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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be disappointed with my MN steam cleaner?

19 replies

chicaguapa · 08/02/2015 20:55

I bought the Murphy Richards 9-1 steam cleaner today for the princely sum of £99.99 and I'm a bit meh about it.

What I don't like:
The steam doesn't seem to be consistent and I have to keep stopping when I'm cleaning the floor and waiting for the next burst. It doesn't seem very strong or hot and the floor just feels cold and wet afterwards. It does genuinely feel and look like I've just mopped it with some cold water.

Strangely it seems a bit better when I'm using it as a hand held and it seems to give off more steam, though again inconsistently and I have to stop and wait for the next burst.

I have experimented with holding the trigger and letting go. Neither seems to have any effect on whether it steams or doesn't.

What I do like:
It has cleaned the tiles/ splashback well and the grouting in the shower looks loads better now.

I'm not sure if I have a faulty one or if this is as good as it gets. Can you convince me to keep it and that it's £100 well spent?

OP posts:

Janethegirl · 08/02/2015 21:34

I've got a Karcher one ( not sure of the spelling) but it's reasonably ok although the steam is not as much as I'd have liked but it does the job!

Bedsheets4knickers · 08/02/2015 21:36

Yes take it back. I've had one not the same make an it was fiddly , heavy . The nozzle kept flying off. I took mine bsck bought a new mop

pictish · 08/02/2015 21:37

It's not faulty, they're just shit.
They make a very impressive ksssshhhh noise, but do nothing you couldn't do with a mop and bucket or a basin and a cloth in half the time.

pictish · 08/02/2015 21:38

P.s I bought one as well. Fool that I am. Steamed everything for two days then never bothered with it again.

TheFutureMrsB · 08/02/2015 21:40

Mine's great but I only paid half of what you did. It cleans the floors brilliantly and has a good jet of steam all of the time. I press in the trigger, start mopping, let it go and then press again to keep the flow of steam steady (if that makes sense) . Where did you buy it ?

Bunbaker · 08/02/2015 21:41

"It's not faulty, they're just shit.
They make a very impressive ksssshhhh noise, but do nothing you couldn't do with a mop and bucket or a basin and a cloth in half the time."

this. I find it quicker and easier to just use a bit of elbow grease and get down on my knees to clean floors. I cleaned all the bathroom walls with it when I first got it, but it was too heavy. It is too much of a faff.

tinfoilhat · 08/02/2015 21:59

I bought one too after reading the thread on it. I was really pleased at first but the reservoir started leaking after a couple of months, then bits of plastic just kept breaking off with each use until eventually I couldn't use the bloody thing at all.

Grrrrr!

Original poster

chicaguapa · 09/02/2015 07:33

I bought it in Robert Dyas. I went to get the cheaper model for £59.99 but they didn't have it and tried to flog me the Thane X5 for £79.99. I wanted the MR one as it had better Which reviews so paid £99.99 for the one with variable steam. I think I'd be more forgiving if I'd paid half that tbh.

OP posts:

chocolatemademefat · 09/02/2015 07:58

I've had two different makes now and have reached the conclusion that a vileda mop is much better. The steam mops seem to leave smears which look like dirty marks. Sometimes I miss my carpets and a quick run around with the Hoover.

Osmiornica · 09/02/2015 08:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

treaclesoda · 09/02/2015 08:20

I have a steam mop (not this one though) and I love it. It's a Morphy Richards, but cost about £40. Gets my floors far cleaner than an ordinary mop and only takes half the time. I can see I'm in the minority here!

HellKitty · 09/02/2015 08:29

No Treacle! I bought a £30 one from Amazon due to the MN love of steam cleaners and it's great. We have hard tiles/Lino in both bathrooms, porch and conservatory (not a stealth boost - we rent!) and I get the DCs to do those with the steam mop. I do the kitchen, or at least start to then DP finishes as its a 'tool' and therefore a man thing. So basically I don't do any cleaning with mine

RainbowFlutterby · 09/02/2015 08:35

Mine's brilliant.
I often use a squitz of cleaner on stubborn marks and I can whizz through much quicker than a mop. It dries quicker too. Tbh yours sounds faulty.

