Black & Decker

Black & Decker has introduced a new range of steam cleaning units, encompassing four new models, hitting pricepoints from $79.99 to $139.99. According to the company, the new units address consumer points of dissatisfaction with some existing steam cleaners.

"We've identified four areas with steam cleaning products that were in need of improvement and innovation: steam mops that are difficult to fill; units with awkward controls; insufficient cleaning power; and units that are unable to access difficult areas like tight corners," said Austin Wilcox , product manager at Black & Decker. "The new Black & Decker Steam Cleaning Units allow users to clean multiple floor surface types like tile, vinyl, stone, marble and even sealed hard wood. Consumers are able to get a deep down clean using only water."

Features available on Black & Decker's new steam cleaning units that address these areas include a removable water tank that allows users to fill directly into the water reservoir and a digital handle command, which provides adjustable steam setting controls right in the handle. Two of the new models include SmartSelect technology where consumers can choose a steam setting to address individual floor types. Smart Select provides three different steam settings that correspond to different floor types to produce the right amount of steam to clean the selected floor material. The wood setting is the lowest and keeps the unit safe for sealed hardwood floors.

Select models include the steam burst feature, which produces up to 50% more steam in a 10-second burst.  The steam burst option is useful for removing tough grime and stains in heavily soiled areas. An additional feature on select models, the Lift & Reach detail head, is designed to provide access to tight spaces and corners. To use the Lift and Reach option, consumers simply step on the release bar located on the steam mop unit to remove the Lift and Reach detail head from the larger pad. All of the new steam mop units have an automatic upright shut off which helps protects floors from damage during pauses in cleaning, a 15-second heat up time and a ready-to go illumination tank that changes from red to blue to let users know when the steam mop reaches the correct temperature.