You may remember not too long ago I was super excited about my new Shark Rocket Vacuum. Well now, my tile floors got a cleaning with the Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop! At $159.95, this is the best steam mop I have used. Read on to hear all the details. Here`s a "quick list" of what you can expect with this steam mop, though.

• SUPER FAST ACTING: Super-heated steam is ready in 30 seconds • provides 99.9% sanitization on hard floors with no harsh chemicals • Water Tank Capacity: 500mL
• SHARK INTELLIGENT STEAM CONTROL: Three levels of Intelligent Steam Control ensure you have the right amount of steam for every cleaning job, with superior cleaning and faster dry times
• WASHABLE MICROFIBER POCKETS: Shark Washable MicroFiber Lifts and Locks Dirt that Other Mops Leave Behind. The 2 unique sides engineered for premium performance and quick-drying results • Each pad lasts or 20 washes
• WHAT`S IN THE BOX: Shark Pro Steam Mop • Rectangular Mop Head • 3 Shark Washable All-Purpose Scrub Pocket • 2 Europro Microfiber Pads and a Filling Flask.

As you all know I have a home full of pets and, of course, my two children. So keeping it up and keeping it clean is a bit challenging and something that requires daily work. One thing I quickly learned upon moving into our home, roughly 5 years ago, was that tile floors are absolutely not easier to clean. I was thinking how great it was going to be to quickly sweep them up and a quick mop and that would be it. Boy was I wrong! This floor is terrible! In fact, the only thing that honestly every worked to give the floor a serious cleaning was one of those heavy duty floor cleaner rentals you get from your local hardware store. Anything else "just gets it done." The bottom line is, for us, not just anything will do to keep the floors clean. As you can imagine, I`ve used all sorts of floor cleaning devices. Swiffers, as much as I loved them when they first came out years ago, only seem to smudge and spread stuff around and leave the floor slippery and just not really clean. The pads smell nice, but what`s a nice smell without the clean? I have candles and plugins for that. Other steam mops I have tried either took forever to heat up or simply, to put it bluntly, suck. So I`ve had my fair share of floor cleaning devices that just don`t get the job done. Moving forward to the Shark Genius, I wasn`t too sure how it would work out for me. I knew their vacuum did great, but my tile flooring was a different story. Well, it wasn`t as bad as I thought. Although the Shark Genius doesn`t seem to really get in where the grout is of the floor or for sever cleaning jobs, it does work for my need of an every day quick floor cleaning. First of all, you do need to assemble the steam mop when it arrives. It takes under a minute to just snap the pieces together. Once done, read the instruction book to get started. It`s detailed, easy to follow and very helpful on using the steam mop. After that, you`re ready to give it a go. I used the included measuring cup to fill the steam mop. Please note, this steam mop only allows for water in it`s device. It advises to not add any oils or chemicals as it can damage the machine. It`s a good thing I read that because I`m a huge fan of essential oils and was actually planning on adding some to my mop for a better cleaning effect. Good thing I read the instructions first! I was happy to find that nothing leaked or dripped out of place during this process. Once all was poured in, the measuring cup actually snaps into place on the steam mop for a convenient storage. I love this because I always loose these little cups or misplace them. This way, it stays with the product it goes with. Once the water was in, I selected the setting I wanted to use. In my case, I went with the highest available. If you`re not sure which setting to go with, reference to your instruction manual that gives a break down as far as which setting to go with what. Heating up doesn`t take long at all. A couple seconds maybe? I didn`t really time it since I was occupied multi-tasking, but it was super quick; much quicker than past steam mops I have used. When using the mop, it moves effortlessly across the floor. One thing I did like about it was that you can use both sides of the padding without actually touching it. The mop works in a normal fashion, but then you can reverse it by switching the handle direction and using it that way. In that mode, you can push down on the handle, in a way, which allows for extra steam to come out. This is good if you`re hitting a tougher area. I found for basic cleaning and running over the floor, or picking up freshly spilled liquids, it picked it up and cleaned it pretty well. As far as tougher areas, such as very sticky spots or caked on dirt, it did come off, but I definitely had to put some "man power" behind it and go over the spot a few times. When all was said and done, I was able to use the release button to drop the dirty pad into my clothes hamper to be washed in the washing machine whenever I was ready. I love that I don`t have to touch the nasty thing! Seriously, you see a pad covered in funk and dirt and lord knows what else; who wants to touch that?! That was definitely something Shark thought through! One downside that I did find to this steam mop, however, compared to others, like the Shark Rocket, is top heavy. So it does not just sit up right. It needs to lean against something for support. This can be a bit frustrating. Before steam moping I always sweep the floor first to get the crumbs and chunks off the floor. Sometimes while moping I will find a spot that needs to get swept before I can go over it with the mop. Well, with this mop, rather than leaving it in place, I need to set it against something, sweep, then get back in place. It`s not a huge deal, but a slight inconvenience. Overall, while I do wish the Shark Genius would have picked up those problem areas as well as my Shark Rocket vacuum cleans my carpet, honestly, the steam mop did a lot better of a job than others I used. Let`s just say, others have been so bad I tossed them in the trash rather than just hanging on to them. The Shark Genius will be kept with my cleaning stash to be used for regular cleaning. Those with a more "normal" household may even find this as magical as I find the vacuum. It just all depends on your needs. In the end, I can honestly say I would definitely recommend it.