For writing different reviews I have to see the device in real, have to explore and use it. How do I decide which steam mop to buy? Firstly I look through the reviews and comments and some of them really DO inspire me, secondly I look at the rating of the product in Amazon or other online stores.
It is my overall review of the steam mop – Hoover Twin Tank. I have been using it for only several days, but nevertheless I have already got a very good and clear conception of what it really is.
And I’m not trying to say that it is bad or good, no, no way. As every steamer, it has its strengths and weaknesses. Of course, there exist more pluses either I wouldn’t choose it, but minuses will be mentioned further in the survey too.
I purchased the Hoover Twin Tank #WH20200 and, of course, arises the question about the name. Why Twin Tank? The answer is simple – it literally has 2 tanks. One tank stands for the water tank and another for cleaning solution. This feature gives the owner 2 options: to switch between cleaning and disinfecting with steam or cleaning with steam + cleaning solution, for which you will have to adjust a dial on the front of the mop.
Comparing with other steam mops, almost the majority of them don’t let their owners have this function – switching between the two kinds of cleaning. If they really want to do the same action, they will have to empty the tank and fill it again.
In this research, i will try to cover all the pros and cons of this steam mop for you to make clear if it is the right choice for you. Also, I will try to explain its features, characteristics, and benefits.
MY EXPERIENCE
There exist many places, where you can buy Hoover Twin Tank, but I will tell you a little secret – the cheapest is on Amazon site. Having checked all the sites which propose this mop, I have found out that their price is almost twice more expensive. So why pay more? Having selected the model I wanted, I also chose a regular ship. And as they told me, I had to wait for about a week or so until my Hoover would arrive. But as it turned out, it has arrived in several days already. I was the happiest person on the Globe. All this time I was waiting and didn’t clean even a bit, trying to save and accumulate as much dirt as it was possible (within due limits). Because all I wanted to do is to check my new steam mop at its best.
The day I received the parcel I saw that it had been very nicely and safely wrapped that is why no damage could be done to it, though there was a little crinkle, but it was on top of the box, which is not so important. I took the device out and put it together just in a few minutes. It is like putting the lego together – easy. No tools are needed to attach different parts to each other. The 2 above-mentioned tanks are easy removable (portable), fill and put back into its right place. To start the mopping I had to plug the cord into the socket, so it can start the heating up process and I would see what results it will show.
Whereas in other steam mops the heating up takes about 40-45 seconds, the Hover Twin Tank does it in only 30! It was said in the manual and the machine proved it. I filled the tank entirely with a cleaning solution. I believe it was a right decision as the floors hadn’t been washed for a couple of days already. But also I have done that because I had a huge desire to check how it would smell. And if there is a distinctive difference of using the cleaning solution and not?
At the beginning, I have selected the multi-surface pad, but after a few minutes of usage, it left the floor a little wet. That was the reason why I opted for the hard floors and here I saw the first and big difference – the floor was dry in seconds.
When I just started moving the handle, the first strokes were a bit stuttering as the mop pad was dry, but as it started letting the steam out through the mop, it slid easily across the surface.
When it was the time for the kitchen, there were no problems too. All the dirt was removed easily. Even some spots which are hard to remove manually like oil or grease which gets on the floor. I just had to make a few more passes and the job was done, and the floor became clean and even shiny.
Different steam mops have different mop head shapes: triangular, rectangular and square. The Hoover Twin Tank has a triangular mop head thanks to which I could reach the places under the cabinets easily. The mop pad is bigger than the head. Perhaps that is why when you press against the place which you want clean, the head itself can’t reach it, but the extra parts on the head do it with pleasure. This way all the corners and edges will be clean.
One con about the Hoover was written, though. The issue deals with the steam trigger. Some people complained that you would need to press it all the time in order to clean. But when I read it, I thought that isn’t a problem at all as I have enough strength to do it. But I was wrong. Having used the mop for a few minutes, my hand was ready to fall out and moreover I had a little pain. And I thought I would solve this issue with a rubber band, but then realized that the handle is of a circular shape and I wouldn’t be able to wrap it around the trigger. The thing I did – I just stuffed usual kitchen towel into the loop and in this way it started holding the trigger.
The water tank has a very good capacity of keeping the water. I finished the 3-rooms-cleaning without refilling it. But afterwards I saw that the floors were sticky and the cause for that was the cleaning solution and I also used the general cleaning level. Maybe if I had mopped the floor without any cleaning solution that result would be different. I started thinking about that because my husband is too scrupulous and that would definitely bother him.
And saying about using only general cleaning level with the steam but without any cleaning solution was the right choice. Because the next morning the first thing I did – I recleaned the floors. And the end result was just marvelous. The floors were not sticky at all. But having cleaned two days in a row made me a bit cranky.
