Steam Floor Cleaner

[horseshoes]

Do any of you have a steam floor cleaner such as the Vax one or the Shark. If so what do you think of it. I'm thinking of buying one so I'm interested in your comments. Thank you.

[woofgang]

I've got the Oreck one and i am very pleased with it. It only does floors, but that's all I wanted, I had a karcher does everything before that and it didn't do anything very well. I don't use it on carpet either, I use a shamppoer for that.

[Old_Geezer]

There must be different kinds of Sharks because I'm sure that is the name of the hand held steamer I have. The hand held one is not really floor cleaning oriented though. For what it is worth I use it a lot less than I expected to. Loads of steam but the dirt didn't seem to just roll away and so easily wiped off as it seemed on the TV. It's ok I suppose, but overhyped.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

I find the pressure and temperature of the steam to low to be effective.....use a mop and bucket!

[Answerprancer]

I use a Karcher one for work, it's good for removing ingrained crud in the corners - for wide flat areas, I'd stick to a mop/bucket with hot water and Flash.

[Alston]

I had a steam cleaner , which could still be somewhere in my shed or garage. However, whilst I cannot recall the name of the manufacturer, it was quite useless.

It is my view that a lot of modern gadgets are interesting but completely useless. The best results are often achieved by methods such as the one suggested by BRIGHT SPARK.

Al.

[woofgang]

I find it much better on my kitchen floor than a mop and bucket, faster to do and it dries faster....also of course no chemicals are used.

[maggiebee]

I have laminate in my hallway, lino in the kitchen and tiles in the bathroom. Steam mop is just so quick and easy I can do three rooms in a few minutes. I've got the Vax one. Also works on carpets but haven't tried that out yet.

[jomifl]

'Steam cleaner' is a bit of a misnomer, all they are is a complicated way of putting warm water on the floor with the disadvantge that detergents aren't carried in the steam. A bucket of warm water is more effective. I know 2 people who have bought them (make unknown), they appear to be uselesss.

[woofgang]

well jomifli, its not steam, true, but its pretty blooming hot and two cups of water does my kitchen, hall, and downstair loo. so pretty sparing of water.

[horseshoes]

Thank you all. I haven't completely made my mind up. I have horrible kitchen tiles, well, horrible in that they are quite porous, they do actually look quite nice, but I have to clean them with bleach on hands and knees with an old fashioned scrubbing brush. So you can see why I'd like something that works better than mop and bucket which doesn't really do the trick.

[Answerprancer]

If your tiles are porous, have you thought of cleaning them then sealing them somehow? Maybe using varnish or something.

[Alston]

Good thought Answerprancer. There are lots of Quarry Tile Sealants on the market.

It would be nice if The Builder were to see this thread and offer his advice on the matter.

Al.

[anneasquith]

whilst I agree mop and bucket/flash/very hot water. are excellent, not everyone has the stamina or healthy enough to use them !!!!!!!!!!!

[horseshoes]

I seem to remember the chap who laid the tiles told us not to seal them; but I'd be interested in a 2nd opinion. I'll see if The Builder is around. Thank you.