Polti Vaporetto GO Review

The pint-sized Polti packs a mean punch, with powerful steam and superb design. Buy.

What is the Polti Vaporetto GO?

The Polti Vaporetto GO is a compact cylinder steam cleaner, rather than an upright. It’s on wheels, so you can drag it round behind you like a vacuum cleaner. Or you can wear it on a shoulder strap, Ghostbusters-style.

The rest of the design is equally clever: a modular lance so you can adjust the length, a well-designed mop head that works with any cloth, and eight tools, cleverly stored onboard. All this and its powerful steam has the British Allergy Foundation seal of approval too. If you’re in the market for a steam mop then it should be on your list.

Polti Vaporetto GO – Design and Features

The Polti is affordable and pint-sized – the size of a small cylinder vacuum cleaner, not a large one. If you decide to carry it on the shoulder strap you’re carrying less than 3kg. You don’t have to carry it though – it’s equally happy to follow you around on wheels. The lance is modular, it’s made up of three tubes but you can use one, two or three – ideal if you’re shorter or taller than average.

The mop head is well designed and does a superb job on all floor types. It comes with a flat waffle cloth that clips onto the mop head at both sides – clever spikes hold it firmly in place. But because it’s not shaped, you could use any cloth.

Alternatively, you can use one of the eight tools provided, each of which is cleverly stored onboard under the cleaner – pop it up to reveal a tray full of tools including brushes, squeegee, spatula, grout cleaner and more.

The modular design is very flexible: attach the squeegee to the end of the lance to clean curtain tops with ease or attach a brush directly to the hose to scrub dirt close up.

Polti Vaporetto GO – What’s it like to use?

Filling means unscrewing the cap and pouring in up to 750ml of water (jug and funnel supplied), switching on and then waiting. It takes around five minutes to heat up, but that’s because the entire tank full is heated and pressurised – once it’s up to temperature you get consistent steam for ages.

And what steam! It’s powerful without being scaldingly hot. For delicate jobs you can thankfully dial it back. Floor cleaning was a revelation after using less powerful steam cleaners – this really lifted dirt from hard floors rather than giving them a quick polish, yet it doesn’t leave floors too wet. It even lifts light stains from rugs and carpets; for old, ingrained stains you’ll need to scrub with a brush attachment.

The only (very minor) criticism we could find was that the ribbed handle is a bit harsh on the base of your thumb – not disastrous, but it would ache if you steam-cleaned the house top to bottom.

Accessories are effective and the onboard storage in the tray under the cleaner is superb. This is one feature-packed steam cleaner where you won’t need to have a bag of accessories in the cupboard alongside it.

Packing up is simple as it all stows away neatly. But if you do want to empty the tank (or open it to add more water mid-clean) you must switch off and then wait for the safety valve to be ready. The knob basically won’t open until it’s safe to do so – the high-pressure steam would be dangerous, much like opening a car radiator cap.

Should I buy the Polti Vaporetto GO?

Yes. As long as you’re happy to have a steam cleaner with a cylinder design, rather than a mop-style cleaner, this won’t disappoint. It’s compact, well-designed, powerful and ridiculously affordable. Buy one now before someone realises how good it is and hikes the price. It’s a bargain.

If you would prefer a straight steam mop, however, consider the Vax Steam Fresh Combi. It’s a little more expensive, but a decent performer.