Shark SK460 Professional Steam & Spray Mop
Shark SK460 Professional Steam & Spray Mop is 2-in-1 unit and is designed for cleaning almost all sealed and glazed floor surfaces. It features so-called 'Intelligent Electronic Steam Control', with three different steam settings and the large water tank for longer operation without interruptions.
Also, it features both disposable and reusable steam mop pads, detachable power cord and onboard battery compartment for operation in cordless mode as a spray mop using Shark's hard floor cleansers.
Published: November 29, 2018.
Shark SK460 Features and Specifications
Shark SK460 comes with 1050 W (~9 Amps) water heater which requires some 30 seconds to start to produce steam for cleaning.
Water heater is turned 'On' only when the Shark SK460 mop is connected with the mains power via power cord. When the power cord is detached, Shark SK460 can be used 'only' as a spray mop.
So, Shark SK460 comes with three cleaning modes:
- Steam: power cord is plugged in and the unit is used as 'classic' steam mop using either disposable steam mop pads or reusable steam mop pads.
- Spray: power cord is unplugged and the only power source are 4 AA batteries used for spraying hard floor cleanser. Note: when power cord is detached, Shark SK460 can be used 'only' as the spray mop - it is NOT a cordless steam mop!
- Steam and Spray: power cord is plugged in and the user cleans using both the power of hot steam and the hard floor cleanser.
Using hot steam, floors can be sanitized by killing more than 99% of germs and bacteria and can be thoroughly cleaned.
Power cord is 22 feet (~6.7 m) long, which is long enough for most situations - few feet more could be better, but it is OK.
Hard floor cleanser help clean most stubborn dirt, stains and messes and thanks to the disposable pads, cleaning and disinfection of floors in the bathrooms or toilets is now much easier and faster - put the disposable mop pad on the mop, clean the required area and throw away the mop pad. Excellent for pets' and kids' messes, too.
Reusable steam mop pads should be washed using liquid detergent, avoiding fabric softeners or bleach of any kind. They can be even dried on low dryer setting.
Note: Shark SK460 Steam & Spray Professional Mop is easy and simple mop to use and maintain. But, just in case, before the very first use, rad the manual thoroughly. Also, Shark SK460 mop doesn't feature 'scrubbing' mechanism - mop scrubs the surface by forward and backward motion provided by the user.
Controls are on the handle and easily accessible by the user. Spray button is used for spraying hard floor cleanser when and where required, while steam control sets the desired steam level.
In order to adapt to various floor types and to clean them effectively, Shark SK460 features three levels of continuous steam:
- SaniFiber (Low): this is low steam setting, suitable for everyday cleaning of all sealed and glazed surfaces. Note that when steam cleaning wooden floors, their finish must be certified for cleaning using steam mops. If you are unsure, test it on the small area, just to be sure.
- Mop (Medium): this is medium steam setting, suitable for tile, stone and similar floors. Hardwood floors can be cleaned using this steam setting too, just be aware that such floors MUST be properly sealed, or the moisture will penetrate into the wood and cause them to buckle and even rot over time!
- Scrub (High): this is high steam setting, used for cleaning the most stubborn dirt from tile, stone, linoleum and similar floors.
Tap or Distilled Water?
Water tank is not detachable and is filled using small filling flask.
Depending on the steam level, on average one full water tank can last around 30 minutes, allowing the user to clean large area without interruptions.
In order to protect the steam mop, it is recommended to use distilled or demineralized water, especially in the areas with hard water which may leave deposits not only on the water heater, but also on the floors, too.
Also, Shark manufactures several hard floor cleansers, most popular being Hard Floor (Multi-Floor) Cleanser and Wood Floor Cleanser.
For homes with mostly wooden floors, Wood Floor Cleanser is recommended, while for homes with various bare floors, Hard Floor (Multi-Floor) Cleanser is recommended choice.
On average, one bottle of floor cleanser should lasts for about a month.
Are cleansers absolutely required?
No, they are not. Steam mops clean thoroughly using only power of hot steam and steam mop pads.
However, if your unit is going to be used as spray mop or as spray and steam mop, hard floor cleansers are mandatory and in the end, of a great help, especially when cleaning extra stubborn stains, messes and other dirt - just spray the dirt with the cleanser and than clean the area using hot steam and mop pad.
Long Story Short: Shark SK460 Professional Steam & Spray Mop is NOT a cordless steam mop. It is a corded steam/spray mop that can be used as spray mop in cordless mode of operation.
Thanks to the hot steam, disposable/reusable mop pads, different hard floor cleansers, Shark SK460 can be of a great help in keeping the home safe and pleasant place to live. If you are looking for steam/spray mop unit, consider this model.
For more reviews and recommendations, check Shark Steam and Spray Professional (SK460)
Amazon link (link opens in the new window).