Shark Pocket Steam System SC630 Review

What makes this small Shark steamer so interesting is its multi-function capabilities since it comes with so many attachments. Testing results of the Shark steamer were very interesting on the various surfaces that I steam cleaned and sanitized, with and without added tools.

Shark Handheld Portable Pocket Steam System SC630 comes with several attachments for sanitizing and steam cleaning with or without attachments, or for steaming garments:

• Multi-surface cleaning system for sealed surfaces
• 1550 Watts
• Cleans and sanitizes in one step (from all sides of tools)
• Comes with 12 items: Steam duster pad, detail cleaning tool & pad, large area tool & pad, filling flask, garment brush, garment steamer with bonnet, 2 scrubbing brushes, accessory connector, hose, steam bottle nozzle, steam bottle, shower door squeegee
• The two wands are quick release
• Direct steam clean or add attachments for various cleaning tasks, or steam garments
• Ready to use in 25 seconds
• With attachments: Sanitize and steam dust; do detail or large area cleaning; clean glass surfaces
• Without attachments, do direct steam deep cleaning or sanitize
• Chemical-free cleaning
• Learn more from Manufacturer

April 13, 2010
The pocket steamer bottle is a nice handling size - I wouldn't want it bigger or heavier even though it needs to be filled often. All steamer tools attach fairly easy; microfiber pockets are well made and quick to apply. The steamer has a good assortment of tools, making it a more versatile cleaning tool than some. Some tools are designed to work with the small hose, which could be a little longer, while others can be attached directly. Although some tools felt cumbersome at times, the added length (of handles/hose) did extend my reach, making it easier to clean high areas.

I used the steamer direct for some tasks and with tools for others. It's important to note that the steamer should only be used on sealed surfaces that can take heat and moisture. Once you start cleaning, you'll find lots to clean with it. I dusted many surfaces, cleaned door trims and thresholds, patio furniture, exterior doors and I list some in more detail below. I've added a star (or two) to denote my favorite tasks with the Pocket Steamer.

Overall, it does a fairly good cleaning job and cuts down on time and effort otherwise needed - even for items that needed to be wiped dry. As for power and steam, there's ample with 1550 watts. While it was fine with the stainless steel refrigerator, I'm not sure that I would want to get the steamer out every week just to clean this particular item. That being said, when you start, you quickly find lots of places to clean with it. The handy tools do give this steamer an edge over other models. As for rating, it gets top billing for the patio door track alone.

Patio Door track** and frame** - I used the Detail brush to loosen dirt caked on the track/rails, then wiped with a damp cloth. Much quicker than a tooth brush and cleaner, though a small and narrow crevice tool (if there were one) would help immensely with some tight crevices.
Patio door glass - Using the squeegee tool, it does clean but wiping with a dry cloth is needed to remove excess moisture and drips. This would not be my preference, but I'd love to try Shark's lint-free pocket for glass (not included in this kit). The squeegee is actually for shower doors (have none). I tried the wedge tool on glass; did a mediocre cleaning, but no drips.
Appliances** - The Wedge tool works great for a streak-free cleaning of sides/front and the exterior of a cooled woodstove.
Stainless steel appliances* - Appliance fronts had an accumulation of stainless polish which may have caused the steam to leave moisture beads and small smears, which had to be wiped dry. Quite doable though (wedge tool) and quicker than using a cleaner/polish.
Microwave* - The wedge tool did a good interior cleaning.
Counter**, around sink** and taps** - Direct steam to loosen dirt; cylinder or wedge tool to complete - got more dirt out from around sink/taps than hand cleaning would, but some tight areas were hard to reach.
Walls**,baseboards** - Had to try it (wedge tool) though it's not recommended for painted surfaces. Outstanding, streak-free, but test first and don't linger to avoid (paint) blistering - quicker and better than with a cleaner and hand washing/rinsing. Use on walls at your own risk.

Bathtub*, surround*,toilet - Fairly good cleaning with wedge/cylinder tools, though some contoured areas were difficult to do with the tools, especially around the toilet bowl.
Cabinet doors* - Works good, but use extreme caution with finished wood. I used a very quick pass on a finish that was polyurethane (can take some heat).
Ceiling fans** - Dusting with purple microfiber cloth on cylinder tool - left ornate housing shiny, clean and blades dust-free.
Office chair base** - I could get easily around levers and legs to dust/clean quickly with the cylinder tool.
Using the garment steamer, I steamed drapes* and dress shirts. It removed most wrinkles, but several passes needed to complete. I'd rather use an iron on shirts - it does a better job getting wrinkles out. But the tool was handy to freshen drapes, without having to take them down.
Exterior painted steel doors** including threshold, cleaned up nicely with wedge tool.

While some tools are cumbersome and have limitations when it comes to getting into tight spots, each one has a useful purpose which saves time and effort. The cleaning results of the patio doors, exterior doors, walls and baseboards, makes this tool worth buying. And cleaning with no smelly or streaky cleaners and no rinsing required - is an added bonus. You do have to plan your cleaning strategy to avoid having to backtrack, for a mess created by cleaning an area which should have been cleaned first, not last.See my steam cleaner use tips.

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Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.