Thank you to Shark for providing a complimentary sample Shark Sonic Duo for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize. All opinions expressed are my own.
We have 3 cats and 3 kids. That means I have perpetually dirty floors.
To keep my very dirty floors clean I have bought into every gimmick that has come along and probably spent a few hundred dollars along the way. I have tried everything from $6 Foam mops to $100 steam machines with varying degrees of success (and failure!). At the end of the day a plain old cotton mop is still what I prefer. It’s cheap and I know exactly what to expect for results.
When I had the chance to try Sharks Sonic Duo Cleaning System I was both excited and weary at the same time. Excited because the Sonic Duo was not like anything that I have tried before and weary because I have tried so many different and novel methods in the past that ultimately didn't work well. My sole hope rested on the fact that I had owned Shark products in the past and I was generally pleased with the quality and performance.
On the front of the unit is a set of “headlights” almost exactly like a car's lights. The lights were bright and helped illuminate the immediate area in front of the unit. Another feature that stands out is the pivot ball between the handle assembly and the cleaners base. It reminded me of some Dyson products.
The Sonic Duo comes with a variety of cleaning pads and fluids to clean any floor surface, including carpet. Although my primary interest in the Sonic Duo was for cleaning hardwood and tile floors, the fact that it can clean carpets was intriguing as the unit does not appear to be designed for it. The pads designed for rugs has special gliders that allow the unit to float over the rug as it cleans.
The unit could not be easier to operate. There is zero assembly and the instructions are literally a 1-2-3 process with easy to follow pictures. Add water, the provided cleaning fluid, and pop the unit on the pad and you are ready to clean. The unit has only two buttons: A 2 speed power button and a button to spray fluid. That's it.
Until I actually turned it on I had no idea how it cleaned. I read the word “sonic” and I think of all sorts of crazy things. I was also skeptical about how easy the unit would be to push around. Well, with one push of a button all of my questions were answered. Once powered on the unit glides across your floor as if levitating (it is clearly not levitating , but it is effortless to move about). You do not need to force this unit at all, a light push and pull motion was all it took. I will stop shy of saying you can operate this floor cleaner with your fingertips, but it did not take much more than that.
Press the spray button and a powered blast of cleaner deposits right in front to treat the surface before you run the unit over it. The Sonic Duo was as easy as can be to operate and even has a tray to rest the unit upon when the pad is wet and/or dirty. My children will definitely be using this to clean the floor!
So, how did it clean? In short, it cleans very well. I would say for flat and hard surfaces it cleans as well as anything else and with very little effort. I love the idea that my kids will be able to use it. Although I have not tried it on rugs yet (I don't have many in the house), after seeing it glide over the hard floors I can't wait to see it on a thick rug.
Overall I really like the Shark Sonic Duo and would recommend it.....with a couple of warnings to set expectations. First, it did nothing for the grout between the tiles. But in all fairness a mop doesn't either. Next time I will pre treat my grout before using the Sonic Duo. And secondly, the Sonic Duo does not mop stuff up, it has nearly zero absorption properties. But also, in all fairness, that is not what it is supposed to do. It’s not a mop. It is a scrubber and cleaner.
Area A = Unidentified sticky substance that could not be removed with sweeping or wiping.
Area B = Dried drips of soda or chocolate milk with stuck-on cat hair.
(Click any photo to enlarge)
I will let you know if my kids are as excited about the Sonic Duo as I am.....
Good luck in the drawing!
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random number drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.
