Efbe-Schott? Janey?
Efbe-Schott Steam Power Mop SC15 review - score 59%
Efbe-Schott says its Steam Power Mop SC15 delivers 'outstanding performance and superb value for money' - but can it live up to its claims? The Which? cleaning experts put a range of tough stains, in the path of this steam mop to see whether it can really leave your floors sparkling. Read on for our verdict.
This Efbe-Schott Steam Power Mop SC15 may be slow to get going, but once it's up to temperature it leaves floors impressively clean. It pairs great cleaning with being easy to use, which compelled our experts to award it a good overall score. This model is definitely worth considering.
Adjustable steam
The Efbe-Schott produces steam at the press of a button, and the steam rate is adjustable. It is suitable for sealed laminate and tiled floors, and an alternative head is provided for the cleaning of low-pile carpets, rugs and carpet tiles. A lime-scale filter is also supplied.
You'll have to wait nearly a minute (52 seconds) to get steaming, which is a long wait compared to many other models we've tested. It can steam clean for about 25 minutes before the tank needs a re-fill, which is easy to do.
Muddy footprints were easy to shift from a smooth floor, but a textured floor presented more of a challenge. The same was true with dried-on pasta sauce. Sticky jam cleaned up easily regardless of the floor type. This mop leaves the floor quite wet after cleaning.
Doesn't get into corners
This Efbe-Schott mop is easy to use with straightforward controls, but is not easy to manoeuvre - the short power cable restricts movement somewhat. The mop reclines to clean under raised furniture, and the swivel action of the head, through 180-degrees, helps you get around obstacles. The mop glides smoothly but it is a noisy mop compared to others we've tested.
Annoyingly the cleaning pad does not reach right up to the wall edge or all the way into corners due to its shape. The microfibre cleaning pads can be machine washed at 60°C but did not wash well - they were grimly and stained after washing.
The handle height measures 113cm, and this mop is better suited to large hands. The power cord measures just over 4.5m which is on the short side, and the SC15 weighs just over 3kg with a full water tank.
The SC15 locks in an upright position for storage and the cord tidies away.
Pros: Good stain removal, easy to manoeuvre, lime scale filter
Cons: Slow to get ready, noisy, short power cable, cleaning pads don't wash well.
Efbe-Schott Steam Cleaner Transformer STCi 5Y review - score 42%
Efbe-Schott dubbed the STCi 5Y steam cleaner the 'Steam Cleaner Transformer', as it 'transforms' when you remove the body to find the tools, attach the shoulder strap so you can carry it around or connect the optional ironing accessory. But does this steam cleaner have the power to transform grubby surfaces into sparkly clean ones? Read on to find out.
Getting a lot of mediocre or poor scores across our tests, this steam cleaner is not a worthwhile purchase. We also have some concerns about the build quality of this model. Use our 'Compare features' tool to find a better steam cleaner.
What is it?
This is a versatile cylinder steam cleaner that has a full range of accessories to help you tackle all the jobs in your house, from cleaning the oven and windows to carpets, hard floors and upholstery.
This model also has a shoulder strap so you can carry it around on your shoulder when you're cleaning, making cleaning tasks a little more convenient.
Most cylinder steam cleaners spit water on starting up with a full tank of water - this model only spat for the first ten seconds or so, which is pretty good.
This steam cleaner comes with an optional ironing attachment, but it may be more convenient to choose a Best Buy steam iron instead - they're available for under £40.
What's it great at?
This steam cleaner is more energy efficient than most cleaners and the 1,200ml water tank will produce enough steam to last 28 minutes, which is better than average.
Is there anything I should watch out for?
Like almost every cylinder steam cleaner tested by Which?, it doesn't do a good job of removing dried-in wine stains from carpets.
The build quality of this steam cleaner is questionable. The plastic tube isn't particularly rigid - so it'll bend when you're putting effort in to scrub a stubborn stain from a surface. The plastic of the main body also felt flimsy.
In our durability tests, we found that after using it twenty times, the pressure dipped and the amount of steam produced dropped.
Should I buy it?
No. Its test scores are either mediocre or poor and there are better models available for a similar price.
It is worth noting that no cylinder steam cleaner we've tested has yet done well across all of our tests, so we have no Best Buys we can recommend.
We do, however, have Best Buy steam mops, and for the rest of your home there are Best Buy multi-surface and oven cleaners.
Do you own this steam cleaner? If you do, let us know what you think about it by clicking the Customer Views tab just above the picture.
Pros: Fairly energy efficient, long steam time
Cons: Bad at removing stains from carpet, questionable build quality, steam dropped off after repeated use.
Efbe-Schott Delta Head S HST 78Y review - score 64%, Best Buy
Efbe-Schott boasts that its Delta Head S HST 78Y steam mop is the bestselling steam mop in the UK. But is it popular for good reason? To test it out, our cleaning experts put it to work on a range of everyday grime to see just how clean and clear it leaves hard floors. Read on to see if it made the grade as a Which? Best Buy.
The Efbe-Schott Delta Head S HST 78Y steam mop delivers impressive cleaning when faced with tough stains, making it a worthy Best Buy. It's also quiet and fairly easy to use.
Continuous steam
This Efbe-Schott mop takes just under a minute to get ready to take on your cleaning, which is quite a long time compared to other models. Muddy footprints presented no challenge whatsoever for the Delta Head steam mop - it shifted them with ease. And although a little more effort was needed to clean dried-on pasta sauce and jam, the results were still great.
The Delta offers continuous steaming, and you can adjust the steam rate depending on how dirty your floors are. It is suitable for sealed laminate and tiled floors and an alternative head is supplied for the cleaning of low-pile carpets, rugs and carpet tiles.
It lacks a lime-scale filter or anti-scale cartridge, so is perhaps not an ideal choice for those in a hard-water area.
Doesn't swivel
The handle of this mop measures 131cm. It is easy enough to use the controls, but this is not the easiest mop to manoeuvre as it lacks a swivel head.
The head cleans almost up to the edge of the room, but leaves a small gap, and does not reach fully into corners. It can be reclined flat to reach under furniture. This Efbe-Schott mop glides smoothly and is very quiet while in use.
Good quality cleaning pads
The supplied re-usable cleaning pads are good quality and well made, and attaching them to the mop head is easy enough.
The cleaning pads can be machine washed at 40°C, but they do not wash well. After washing they still looked grimy and had lost their sponginess - there was also some shrinkage and stretching but they were still usable.
Light and long lasting
This is one of the lighter mops we've tested at 2.5kg with a full water tank. And you'll get a generous 30 minutes of steaming for each full tank of water.
Filling the water tank could be easier. You can't remove the tank from the mop body and the opening is quite tight fitting, so it is not ideal for those with restricted hand movement. The water jug provided does help.
The cord length is generous enough at just over 5m, and the cord tidies away, but the loose end hangs free as there are no cord clips. And although this mop locks in an upright position, it tends to fall over when the power cable is wrapped around it.
Pros: Impressive cleaning, quiet, fairly easy to use, lightweight, 30 minutes of steam on a full tank
Cons: Slow to get ready, lacks a lime-scale filter, filling the water tank is tricky