Shark Floor and Handheld Steam Cleaner S6005UK review

This Shark Floor and Handheld Steam Cleaner (the S6005UK to be precise) pledges to do exactly what its name suggests, with portable cleaning abilities also thrown in for the same price. Shark is renowned for its selection of floorcare products, rivalling Dyson and other competitors in quality for a fraction of the price. The same aims are present with this steam cleaner, which claims to clean and sanitize 99.9% of household bacteria and to leave your floors sparkling clean. 

This cleaner is suitable for all sealed hard floors, including stone, tile and hardwood. You can switch between two automatic steam settings to cater for the floors in your home, and double your potential cleaning zone using this cleaner's 'Klik N' Flip' mop head technology. 

We put this popular pick of the best steam cleaners to the test to see just how it stacked up against competitors, and to see if Shark, a giant of the best vacuum cleaner world, is just as great at producing cleaners for the second half of your floor cleaning process. In order to do so, we used it extensively on our hard floors at home, so that you can see how it really stacks up.

Find out how we got on.

Specifications of the Shark Floor & Handheld Steam Cleaner S6005UK

• Model number: S6005UK
• Capacity: 0.5L
• Cord length: 6m
• Weight: 2.27kg
• Accessories: 1 x Main unit, 2 x Dirt Grip Pads, 1 x Filling Flask, 1 x Accessory Hose, 1 x Small Above the Floor pocket tool & Pad, 1 x Concentration Nozzle, 1 x Steam Blast Scrubbing Tool, 1 x Copper Brush, 1 x Steam Crevice Tool
• RRP: £179.99 

Unboxing the Shark Floor & Handheld Steam Cleaner S6005UK

This Shark cleaner is in a relatively small box, compared to the other steam cleaners I've tested out – a good sign for a small space sweller. Everything within the box came packaged in cardboard or paper, which gives the all-clear on the sustainable packaging front. 

There are various tools packed within the box that you can use as part of the handheld element, and the cleaner itself comes unassembled. I will admit that I found it a faff to set this machine up, and would say that working out which parts fit into their corresponding part isn't that intuitive.

 In order to attach the handle to the main body of the cleaner, the set-up guide wants you to use a flathead screwdriver, which isn't included. I managed to set the cleaner up without this step and it held sturdily, but it is a further step you need to take to properly attach the two together with a bolt. 

Once assembled, the steam cleaner itself is quite nice to look at, even despite the fact that the body is quite bulky. There's a hand groove built into the body, which is useful for when you're using it in a handheld capacity, but it does make it a little wider for stashing in a cupboard. 

It's always a good sign for me when there's a cheat sheet alongside a more extensive manual, which this cleaner has. On one side, there's a quick start guide that gives you a simple rundown on how to get going and instructions on how to use the above-floor cleaning accessories too. 

Who will the Shark Floor and Handheld Steam Cleaner suit?

Seeing as this is a hard floor cleaner, this won't be the one for you if you only have a small area of a non-carpeted floor, as it is not designed for carpet cleaning at all. You can use this on any sealed hard floor surfaces, such as hardwood, as well as marble countertops. You run the risk of ruining your surfaces if you use a steam cleaner on wood floors that aren't sealed, as they will leave a residue of water on your floor, which can penetrate and deteriorate what lies underneath.

This cleaner is perfect for those who want to go the extra mile once they've vacuumed and is great for those who hate trying to maneuver around sodden floors once they're finished, as the residue dries very quickly. Those with young children and pets will find that a useful perk too, as it means that any clean-up operations should be a little less painful.

What's it like to use the Shark Floor and Handheld Steam Cleaner?

Once the initial (slightly laborious) set-up was done, I began with filling the cleaner up. You simply need to fill the tank with cold water and plug your machine in to get going. Shark recommend that you only use cold water with this cleaner (no added cleaners necessary), and if you live in an area with hard water, that you use filtered water in order to keep your machine in good condition. 

I funneled in water according to the instructions on the cheat sheet, but it wasn't at all clear to me where the fill line was, despite the instructions warning not to overflow the machine. To be safe, I simply filled up with one filling flask to not go over the capacity, but I did find this to be unclear. 

After searching for reviews online, I found that other customers had also found this problem and that I couldn't find a solution even after trawling through the user manual. The only option is to measure out exactly 500ml of water – the tank capacity being so.

After you've plugged in your cleaner, it'll operate on standby mode until you press the large steam button at the front. Press it once for the lowest setting and twice for the highest, with three times putting it back into standby mode. To use it in its most basic sense, all you need to do is move the cleaner backwards and forwards. You'll be able to see and hear this steam cleaner working almost immediately. My floor was left gleaming, and you don't need to press any sort of trigger to activate the steam if you're going for a basic once-over clean.

