Cleaning

The Hoover SteamVac SpinScrub had the fourth highest score for stain removal in our comparison. There were a few other failings, however, that affected its rank, but this carpet cleaner has respectable cleaning power.

The Bissell PowerForce PowerBrush had one of the weakest performances in our tests. It was not without merit, though. It did clean our test stains and leave our carpet fresh and clean, like all the others. And it was also the least expensive.

REVIEW The Hoover Powerdash Pet Compact is a pet-friendly carpet cleaner which is powerful for a lightweight model.

Review The Shark Steam Mop is pretty basic, but it did clean our floors to a shine in testing and the price is quite nice. All the steam mops we tested can offer cleaner floors without any chemicals so in that sense the original Shark steam mop is servicable.

The Light 'N' Easy Lightweight Steam Mop was not the fastest at cleaning, and the fact that we had to constantly pump was annoying, but it got the jobs done. And comes at a budget-friendly price that is hard to ignore.

Review The H20 X5 Mop came out as the best versatile mop in our round up. Powering through spaghetti sauce, orange juice, soda and mustard, this mop cleaned stains that had been on the floor for several hours.

The Oreck Steam-It is a multitasking mop that will help you maintain a clean home without the use of chemicals or soap. It comes at a premium price, but might be worth it if you see a lot of potential uses in your home. If you need something less expensive, check out the Light 'N' Easy.

The Shark Steam Pocket Mop is compact and lightweight, which makes it an easy choice for cleaning hard floors.

The Steamfast SF-295 3-in-1 Steam Mop was not as efficient at cleaning floors as many competitors in our tests but this unit is lightweight and versatile enough to be worth your consideration.

Review The BISSELL PowerFresh is a quality steam mop that offers impressive cleaning power at a reasonable price. This steam cleaner cut through every stuck-on mess we put in front of it with ease.

The Hoover Floormate SteamScrub 2-In-1 is a versatile steam mop with a nice variety of attachments that let you clean not only hard floors, but stove tops, showers and faucets.