Steam Cleaners

[nosherduke996]

Has anybody got one or have used one ? Are they that good on just about everything ? I have been looking at various models and it seems a bit of a minefield out there with the reviews.

 

[buddha]

I've got one (a Polti IIRC ?)
It's been under the stairs for over 5 years, gathering dust. And only gets moved when I have to read the elec/gas meter.

Easy to shift kitchen grime > No
Easy to clean grouting > No
Easy to clean the oven > No
Easy to shift dirt on fabrics > No
Easy to waste excessive amounts of electricty, and not much else > Yep

So I went back to using soap, hot water and elbow grease for hard surfaces. And fabrics, either go in the washing machine or I use a carpet cleaner that has hand attachments (got one cheap from Bissell)

 

[vernon]

Why do you want to clean steam?


But seriously. I'm not entirely convinced by the claimed merits of the steam cleaners. Are they just another cleverly marketed domestic appliance that is destined to occupy cupboard space alongside the redundant bread maker?

 

[tyred]

I have one and never found it very much good for anything.

 

[subaqua]

we have a steam wallpaper stripper with the cleaner attachment. really good for removing stains with a bit of patience. used it to clean the seats in the car where kids have ground chocolate or sweets into the fabric. was also good for getting paint sots off carpet where dustsheet got rucked.

i wouldn't buy a specific one though.

 

[goo_mason]

I have one and never found it very much good for anything.

I bought one in a Woolies sale for £20 about 7 years ago. It produces oodles of high-pressure steam, but it doesn't clean things at all, despite the extravagant claims made by manufacturers.

That said, I did find one cracking use for it: it was amazing for defrosting my totally iced-up box-freezer in a matter of minutes. Sadly, the freezer was replaced about 4 years ago by one that never ices up so the steam cleaner has been gathering dust in the hall cupboard ever since.

 

[Night Train]

The thread title made me think of one of these.

When I served my mechanics apprenticship I spent a lot of time with one similar steam cleaning the undersides of lorries prior to MOT testing.

 

[subaqua]

The thread title made me think of one of these.

When I served my mechanics apprenticship I spent a lot of time with one similar steam cleaning the undersides of lorries prior to MOT testing.

they were great for cleaning the insides of buses inadvertently when the pressure forced a hole in the floorplates

 

[soulful dog]

We have a carpet shampooer but borrowed a steam cleaner to see if it would make a better job. Despite the people we borrowed it from saying the steam cleaner was wonderful and made a brilliant job of everything, it took twice as long and twice as much effort as the shampooer, but didn't seem to make much difference to the carpets.

 

[subaqua]

We have a carpet shampooer but borrowed a steam cleaner to see if it would make a better job. Despite the people we borrowed it from saying the steam cleaner was wonderful and made a brilliant job of everything, it took twice as long and twice as much effort as the shampooer, but didn't seem to make much difference to the carpets.

now the rug doctor hire thing from B&Q was great brought all the carpets up lovely .

 

[Mr Phoebus]

I bought a decent model of steam cleaner hoping that it would get the cassettes and dérailleurs, etc gleaming.




NON!

 

[Fnaar]

I'm gonna try one on my underpants...

 

[nosherduke996]

Just make sure that you are still wearing them.

 

[ianrauk]

I bought a decent model of steam cleaner hoping that it would get the cassettes and dérailleurs, etc gleaming.




NON!

No need for any of that.
A rag and some good old elbow grease will get all that oily old crap off cassettes and derailleurs.

 

[Mr Phoebus]

No need for any of that.
A rag and some good old elbow grease will get all that oily old crap off cassettes and derailleurs.

I know, I'm happy with the results that old toothbrushes gets me.