If you feel the need for a deeper clean as you have a nasty stain, then there's a clever trick with this mop too. Simply flip the head of the mop over so that it falls behind the body that you're holding, and then tilt the handle down. This causes a more concentrated puff of steam to emerge, which you can then mop up in order to eradicate your stain. 

To get the full experience, I tried out the handheld aspect of this cleaner too. Shark makes a couple of the best handheld vacuum cleaners and is well known for ergonic designs that adapt well to cleaning different parts of your home. So, I wanted to see this in action in steam cleaner form.

The main cleaning body comes apart from the mop element very easily with the release button, and then you can attach the hose part and choose your attachment. I went with the copper brush, as there's a stubborn stain on my floor. When you're using the tool, the light system will flash saying 'tools', and you can use the trigger on the body to pump out steam for your cleaning. The handheld element of this cleaner worked amazingly, and I was really pleasantly surprised. 

I went on to use the Above Floor Pocket Tool and pad to clean my shower divider and found the same effective results using steam, which I hadn't achieved by using a regular spray and cloth. 

This versatility gives the Shark S6005UK plenty of bang for your buck compared to floor-only steam cleaners.

Cleaning and maintenance

After unplugging your cleaner, you should leave it to cool. This is fine when using the handheld cleaner, which can stand alone, but the mop element needs to be leant against a wall or surface, which is kind of annoying. 

Once it's cool, and you're sure you won't burn yourself, lift the mop up and press the pad release button. The pad will unfurl and you can then refresh it within your washing machine or with warm water using liquid detergent. Make sure that the water from your tank is empty before you store it too. 

The cleanup process overall was easy, and you get two mop heads included in your purchase, which is good in terms of value for money. If you need more, you can always buy a replacement at Shark's online store, but they wash and reuse well.

How does it rate online?

This is the machine that Shark recommend as its standout steam cleaner, and reviews online tend to agree. Plenty of reviewers found the same as I did during testing, agreeing that the cleaner felt high quality, and that the handheld element was surprisingly easy to use. 

To highlight a few reviews, one customer said it 'produces good powerful steam for a good period of time before refilling necessary', which I would agree with, whilst another said that despite them having a large dog, this cleaner 'removes all muddy/dirty marks with ease'. 

Another less impressed reviewer shared my annoyance that this cleaner 'is not free-standing'. Another added that 'it is not very lightweight and the cord gets in the way so I actually prefer a mop', showing that personal preference will depend on whether you find this cleaner to be too high maintenance. In its defense, the six metre cord is pretty ample for most rooms, so perhaps this user had a larger space to contend with.

How does it compare to similar models and predecessors?

The steam cleaner to beat is the Karcher SC3 Easy Fix Steam Cleaner. The crowning features of that machine are that it's easy to use, requires no elbow grease and that it packs away easily. To compare prices, the Karcher has an RRP of £140.00, which is quite a lot cheaper than this model, which is £179.99 (though it is on offer from time to time and you can check our Shark deals page to see when).

If you have a larger surface to clean, I think that this Shark Floor and Handheld Steam cleaner is worth your money every time, as it's so easy to move back and forth over your floor. Its performance is excellent, and it has added value in the handheld element too. If you can't stretch your budget, then the Karcher will do an equally good job on smaller areas, and is actually more convenient to pack away, whereas the shape of the Shark model is a little awkward.

Is the Shark Floor and Handheld Steam Cleaner worth it?

I was very happy with the results of the Shark Floor and Handheld Steam Cleaner in my testing process, and couldn't find a task that it didn't excel at. In a time where every penny counts, the RRP of this model may put some people off, but if you can afford to take the plunge, I think you'll find it is worth the investment. It gains great value in the fact that you can use it in a handheld capacity too, and that it comes with so many attachments (and a spare mop head).

There are some issues with the overall design and storage that could be ironed out, but on the whole, the features of this cleaner work very well, especially the extra bursts of steam that you can use to eradicate stains. As with vacuums, it feels that Shark has excelled with this steam cleaner, and it's one to beat. 

About this review, and this reviewer

Molly Cleary

Molly is the Ecommerce Writer across Homes shopping content, spending time reviewing products to see if they can earn a place in buying guides. She regularly tests cleaning products and machines in order to see if they're up to standard. 

This steam cleaner was tested in her home, as you'll see from the photos. This cleaner was also available to keep, allowing for this review to be updated over time, to see how the tool holds up.