If you're getting dirty marks then you need to change the pad thingy!

GhostlyPenguin · 09/02/2015 08:38

I like mine - £40 something vax one bought at ALDI - it great for the lino floors in kitchen and bathroom and the tiles out in the utility.

Mind you the mops and buckets weren't great and kept getting lost - looks sternly at DC .

SnowWhiteAteTheApple · 09/02/2015 08:42

Tried a friends once and glad I did as found it sadly lacking. In contrast the Vileda spray mop is fantastic and I can do the whole house in under ten minutes easily.

CarolVordermansCamelToe · 09/02/2015 08:49

I like mine (X5) but you do have to change the pads very frequently as they do get filthy very quickly. I have 8 pads for mine and get through 6 every time I do the floors. I didn't think we were grubby but it is truly amazing what they get up.

Toooldtobearsed · 09/02/2015 09:10

Chic, same model, same problem.

I also hate the drawstring cord thingy catching, the dirty pads that need washing (and broke my tumble drier by snapping the belt) and the sheer uselessness of it all.

I reverted to a mop and bucket.

FluffyRedSocks · 09/02/2015 09:21

I've got a karcher one from the mn test thread.. I've used it twice and its now in the back of my shoe cupboard....... I don't know if I'm allowed to sell it so there it shall stay!

unlucky83 · 09/02/2015 09:42

I got a cheap steam mop, 'Abode' less than £20 on offer in Asda ...with extra pads cost £26.
It is quite flimsy and the head has fallen off and I had to put it back (involved undoing screws etc) but I've had it for maybe 18 months...
You have to keep changing pads if the floor is very dirty (muddy footprints!! I have been known to run over with a mop and bucket and then use the steam mop to dry it off) - and I don't have dirty enough washing to just chuck the pads in with a load ...feels a waste to wash them on their own and hard to clean (I soak and get the worst off before washing with something) ...but in general I like mine.
I deliberately bought a cheap one after reading the reviews on Which - the more expensive ones seem to make more steam so cleaned better but left the floor wetter...
The reason I wanted a steam mop was cos they are quick drying...so you can mop more often without waiting for an age for the floor to dry, nagging DCs to keep off and worrying about them slipping...in theory means the floor never gets that dirty ...in practice...I'm too lazy...
And you do really still need a proper mop - to mop up big spills
(another thing I'd like is a handheld (cordless?) wet hoover...I have a carpet cleaner and a traditional vax and a DIY wet & dry hoover - all would do the job but a lot of faff to get out/set up and then you are stuck with a great big long wet hose and machine to clean and dry out ...I have a vax handheld spot scrubber too but it doesn't hold much liquid and also a pain to find/clean/dry)
I would like to try one of those 'salad spinner' type mops but they seem quite expensive and worried if they fall out of favour you'll struggle to get new heads (I have a vileda magic mop sponge thing, you don't need a bucket for ...never that good and becoming very difficult to get heads for in eg the supermarket...and you need specific ones etc- online you have to buy 4 at a time)

I also saw in the Which reviews that the steam 5 in ones etc that were good at mopping seemed to be rubbish as handheld - and vice versa...

So I bought a handheld steam cleaner from Lidl- £15. Less keen on that - but I think it is faulty - it isn't very controllable - takes a while to start steaming and then when you stop pressing the trigger the steam keeps billowing out, you can't stop it ...steam is rubbish for things like baked on cooker grease - but good for cleaning in cracks and crevices - inside sink overflow, in front of the dishwasher seal/door, fronts of cupboards and appliance doors (watching the steam doesn't get into the controls!) -also I find it useful for defrosting the freezer...so in the kitchen - I thought I'd use it more in the bathroom but by the time you've faffed plugging in it (I need an extension lead) it isn't worth the hassle...

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