Eureka Enviro Steamer 313A Review

Rating: 3.1 Reviewed by Erica
Don’t be swayed by what look like a high number of 5 star ratings on the Eureka Enviro Steamer reviews – there’s more to the story and some things you should understand before you buy.

I’d lined up a list of steam mops to review based on what appear to be the best selling models online and this one shows as the #1 seller on Amazon – it sure had enough stars – so on my list it went.

Then I dug into the detail and all I could do was shake my head.

I think I see what’s going on here.

This model has been around for a very long time (at least 5 years) based on the date of the earliest reviews online. Just looking at the picture of it I knew it had to be awkward to use based on how some of the more recently designed models work and I was right.

I’m sure it was great “back in the day” but a lot of advancements have been made in the past five years and you might miss out on those if you choose to go with this one.

This isn’t a knock on Eureka. In fact, it looks like they themselves took everything they learned from the Enviro in recent years and folded it into the other model they sell, the 2 in 1 150A steam mop.

In my opinion, they just haven’t pulled this older model off the market yet.

I decided I’d write the review on the Eureka Enviro steamer anyway because it works well for highlighting what’s changed and how a different choice might be easier for you to use.

Table of Contents

Click ahead!

Floor Types & Carpets / Mop Head Type / Water Tank & Steam / Controls / Attachments & Accessories / Cleaning Solution Options / Dimensions / Consumer Reviews & Ratings / Pros / Cons / Price / My Overall Review

The Enviro is an electric stick steam mop for use in cleaning and sanitizing floors. There are no attachments for cleaning vertical surfaces like windows and mirrors.

It has an adjustable height handle and although this is probably the least of the features I’d look for (I’m a short 5’2”) my husband is a foot taller than me and I know how that might come in handy for someone his height.

Included in the box:

• The handle and base unit

• Pre-heating and cool down pad

• Measuring cup

• Funnel

• 2 steam pads

Floor Types Suitable for the Eureka Enviro 313A

The manufacturer says this will work on the following SEALED floor types:

• Hard wood
• Granite
• Laminate (read my warning page first)
• Marble
• Ceramic
• Stone
• Linoleum
• Parquet

Always follow the advice of the company who manufactured your floors no matter what the steam mop manufacturer says.

Mop Head Shape and Size

The Eureka Enviro Steamer 313A has a 12.5 inch wide, rectangular mop head.

It comes with two cloth mop pads and while some consumers mentioned in their reviews that they could put these in the washing machine (but not the drier or they’ll shrink) and the Eureka demo video on their site says you can put them in the washing machine, the manual for the 313A says you can wash them by rinsing them in running water.

The rectangular shape of the base unit will get into corners but not right into the very center. I haven’t found anything yet that does so this isn’t a negative on the Enviro steamer, just an observation.

The biggest issue with the pads, though, is that the process of attaching them to the base is clunky, to say the least.

Anytime you have to get down on the floor or spend time bent over to tuck fabric under some sort of clips (once on each side), I’m going to get frustrated. Not that I’m opposed to getting on my hands and knees to do some cleaning (my husband was just laughing at me doing that the other day, in fact), but I don’t want to do it if I don’t have to. On my own steam mop I just throw the pad down on the floor and press my mop onto it and it’s attached.

Water Tank & Steam

There’s no variable steam control on the Enviro so whatever comes out is what you get. Some other models let you choose from light, medium or high. That’s not a make or break issue, though, and the recommended time to hold the mop in place for sanitizating is 8 seconds which is good indicator that the unit does get hot.

However, here’s where things really get rather laughable.

Eureka’s own demo video does not show any steam coming out of the unit and other consumers have mentioned that as an issue in their review of the Enviro. Maybe the way the pad is attached causes it to absorb all of the mist but most steam mops actually emit visible steam around the base of the unit.

