We tested Shark’s new steam cleaner that also disinfects the floor

A little over a decade ago, house cleaning was considered a dull task, one people postponed until there was no choice. Then came the cordless and robotic vacuums, changing the game entirely. Suddenly, cleaning turned from a bothersome chore into an exciting gadget — something millennials proudly posed with on TikTok. But as with every revolution, a question arose: After turning vacuuming into a tech experience, is there really a need for devices that go the extra mile? Ones that don’t just vacuum but also scrub, clean, and disinfect with steam, for the obsessive cleaners who always feel there’s one more layer of dirt to remove. That’s exactly where the Shark Steam Pickup comes in — and we tested it.

Let’s start with the obvious — since it’s a steam device, it needs serious power to produce heat and pressure. This means it’s not cordless but comes with a cable. Don’t worry though — it’s an especially long one (about 7.5 meters), so you’re not limited within a room or forced to look for an outlet every minute. After a few minutes of use, you realize it’s not the end of the world — and in some cases, even an advantage, since you don’t need to worry about a battery dying in the middle of scrubbing.

The design itself is very different from standard handheld vacuums — it’s compact, lightweight (less than 3.5 kg), and lower in profile, allowing it to reach those small, annoying corners at home, like under the cabinet or near the fridge. The handle connects easily, the transparent water tank is positioned at the top and holds 0.42 liters that you can fill in seconds, and the head is relatively flat, with two small lights that reveal dirt you didn’t even know was there.

In addition to the built-in scrubbing brush, the device also collects (Shark calls it “vacuums”) and traps dirt, successfully separating wet from dry — the contents in the collection tank are split into two compartments. On the other hand, the collection tank itself is relatively small and requires frequent cleaning and emptying, a small drawback to consider if you plan long cleaning sessions.

My daily routine is pretty uneventful. I finish cooking, press a button, and my robot vacuum starts its round. It does an excellent job — picking up crumbs, dealing with small grease stains, and leaving the kitchen clean. For me, that was always enough. I never felt I needed another step in between, certainly not a dedicated device to run before it.

But when the Shark Steam Pickup arrived for testing, I decided to break the routine and see what happens if I let it go over the floor before my robot starts. What was interesting wasn’t seeing how it handled weeks of dirt — that’s not the case in my home, since I don’t let the kitchen reach that state — but how it performs on real, everyday mess: A few drops of sauce, crumbs near the cutting board, a small trail of dirt by the sink.

From the very first moment, it must be said — the Shark Steam Pickup is no toy. Its head releases boiling steam, and this is definitely not child’s play — literally. It’s very important to keep pets and children out of the room while it’s running. One look at the white cloud rising from it is enough to understand this is serious heat that shouldn’t be underestimated.

Once you press the head to the floor, you hear it begin to work — not just steam, but a combination of vacuuming, scrubbing, and polishing at the same time. Every function feels simultaneous: The steam dissolves the dirt, the brush scrubs, and the internal vacuum traps the residue. This is also the moment you see its advantage over regular mopping — the floor doesn’t just look clean, it feels cleaner and fresher, as if another invisible layer of dirt was removed.

In the real-world test — the result was impressive. After only a few minutes, the floor looked completely shiny, without marks or annoying stickiness. No small puddles remained, no streaks forcing you to wait for drying, and most surprisingly — it dried almost immediately.

The Shark Steam Pickup is sold in Israel for NIS 849 — a very reasonable price for what it offers. But it’s important to understand what it is — and mainly what it isn’t. It’s not a replacement for a handheld vacuum, a vacuum-mop, or a robotic vacuum-mop. You’ll still use those for the basic job of collecting dry dirt or regular washing. The Shark is meant for the next level — for those who seek not just cleanliness but also heat disinfection, for people who live by the motto “everything must sparkle,” or what we call true cleaning fanatics. It gives that extra feeling — that the floor doesn’t just look clean but has undergone a thorough treatment.

The downsides — a small collection tank and regular brush maintenance — do exist, but for those who really want that next-level clean, this is a product that provides an exact solution at a price that doesn’t break the bank.