Shark Lift-Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop

How important is it to clean your floors? Very. First and foremost, it’ll be better for your health. There won’t be as much dirt and dust lying around, which can trigger various symptoms. Not only that, but it’ll benefit your floors as well. Take hardwood, for example—it can easily be damaged by debris that’s accumulated on the surface. Remember, your home is an investment; it only makes sense to take good care of it.

Generally speaking, the best way to clean is with a mop. You can always use a rag or cloth but that’ll require you to bend over for long periods of time, which can be hard on your back. For the best results, sweep or vacuum the room first before mopping. That will remove any loose particles, which can otherwise scratch your floor.

Which type of mop should you use? It depends on the floor that you have. For example, steam mops are not recommended for unsealed hardwood as the moisture can cause the planks to warp. However, it’s a great option for other materials.

Thinking of getting one? How about the Shark Lift-Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop? We’ll be reviewing it in this post so you’ll be able to get a better idea of what it’s like. Hopefully, by the end of it, you’ll be able to know whether or not it’s right for you!

The Shark Lift-Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop

Shark is a house-care company that operates under SharkNinja. They specialize in various household appliances and cleaning solutions such as steamers, vacuums, irons, and more. A well-known brand, their products are available at numerous retailers nationwide including Walmart, Target, and Home Depot. For those who prefer shopping online, you can also make purchases through their website.

The Shark Lift-Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop is a 2-in-1 system that features a handheld steamer. In other words, you can use it for more than just the floor—you can use it to clean furniture, clothes, countertops, and more. What’s more, is that it comes with a Steam Blaster that allows you to attach grease, tough, stuck-on messes. You just have to fill the tank with water and stick on a pad, the latter of which is machine washable. 

What’s Included

The Shark Lift-Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop comes as a kit that comes with various accessories and parts. Here’s a complete list of what you’ll get with the mop:

• 1 Mop Head
• 1 Filling Flask
• 1 Accessory Hose
• 1 Garment Steamer
• 2 Dirt Grip Pads
• 1 Small Above-Floor Tool
• 1 Triangular Scrubber Pad
• 1 Triangular Dirt Grip Pad

As you can see, the mop comes with several types of pads—some are rectangular whereas others are triangular. At the end of the day, it depends on which head you’re using. As far as attachment goes, it does not use velcro. Instead, you have to pull the pad over the mop. While it takes some getting used to, it’s less likely to come off while mopping. It’s worth mentioning that you also get a scrubber pad, which is meant for removing tough spots. 

One of our favorite things about the Lift-Away is that it comes with a garment steamer. All you have to do is attach it to the nozzle and you’ll be able to steam your clothes or other fabric material—no need to get a separate device! That makes it very convenient to use.

Another thing that it comes with, that isn’t listed above is the water tank. Like most of Shark’s steam mops, it’s integrated into the body of the unit so that it’s not removable. While that makes things a little cumbersome, it does come with a filling flask that you can use to minimize the risk of spills. You can also remove the handheld steamer from the mop and fill it up that way (the tank is attached to the part that makes up the handheld unit).

Assembly

Like most mops, the Lift-Away requires a minimal amount of assembly. Basically, you just have to do snap all the pieces together. It’s incredibly straightforward and won’t take you more than a minute. If anything, it’ll take longer for the unit to heat up once you’ve plugged it in!

Build Quality & Review of the Shark Lift-Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop

Material is something that you always want to pay attention to when you’re looking at a mop. Generally speaking, you want something that’s made from a durable metal—something like aluminum. Stainless steel is another great option. With that said, it’s not uncommon nowadays for mops to also incorporate plastic. In fact, that describes the Shark Lift-Away!

If you look in the images, you’ll see that the pole is made from metal (unfortunately, it’s unclear what exact type of metal’s used). The mop head and top handle, however, are made from plastic. If anything, that makes the unit lighter, which in return, makes it easier to maneuver.

