topic Re: Cleaning with Steam Question in Home

Cleaning with Steam Question

Allegheny — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 01:18:25 GMT

I am tossing around the thought of purchasing a hand held steam cleaner to use primarily in kitchen and bathroom. I do not plan on using it for flooring. Would like opinions and recommendations. I don't want to add another cleaning tool that may end up not being used. Thanks in advance.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

Nonametoday — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 01:25:42 GMT

I bought a handheld steamer for use in my house. I saw my housekeepers using it and I thought "wow, that's just the ticket." I used it 3-4 times in between their visits and now it sits unguarded in the pantry, like a lot of other things I bought. I found it hard to use in my bathroom. I think the thing I liked best about it was around the toilet edge, around the spigots where (I have black granite in my bathroom and blue pearl in DHs while the other bath is just faux granite). Toothpaste (tell me I should not have had dark granite now) makes a mess on black and navy blue granite, so I thought it would be so easy to keep it clean. NOT. I found it easier to use a spray bottle of some windex, a small rag and long Q-tips to do that work and as long as I was not using it for the sink, why use it for the toilet. I just do that with a piece of paper towel and some windex. I don't have much use for it in the kitchen as I thought I would. I have a glass top stove and dark granite, and I am constantly wiping while cooking. This is just my experience and others may have better use and give you better advice.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

NicksmomESQ — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 02:01:20 GMT

I bought one several years ago.It was more trouble than it was worth.I went back to my spray bottle & paper towels.I found that it did a better job.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

RedTop — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 02:03:39 GMT

I used my hand held steamer often to sanitize my home when my girls were in elementary school and sick with many viral illnesses. Now, not so much. Instead of steam cleaning, Clorox wipes are doing my sanitizing. Mine hasn’t been out of the bag for quite awhile.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

fthunt — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 02:14:15 GMT

Had one - biggest pain in the pa-tute - e...............to the trash it went.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

SilleeMee — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 03:14:58 GMT

I think one would be good to own if you are concerned about disinfecting without using chemicals. Otherwise good old fashioned cleaning is still an option if you don't have to worry about germs which can be a serious problem for some people.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

Allegheny — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 04:04:16 GMT

I thank everyone for taking the time to share.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

Drythe — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 04:20:08 GMT

@Allegheny

I have the one that was a recent TSV here. It has a brush + pads.

Porcelain in the kitchen, baths, pantry / keeping room, & laundry, and hardwoods every where else + 4 cats and a large dog ~ I love mine.

Light weight, excellent on the porcelain and grout, hardwoods look great.

Just giving a view from a happy owner, next to the vacuum this is the most used tool.

Perhaps the furry kids are the tipping point. 🙂

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

jackthebear — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 12:48:46 GMT

I have one that I actually got from Q that I still use, use it in the bathroom,

I had also bought a steam mop for the floor that broke

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

drizzellla — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 13:06:11 GMT

I bought one. It is somewhere in the garage. I used it once or twice and never used it again.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

Still Raining — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 13:52:53 GMT

I had a floor model and tossed it. Not worth the bother. I didn’t think it did tile floors very well.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

Fressa — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 17:10:30 GMT

I have both the hand held and floor steam cleaners. I LOVE them!!! It's quick and complete cleaning. I find it low maintainence on the steamers. i just take one of them and go around the entire house. ( I have a big, older home with dogs, etc.) It makes quick work of any hob. I don't think you would regret the purchase.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

IMW — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 18:52:25 GMT

@Allegheny wrote:
I am tossing around the thought of purchasing a hand held steam cleaner to use primarily in kitchen and bathroom. I do not plan on using it for flooring. Would like opinions and recommendations. I don't want to add another cleaning tool that may end up not being used. Thanks in advance.

In addition to what has been shared, mine required constant holding down of steam on/ off switch. Hurt my hand.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

Sunnycorle — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 19:32:08 GMT

More trouble than what it's worth!! Had one used it twice and donated it. Waste of money!

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

CelticCrafter — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 21:18:59 GMT

I don't have a hand held, I have the Shark for the floors. Not impressed, it was a waste of $ and I do a better job with rag and bucket.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

mimomof4 — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 15:41:08 GMT

We have the Haan floor steamer and love it. We have used it for years on our kitchen and bathroom floors. Other than floors, I don't see the steam cleaning as providing much of an advantage.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

FastDogWalker2 — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 21:40:03 GMT

I am on my second floor steam cleaner - Bissell I think - and I like it a lot. I am not sure about the handheld types - a lot to store I would guess.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

Rockycoast — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 16:47:08 GMT

I don't have a hand held model. I have a floor canister type with hose, attachments. Can't remember the brand at the moment. I really like it . I mostly use it in the kitchen. It is great at taking off greasy film from the stove and oven. While I am cleaning those I run it over the small appliances and just wipe them with a dry cloth, quick and done. I use SoftScrub with bleach and Clorox wipes in the bathroom.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

Allegheny — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 17:27:39 GMT

@Rockycoast After reading many of the other posts relating to the hand held units I am now considering the type of unit you have. Besides just the kitchen I can think of several other areas in and around the house where it might assist.

Re: Cleaning with Steam Question

Lucky Charm — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 22:34:13 GMT

I never really saw the need for a hand held steam cleaner. You'd still have to *wipe away* the residue/gunk that comes away after steaming.

I'm big on clorox wipes (store brand, but ones that kill 99.99% germs).

I guess those are the areas that one would use steam cleaning for.

I'm not saying the hand held steam cleaners are a waste, but it would be a *double duty* job for me to use one. When the wipes would take care of the job.

I do own steam floor cleaners and use them on the bathroom floors and the foyer which are tiled. I have used them on the hardwoods, too. Not weekly though as I do the baths and entryways.

But I use overkill on those floors, too. I always wipe away from the base of the commodes with Clorox wipes before I steam clean. And use several mop heads (Shark) for each bathroom. My bathrooms are average size except for one which is quite large. They get 3 mop heads per floor.

You would not believe how many mop heads I have. Between the steam cleaners and the large microfiber mops (Libman 18.75" mops) that I use with the Bona System I could clean a football stadium.

I forgot, what was the question.