Muddy paws season is coming for dog owners but one product has been life changing for me
The Shark mop is brilliant at banishing muddy floors and leaving them glistening
Autumn… it’s the season of pumpkins, lattes, jumpers and, for dog owners, muddy paws. So-called ‘cosy season’ signals a drop in temperature and the return of wet dog walks, which inevitably sees lots of mud and dirt dragged into the house, much to the despair of pooch parents.
It’s a problem that I’ve suffered with for years, and it feels like any time I so much as let my sprocker spaniel Dexter out for a wee it often sees a trail of muddy paw prints emerging through the kitchen. I even ripped up the carpet in the front room and replaced it with a hard floor, such was the amount of dirt that found its way into the house - even when his paws had been wiped.
But earlier this year, I found a solution that’s been a super way to quickly banish the dirt and keep the floors looking sparkling - the Shark Steammop. A family member gave it to us after we’d complained about how the kitchen floor seemed to look permanently filthy, and it’s been fabulous at keeping on top of it all.
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At £69.99 from Shark it’s not a hugely expensive product (there are pricier, fancier versions available that do a lot of the hard work for you). It’s lightweight, manoeuvrable and works via a simple pump action mechanism. Crucially, it doesn’t take long to set up either, just fill the tank and plug it in and it’s quickly ready to go.
I’ve found it to be great on laminate flooring too. As you’re probably aware, it’s a bad idea to soak laminate flooring, so traditional mops aren’t always the best choice. Wipes do a good job but if it’s a decent sized space then they can become a bit pricey and the job a bit fiddly having to constantly get a new one out.
However, I’ve found the steam mop to do a really solid job of making the front room glisten, crucially without soaking the floor in the process.It is worth mentioning that it isn’t perfect and sometimes you have to go over and over any stubborn marks.
I do also really like spin mops which are quite a bit cheaper (this Vileda mop is £24.66 on Amazon) though they're a bit more fiddly to get setup. One user on the Shark website said the steam mop “feels a little flimsy”, though they added “nothing has failed in first month of regular use”.
Vax also sells a steam mop that’s slightly more expensive, priced at £79 on Amazon. It does boast a built in handheld steamer which is suitable for cleaning of taps, tiles, windows and mirrors.
