Hi everyone!
I just wondered if anyone has any advice on which steam cleaner to buy? Ultimately I would like one that is muli-use. I want one that can clean floors, bath rooms, kitchen and sofas. I have seen them being demonstrated on the shopping channel(via UK TV) but when I have looked on Amazon at the reviews some people loved them and others hated them! Any advice appreciated thank you:)
I use my Kärcher for all the above and:
Barbecue & baked on stuff on the oven drip tray thingy I had mistakenly thought was a special coating...
Bits of my car
Bones (for art purposes)
Things which have gone mouldy or generally dodgy because of being left lying around outside
Killing weeds if I can get at them, v satisfying
Windows, it is BRILLIANT for windows
Anything ground-in, really stuck-on etc
Forgot that one, which reminds me of quickly cleaning the fridge freezer of ice, the shelves, covers, boxes so that it looks sparkling new for a few months. Plus otherwise indelible children's fingerprints were also overlooked.
Defrosting the freezer.
Ground in dirt on floor tiles - as long as they are not cheapies where the glazing is destroyed - come up superbly. Preparing walls for painting is another. As for fleas, apart from not being able to do the cats or dogs, brilliant.
Yes but outside of fleas what is it good for, how does it perform as a cleaner vs other ways of cleaning? As I said at the start I found it was the microfibre cloth doing most of the work, tried the cloths on their own and didn't notice much difference. Used the nozzle to blast into nooks and crannies on the cooker etc but that was about it.
Use white vinegar every so often as though it was water, but make sure it is done outside, and that gets the limescale off. Our water here is terrible, but doing that works a treat.
We bought a Polti and it's absolutely fantastic though it was expensive - about 300€ as mentioned above. We bought from MDA which is an electrical retail discount store selling line ends and so on, so it was cheaper than most places.
We bought ours as part of an anti flea campaign which was costing us a fortune in bombs and anti flea treatments and we haven't had any fleas since.
Thank you Claire for your advice:) Yes we have a Kercher hoover which I love - we brought it to clear up after our renovations as the first two could not cope with the dust and died - but this is still going strong! I must admit because of the sturdy service that we have had from the hoover, I did look into getting the steam cleaner but unfortunately it was too expensive as we are still renovating) - although it would probably last me a lifetime!
Oh Doreen you are a star! Your advice has helped me lots and was just what I wanted - thank you!
So sorry for not replying before but I have had problems with my computer.
I too had been looking at the K5 but was unsure as the reviews on Amazon were literally half and half - some loved it and some hated it. Then I saw one on display in my local Super U - it was the first time that I had been able to see one in real life so to speak and I agree the handle did seem flimsy. This is 80 euros(almost twice as much as on Amazon) but with a years guarantee on parts and labour, where I can just pop back and get it repaired if needed - not have to post it back as I would if I brought from Amazon. I did however see a Black and Decker one at Euronics but this was 169 euros - but with a 2 year guarantee - again as it is in my local store I could take it back if it needed any repairs - but obviously twice as much as my first option! Thank you for you advice on the handle too - when you take it apart - this was something that I had not thought of at all and it makes a lot of sense:)
I took your advice and did a search on Google for Steam Cleaners in France have since found a few with as you said 50% discount ! The one I have chosen is 54.90 euro and includes delivery! Amazing!
Thank you soooo much for your advice! :)
Dear John,
I must admit that I had not thought about there being 2 types of steam until you mentioned it, but I believe that the steam cleaners that I have been looking at are all 'wet steam'. Many thanks for your reply.
I used an older Kercher steam cleaner for the Toilet Block on our Camping until 3 years ago It's heavier and takes a long time to build up pressure but does a good job .It's down side is that it's not bone dry when finished.
Most of the work being done by the steam cleaner on hard surfaces is actually the result of the microfibre cloth on the end and not the steam. Yes steam sanitises but these units produce only a little and it takes longer than you may think to steam sterilise especially on cold hard surfaces which actually cause the steam to cool rapidly and just condense as water. Most advertise superheated or dry steam as a sales point but dry steam is not as good as wet steam for sterilising.