Shark Steam Mop Repair: How to Fix and Repair a Broken Shark Steam Mop

This is actually a common issue, and it happens most in hard water areas. This is because it is usually clogged with limescale or mineral residue or the tank is empty, and you haven’t noticed (it’s shameful how many times this has happened to me).  

How can you avoid it getting full of minerals and preventing the release of steam though? The easiest solution is to only use distilled water when you are steam cleaning, as this will prevent clogging and other potential damage to the tank and system that can be caused by limescale.  

All you need to do is remove the tank from the main body of the steam mop and empty it completely. Then, rinse the inside out and do your best to remove all traces of limescale and mineral deposits from its interior.

This should help to prevent future blockages from occurring.  Once you have finished cleaning the tank, you can fill it up with distilled water.

You might find that the steam is produced quite slowly at first, and this will likely be due to mineral deposits that have escaped the tank and found their way into the system. 

To clear it out, press the steam button regularly to release it and slowly remove the deposits. This part does take time, but you will end up with a clean machine and one that operates very smoothly.  

To begin the unclogging process, you need to soak the internal system and allow it to clear out, but you can’t do this with just water. Instead, you can use one of two products mixed with water: 

Both of these are incredibly effective, and the one you use depends on personal preference. Some would say the chemical solution that CLR provides is stronger, but you would be amazed by what white vinegar can do – and I will always swear by it.  

Fill the tank with the solution of your choice, shake the steam mop a little, and then leave it to sit for a few hours or overnight (depending on the severity of the clog). Once that’s done, you can turn the steam cleaner on and start depressing the steam.

It might take a good few pumps (for some people, nothing has happened until 20 or so pumps) but you should be met with a massive burst of steam as the clog breaks and the machine runs smoothly again.  

They might seem obvious, but they are also very easy to forget. So, next time you pull your steam cleaner out, make sure you are following these important instructions while you clean.  

Sometimes, the solution is a simple mechanical tweak, and one that you might not have seen before. While you are filling the water tank, you should keep an eye on the water intake tube.

You might notice that it is bent and needs to be straightened out, ensuring that it reaches the bottom of the tank, and doing this could resolve all of your steaming issues.  

Some models of Shark steam cleaner have a special collar known as the steam-locking collar, and a lot of the time forgetting to switch the settings can impact the amount of steam passing through.

Switching is from “spray only” to “steam and spray” is the easiest way to resolve this problem. 

It’s so easy to start panicking when your steam cleaner’s steam mode stops working, and you might end up thinking that it needs to be chucked out right away. A lot of the time it really is a very simple issue with an even easier solution 

As times passes, and this is especially true if you are using tap water in your Shark, there will be a build-up of calcium and mineral deposits within the actual machine.

Most of the time, you will find this blockage occurs in the nozzle, and this can be really frustrating to try and clean out, but it is far from impossible.  

Many Shark steam cleaners will come with a nozzle brush to give you a quick fix, but if you don’t have it, then you can straighten a paperclip (or even a bobby pin) instead.

Make sure you unplug the Shark from the mains before you remove the head, as this will avoid any accidental injuries from occurring.  

Once the head has been removed, you should spot a small hole – this is the nozzle. Most of the time it is one hole, but there are a few models that have multiple ones. Just insert your nozzle cleaner into the hole and move it up and down gently a few times.

This will loosen the debris, and ultimately lead to it falling out. Once that’s done, you can put it all back together and get back to using it as normal.  

This has actually happened to people quite a few times, and it is primarily when there is a massive clog that has been left untreated. There is too much pressure in the machine, and it will blow a hole through the lid of the tank.

It can be quite terrifying, and this is why cleaning it out and removing any lime or mineral deposits regularly is so important. Or using distilled water, as Shark recommends, should prevent the issue from ever occurring.  

If it explodes and the interior becomes soaked as a result, you should make sure to take the steam mop apart and dry it out as soon as possible. A lot of the time, it will work normally again afterwards, but it must be given ample time to dry out and recover.

If there is a hole in the water tank cap, you can stick some tape over it or some waterproof sealant to ensure that it remains reliable. Of course, there are some occasions where buying a new steam cleaner is your only option.  

Further Reading: Best Steam Mop 

There are a couple of reasons you might want to disassemble your Shark steam cleaner, and the main one is to repair the hose inside.

The newest models can be a little trickier to take apart, but it really does depend on the design, which is why you should always consult the manual first. However, for the standard models, let me take you through the easy steps: