to move all the furniture around
I hate mopping floors because it seems like all I’m doing is pushing around dirty water. And when I’m done the floor still doesn’t look clean 🙁
I hate the bucket mess
The worst thing I hate about mopping my floors is empting the dirty water bucket! YUCK 🙁
Everything lol I hate sweeping it 1st. I hate filling the bucket and the smell of the cleaner fluid. I hate the actual mopping. I hate the “trapping myself in the corner…AGAIN” trick the mop does to me lol and the worst…spilling the bucket all over the nice clean floor and doing it all over again 😀
getting the tough “gunk” off
it takes soo much time and you have to keep wringing it out
greenday14fan@yahoo.com
I hate the big mess a mop makes!
It is very time consuming and you have to move furniture.
I hate how much time it takes to mop the floors!
I hate that the mopped floors don’t stay clean for very long. “Didn’t I just mop yesterday?” Sigh. Great giveaway!
Dirty mop water, yuck!
I hate carrying the mop around.
I loathe wringing out the mop!
I hate how the mop spreads around dirty water
Dirty water. Uggghh
That it needs to be done every day!! LOL
I hate how I clean the floors and then the boyz get it all dirty again.
It takes a long time to get the floors as clean as I like!
The bucket, the water and the backbreaking work.
The worst thing to me is that they really never seem to be truly clean.
I hate how my back hurts and how I have to keep changing the mop pad
When people walk in the house with their shoes on after I mop! I am obsessed with sweeping and mopping so I love doing both!
I hate waiting for it to dry.
I hate to dirty water, and the smell of the mop
I hate having to clean the mop.
with 2 toddlers, the floors are always messy and sticky, this would be a dream machine!
Everything, carrying the bucket around especially.
its not really getting it clean I can feel the dirt- its just not sanitary and hate the wet mess
Cat hair! I have cat hair floors LOL
I do cat rescue- cat hair, and assorted other things as well as what the people living here make keepin g the floors clean a chore!
I clean it and the next day it already will have spots or crumbs and does not look like I just cleaned it.
Wringing out the mop.
I hate rinsing the mop. Yuck!
ringing the mop out eww
Getting all of the dried junk off the floor – I have a two year old that is a very messy eater!
it takes so long and the kids get it dirty sooo fast again ;(
The amount of time it takes and lugging a bucket around.
Getting rid of shoe scuffs on the floor
I hate that it takes so long to get ready to mop the floors.
I don’t like having to carry the bucket around.
i hate the floors staying wet for so long.
I hate how long it takes.
Time consuming process with wood floors.
I agree with Debijot… I have off-white ceramic tile in most of my house and it nevers looks clean.
The worst is no matter how often I mop, the floors never look really clean.
The amount of time it takes.
Getting the bucket out.
I hate the time that it takes to get it really clean.
I hate lugging around a bucket!
fun review! For me, the worst thing about mopping floors is how short-lived the results are. My sweet family can sense a clean floor from wherever they are and bring crumbs, tracks, and mud from far and wide. *sigh*
I don’t like how time consuming it is.
Everything sticks to it