I have four kids that make a mess in our house. If you count our dog and the husband, that’s 6 others that are making a mess in the house. One of my 4 kids is only a couple of months old. Have you cleaned with an infant, a toddler, a preschooler, and a kiddo running around? Add in a dog that sheds and is tearing up all the leftover wrappers, finds any opportunity to get through a gate and into trash…it is NONSTOP cleaning over here. I sweep after every meal as there are always crumbs on the floor. It can be overwhelming. And time consuming.
Sweeping and mopping remain my favorite method of cleaning. However, several years ago (prior to kids) my husband purchased a vacuum that is smaller and lightweight in comparison to other vacuum cleaners I have had in the past. He also got a steam mop for me! Y’all they have been life savers with kids. He got me the Shark Rocket (vacuum cleaner) and the Shark Steam Mop. We’ve had ours for more than 6 years and they are still going strong. I know they have made improvements since we purchased ours, but I think there is something to be said for an item that lasts that long nowadays. Most things aren’t made to last. Just as a note, I am reviewing the following products because they are helpful to me. I have not been offered any monetary gain from the company of the products because of my reviews of the products. I am attaching Amazon links to the products. If you use the link to purchase one of the products, I will make a small commission from the sale of the item from Amazon, not the companies responsible for the products. If you do not purchase a product, I do not make a commission just for reviewing the product. See disclaimer page for more information. These are just my thoughts, opinions, and findings of products I have used for several years. I hope it helps a Mama out there (or a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or person) find easier ways to clean!
I love my Rocket and Steam Mop because I can put baby on and still clean easily. I can also enlist my kiddos to help with the cleaning. The Rocket is light enough and easy enough to move around that all my kids (minus the infant) can push it and vacuum. The Rocket has a setting for tile floor and for carpet. In our current house we do not have any carpet but I use the carpet setting on throw carpets we have. In our old house it worked well to clean the carpet. It rolled easily on the floor.
The kids love using the Rocket to “sweep” their rooms, the hallway, the playroom. It works well to engage them and get them accustomed to doing chores. It is important to me that our kids learn that they have responsibilities in the house as well. It is not just up to Mama to clean the house. They are able to maneuver the Rocket around their beds and dressers.
While I enjoy for the ease of use and because it has held up over the years, there are some downsides.
I mentioned that we have a dog. She doesn’t shed that much, but the Rocket seems to have a hard time keeping up with the hair she does shed. The area where all the dust, paper, dog hair, etc. is kept is small so it can require frequent emptying if you have a large room or a lot of pet hair or a lot of dirt to clean up. As with any vacuum I’ve had, hair tends to wrap around the bottom and can prevent the mechanism from rotating at the bottom to pick up dirt, dust, etc. While the kids enjoy using it, it is a little long for them and sometimes can be more difficult for them to use (more of a problem for my toddler).
Overall I would recommend the Shark Rocket. It seems to be built to last and has made cleaning with an infant and 3 other kiddos much easier. I’m always looking for easier cleaning with an infant.
The other Shark product we purchased was the Shark Steam Mop. It is made for tile or hardwood floors. It has been a blessing as well. Much like the Rocket, it is lightweight enough that the kids can help out. It is easy to maneuver and has been great at getting out some of the tough spots on the floor. You know, those spots where something has been dropped and the kids have jumped up and down on it a million times and squashed it into oblivion. No? Just me? Maybe so, but I’m sure you have had those spots that just don’t want to budge with a regular mop. This steam mop really gets that dirt and grime out! I like that it has reusable pads instead of pad you throw away. I’m all about trying to save things from going in the trash. I often think of the movie Wall-E and wonder how much longer it will take before we end up like the world on Wall-E.
Dried on makeup 
After using the steam mop
My cons to the Steam Mop are much the same as the Rocket. The water chamber is kind of small. Don’t get me wrong, when filled it will last a while, but if you have a larger house or you really have to use the steam on a stubborn area, it doesn’t last as long. The steam is HOT. If you are using around kids or letting the kids use it, make sure they keep a safe distance from it. I stay with my kiddos while they are using it to keep them safe. I also notice that the floor is dull when I use the steam mop. My floors have more of a shine to them when I use a traditional mop on them. You can see the marks where the mop was so, if using, I would strongly suggest ensuring you go the same direction at all times. If you don’t it makes those streaks stand out more.
I do like the Shark Steam Mop and would still recommend it, but would suggest a regular mopping to bring back some of the shine and to get rid of the annoying streaks. But in day to day to keep the floor clean or to get out a stubborn spot, it is great!
Another cheap, easy helpful tool that the kids can use is the Swiffer! I have a WetJet that I have had for FOREVER as well! It is very lightweight and easy to maneuver. The kids love it and they think it is awesome to see the cleaning solution come out of the bottom. I make my own solution and put it in the Swiffer bottle. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but it can be done. Another hack for the solution is to make your own solution in a spray bottle and spray the floor and then mop over it. This could work with kids. One could spray the floor and the other could mop it up. I could also see that backfiring though where the sprayer ends up spraying the other person instead of the floor and it turning into a big nightmare! Again, just me?!!? Just my kids?!!? Surely I can’t be alone in that! My other complaint about it is the throw away pads. As I mentioned earlier I don’t like to throw things away. I have seen hacks where you make your own pads from felt and such that go on the bottom of the Swiffer and can be reused. I don’t use my Swiffer very often so I still have a lot of throw away pads left but may have to look into a version that doesn’t have to be thrown away. Another potential con to the Swiffer is that it requires batteries. If you have young kiddos, you are already buying a ton of batteries and probably going through them like they are candy. It can be expensive. So adding something else that requires batteries may not be something you are wanting to do. I think the Swiffer is a great option if you are on a budget or you don’t want something that plugs in. Being cordless is a good thing too when you have kids! Really anytime!
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One of the things that has saved my life in so many ways trying to care for a toddler, preschooler, etc. has been my Infantino wrap! I will have to do a separate review on it! This thing has been SUCH a lifesaver. It keeps my hands free so I can do other things while keeping baby happy!
