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Get your floors and windows sparkling for spring using only the power of steam

It’s time to get your home looking shipshape. Steam cleaners can turn spring cleaning into a fast and enjoyably therapeutic task, making now the ideal time to invest in a reliable model that’ll last you years.

If you’ve never owned a steam cleaner before, fear not, as they couldn’t be simpler to use. They work by heating tap water to hot steam that naturally kills bacteria on all manner of surfaces, eliminating the need for chemical cleaning products.

It’s a big yes from us. Steam cleaners take a lot of the graft out of housekeeping and are so hygienically effective that the Government is currently recommending using them on upholstery and mattresses to help protect your home from COVID-19. Read on to find the best model for you.

There are two types of steam cleaner – cylinder steam cleaners and steam mops - and the choice comes down to personal preference based on how you intend to use it.

Cylinders are powerful, with big water tanks of up to two litres and a generous range of attachments that click onto the hose for cleaning everything from tiles and carpets to ovens and windows. They can be heavy, but they have wheels to aid mobility and are a good option if you want to tick off all your cleaning in one go.

Steam mops are great for quick, everyday jobs. They’re compact and easily manoeuvrable, with built-in water tanks that only take 20 seconds to heat up (cylinders take roughly two minutes). They work like regular mops but often come with chore-specific accessories such as grout cleaners, carpet gliders and squeegees. Some 2-in-1 models have detachable handheld units for tackling awkward spots like hobs and car interiors.

We put a wide range of steam cleaners to the test to find the best for all needs and budgets. Using them just as you would at home, we clean tiles, vinyl and wooden floors, ovens, hobs, windows and carpets - whatever the model allows.

We judge how easy it is to manoeuvre each cylinder or steam mop and assess their ability to reach into corners and under furniture. We try any included attachments, looking for shiny windows from squeegees, sparkling hobs from scrubbing brushes and so on.

You’ll find our favourite steam cleaners below. Full steam ahead!

This cylinder will set you back nearly £500, but it’s worth the splurge for its versatility and power. It comes equipped to plough through all cleaning tasks, with a huge water tank that won’t constantly need refilling. It excels at cleaning tiles, vinyl flooring and windows and it scored near-perfect marks for oven and hob cleaning too. It produces a lot of steam quickly, which in turn produces lots of water, but we’ll swap scrubbing for a bit of mopping up any day. 

Key specifications: Type: Cylinder Water tank capacity: 2L Weight: 6kg Wattage: 2200W Cord length: 6m Variable steam: Yes Included attachments: Small and large round brushes, detail nozzle, power nozzle, hand nozzle, window wiper, carpet glider, extension tubes, decalcifying powder sachets Guarantee: 3 years

Our favourite steam mop is a 2-in-1, meaning it can also be used as a handheld. It has an extra-long cord to minimise plug socket faffery and a flexible joint for cleaning awkward spaces. It heats up rapidly and performs brilliantly on laminate and wooden floors, thanks to bristles in the floorhead that help lift dried-on grime. Though less effective on carpet stains, it’s a solid all-rounder at a reasonable price. 

Key specifications: Type: 2-in-1 mop Water tank capacity: 1.6L Weight: 5kg Wattage: 1800W Cord length: 7.5m Variable steam: Yes Included attachments: Small nylon brushes, small brush with window cleaning fitting, carpet accessory, steam concentrator, washable microfibre cloth, sockette, funnel Guarantee: 2 years

Fed up with spending hours on your hands and knees, trying to remove mud from carpet? Let this cylinder do the hard graft for you. It’s bulky and it takes a long five minutes to heat up but, once hot, it’ll blitz its way through your chores. Its floorhead bristles scrub embedded dirt away without damaging the carpet fibres and it glides smoothly across sealed floors too. It’s a bit of a messy hob cleaner, splattering food remnants onto the surrounding worktops, but there’s not much it can’t do. 

Key specifications: Type: Cylinder Water tank capacity: 1.3L Weight: 5.8kg Wattage: 1100W Cord length: 3.75m Variable steam: Yes Included attachments: Small nylon brushes, small brass bristle brush, detail nozzle, carpet glider, anti-limescale sachets, microfibre protection covers for brushes Guarantee: 1 year

If you’re solely after a steam cleaner to leave your hard floors shining, look to this no-nonsense mop. It’s ready to go in just 30 seconds and has a ‘klik n’ flip’ double-sided floorhead for twice the cleaning capability per machine-washable pad. It cleans excellently and surfaces dry quickly. It has a steam blast function for breaking up stubborn stains and an extra-long cord for ease of use, but it can’t stand up on its own and it feels quite heavy to lug about. 

