The best steam mops in Australia

A steam mop heats water into steam and pushes it through a microfibre pad. It cleans and lifts grime from sealed hard floors without chemicals, but it has no suction, so you sweep or vacuum first. Steam mops sold in Australia start at $99, and the dearer machines in this guide add scrubbing pads, debris pickup or a full wet-dry vacuum. Prices below are from The Good Guys, JB Hi-Fi, Shark, Bissell and Tineco on 18 October 2026 (the Tineco i7 Stretch Steam on 21 October); for models also on Amazon Australia, check the current price on Amazon. We compared maker specifications, retailer listings and CHOICE’s guidance on floors; we have not steamed our own floors with these machines.

What a steam mop does, and does not do

CHOICE thinks steam mops are far more convenient than a mop and bucket, but only in certain circumstances. It says they are not great at old stains, did a poor job on stained grout in its tests, and only refresh the look of carpet rather than cleaning it. A steam mop also cannot pick up spilled liquid. For that you need a wet-dry floor cleaner, covered in the hard floor cleaner guide.

Steam mops do one job well: lifting fresh, everyday grime from sealed tiles, vinyl, stone and sealed timber with water alone.

Which floors are safe

This matters more than any spec. CHOICE says steam mops can damage cork tiles and unsealed or waxed timber, and that they should suit most hard floors including vinyl, ceramic tiles, linoleum, marble, stone and sealed timber, with caveats. It reports that some timber and laminate makers warn steam can be forced between boards, causing them to expand, which over time can lead to delamination, buckling and cupping. It also warns steam can seep into the joins of vinyl tiles.

The mop makers say the same thing in their own words: Bissell lists sealed timber, sealed laminate, tiles, polished concrete, slate and vinyl, and says to consult your flooring maker and test a hidden spot if unsure. Shark lists all sealed hard floors. If your flooring warranty says no steam, it means no steam.

What to compare

• Tank. From 260 mL (Hoover Steam Fresh Pet, plus a 130 mL solution tank) to 561 mL (Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe).
• Heat-up. 30 seconds on most; 60 seconds on the Shark Steam & Scrub.
• Cord. 5.5 m on the Shark S1000 and Bissell Select, 7 m on the Hoover, 7.62 m on the Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe and 8 m on the Shark Steam & Scrub and Steam Pickup.
• Steam on demand. Bissell’s mops only steam while you press the trigger, which Bissell says is safest for floors and lets you park the mop without soaking one spot.
• Warranty. One year on the Shark S1000 and Bissell Select; two years on the rest.

The price ladder

The picks

The Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe is the one we would buy. It has a 561 mL tank, heats in 30 seconds, steams on demand, and has a 7.62 m cord, so you change power points less. A flip-down scrubber and triangle head help on edges and marks (The Good Guys), and a carpet glider is included. It weighs 2.81 kg and has a two-year warranty. It was $269 at The Good Guys and JB Hi-Fi, and $329 at Bissell.

The Shark Steam Mop S1000 is the budget pick at $99 at The Good Guys. It weighs 1.8 kg, heats in 30 seconds and has a 375 mL tank. Shark rates a tank at 10 to 15 minutes of steam (The Good Guys says up to 30), and the warranty is one year.

The Shark Steam & Scrub S7001 spins two pads 150 times a minute, which means less pushing on sticky kitchen floors. It has an 8 m cord but a small 350 mL tank and the slowest heat-up here, 60 seconds. It was $279 at The Good Guys and JB Hi-Fi.

The Bissell Steam Mop Select gives you a 500 mL tank and a steam trigger for $149 at The Good Guys, with two pads, one soft and one with scrubbing strips. The Hoover Steam Fresh Pet ($179) converts into a handheld for grout, glass and appliances, with a separate solution tank and Steam Boost. The Shark Steam Pickup 3-in-1 ($399) picks up crumbs and wet mess while it steams, so you can skip the sweep.

If you would rather vacuum, wash and steam in one go, the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam ($549 at The Good Guys) does it on a cord, and steams only in its SteamWash mode. The Tineco FLOOR ONE S7 Stretch Steam ($1,199) does it cordless, with up to 80 minutes rated run time. Tineco’s FLOOR ONE i7 Stretch Steam ($699 at Tineco on 21 October, regular $799, and also sold by Tineco’s Amazon store) has the same 140°C steam, 1 L and 0.72 L tanks, 80 minute rating and 85°C drying on Tineco’s spec sheet. It drops the S7’s iLoop sensor, which adjusts suction and water to the mess, its SmoothDrive push assist and its electrolysed water cleaning. If you can live without those, it is $500 less. Amazon lists it as non-returnable for hazmat reasons, while Tineco’s own store offers 30-day returns. All three are wet-dry floor cleaners first; see the wet dry vacuum guide.

Germ claims, read carefully

CHOICE says most steam mops it has tested make some claim about killing bacteria, and Bissell’s boxes say 99.9% of germs, bacteria and viruses. Those are the makers’ claims under their own test conditions: Bissell’s Amazon listing for the Select names the organisms tested and says results may vary. CHOICE points out the pad absorbs much of the steam’s heat before it reaches the floor, and says to wash the pads afterwards with laundry detergent. We report these figures as claims, not as findings.

Pets and carpet

CHOICE recommends sweeping or wiping up loose dirt before you steam, so pet hair needs vacuuming first. A wet-dry floor cleaner collects it as it goes; see the pets guide. For carpet, use a carpet cleaner.

The one trap

Trusting “safe for timber” on the box. A steam mop maker’s “sealed timber” is a general statement; your flooring maker’s care sheet is the one that counts, and CHOICE advises checking whether your flooring warranty specifically rules out steam mops. Find the brand of your floor, read its care instructions, and if steam is not mentioned, do what Bissell suggests: test a patch in a hidden spot first. If the floor is oiled, waxed, unsealed or cork, do not steam it at all.