Needing a steam cleaner/mop thingy

[starrystarrynights]

Could anyone recommend one please?

There is a Shark one reduced to 100 in the Curry's sale which the salesman's mum likes apparently (!!) but I've not heard of the brand.

Any recommendations would be much appreciated.

Do you wanting it for floors or just cleaning or both??

Watching with interest as I want a steam mop/cleaner that does floors but has attachments for the bath, tiles etc.

I did a lot of research on steam cleaners before buying and went with a Polti Vaporetto Edition. It does hard floors, carpets and upholstery and has attachments for bathrooms and kitchens. I'm really pleased with it. Polti do several different models, but this was the one that best fitted my needs/price range. I think I got it on Amazon if I remember correctly.

Just bought one today from asda reduced to £20 had looked at more expensive models but the reviews weren't better or worse. Probably not as strong and durable but for £20, I can afford 5 of the more expensive ones. Gave it a whirl this afternoon and its great . It's made by holme and does hard floors as will as carpets! Hope this helps :-)

The shark (can't remember if they do different versions) one was recommended to me by a friend who is a cleaner.

I was just researching steam cleaners yesterday. Lakeland sell the shark ones, reviews are mixed though, it was reduced though so if you decide to buy one look there first.

I also lookedat steammops this Christmas. The reviews are a muchness in many cases. I didnt need one with all the gadgets so I got a Prolex power steam mop (does floors and carpets and hads five microfibre, washable mop heads with it) for £24.99 from B& M Homestores.

I am very impressed with it. It heats up quickly, has a long chord to move around, an on/off steam button, carpet glider, has a good tank so will steam for around 20 mins and does all my floors in that and is manouverable.

Most importanly, it left my floors nearly dry. Drier than mop and bucket. I had worried about this. Brought the bathroom and grimey kitchen floor up a treat. I wish I had got one sooner.

How exactly do they work? i can see that they will loosen dirt, but how is it picked up? Surely a mucky kitchen floor like mine will need the little pads repeatedly washed? And how about the dirt from carpets? I've got a little hand held steamer which is great for wall tiles etc, but I use it in conjunction with a cloth to wipe up the moisture and dirt. Similarly I have a carpet washer which pumps out but then sucks up; puzzled by non- sucking steaming.

You do need to change the mop heads. They are fairly easy to put on and pull off. You can wash them (60 degrees in the machine). I swished my extra grimey one off in the bowl before putting it in the wash first time.

I used one to clean my kitchen and one to clean my bathroom which were grimey when I got the mop.

I would say now though, one head will do my floors each day. I do the floor, take it off, throw it in the wash. Put a new one on for the next day.

It cleans by releasing steam through the mop head and cover onto the floor. This lifts the dirt and its collected on the microfibre head (just like a mop or floor cloth). Run the mop over the floor slowly. As you leave a section it virtually dries in front of your eyes. You can hold it over a dirty part of the floor longer if you need to. My mop says between 8 and 15 seconds to spot clean messes. I prefer the over and back routine myself.

Thanks , kitten, I'm not sure whether I'm up for every day mopping, our cleaner mops once a week and we get by with sweeping otherwise. Yes I am a dyed in the wool slut. I guess from what you say, carpets get cleaned on the same principle, loosen, catch on cover. Do they dry quickly? I always have a vague hope that simply by buying a new gadget or cleaning product I will transform into a perfect housekeeper. Buying easy, regularly using not so. Perhaps I should join one of the threads on here dedicated to sorting out house / life.

Averyyoungkitten is your steam mop good on carpets??do you get replacement pads with it, I don't know if I'd benefit with a floor steamer as it's only my tiny bathroom and small kitchen with hard flooring, but I like the idea of steaming the carpets as I normally take a mop with dettol over them!

I have a H2O X5 steam mop. It only does floors though. 'Tis brilliant - I wouldn't be without it now (sad I know).

I haven't ever tried it on carpet as we only have hall, stairs & landing carpet and that was replaced last month! It does have a carpet attachment though.

There were only two cleaning pads with the mop though, so I ordered an additional pack of 6 from eBay.

My steam mop comes with a glider for carpets.I have cleaned the hall carpet with it.I cant say it " cleans" but it certainly took out a couple ofspots and didseem to raise the pile ofthe carpet. I have short pile and loop carpets, not shag pile.

The mop came with five mop microfibre ,washable mop heads. I understand it is possible to buy more and also that mop tops tothe H20 and Vax also fit it but I have five mops and I have two in use currenly.One to wash and one on the mop . I change them each time I start a new mopping session. I havent found the need for the others.

I am not a daily Mrs Mop usually. I tend to do my floors weekly usually which is why I decided to only get a cheapie. But I have got it out when someone walks his footprints through my kitchen.

I think I'm going to go for the b&m one, I've only got a tiny tiled bathroom floor and a small Lino kitchen! So don't really see the need for an expensive one, but I'm liking the steaming of carpets I mop everyday so it will be washed and dried in no time, I'll let you know how I get on with it

My Polti has a brush for carpets. It's amazing for getting out trodden in food - we have a carpeted dining room and 13mo DS is a terrible food thrower. Because the steam evaporates, they dry almost instantly.

I have a Karcher which I love. It does floors (hard and carpet) but also has attachments like a detail nozzle, brush, thing for doing showers etc. It also has a very long power cord and a safety switch which I like.

I've been reading all the steam mop threads with interest, was going to for the b&m one but they were out of stock

Tesco had some in their home sale so I picked up the Abode one for £24, figured it would be easier to return to tesco too if it's rubbish.

Just got home and checked the reviews on amazon and they're fab so hoping I've made a good buy, will let you know when I've had a play with it

Does the abode one do carpets??

Yes its got a carpet glider attachment. Just done my kitchen floor, really impressed though red faced about how much muck came off the floor!

Brilliant going to nip to tesco tonight was it in store you bought it??

Yes in store

I have the Morphy arichards 9 in1.. I use it for everything. Surprisingly, the inside of my oven has never been cleaner.

Perfect I was going to go to b&m for there one but I'll go for the one in tesco tonight

Really gettng interested now in steam mops. We have terracotta tiles in the kitchen, futility and conservatory, so plenty of mopping territory. The grout in all these was once pale grey, but because the level of the grout is marginally lower than the tiles themselves, it does not get mop-cleaned to the same standard, so it is certainly not pale now. Would a steam cleaner redress this slatternly situation? (easily)

Tesco instore had none left away to look online!