Key specifications: Type: Mop Water tank capacity: 0.35L Weight: 2.8kg Wattage: 1200W Cord length: 8m Variable steam: Yes Included attachments: 2 x double-sided cleaning pads for floorhead Guarantee: 3 years

The polygonal shape of this steam cleaner’s floorhead helps it clean awkward spaces with ease. Its integrated brush scrubs dirt from all types of flooring for a shinier finish and it can freshen up rugs and upholstery too. It’s easy to hide away, thanks to its compact size and on-board attachment storage, and we found it comfortable to use but heavy to carry up and down stairs when full. The bristles on the small brush tool quickly dented with use but we appreciate the combination of a big water tank and neat design.

Key specifications: Type: Cylinder Water tank capacity: 2L Weight: 7.2kg Wattage: 1500W Cord length: 4m Variable steam: Yes Included attachments: Rugs accessory, steam concentrator tool, nylon brushes, small brush with window cleaning fitting, grouting brush, force brush, extension tubes, spatula, sockette Guarantee: 2 years

If bagging a bargain is the name of your game, look no further than this relatively lightweight Beldray mop, which offers unbeatable value for money. It comes with ample tools, even including a garment cloth, and it heats up in less than 20 seconds. Its rotating floorhead makes it a breeze to manoeuvre and its variable steam dial is easy to control. It struggles to reach under appliances and it left a few streaks behind after cleaning, but we like that it can also be used as a handheld. 

Key specifications: Type: 2-in-1 mop Water tank capacity: 0.33L Weight: 2.4kg Wattage: 1300W Cord length: 5m Variable steam: Yes Included attachments: Wire round brush, straight nozzle, grouting tool, scraping tool, garment and upholstery steamer cloth, measuring jug, funnel Guarantee: 1 year

This 12-in-1 steam mop comes with enough accessories to cover all cleaning tasks, especially in the bathroom. It delivers a flawless performance on both glass and tiles when used with the squeegee attachment, leaving your pamper space squeaky clean. It doesn’t splatter dirt around while sanitising the hob, its flexible rotating floorhead lets you reach under fixtures and fittings and the hose can be bent in half and put away, making storage less of a headache. It’s just a shame that it’s not well-suited to carpets, further embedding mud, rather than lifting it away.

Key specifications: Type: 2-in-1 mop Water tank capacity: 0.38L Weight: 3.18kg Wattage: 1600W Cord length: 6m Variable steam: Yes Included attachments: Round nylon brush, crevice brush, extension nozzle, upholstery attachment, jug, funnel, brass brush attachment, plastic scraper Guarantee: 2 years

This cube-shaped Dupray model is lightweight and compact as cylinders go. It leaves glass spotless and smear-free, making it our top pick for cleaning windows and shower doors. It performs well on vinyl flooring too, but the floorhead is too chunky to reach under furniture, despite its swivel action. Its high power proves a curse rather than a blessing when cleaning the oven as it sprays dirt everywhere, but it’s a lean, mean machine for heavy duty tasks and a steal at under £150. 

Key specifications: Type: Cylinder Water tank capacity: 1.6L Weight: 4kg Wattage: 1500W Cord length: 4.9m Variable steam: Yes Included attachments: Nylon brushes, small brass brush, window tool, triangular tool, extension tubes, 3 x microfibre cleaning pads, microfibre protection cover for brushes, fragrance sachet, travel adapter plug Guarantee: 2 years, lifetime on boiler

This 2-in-1 mop is a smart choice for oven cleaning (our least favourite job!), as it comes with a detachable triangular brush for scrubbing off dried-on food after the steam has softened it. It converts into a handheld for non-floor cleaning and comes with plenty of useful attachments, including a carpet glider and a squeegee. The trigger switch requires a fair amount of pressure to hold down, which quickly gets uncomfortable, but we like how multi-functional this model is, without breaking the bank. 

Key specifications: Type: 2-in-1 mop Water tank capacity: 0.35L Weight: 3.5kg Wattage: 1700W Cord length: 7m Variable steam: Yes Included attachments: Carpet glider, copper round brush, deep cleaning pipe, detail brush tool, window squeegee tool Guarantee: 1 year

This handheld model helps soften and blast away grime without any splattering. It does this by concentrating powerful steam onto small patches of dirt, such as those on worktops or inside your oven, and offering both wet and dry steam modes. It comes with a squeegee for cleaning windows efficiently too, but it’s cumbersome to hold for longer periods of time, meaning we struggle to recommend it for that task. It offers decent value for money, but its two-minute heat-up time is disappointing given its small water tank. 

Key specifications: Type: Handheld Water tank capacity: 0.37L Weight: 1.74kg Wattage: 1000W Cord length: 5m Variable steam: Yes Included attachments: Deep cleaning conical pipe, refresh conical pipe, curved nozzle, round brush, copper brush, comb nozzle, shovel plate, scraper, multi-purpose nozzle, measuring jug, descaling tool, textile pad Guarantee: 1 year