I was one of the first to try out the Shark EveryMess – this is the good, the bad, and the ugly you need to know before you buy

As Ideal Home’s Cleaning Editor, one of the (many) perks of my job is that I get to try out new products and tools before they hit the market. The latest innovation to cross my desk? The Shark EveryMess Carpet Cleaner (£199.99 at Shark), which launched yesterday.

A hybrid of the best carpet cleaners and the best vacuum cleaners, the Shark EveryMess is a portable 3-in-1 cleaning system that can eliminate stains while also vacuuming up dry and wet spills. It can also be used on both hard and soft surfaces, from your carpets to your bathroom tiles, sofas and upholstery, and more. In short, it’s been designed to tackle every mess on (almost) every surface.

I’ve had the Shark EveryMess for a week now, and while I’ll be writing a full review dissecting everything from the setup to the maintenance and the tools included in due course, I thought I’d quickly share what I’ve learned so far to help you decide whether it’s a product you should add to your cleaning cupboard.

1. You *need* to read the instructions

One thing everyone should know about the Shark EveryMess is that it’s very intimidating. At first glance, the mixture of the two-tone blue colourway and the relatively unassuming appearance means it doesn’t look too dissimilar to other spot cleaners out there, but the reality is that this 3-in-1 appliance isn’t just a spot cleaner. It’s so much more.

Delivered to your door, you’ll get the main unit, tough stain tool, crevice tool, squeegee tool, StainForce Dual-Activated Solution bottle, and the reusable spray bottle head - which is already enough to leave you scratching your head. But when you open up the main unit and face the option of using a bag (or not), along with the rather intense-looking filter system, it all seems like a lot.

That’s before I mention the specific actions required for the separate cleaning tasks. The suction hose and the squeegee tools are easy enough to use, but the stain removal tool comes with reversible bristles, and you need to scrub, push forward, or push backwards, depending on what you want it to do.

I really don’t want this to put you off too much, though, because when you get it right, the results really are impressive. However, it’s essential that you have the instructions to hand for a while. So far, I’ve used the Shark EveryMess on five separate occasions, and I only just feel confident keeping the instructions in another room.

2. Its stain removal power is unmatched

There’s no denying that Shark has designed the ultimate cleaning appliance with the EveryMess. The suction hose and squeegee tool let you quickly suck up spilt milk and cereal, or even the mud and water from a tipped-over houseplant pot, and the crevice tool is handy for those nooks and crannies on your sofa or even in your car.

However, it’s the appliance’s ability to get rid of stains that really sets it apart. After all, I don’t take my testing lightly, and in an effort to see EveryMess’s stain-busting power for myself, I poured a cup of black coffee and spread some chickpea daal on a carpet sample and let them sit for 24 hours to really ingrain themselves into the carpet fibres.

As you can see from the video above, it had no trouble getting them out - as if they weren’t even there in the first place. As mentioned above, you do have to follow the instructions, and the stains require two separate soakings of the StainForce Dual-Activated Solution coupled with some agitation from the tool provided, but the end result is unmatched.

In fact, the carpet sample in question had another lingering coffee stain that a previous carpet cleaner hadn’t been able to shift - but removing it was no issue for the EveryMess. Just be warned that the StainForce Dual-Activated Solution isn’t suitable for cleaning wool carpets, and Shark doesn’t recommend using the appliance on delicate rugs (including cotton, silk, antique, natural hide or leather.)

3. It’ll clean itself (kind of)

One thing many people forget is that you always need to clean the appliances that clean for you, and this is no different with the Shark EveryMess. Thankfully, Shark claims that the EveryMess is ‘Self Cleaning’ thanks to the Rinse and Ready cleaning cycle, and I’d agree with them… to a point.

This cleaning cycle essentially ‘flushes’ the hose and the main internal components, and all you have to do is suck up 300ml litres of water to do just that. And I have to admit that the impressive suction power of the appliance meant that all of the lingering debris in the hose vanished in seconds (quite literally. It all happens very fast).

But on my first try, I didn’t find that this cleaning cycle was enough to dislodge the sticky, solid chickpea daal from the cone-shaped debris screen inside the main unit. Admittedly, all of the smaller components are removable, so all I had to do was twist it off and rinse it under the tap - but I do feel like calling it ‘Self Cleaning’ is a bit of a stretch.

For something that can pick up a lot of debris in one fell swoop, though, I do appreciate how easy it is to clean and maintain. And having the option to use a bag is particularly handy, as you can throw certain debris straight into the bin without getting up close and personal with it.

4. It’s very different to the Shark Stainforce

Shark fans will know that this isn’t the brand’s first foray into carpet and spot cleaning. I’ve previously tested the full-size Shark CarpetXpert HairPro Pet Deep Carpet Cleaner with Spot Cleaner, and they took social media by storm with the viral StainForce Cordless Spot Cleaner.

The EveryMess is most similar to the StainForce and even uses the same StainForce Dual-Activated Solution to speed up the stain-removal process. However, as someone who has used the StainForce religiously in my home for the past few months, I can’t deny that they’re also very different.

For starters, the EveryMess is corded, which means it doesn’t offer that same grab-and-go mentality that the StainForce does. It’s also slightly heavier and more cumbersome, so you’d have to intentionally get it from your cleaning cupboard as it’s not the kind of thing you’d be able to keep on show or tuck behind the sofa.

Nevertheless, the cleaning ability of the EveryMess is so much better than that of the StainForce. With extra tools and extra functionalities, the EveryMess is a well-rounded cleaning tool that can genuinely be used in so many different situations - whether you just need to vacuum something up quickly or your kids’ mealtimes have descended into messy chaos.

5. For what it does, it’s pretty affordable

I’ve already waxed lyrical about the cleaning power of the Shark EveryMess Carpet Cleaner, and you can probably tell by now that there are many things I like (and also some that I don’t). But for me, I think the biggest selling point is the price of £199.99 - especially when you compare it to the StainForce’s ​​£169.99 price point.

I think what you’re getting for an extra £30 is impressive, and you could argue that you wouldn’t need to spend money on one of the best handheld vacuums when you have this new appliance at your disposal, too. The only thing you need to consider is the replacement bottles of cleaning solution.

It’s also worth mentioning its other competitors, like the Bissell SpotClean HydroSteam, which takes the crown as the best spot cleaner the Ideal Home team has tested so far. After all, this model retails for £299 - £100 more than the Shark EveryMess.

Admittedly, the Bissell model does use steam to extract stains, but it doesn’t come with the ability to vacuum up wet and dry messes as the EveryMess does. So, I really do think that Shark has been relatively conservative when pricing up this appliance (which is always a bonus).

So, will you be snapping one up?