Also at that same day I tasted the steam mop in the bathroom. Firstly I liked how it got behind and around the toilet. It is not the most pleasant place to clean especially with hands, that’s why I had a relief that this mop coped with this task by itself.
After I cleaned all over the floors in the bathroom, an amazing idea came to my mind. As I have a snail shower which is quite big and plus a surrounding wall, why can’t I try to use it there? My husband has a dirty kind of job, he as a mechanic and very often he comes home covered in different layers of engine grimes that is hard to remove. He just jumps into the shower to wash it off and all this stays at the walls and on the floor. Not the best thing to see. So I decided to take some action to improve the situation. The only unsolved question was – if the steam mop would cope with it. And the answer was – yes.
When I started cleaning the floor it wasn’t that easy at the begging and I had to stroke a few times at the same place but despite all this it brought results. Can you imagine doing that manually by scrubbing the floor with some sponge even if it is the best sponge ever and then try to dissolve the soap scum? Of course at that time it looked like a nightmare though now it is like a fairytale.
I regret to say, but there were still 2 spots which the Hoover Twin tank could not cope with. First was a grout on the tile floors. But speaking frankly I didn’t expect it to be cleaned, and therefore I have already had an idea of buying a special machine for removing grout from the tile flooring.
The second issue was in the kitchen – hard water stain (dark, circular spot on the tile), right in front of the fridge. If it was behind or in some unseen place I wouldn’t care, but this stain I saw every day. I tried to use the steam mop, but it didn’t solve the problem. That’s why I took an eraser sponge and it did well but managed to remove only the fifth part of the spot – the magic sponge didn’t help. So I took a paper towel and put it on the spot and poured CLR right on top of it and let it stay there for 10-15 minutes. And the miracle happened – the stain was gone / removed.
Finally, I want to say that I like this appliance very much, but there still some little minus which I would like to mention. For instance, the location of the power button isn’t very comfortable as it is on the lower part of the steam mop. But when personally I want turn the mop on, my hand lingers to the handle, the place where you don’t need to bend down to turn it on.
The second little con is – the mop itself stands upright, but speaking about the handle – it is wobbly and if you accidently push it or bump into it, the whole construction will fall over. It happens with me every time I clean and at some point it starts to irritate and bug me. The only place in my house where it will never fall over is the cleaning closet. There are 4 walls and I can lean the steam mop onto it and in no case will it tip over unless I start using it again.
CARPETS AND TYPES OF FLOOR
The manufacturers state that the Hover Twin Tank will cope with the following hard types of floors as well as carpet refreshing. Types of hard floors:
- tile
- laminated floor (be careful with the laminated flooring. First read the floor manufacturer’s manual, then the manual from the steam mop manufacturers. Because even thought the Hoover Twin Tank recommends it, you’d better avoid doing it. If the damage is caused, the warranty may not cover it.)
- sealed hardwood
- sealed stone
- vinyl
- linoleum
DO NEVER use the steam mop on unsealed or waxed floors.
Cleaning all the above-mentioned types of floors, you will have to first of all vacuum them or sweep. Because there are some big pieces and it is better to collect them before you start the work with the mop. It will even be easier since the Twin Tank doesn’t have a suction function.
Moving from the floors to the carpets, the company proposes a carpet refreshner triangle. You should just attach it to the pad, with this feature you can kind of steam the carpets a little, helping them to get rid of odors and smells which they absorb. Let’s say, for example if you have pets or somebody smokes at home. Don’t worry, there is no liquid extraction or anything, so your carpet will become just fresher. After doing this action, the carpet will be a little damp, therefore, let it dry.
The Hoover Twin Tank can’t be used on vertical surfaces, such as windows, mirrors, walls etc. Only horizontal ones. I have done this mistake myself that is why I know what I’m saying. I have tried to use it in the bathroom, to clean the walls, and when I put the steam mop into a vertical position the water just started coming out and pouring from the bottom edge of the mop together with all the dirty before absorbed water. I had to clean it after. Result – for the vertical surfaces, get another tool.
TYPE OF THE MOP HEAD
Different steam mops have different mop head shapes. They can be triangular, rectangular and square. Speaking about the Twin Tank it has a triangular shape, which is considered to be one of the best. Also, its triangular shaped head can swivel – turn to different sides. It doesn’t have an exact 90-degree angle, therefore, can’t reach the very end of the corner but just a little around it. Though, it is much better than doing it with a usual mop.
Each time you use this steam mop, you have to apply special mop pads to the mop head. In this way, the mop head will be protected from damaging if bumping into something. Take your mop head together with the mop pad and assemble them with the pointy, plastic strips that are on the bottom of the head.
