Steam Cleaners

Starpuss · 09/02/11 - 13:57

Due to various reasons I am considering cutting down on the amount of chemical cleaners I use at home. Someone suggested that steam cleaners (Polti, Karcher etc) are a great alternative and I am thinking of buying one.

I was wondering if anyone here has ever used one and if so what they think of them.

CABINET · 09/02/11 - 16:36

Yes I have one - a Polti.

In my experience it has failed as an "all purpose cleaner". If something is easy to clean then it is fine but you might as well just use a e-cloth and water for the majority of tasks.

I found it absolutely useless for doing things such as cleaning tiles in the bathroom which was one of the things I had in mind to use it for.

It will remove light stains and dirt from a carpet but by no means all stains.

It is however an excellent wallpaper stripper (as long as you buy the right attachment) and that is the only reason I still have it.

Truth is that I was looking for a "miracle" cleaner that would make all my housework simple and easy and it did not

.

Abbasolutely 40 · 09/02/11 - 16:41

I thought the same OP but now only really use it to de frost the freezer occasionally . I found it useless on tiles too and not great for stains at all ,

[Deleted User] · 09/02/11 - 16:45

I got a small handheld one, mainly for defrosting the freezer...

tried doing the taps & tiles etc, but that didn`t last long. :rolleyes:

You could probably help get the wrinkles out of a silk negligee with one, but other than that, mine sits on the shelf unused.

[Deleted User] · 09/02/11 - 16:47

Quite expensive hair dryers aren't they?

[Deleted User] · 09/02/11 - 16:50

I suppose you could give yourself a facial....

[Deleted User] · 09/02/11 - 16:52

Analogue Agent wrote: »

I suppose you could give yourself a facial....

Wednesday is the new Friday.

Weetibix · 09/02/11 - 16:52

I have a Polti and to be frank it has been a bit of a dissapointment.
My advice would be not to bother with one as it doesn't do anything particularly well. Expensive too.

The Vixen · 09/02/11 - 16:53

Starpuss wrote: »

Due to various reasons I am considering cutting down on the amount of chemical cleaners I use at home. Someone suggested that steam cleaners (Polti, Karcher etc) are a great alternative and I am thinking of buying one.

I was wondering if anyone here has ever used one and if so what they think of them.

I love mine but use it to really spruce up everywhere every few months, don't think I'd want to use it full time as a cleaner. What you'd save in chemical cleaners you'd probably use up in electricity.

Jim_AFCB · 09/02/11 - 20:07

I use mine to steam the bedding and furniture. Kills the dust mites to which I am allergic.
Also useful for the freezer as mentioned above.

Starpuss · 09/02/11 - 20:38

Thank you for your replies.

I am torn now. I am finding cleaning quite difficult after losing my leg (long story) so was hoping a steam cleaner would be a good help.

Oh well

LaChatteGitane · 09/02/11 - 21:47

The Vixen wrote: »

I love mine but use it to really spruce up everywhere every few months, don't think I'd want to use it full time as a cleaner. What you'd save in chemical cleaners you'd probably use up in electricity.

That is how I use mine too. For the rest it is vacuum cleaner and then hot water, ecover detergent or just vinegar, mop.

Starpuss · 09/02/11 - 22:14

Can I ask why the people who say they don't use it as a full time cleaner feel that way? Is it because of the electricity it uses, that it doesn't clean as well as the traditional way or that it is a faff on to get it out every time?

mklass · 09/02/11 - 22:24

CABINET wrote: »

Yes I have one - a Polti.

In my experience it has failed as an "all purpose cleaner". If something is easy to clean then it is fine but you might as well just use a e-cloth and water for the majority of tasks.

I found it absolutely useless for doing things such as cleaning tiles in the bathroom which was one of the things I had in mind to use it for.

It will remove light stains and dirt from a carpet but by no means all stains.

It is however an excellent wallpaper stripper (as long as you buy the right attachment) and that is the only reason I still have it.

Truth is that I was looking for a "miracle" cleaner that would make all my housework simple and easy and it did not .

I think your post just about sums them up perfectly CABINET.... pretty useless really!, ... i hardly ever get mine out!, then when i do, i wonder why i bothered!....

Fieldfare · 09/02/11 - 22:30

I suppose it depends on your attitudes towards these sorts of things. Mr Fieldfare loves his steam cleaner (Karcher) and uses it regularly but then he's great with the hoover too! He too is a bit of an anti-cleaning products type and when he's been round the house with his steamer and e-cloths I really notice. Everything smells fresh too and not of that odd perfumey smell that you get off the products. He has a disability and some mobilty issues and doesn't find it too awkward.

Edit: I should add that he has a Karcher power washer too that he blasts around outside with - he's a one for the electric cleaning gadgets!

salo · 09/02/11 - 22:33

I have one of the H2O steam mops with the detachable steamer so can also be used as hand held. I've found it great for cleaning floor (although I have very smooth tiles). The attachments (which may have to be purchased separately) mean that it is simple to get stains out of furniture and to clean the bathroom etc. My sister borrowed it for a weekend and bought her own afterwards.

