to expect my new steam cleaner....

[littlebitofthislittlebitofthat]

to actually clean, and not just heat the muck and make it wet?

or am I doing something wrong?

Admittedly I'm trying to clean an oven door that hasn't been cleaned in so long that its actually an orange opaque colour....

But even so.... I expected it to just vaporise the muck?

[PipkinsPal]

My accident prone cousin managed to shatter her oven door whilst using a steam cleaner. I have one which is mainly a wallpaper stripper but has attachments for steaming too. The novelty has worn off and the wallpaper has all gone so it's now in the attic. I use Oven Pride. It's also marvellous for cleaning burnt on jam off my maslin pan. I just put a bit of solution on the stuff and leave it for a while.

[MrsBungle]

I just cleaned my oven with the Mx5 hand held bit of the steamer last week. I was amazed. It was excellent. I used the little black brush tool and it got everything off first time. I've found my steam cleaner worth every penny.

[Edlyu]

I bought one last week. Half price in sainsburys.
Total rubbish and a waste of time -thats what happens when you impulse buy .
Its going back today.

[GirlWiththeLionHeart]

I find my Vax floor one really hard to push around! I'm tired enough as it is with a newborn tbh and it feels like a session in the gym. Only did it once now the mop seems much easier

[Freddiemisagreatshag]

Make a paste of dishwasher powder. That'll shift any grease.

Steam cleaners are a bag o shite.

[cozietoesie]

This is the most Stepford Wives thread I've read in months -but. Are you all using the brush attachments? Steam alone won't do it.

[SqueakyCleanNameChange]

Great for floors - not so good for everything else.

[wildstrawberryplace]

I think a lot of steam cleaners are rubbish - but I have used a Karcher and it was very good, and I have a Polti which is fab. It's great for grouting, freshening and cleaning carpets and curtains and upholstery, steam cleaning the tiled floors, cleaning the buggy etc. To be honest I used it much more when DS was a baby crawling everywhere and mashing soggy biscuits into stuff...

You need one that has a high bar of pressure. The little kettle looking ones must be next to useless. You need at least 3.5 or 4 bar of pressure to dislodge dirt.

[ppeatfruit]

wildstrawberry How are they on tiled floors ? Do they dislodge the grouting? I've got tiles that need horrible polish removed but I don't want to remove the grouting as well !

[wildstrawberryplace]

ppeat mine hasn't dislodged any grouting and I have been using it when I can be arsed these days for 5 years.

[ppeatfruit]

Brilliant thanks and will it remove the polish stain- like stuff?

[wildstrawberryplace]

Hmm, not sure about that, sorry. Can you get a liquid remover for it maybe? What kind of polish is it, on what kind of tiles?

[CockyFox]

I've got the green one from the teleshopping adverts ( nought it when i didn't get picked for the karcher test on here) it's brilliant, I've only had it a week but it works a treat I put the brush on it, scrubbed with it the wiped with a microfibre cloth and the oven came up brilliantly not like new but no burnt on grease and remains of exploded spuds.
I didn't really expect that though and only bought it to do around the litter tray.

[SnookyPooky]

Oh poo, I really wanted to get one. We have tiled floors throughout and I thought it would be good for that.

[Emilythornesbff]

You can phone a man to come round and clean your oven for about £30.


Check your local directory.

[K8Middleton]

You used Lenor?

[cozietoesie]

Nothing would surprise me - many substances are multi-functional. Best brass cleaner I ever used (under instruction because I would never have considered it) was spray Windolene when they still made it.

[Sleepyfergus]

We have a vax steam cleaner and its the mutts nuts. It's fab for windows and bathroom especially

But for ovens with really stubborn marks, Oven Pride is your best friend. £2.99 in Home Bargains. 24 hours later and it will sparkle like new. Fact.

[littlebitofthislittlebitofthat]

Lenor loosens stains, brown sauce is good for brass.


My Steam cleaner is rubbish! 1000 (whatevers)

[ppeatfruit]

wildstrawberry It was on 'natural' looking terracotta tiles when we moved in and it has darkened them horribly. We removed some of it with bleach and boiling\very hot water and I hoped the Karcher would do it on its own.

[BeckAndCall]

I've got 2 - a 'steam buggy' from QVC or similar and a fax floor steam cleaner. Both times I've been so excited to get my house as clean as the ones on the telly - each time a disappointment.

This week, I used the steam buggy to clean the green off the patio table - thought it would be easy. Ended up getting a bucket of hot water and a scrubbing brush out. It may 'lift' the muck but it very quickly settles again.

But the floor mop has its uses - I like the idea of knowing that steam has got into all the cracks to kill the bugs. A palava to get it all together though - takes a while.

[cozietoesie]

ppeatfruit

A karcher (or similar) is just a means of delivering extremely hot water in the form of a pressurised steam jet. It will loosen/move/melt anything which has no grease in it but you need some way to mop up the gunk unless you're doing it in a bath shower or sink where it can just flow into the drain.

If there's grease of some kind, you're still going to need detergent or something to cut the grease because that won't mix with the water. You should be able to shift it easily (I'd recommend the plastic circular brush attachment) but I'd have a mop and bucket with hot water and Flash or something such as washing up liquid standing by. Maybe even pour a small amount of Flash on the tile you're about to do in the first instance. Then Karcher it, quickly mop up and go on to the next one.

It does work. Just don't expect water to magically dispose of greasy substances.

[ppeatfruit]

Thanks cozie That's clearer now I think its a stain rather than grease it comes off in plasticy lumps!