I used Shark’s vacuum mop to clean baked beans, eggs and flour off my kitchen floor – it’s my new must-have for messy mealtimes

As a family of five, cutting down on cleaning time is always top of my list - particularly in the kitchen, where crumbs and spills seem to appear out of nowhere. That's why I'm a big fan of vacuum mops - they can be a real game-changer when it comes to keeping floors clean with minimal effort.

After testing the Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner WD210UK around the hard floors in my home, it didn't disappoint. I'd happily rank it among the best vacuum mops out there.

In a nutshell

The Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner's standout feature is that it vacuums, mops, and cleans itself at the same time - and I can honestly say I wasn't expecting to be so impressed by how effectively it managed to do all three. It left my floors looking noticeably fresher, and they were dry enough to walk on almost straight away. What's more, since using it, I've not needed to use my regular vacuum on my kitchen floors once.

The word 'stylish' might not immediately spring to mind when you picture a vacuum mop, but this cordless cleaner is also sleek, lightweight and incredibly easy to manoeuvre. I love the LED headlights, which illuminate hidden dirt, and the detailed LED display, which shows battery life and alerts when it's time to empty the tanks.

At first glance, the clean water tank appears small, but it's more than enough to handle a full cleaning session. Combined with a 25-minute run time, it means you can tackle a deep-clean without having to stop to recharge. Plus, its Odour Neutraliser also does a great job of banishing nasty smells and keeping floors smelling fresh.

The HydroVac offers two cleaning modes - Hard Floor and Freshen - to tackle both hard surfaces and area rugs and door mats. Its only real downside is that I can't use it on my carpets, but it's completely replaced the vacuum in my kitchen, and dramatically reduced my cleaning time. I'm sold.

How I tested

Rebecca Lawton

I'm Rebecca, and I write freelance content for Ideal Home, where I test a variety of cleaning appliances. With three children, my home is a constant testing ground for any cleaning tool, and I'm always on the lookout for upgrades that make everyday life a little easier.

I've tested the Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner on the hard floors around my family home for three weeks.

Specifications

• Weight: 3.95kg
• Dimensions: H:110 x W:28 x D:24
• Max run time: 25 mins
• Clean water tank capacity: 500ml
• Charge time: 4 hours
• In the box: main unit, cleaning solution, storage dock, instruction manual
• RRP: £329.99

Unboxing, setting up and first impressions

The Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner arrived in a large, oblong-shaped cardboard box. Although it was slightly awkward to carry single-handedly because of the size, it was noticeably lighter than I had expected.

I opened the outer packaging to find another cardboard box, this time branded with the Shark logo and product images. After sliding out the inner box and lifting the lid, I was greeted with a handy quick-start guide printed on the inside flap. Below that, a paper manual was wrapped in a paper bag, and a bottle of cleaning solution was set into a moulded cardboard insert.

The contents inside the box were minimal, which gave the impression that the assembly and setup would be straightforward. I was impressed to see there was no plastic - everything was wrapped in paper bags or cardboard. These were all fully recyclable, so top marks to Shark for being eco-friendly. It's a small detail that really stands out.

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Inside, I found the main unit and handle ready to assemble, the docking base, cleaning solution, and user manual. Assembling it was just as simple as unboxing it. I aligned the handle with the opening in the main body until it clicked into place. It did take a little force, but it was easy to do.

Once it was put together, I placed the floor cleaner on its charging dock, which slotted neatly into place. I could then admire the Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner in all its glory. And I was impressed with how it looked and felt - high quality and premium. It also didn't take up much space once it was on the docking station, and I also appreciated the accessory storage built into the base.

The manual advises fully charging the unit before first use, which takes around four hours. Once the docking station is plugged in, the LED display on the handle flashes a battery icon to indicate that it's charging. As instructed, I left it to charge for four hours, and then it was ready to use.

To get started, I removed the clean water tank from the main unit from its position at the top of the unit by pressing the release button. The first thing that struck me was that the tank, made of plastic, was smaller than I expected. By comparison, I've tested the Kärcher Floor Cleaner Vacuum FCV 3, which has an 800ml clean water tank capacity, so at 500ml this felt more compact.

