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" If you&amp;#039;re wondering whether a steam mop can replace more traditional products to clean your tile floors, the answer is a resounding yes. Even the weakest-performing mops in our test were able to get most stains off of ceramic and vinyl tile. They were also all able to heat our test flooring to at least 200 degrees Fahrenheit, (the temperature needed to kill bacteria) though the models varied in their exact directions for sanitizing. (Some claimed you could do so in 3 seconds, while others required the mop to be placed over sections of floor for up to 20 seconds.) A few even had EPA registration or establishment numbers, meaning they met the agency&amp;#039;s requirements for pesticide devices, verifying their germ-killing claims. The mops in our test fell into two categories: steam mops and sweep-and-steam mops. The latter offered the ability to clear debris from bare floors either before or during steam cleaning. They varied in effectiveness, but we found it&amp;#039;s always best to remove loose debris prior to steaming off stains. An Inside Look at Steam Mop Testing  A steam mop is only as good as its stain-busting power. We applied four soils \u2014 oily dirt, spaghetti sauce, soda, and orange juice \u2014 uniformly to ceramic and vinyl tiles and let them dry overnight. Then we pushed each steam mop over the stain, using a maximum of 30 strokes to remove the mess. Most steam mops excelled, removing soda stains in as few as two strokes. Spaghetti-sauce stains gave the mops the most trouble \u2014 a few were unable to remove the red sauce marks entirely, even after 30 strokes.  We also rated the ability of steam-and-sweep mops to remove debris on bare floors. To do so, we spread sand, oatmeal, baking soda, and orzo in a defined area on clean vinyl flooring. We then passed the sweeper over the area and measured how much of the debris it was able to pick up in two strokes. Performance varied, but none of the mops were able to pick up all of the mess in one go.  No one wants to spend all day cleaning, so we took a look at just how efficient each mop is. Beyond soil removal, steam rate is a great metric to look at for steam mops. In theory, mops that produce more steam should be better and quicker at cleaning, but aren&amp;#039;t always. (One mop in our test, the Shark Lift-Away Professional Steam Pocket Mop, wasn&amp;#039;t great at directing the steam to the floor to do its job, even though it produced lots of steam).  Ideally you don&amp;#039;t want to have to run to the sink to refill more than once when you&amp;#039;re cleaning a room. We looked at how long each steam mop can continuously produce steam on a single tank. (Ideally, you should get at least 15 minutes worth of steam.) We also timed how long each unit took to heat up (less than a minute in almost every case) and how much water the reservoir can hold.  Next:    Every steam mop comes with cleaning pads. We checked to see how much liquid these cloths could absorb, and noted cleaning instructions for each. We also made sure they didn&amp;#039;t become less absorbent after washing. (Some were actually able to soak up more!)  If you&amp;#039;re wary of products that say, &amp;quot;some assembly required,&amp;quot; then you&amp;#039;ll want to pay attention to our notes on ease of assembly. We put each mop together and rated it on how simple it was to assemble as well as the completeness and accuracy of the manual.  We also looked at how easy each mop was to use overall. For instance, it may seem simple, but you don&amp;#039;t want to spill liquid all over the floor when you&amp;#039;re trying to fill up the water reservoir. Our favorite units had removable tanks that could be filled directly in the sink.  Should you run into any problems with your steam mop, we checked out each company&amp;#039;s customer service. We rated them on response time and helpfulness.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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