Starpuss · 09/02/11 - 22:33

Fieldfare wrote: »

I suppose it depends on your attitudes towards these sorts of things. Mr Fieldfare loves his steam cleaner (Karcher) and uses it regularly but then he's great with the hoover too! He too is a bit of an anti-cleaning products type and when he's been round the house with his steamer and e-cloths I really notice. Everything smells fresh too and not of that odd perfumey smell that you get off the products. He has a disability and some mobilty issues and doesn't find it too awkward.

Thank you

It is actually a Karcher that I am leaning towards. I like the idea of being able to do all over with just steam!

But of course it's no good spending the money if it doesn't clean as well as the normal methods.

Decisions decisions

Starpuss · 09/02/11 - 22:34

salo wrote: »

I have one of the H2O steam mops with the detachable steamer so can also be used as hand held. I've found it great for cleaning floor (although I have very smooth tiles). The attachments (which may have to be purchased separately) mean that it is simple to get stains out of furniture and to clean the bathroom etc. My sister borrowed it for a weekend and bought her own afterwards.

I looked at those too and was very tempted.

More thinking needed perhaps

Fieldfare · 09/02/11 - 22:40

Mr Fieldfare regularily uses his steamer to clean:

Kitchen floor, stone and quite uneven
Cooker, top and oven
Work surfaces, sink
Bath, shower, tiles, toilet and basin
Windows
Woodwork, we have open fires and woodburner making things extra dusty

Occasionally:

coffee stains on stairs carpet (I regularly have mishaps there)
mattresses
car seats

Probably other things too, I don't supervise that carefully!

Starpuss · 09/02/11 - 22:48

Fieldfare wrote: »

Mr Fieldfare regularily uses his steamer to clean:

Kitchen floor, stone and quite uneven
Cooker, top and oven
Work surfaces, sink
Bath, shower, tiles, toilet and basin
Windows
Woodwork, we have open fires and woodburner making things extra dusty

Occasionally:

coffee stains on stairs carpet (I regularly have mishaps there)
mattresses
car seats

Probably other things too, I don't supervise that carefully!

Mr Fieldfare sounds quite the catch

:)

That is the sort of thing I would want to have mine do (steam cleaner not husband

). I am not particularly houseproud though so my standards aren't that high to begin with. I may just go mad and buy one.

Fieldfare · 09/02/11 - 23:00

Starpuss wrote: »

Mr Fieldfare sounds quite the catch :)

That is the sort of thing I would want to have mine do (steam cleaner not husband ). I am not particularly houseproud though so my standards aren't that high to begin with. I may just go mad and buy one.

Have 'im! Nah, only joking, he's a peach.

I'm not houseproud, things are quite haphazard here, but I do like a clean kitchen and loo. I reckon if you fancy one and can afford it then give it a go, I'm sure you can sell it on if you don't get along. Mr FF's doesn't have a detachable hand held bit like salo has, I asked him and he said he'd like to have that* so it seems that is worth looking for.

*I bet he bloody gets it by next week though, I'll have to "tidy away" the debit card!

stvn758 · 09/02/11 - 23:24

We have a yellow Karcher steam cleaner. Defrosted the freezer with it and will be trying to steam off some old wallpaper. Will make a carpet all fresh and spritely and has a good selection of tools but it won't make stubborn stains vanish like magic if that is what you are hoping.

Is fun to use though, steam is addictive.

Starpuss · 10/02/11 - 11:21

I do fancy a hand held attachment Fieldfare, I love that kind of thing.

As for stubborn stains stvn758, no..it's not really for that it's more just for general cleaning as I really hate the chemical smell of cleaners and also like the idea of the steam killing the germs (the bad stuff you can't see is worse to me than stubborn stains :eek:).

Thank you everyone for your help.

:)

Ellie666 · 10/02/11 - 12:43

i'm always amazed that the shopping channels put so much effort into trying to flog these things - love to know what tricks they use as they can be quite convincing

[Deleted User] · 10/02/11 - 12:55

stvn758 wrote: »

We have a yellow Karcher steam cleaner. Defrosted the freezer with it and will be trying to steam off some old wallpaper. Will make a carpet all fresh and spritely and has a good selection of tools but it won't make stubborn stains vanish like magic if that is what you are hoping.

Is fun to use though, steam is addictive.

I tried defrosting a freezer with one and it took bloody ages, much longer and took far more effort than just leaving the door open with a fan heater pointing in.

GrizzyDee · 10/02/11 - 13:09

Starpuss wrote: »

Can I ask why the people who say they don't use it as a full time cleaner feel that way? Is it because of the electricity it uses, that it doesn't clean as well as the traditional way or that it is a faff on to get it out every time?

It doesn't clean as well as the normal way

I've had handheld and big hoover-style steam cleaners and they've been rubbish.
The ONLY thing I've liked about them is steaming the mattress to supposedly kill dust mites, however I'm not sure even that works because the steam isn't hot so you're basically just dampening your mattress. Its probably telling that it doesn't work on getting creases out of things, that we can see, so if it doesn't work there it's probably not killing tiny allergens either.

OP, I'd suggest you hire one for a weekend or week first, see how you get on. Then buy one if you like it. But honestly, I wouldn't bother.

Hey there!

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