Anyone able to talk to me about steam cleaners?

[Longtinsellyjosie]

I've decided I want one. Not just for dust mite destruction (although that will be good) but because we're in a really hard water area and the scum/ limescale is awful - worse than anywhere I've lived before.

My cleaner has a client who has this one which she says is excellent but it's pricey... do you get what you pay for though? Does anyone else have one they can recommend?

I got one for about £12 from Argos. I use it to disinfect the inside of the chicken coop.

I did try it out on my oven the first time I fired it up and it seemed to work okay. I guess you get what you pay for and the more expensive ones perhaps have more pressure to them. Mine has a reasonable amount of pressure, but not enough to shift really hard grime from the oven or something like that.

This is the thing - you can pay anything from £12 to £999 for the industrial ones

I have had 2 poltis and they are good and worth the money and Poli service line is good. The second one was a cheaper one and i was not so impressed, but I would buy a polti again. It is also worth getting an iron attachment as it is brilliant for ironing with.
Polti do sell an additive to put in the water for hard water areas.

Ooh do they? How much was your pricier one if you don't mind my asking?

It was 15 years ago and I think it was £220 and at the time it was one of their cheaper ones. The replacement polti I bought 5 years ago and I think it was £110, but it didn't last as long and it really wasn't as good ie the connection for the iron never worked very well and felt more plasticy and cheaper, they don't make that one anymore.

Have you seen this one which is more like my original

Oh OK, that's a bit cheaper. Do I really need the iron attachment? Isn't it just a steam iron?

No you don't need the iron, but it is like having a steam generator.

I second a Polti. I bought the smaller Vaporetto model last year for £116 and it's fab. I can whizz round the kitchen and bathrooms with it. I watched it being demonstrated on the Ideal World shopping channel and succumbed but I must admit it does the job. I cleaned the oven with it last week and it was a doddle!

Ooh Twinky was it this one? I was v tempted but the one star review put me off...