I unscrewed the lid and filled it with water to the fill line before adding solution to the indicated mark. I was pleased to see it didn't require much cleaning product, particularly as Shark specifies that this is the only solution that's compatible. Once I'd added the solution, I screwed the lid back on and popped the tank back into the unit.

Using the Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner

There are two cleaning modes: Hard Floor and Freshen. Hard Floor mode is designed for more powerful cleaning on sealed hard floors, and is activated by turning on the unit and tilting the handle back. Freshen mode, meanwhile, is intended to clean and refresh area rugs, thin-pile rugs and floor mats.

Hard Floor mode

I started with Hard Floor mode on my laminated kitchen floors. I stepped on the footprint icon on the floor nozzle, pulled the handle towards me and pressed the power button. As the unit powered on, the LED headlights on the base lit up the floor ahead, making it easier to spot hidden dirt. It's also fairly loud, but no noisier than my regular vacuum.

In use, the vacuum mop felt smooth and easy to manoeuvre, gliding effortlessly across my floors. Straight away, I noticed a visible difference - it picked up stubborn dirt with ease and had no trouble reaching up to the edges along my skirting boards. It left a light layer of moisture behind, but this dried within a couple of minutes and was fine to walk on shortly after.

The biggest culprit for mess in my home is my toddler - the area under her highchair is always covered in leftover food (IYKYK). So I was really intrigued to see just how well the HydroVac could cope with this everyday chaos.

I was genuinely impressed at just how quickly and effortlessly it picked up crumbs and liquid spills. It felt just as effective as my regular vacuum, and within a couple of passes, the area was completely clear.

To really put its cleaning power to the test (and as part of how we test products at Ideal Home), I cracked an egg on the floor, and threw some beans and flour directly in the vacuum mop's path. After switching on the unit, I slowly glided it over the mess, and found it lifted the majority of it after the first pass. The beans took a couple of passes, but there wasn't a trace of egg or flour left. In fact, before the vacuum mop had even reached the egg, I could see the powerful suction pulling it towards the floorhead.

Within seconds, the area was completely spotless and dry enough to walk on. I also checked underneath the floor head afterwards, because I know from experience that debris and bigger messes can get trapped between the roller and the base. Aside from a couple of baked beans, it was clear - and I'm confident with the extra pass, they'd have been removed too.

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I also used it on the vinyl floor in my hallway, which is a magnet for muddy footprints and wet puddles (especially at this time of year). I found the LED lights particularly useful in this area; it's a fairly small space and they made it easy to spot everything that needed cleaning.

I'd normally vacuum first and then mop, but being able to tackle both jobs at once was incredibly convenient - and the HydroVac handled it with ease.

Freshen mode

The Freshen mode icon is located on the top of the handle, and once the unit is switched on, it's easy to toggle between the two modes. The light on the main body also illuminates to confirm when Freshen mode is active.

I first tested this on the low-pile rug in my conservatory, which felt well-suited to this mode. The HydroVac glided over the surface effortlessly, lifting crumbs in a single pass. The cleaning head left the rug feeling slightly damp - but it wasn't wet enough to be inconvenient. I found it perfect enough for a quick refresh without having to wait for long drying times.

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I noticed a clear difference when I used it on the doormat in my hallway. This was in need of a good vacuum, and while it did take a few passes, the doormat looked visibly fresher and cleaner afterwards.

Although it managed to pick up most of the mess, I did notice the suction felt ever so slightly gentler than in Hard Mode, which is understandable given Freshen mode is designed for more delicate surfaces.

The manual advises that Freshen mode is also designed to eliminate tough odours. And while I didn't have any lingering smells to test this on, it's a handy feature to have - particularly for rugs and mats in high-traffic areas.

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Cleaning, storage and maintenance

The dirty water tank needs to be emptied after each use, which is straightforward enough. The tank has two separate sections to keep solids and liquids apart - a clever feature I hadn't come across before, and it makes emptying much easier. And if you want to dispose of liquid waste, there's an express clean spout on the back, while solid debris can be poured directly into the bin after removing the solids separator.

