You’ll have to wait around eight minutes for the button to change from glowing orange to green, but the wait is worth it as the Neat just keeps on dishing out hot steam until the 1.6L tank runs dry, giving a good 30 to 40 minutes of cleaning in our tests. What’s more, Dupray throws in a full set of accessories, including a fantastically effective shower/window squeegee, a triangular brush for tight corners, and six nozzle brushes – five nylon, one brass. With that lot and the Neat’s steaming power, you’re equipped for some seriously in-depth cleaning. Take a good look at the accessories you get with the cleaner. The more brushes, nozzles and scrapers, the better, while a gliding mop-head cover for doing carpets is another big plus. Also watch out for the mains lead and the length of any steam hose, as nothing’s more frustrating than not being able to steam-clean in the corner of your shower because it won’t quite reach without an extension cable. If you only want to steam clean floors, consider a simple machine that doesn’t convert to a handheld. It will be light, easy to manoeuvre and you won’t have to store fiddly tools that you’ve no intention of using.

Pretty much all convertible steam mops have a handheld that pops out of the middle of the upright cleaner. This, however, is designed more like the best cordless vacuum cleaners. You hold the handheld and then add tubes below to clean floors. As a result, it’s nippy but top-heavy. It won’t stand up by itself then and there’s no carpet glider. It’s bigger and heavier than many steam cleaners, and more expensive than most, but, if you have a house full of kids and pets where the floors and surfaces frequently need some major cleaning, it’s a price you’ll be more than happy to pay.

The best steam cleaners and steam mops you can buy in 2023

Carmel absolutely loved using the Polti, even if it is a bit on the pricey side. The controls are excellent, the design is practical and it feels weightless in the hand, so much so that you can lift it to clean windows, curtains and more. Use on a tiled wall was particularly easy too, so if you hate cleaning your bathroom, this is a great cleaner to consider. Our Ecommerce Editor Molly oversees vacuum and cleaning content at Ideal Home. She has tested out a number of these steam cleaners in her two-bedroom London flat, including the Bissell PowerFresh SlimSteam and the Shark Klik n' Flip Automatic Steam Mop.

In the past, some steam cleaners required distilled or deionised water or they would get clogged with limescale. Many recent models aren’t so fussy and contain some kind of filter or limescale prevention system, although it’s still worth using filtered water if you live in a hard water area. The power of the boiler also has an impact, simply because it can take time to boil and pressurise the steam. Newer cleaners have got much better at reducing that wait time, but it can still be several minutes before you get a usable head of steam. What’s more, many steamers need a breather now and then while they get steam together before they can continue. Certain cleaners are better at minimising this than others. A.k.a. 2-in-1 cleaners, these are upright steam mops where the steam generator can pop out from the middle to be used as a smaller, handheld cleaner. They come with various tools for steam cleaning smaller stuff. Key specs – Type: Handheld steam cleaner; Water tank capacity: 0.36l; Power: 1,050W; Max steam pressure: 4.5 bar; Accessories provided: Jug, extension hose, 3 x detail brushes, concentrated steaming tool, window squeegee, flat scraper, microfibre cleaning cloths; Cord length: 4.8m; Dimensions: 21.6 x 24 x 13cm; Weight: 1.5kg; Warranty: 2 years The best steam cleaners and steam mops you can buy in 2023 1. Bissell Steam Shot: Best handheld steam cleaner

Upright Steam Mops vs Sledge Steam Cleaners

It builds up a good head of steam in around 15 seconds, with enough welly to sort out areas of stubborn grime, though it can leave floors and surfaces pretty wet. And if you need to shift attention to sinks, shower screens and worktops, you can just pull out the handheld cleaner, attach the appropriate nozzle and get to work. It comes with three brush nozzles to cover different surfaces and dried-on grease and gunk, along with a squeegee to handle your windows, mirrors and more. With a 350ml water tank, you’re good for around 20 minutes of solid steaming, which is more than some hybrids can manage. We’ve yet to meet a 2-in-1 that can match the cylinder models when it comes to serious cleaning, but the Steam Capsule 2-in-1 comes very close. The Polti Vaporetto Smart 100_B has a large 2 litre water tank that feeds the boiler, but you can pop out the tank at any time for a refill without waiting for it to cool down or even disrupting cleaning. You can use each feature independently but the Bissell Vac & Steam is at its best when you use both at once to save time. You can whizz around the house at double speed if dirt isn’t too ingrained. How we test our steam cleaners Key specs – Type: Steam mop; Water tank capacity: 400ml; Power: 1,550W; Max steam pressure: Not supplied; Accessories provided: Filling jug, 2 x microfibre heads, carpet glider; Cord length: 6m; Dimensions: 21 x 29 x 130cm; Weight: 2.5kg; Warranty: 1 year