The steam comes out of the mop head thanks to three small holes in the bottom. But on the mop head there are also these strips which hold the pads, which are not connected with the steam air, though.
When you finish the mopping, don’t forget to remove the dirty parts. To do that, you have a special excess material, stepping on which will help you to pull the mop and in this way take it off. Since the pad has absorbed all the dust and might be wet too – rinse it under the water or simply put in the washing machine. As the pads are made of microfiber, they have a good feature of absorbing water but nevertheless they also dry quickly. I remind you that there are 3 mop pads included in the Hover Twin Tank but only one of them has three holes and is multi-surface, which means, it can be used in all hard floors mentioned in the manual as well as carpets. The other 2 can be used on the hard floors only excluding carpet and they don’t have holes.
STEAM AND WATER TANK
The water tank is an important part of any steam mop. Depending on how much water it can hold, you can know how long you will be able to clean without refilling it. The Hover Twin Tank shows pretty good results. It can hold 16.9 ounces of water which is enough for about 25-30 minutes of cleaning (the manufacturer states). Also, it has not one but 2 tanks, which are moreover visible, that’s why it will not make any difficulty for you to see the level of water. I did check all this information before writing it in the review and I should say I was very pleased with its work and possibility to clean a few rooms without changing the water tank. During the process, I have also noticed that I can’t control the pressure of the steam as it is constant all the time and doesn’t change. The only time when it comes out a bit less – is when the level of water in the tanks is low. You can see it too because the steam comes out from under the pads as you keep mopping.
When you want to fill or refill the tanks, it will be quite easy. For this action, you should pull them up or grip their sides. Each of them has a twist off cap – that’s exactly where the water should come. The tanks are small, this will give you an easy access to water taps in the kitchen or bathroom. It will actually fit everywhere.
CONTROLS
There are 3 buttons which the Hoover Twin Tank has offered, thanks to them you are able to manipulate and control this device. The first one, is, of course, the power button that starts the work and located in the middle of the body. You should push it, and the machine will be ready to work. When you don’t need it anymore, just push the button again, in this way you will turn it off.
The second button – is the steam control. Here you will have a few options as you can make a choice of the cleaning level. The button is also located on the body. Cleaning levels include:
- general cleaning with cleaning solution (don’t forget, it might make the floor sticky)
- spot cleaning without solution
- hard to remove stains with solution (hard water)
- only steam
To put it in simple words, by choosing one of these cleaning levels, you just choose the quantity of the cleaning solution which will be used, not the amount of steam as its pressure is the same all the time.
The third button – steam trigger on the handle. I have already written some details about it earlier but can remind that the handle itself is very comfortable unlike the trigger, which must be held all the time during the cleaning. But a simple kitchen towel can save the situation if you stuck it into the loop. In such a way, you will stop experiencing any problems and possible hand pain. But the biggest surprise is, of course, the nice work of the steam mop around the furniture legs and baseboards.
The next are light indicators. There are two of them. One of then shows when the mop is ready to start the job and the second when the device is heated enough for mopping. When the device is heated enough, you will see the green button glowing. And furthermore you shouldn’t wait for a long time, it will take you only less than 30 seconds.
When the steam mop is heated up and ready to clean, it does it very quietly though the motor is 12 amp. This was very surprising for me personally. It can be a huge advantage for people who have little children or if you simply don’t want to bother members of the family or maybe you like to clean late at night when everybody sleeps already. It is, of course, not super quite but much quieter than Dyson DC33 vacuum cleaner.
ACCESSORIES AND ATTACHMENTS
The Twin Tank comes with 5 different accessories. Here they are:
- 1 cooling tray (when the job is finished)
- 1 carpet refreshner triangle
- 3 microfiber pads (1 is multi-surface with holes for hard surfaces and carpets, the other 2 are for hard floors only and without holes). I saw an interesting fact – while cleaning, the 2 microfiber pads, which don’t have holes and which are for hard surfaces only, dry the floor very fast. So I was ready with the cleaning in a shorter time than I expected. Should be said that they are made of a thick material, though very nice to touch, absorb water very good and if you look after them according to the instructions in the manual, you will not have to worry about buying new ones.
As a plus to the mop pads, you also get an 8 ounces trial bottle of Hoover® 2X SteamPlus™ Cleaning Solution. Doing the general level of cleaning, this solution will last for quite a long time.
All these were advantages, but there is one and little disadvantage – there are no accessories for this model that you can buy online or elsewhere. As well as there are no attachments for glass, grout and so on. The only thing which you can replace is the water tank (filter) as it is removable and available on the sites for buying.