Once emptied, each part can be rinsed and left to air-dry for 24 hours. This makes sense to prevent odours, but it does feel slightly inconvenient if you need to use the HydroVac more frequently.

The manual also recommends cleaning the filter at the top of the solids separator once a month. I haven't reached that stage yet, but it looks simple enough to do - the filter can be removed by hand and washed with warm, soapy water.

After each use, Shark also recommends using the self-cleaning feature, which automatically cleans the system and brush-roll. To do this, I made sure the clean water tank was half full, then placed the HydroVac on its docking station and pressed the power button.

The self-clean cycle then starts, with the icon pulsing for the two-minute duration. It's noticeably loud as the roller is rinsed and dirt and debris are flushed into the dirty water tank, but the process is quick, and the icon switches off once the cycle is complete.

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There is some additional manual maintenance required to keep the HydroVac performing well. While the self-cleaning cycle does a good job of cleaning the system after each use, I did occasionally need to remove bits of debris caught in the brush-roll. This is fairly typical of vacuum mops, and considering the size of some of the debris it picked up, this wasn't particularly time-consuming. Thankfully, removing the roller brush is simple - I just pressed the button on the top of the nozzle and lifted off the brush-roll cover.

As with the filter, the manual advises washing the brush-roll with warm water, leaving it to air-dry for 24 hours before re-inserting it. The docking station also includes built-in storage, including a handy roller holder. The model doesn't come with a spare roller, and I imagine you'd need to replace it after a few months - but this can be bought from Shark for £14.99, alongside an extra bottle of cleaning solution, which is also £14.99 from Shark.

How does it compare to similar models?

The Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner builds on the brand's corded vacuum mop, the HydroVac Corded Hard Floor Cleaner WD110UK. While the corded version is heavier, it does benefit from a larger clean water tank and comes in at a lower price point. The cordless HydroVac, on the other hand, feels like a more practical choice for everyday use, offering more flexibility.

It's also worth comparing it to the Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge, which has been crowned Ideal Home's best overall vacuum mop. While the CrossWave isn't as lightweight and arguably not as easy to steer, it does include a dry-only vacuum mode. This gives it a slight advantage for quick debris pick-ups before deeper cleans.

I've also tested the Kärcher Floor Cleaner FCV3, which I found impressively lightweight and easy to use. It has three cleaning modes and is more affordable, making it a strong option for simple cleaning tasks. But when it comes to overall cleaning power, I think the Shark HydroVac has the edge.

How does it rate online?

The Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner has generally strong reviews online. On the brand's website, it has a 4.3 star rating from 406 reviews - with 82% of customers recommending it.

The positive reviews praise how effectively it vacuums and mops at the same time. However, users did note the product requires a lot of upkeep to prevent odours and dirt build-up.

On Argos, it has a 4.4-star rating from 404 reviews. Feedback was similar - while users praised its efficiency in cleaning hard floors and quick drying time, other customers reported issues with hair pickup, odour retention, and difficulty cleaning the device itself.

Amazon users also gave the product a 4.3-star rating, appreciating the lightweight design, quick drying time, and good battery life. While many found it effective at picking up dirt and covering a large area, opinions on water retention and value for money were mixed.

Verdict: Should you buy the Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner?

I've tested a lot of floorcare appliances, and to really stand out, they need to tick a lot of boxes. If you live in a busy household, and you're looking to simplify your floor cleaning routine, I couldn't recommend the Shark HydroVac Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner more. It makes light work of everyday mess - impressively mopping, drying and vacuuming at the same time.

While it won't fully replace a traditional vacuum cleaner in homes with lots of carpet, it's more than capable on hard floors. It can also be used on low-pile rugs and door mats, making it a practical option for high-traffic areas.

It helps that it looks the part, too. The sleek, lightweight design is easy to use and store - and the built-in LED headlights to illuminate hidden dirt and crumbs make it stand out from the crowd.

Vacuum mops are ideal for households short on time, and this one keeps effort to a minimum. As long as you're happy emptying the tanks and keeping on top of basic maintenance, it takes much of the hassle out of cleaning floors - and does so with impressive results.