According to Eureka, the tank holds enough water to run for 15 minutes before needing to be refilled. I think that’s a little short and I’d want it to last longer but here’s the killer – filling the tank.

The box includes a measuring cup and a funnel to pour the water into the tank. The manual says to fill the tank you have to use the measuring cup TWICE. That means filling the cup from the sink, grabbing the supplied funnel, getting low to the ground to pour the water into the tank, and doing that again JUST To get 15 minutes of steam.

Huh???

Why wouldn’t they supply you a measuring cup that holds the same amount as the tank? I can’t even begin to guess why this is but what a time consuming process just to get started.

And once you’ve filled the tank and turned on the steam mop you need to wait 3-4 minutes for steam. Many of the newer models heat up in 30 seconds. Don’t forget, 15 minutes later you’re going to be going through the tank refill process all over again.

Others also have removable tanks that require no measuring cup or funnel.

Finally, because the tank sits on top of the base unit, this makes the base taller than those on mops where the tank is built into the handle. Therefore, the Eureka Enviro 313A isn’t going to fit well under some furniture where others might not have an issue.

Settings and Controls

There’s just one control button and that’s the on/off switch which is on the base of the unit and can be operated with a tap of your foot.

It runs at 800 watts, which is pretty low so it’s certainly energy efficient in comparison to other models.

It also operates quietly and is easy enough to maneuver. There’s no trigger to hold down – the mop is ready to go once you’ve let it warm up for 4 minutes.

There are two indicator lights on the base of the mop that tell you when the unit is ready to be used and when the water tank needs to be refilled.

Extra Attachments

There are no additional attachments available for this model other than the replacement mop pads which can be bought for a few bucks.

Cleaning Solutions for the Eureka Enviro Steamer

You should not use any cleaning solutions or chemicals in the Eureka Enviro. Doing so can harm the machine and cause it to stop working.

Dimensions and Storage

Height: 49 inches

Width: 12.5 inches (base unit)

Depth: 7 inches

Weight: 7.5 pounds (the description on Amazon says 5.5 pounds but the Eureka site confirms 7.5)

Another error in the description on Amazon is that the cord is 25 feet long. This didn’t add up with some comments from other reviewers who mentioned the cord was too short for their liking because 25 would be pretty good. Looks like the description is incorrect because Eureka’s site says the cord is actually 20 feet long.

This mop does stand upright on its own but not so well when placed on the cooling pad which is made of foam and makes it a little wobbly. Fortunately, you can shorten the handle so you might have an easier time storing it in shallow closets with shelves but you’ll have to lean it up against the wall if you want to store it on the pad and not have it topple over.

There are cord storage hooks on the handle so you can wrap up the cord when not in use.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Adjustable height handle

Cons

• Filling the water tank is not user-friendly
• Cooling pad is not very sturdy
• Does not seem to produce as much steam as comparable models
• No variable steam control
• Takes longer to heat up than other models
• Water tank only lasts 15 minutes
• No carpet glider

What About the Eureka Enviro Steamer 313A Price?

I wish I could say the price was great but when you look at other models – even Eureka’s newer steam mop – the price is average.

Considering you don’t get features you’d have on newer models you’re really getting a low return for your purchase price which means I think this is overpriced for what you get.

Enviro 313A Reviews and Ratings

There are loads of reviews online and lots of high ratings but when you dig into that data (and I did – with a spreadsheet) you’ll see how old some of those reviews are. You almost have to take those out of the equation and just look at the past few months to get a better picture.

When you see lots of 5 star ratings and also lots of 1 star ratings it can be a clue to pay more attention. My take is that those who really loved this steam mop had nothing to compare it to other than a bucket and a mop and, certainly, it would be a step up from that method.

My Overall Review

In case you couldn’t tell from my comments above, my overall opinion after doing the Eureka Enviro Steamer 313A review is that it’s seen better days and better options are available, even from Eureka themselves. I think you’d be happier buying something else that’s newer and has an updated set of features.