CLEANING SOLUTOION OPTIONS
There are two ways of cleaning the floors. The first option is to clean with steam only. The second – with steam and cleaning solution. There is a huge variety of cleaning solutions but manufacturers advise to use the Hoover® 2X SteamPlus™ Cleaning Solution due to its features: it is biodegradable and, therefore, will not make any harm to you, your family and your home.
When I tried it, yes it was good, smells nice, like some very fresh perfume. But still left some residue on the floor and moreover they were sticky. I had to spend some more time to do the second round with steam cleaning only, to mop the tacky floor again.
The ingredients which are inside Hoover® 2X SteamPlus™ Cleaning Solution are not known, but nevertheless it didn’t smell like some chemicals, which is very important.
DIMENSIONS
Height: 44 inches (from the floor – without pad – to top of handle)
Width: 11 inches (widest point of the mop head)
Depth: 8 ½ inches (from tip of mop head to the back of mop head)
Weight: 6 pounds
Power cord length: 30 feet
Mop head height: 1 inch at the front and 3 inches at the peak, therefore, no problem fitting under my cabinets)
5 ¼ inches from tip of the mop head to the front of the stick
Able to clean under all places almost, though not low enough for some cabinets.
RATING AND CUSTOMERS REVIEWS
There is a huge number of different comment and reviews from different people. Mostly positive and I can say about 90 percent of all these people are extremely happy with it. But just in case I have read almost all of them, both positive and negative. The people who were so excited about it bought the Hoover Twin Tank for 1 purpose only – to clean their hard floors with the steam mop. And I should also confirm that for this aim it is super-good.
But let’s not forget about the negative comments and reviews. People, who left negative reviews, mentioned the following aspects:
- there was a little percentage of people who couldn’t cope with the device, claiming that it was some technical problem etc.
- the problem with holding the trigger (that’s the fact which I also described. The solution to it would be to just take a simple kitchen towel and stuff it in the loop of the trigger. This way you will not experience any problems when cleaning.)
- the Hoover twin Tank is counted for masses and therefore it is not so expensive. The negative issue which was written – they compared more expensive models with it. Well of course taking into consideration all the advantages of expensive steam mops, the Hoover will lose. But if we take different steam mops which are in the same price category as the Twin Tank, then I guess I wouldn’t change my Twin Tank for something else. Even if in 1 year I have to buy a new one, I will say a huge thank you to my Twin Tank for cleaning my floors for only 7-8 dollars per month.
ADVANTAGES
- light weight and easy to use, direct and manipulate
- the mop head of a triangle shape makes it simple to reach hard places (corners etc)
- possibility to choose different levels of cleaning as well as 2 different kinds of microfiber mop pads
- is able to clean any spot or stain by just holding the steam mop on the dirty place for about 8-9 seconds
- all three pads are larger than the mop head, due to this feature, the extra parts can get into the tiniest corners and edges, where the head itself can’t
- a chance to clean with the cleaning solution and without (trial bottle is included)
- carpet resreshner triangle (removes all unnecessary smells and odors from the carpets or rugs)
- heats up in no time
- the presence of 2 water tanks, which hold enough water for 25-25 minutes cleaning (small enough to be filled under the taps)
- the mop pads don’t need to be changed as they are of a good quality and thick structure (just look good after them – will save your money)
- Replacement parts appear to be readily available online should they be needed
- Easy to attach all the necessary accessories (no tools or instructions are needed)
- Warranty lasts for 2 years
- The power cord can be wrapped and hooked up in terms of storing it,
- The hoover Twin Tank proposes all possible demo and full videos of how to use, assemble and manage the device
- The brand Hoover is is on the market for a long time already and considered to be one of the best.
DISADVANTAGES
- not always can stand upright – needs to be leaned onto the wall or something, though while storing – it will not be a problem at all.
- Perfect for horizontal surfaces only – no mirrors, doors and walls (vertical ones)
- Uncomfortable to hold the trigger (remember to use the kitchen towel for that, and you will not have any problems with this issue)
- To turn the steam mop on it is a bit uncomfortable to go to the bottom of the body. It would be much easier and convenient to place it on the handle, so you can push the button with a thumb
PRICE
The best of the best price which you can get for the Hoover Twin Tank will be on Amazon (online) and it will be a little less than 100 dollars + sometimes free shipping is proposed. Almost the same price (around 100 dollars) you can see at Walmart, though be attentive, they call this device – Hoover Enhanced Clean Disinfecting Steam Mop. You can go directly to the shop or order it and get through shipping service.
I found other steam mops of a cheaper price than the Hoover Twin Tank, but it is not worth it. All of them have only 1 water tank, their power cords are twice shorter, no options for cleaning levels, no trial cleaning solutions bottles and no different kinds of pads for different surfaces. All in all the Hoover Twin Tank is the best at the line.
Video Review