Shark Skeptic

Is anyone out there really a big fan of a shark? What about the Shark? I'm a fan of neither.

Watched an infomercial yesterday. Ran out to Target to buy the Shark Steam Mop. Just used it, not floored by its performance.

Let me back up and say that I hate mopping. Anyone out there a big fan of mopping? I am guessing not. Not only do I hate the time and work involved in the whole process but I also hate the fact that I am spreading chemicals all over a surface that NHV interacts with constantly. That can't be a good thing, right? I mean, I use the "tough stuff" to clean the toilets without much of a second thought, but Natalie isn't playing in the toilets ... well, okay, on a very rare occasion. But I don't want my wood floors covered in a harsh, mega-chemical cleaner. I want clean, germ-free floors that maybe shine just the tiniest bit. Everything I've tried smells really strong and leaves a film. And the floor takes forever to dry - one major bonus about the steam mop is that your floors are dry almost instantly. But their "proof is in the pad" claim left me a little disappointed. After pushing that darn thing all over my kitchen, breakfast nook, and dining room, I turned it over expecting to see an impressive amount of dirt on the pad, but not so much. I mean it's dirty, but not like filthy ... perhaps that is a good thing; that means my floors weren't as disgusting as I thought they were to begin with? I don't know, I'm just not feeling it. And it was just as much work as mopping - minus filling/dumping the bucket of water/cleaner - I still had to sweep, move chairs and rugs and toys, fill up the little water tank that makes the steam, push and pull that thing all over the place - it didn't glide like on the infomercial. For the money, I expected to be wowed and not so winded.

And so, I am a Shark skeptic, and I am looking for floor cleaning alternatives. I'd love to be looking for a house cleaner, too ... but that's not going to happen :)