Kick-ass steam cleaner recommendations needed

[tigerpug]

We have inherited a black slate floor in the kitchen of our new house and I am finding it really hard to keep clean - 2 DCs, weaning food constantly thrown on it, muddy feet etc.

I sweep everyday and wet mop it with flash and a bit of bleach but it rarely shifts all the mess, esp dried on food. NICE!

It is a big area, and I am wondering if a steam cleaner/mop might keep it cleaner and save me time. Some of them look quite flimsy, have mixed reviews and are only suitable for smaller areas.

Does anyone have one they can recommend, with enough capacity to clean a large area AND shift all the mess. Thanks

[roneik]

I have a VAX hard surface steam cleaner , you can use it on carpets too using the glider insert. I shove some flash in with the water. On hard surfaces it will usually cover an average size room. The refill bottle is so easy to top up it does not cause a problem. With steamers you get a terry towel removable cover. You have to make sure after cleaning it that you hang it up somewhere or they start to smell. Effortless to use but no detachable hand held with mine which was a mistake I now realize I made.
I have borrowed a lady friends hand held for tile grout cleaning and realize I should get one as they are good . I am a bloke but even blokes clean, well some do

[roneik]

Forgot to mention My Vax vacuum cleaner is better and lasted longer than the Dyson that was several times more expensive. The motor failed after only 2 years of not heavy usage

[tigerpug]

Hi Roneik, thanks for this. Is this one yours?
www.vax.co.uk/s2-hard-floor-master-steam-cleaner

I looked at this but didn't think it would have enough capacity. Although even the mega expensive ones get mixed reviews.

[lavendersun]

tiger, I have had one of these for about five years

www.vax.co.uk/hard-floor-cleaners/floormate-trio-hard-floor-cleaner

I love it, obv not a steam cleaner but it works well for me. I have a dog, live rurally = lots of mud. What I really like about it is that it washes the floor with clean water and the dirty water goes in its own tank, rather than mopping where you end up washing with dirty water.

It leaves the floors almost dry.

I don't bother with their solution, I use flash for wood (should mention that I use it on very old oak floors), sometimes add a bit of bleach.

[roneik]

Yes that's the one. The top up bottle slides out upward from the front of the cleaner. Had it for about 18 months now. It's good on wooden floors as well as hard tile floor. With carpets and rugs it just freshens rather than deep cleanse. you get about 15ft cable so usually you can reach everywhere average side room space without replugging in different socket
Been out so first chance to reply.

[roneik]

tigerpug That's a bargain,cheaper than I paid £79

[roneik]

Tigerpug Being only steam it pumps out ,you get a lot of steam from not much water. Better than mops that keep needing replacing. If I was buying another, I would get one with the detachable tools. But the money they are asking makes it a real bargain

[lavendersun]

roneik what does it do with the dirt? My Vax above actually has dirt, probably a good tablespoon full of dirt which is mud I suppose, in the dirty water tank when I empty it.

I can't get my head around steam cleaning floors which are actually grubby and where the dirt goes.

[roneik]

Yours is different to mine, with the one I have you rinse the terry cover that
is held on by a cord with a toggle to tighten. It brings up the floor ok, but it sounds like you have more traffic over your floor. I will have a nose around on the net. It sounds strange the dirt going into the water bottle. surly that would mean cleaning the floor with filthy water. you get several of the covers and they whip off easily to change. I dump them in bleach to clean.

[roneik]

I have had a look at the reviews and picked up on one comment that made me wonder if you are using the vac part before the steam. The reason I say that is is I get the impression they share the same tank. So using the steamer first would mean clean water for cleaning, and it would not matter that the debris was in the water as you would then empty. They all give glowing reviews though

[lavendersun]

Hi roneik, mine doesn't steam, it is a washer that has rotating brushes and sucks up the washing water into another tank so that it is separate from the clean water. It has a dry vac, wet wash/vac.

Just wondering whether a steamer would in fact do the same job as I can't imagine that the steamer mop thing would hold as much dirt.

I suppose a steamer would clean the upstairs floors (also oak floorboards) whereas I wouldn't take the wet one upstairs.

[tigerpug]

Lavendersun, thats what i keep thinking - where does the dirt go with a steam mop? Im thinking that we generate a lot of dirt in this house because overtime i mop the floor here the water is dirty. And the mop doesn't lift everything....

Roneik, i think i found the one with detachable bit earlier but more expensive. That said, i dont mind paying more, i just want something that will work

[tigerpug]

Good reviews for the Morphy Richards 9 in 1 on another thread.

Just wondering if its worth paying so much extra for the Volpi or Karcher brands

[homeaway]

I have the hoover with washable pads and it is good. For the first few times i just rinsed the pad mid floor if it was really dirty. It does clean better than a mop.

[Marmitelover55]

Not a steam mop and much cheaper but we have vileda 1-2 spray and go and it's fab. You fill the mop with cleaning fluid and you are off - no need for a bucket. I have a spare head thing so can have one on the wash and one on the go.

[roneik]

On that vax steamer the terry towel thingy absorbs the dirt . I use mine on wooden floor and tiles. It also can refresh, not deep clean rugs ect. It does me alright steam is a germ killer and gets rid of doggy smells on rugs ect.
I must say in his defense my dog never had an accident in doors. He is in and like a fiddlers elbow bring krud from the garden though.The terry thingy gets quite dirty but you get several of them and you can buy spares

[roneik]

tigerpug when mine konks out that's what I am getting too

[blanklook]

For a general all-rounder a H2O isn't bad and it's ready to use almost from switching it on, although my first one only lasted a year due to limescale buildup. It can be very hard to push on a stone floor and cushionfloor. The other gadgets do work but they can be a bit fiddly and the water-tank part that you have to hold whilst using the gadgets is a bit heavy and cumbersome, they supply a sling with it now to get around that. It can be refilled anytime.

For a better clean I prefer the Polti Vaporetto, it has a much higher steam pressure and comes with a bagful of gadgets that are very sturdy and IMO easier to use. It takes about 7 minutes to heat and once you have used the tankful of water, you have to let it cool before the pressure release valve will operate and when you refill the still very hot boiler, use hot water otherwise it can 'spit' back (think hot pan under cold tap) You don't need special microfibre cloths with it although I do prefer them for gathering the dirt generally a bit of old towelling or old teatowel or old t-shirt does fine to use then throw away if dealing with any yucky stains and marks.

I did try a Little Yello but it needed to stop and come up to temperature/pressure several times when I did my kitchen floor so I sent it back.

[tigerpug]

Hi Blanklook, Ive been looking at the Polti Vaporettos, again mixed reviews online. Which model do you have?

[MrsPear]

I am never getting a Polti again. It just stopped working. Then the replacement and then they wouldn't replace the replacement. I might go for a MP 9 in 1 when i can get the money together - have to buy a bed this month!

[blanklook]

Tigerpug it's the 950 www.polti.com/en/catalog/consumer/66/117
I've had it a few years now, maybe they have a newer one?