The same goes for the water tank—it’s made from a hard and thick plastic that’s comparable to those that are used for water pitchers. Unless you drop it onto the ground (which is a possibility if you’re using it as a handheld steamer), it probably won’t break that easily.

Last but not least, let’s talk about the pads. While soft, they do have textured pieces woven in. Ultimately, it’s these pieces that allow you to grip onto and remove debris from the floor. Thickness-wise, the pads are similar to standard cloths. They’re not too thick, but they do a good job of cleaning with the steam. If you’re dealing with a caked-on mess, you’ll want to switch to the scrubber head, which is much more texturized than the normal pads.

Some Possible Issues with the Shark Lift-Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop

The Shark Lift-Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop does have a few disadvantages. After all, no mop is perfect. Here are some of the most common issues that people have faced:

1. Tank is Small

The water tank that comes with the mop is a little on the small side. Fortunately, it doesn’t use much water for the steam so the chances of you running out of steam before finishing a job is low. With that said, it can become an issue if you’re cleaning a large area (i.e. you’ll have to refill it with the filling flask).

2. Doesn’t Come With a Storage Bag 

The Lift-Away comes with various accessories as mentioned earlier—and while that’s a good thing, it can be a little hard to keep everything together as it doesn’t come with a storage bag. Don’t want to lose the parts? Then you’ll have to find a bag of sorts to put everything in.

3. Cord Isn’t Very Long 

The cord on the steam mop isn’t very long at all. In other words, you’ll probably have to switch it to another outlet while mopping (unless you’re cleaning a small area then you’ll probably be okay). It’s not recommended that you use an extension cord for safety reasons.

4. It’s Not the Most Compact 

The handheld steamer might be compact but that’s not the case with the mop—that is, it can take up a bit of space. With that said, it does work a lot better than using a normal mop and bucket so we’d say that it’s worth the trade-off.

5. You’re Going to Need More Pads 

The steam mop comes with a few pads to start you off but chances are, you’ll need to get more if you plan on using it regularly. Once you start cleaning, the pads will get dirty quickly, which means that you’ll have to wash them. Obviously, that’ll add time to your overall cleaning. With more pads, you’ll be able to just switch to a new one.

6. Steam Blaster Not the Best For Stains 

The Steam Blaster works on general dirt but it isn’t enough for stuck-on stains. For those, it might be better to just scrub with a sponge or cloth.

Does It Clean Well?

The Shark Lift-Away is a decent mop as long as you’re not looking for something that’ll get rid of stuck-on stains. That is, you can use it for everyday cleaning—not just for the floor, but for other surfaces as well. The steam will be hot enough to kill most, if not all of the germs. The Steam Blaster could be a little better, but it serves its purpose.

What floor types can you use it on? All sealed surfaces so that include laminate, sealed hardwood, concrete, and more. Not only will the pads pick up dust, but it’ll also grip onto pet hair and food particles so it’s a good choice for pet owners. Like we said earlier, however, the unit itself can be a little on the bulky side so that’s something you want to keep in mind if you live in a small condo. Given its power for regular cleaning, it can also be used for offices and other commercial settings. 

Cost and Pricing Information for the Shark Lift-Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop

The Shark Lift-Away Pro Steam Pocket Mop is priced similarly to other 2-in-1 systems. Currently, on Amazon, it’s listed for $159.99, which includes free shipping and product support.It also comes with a one-year limited warranty so if you ever run into any problems, just contact the manufacturer and they should be able to help. Returns are also possible within the first 30 days.

As far as pad refills go, you can also find them on Amazon. Just one thing—it’ll be difficult to get the official ones from Shark. Don’t worry, though, the ones from third-party brands are just as good (both the rectangular and triangular ones). If anything, they’re a lot cheaper too! For example, you can get a 5-pack for $27.99, which if you do the math, translates to approximately $5.60 each. Remember, they’re machine washable so you’ll be able to get a lot of life out of them!

Besides the pads, there really isn’t much that you need. You can always use it with a separate cleaner but that’s not completely necessary as the mop uses steam to clean and sterilize.