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.

Liz I've got a grain in my Lino I go both ways, my Lino is white and I do use my steam mop everyday but I will need to still get on my hands and knees and scrub with bleach every week or so

ok so perhaps start across and finish with . Next Q , do you wash the microfibre thingy after each session ?

You have to wash it when it is dirty...so if your floors are really mucky might need to use more than one cloth per session...if really clean you can use more than once (I've never managed that yet -usually need a couple - an indication of the frequency I clean my floors I suspect )

I have a Holme one which has been brill for a year and has now started leaking from the pad when unplugged and the dial is turned to off. Shame, as it has been very cheap and effective.

I have the Hoover one. It has a triangular scrubby brush that lifts out. Heats up incredibly quick, easy to fill, easy to manoeuvre sp? push about, dryish floors (tiled so I accept that steam on cold floor equals water, but less than mopping would be).

Really pleased with it and I feel like a domestic goddess 'cos I'm way more likely to be inclined to quickly hoover and steam mop than to Hoover and mop and bucket - so floors have got done a lot more often!! It's the Anthea in me!

Gobbin I think the abode one (I have) and the holme one are more or less the same...
They are pretty simple - could be a failed washer/o ring or if you live in a hard water area have you tried descaling it?
(I'm thinking limescale build up somewhere not allowing it close off properly)
I bet it probably would be a cheap fix for someone handy ...and worth having a look at...

I looked on Which at these and Shark did really well in their tests and came out tops but I think consumers liked it less that Vax.

Thanks for the suggestion unlucky I'll have a look, though we're in a very soft water area. I love mine and if it has died I'll be getting a replacement of some sort for sure.

Is the Abode one any good for laminate floor and tiled walls (like bathroom tiles)?

I use mine for laminate floors and find it good...apparently they should only be used on sealed laminate...and you will void your floor guarantee .. but so far I've had no problems...but then I wasn't overly concerned as it needs replacing anyway ...and have been wet mopping it for years!
The laminate I use mine on is mid-range stuff (from B&Q - 10 yrs old) and aqua tile loc stuff (stuff for kitchens etc)...I don't think any problems (both have been subjected to a big floods - the mid range one is arguably lifting a tiny bit on a couple of joints but don't think it is the steam mops doing...
It would be tricky using a floor mop on walls...never tried it
(have used the hand held one with a squeegee I got with it - but personally I think a wipe over with vinegar followed by a normal squeegee is as good and quick ...supposedly good for grout but think a stiff brush is probably better...
but then I don't know about the big steam cleaning ones )

DH wanted one more than I did (new toy = MUST BUY ONE NOW!!!) so he did the research and bought one of the more expensive options he could find obviously which is a Karcher, small cylinder body and long hose with various attachments. Takes 8min to heat up and then goes like the clappers. I have to admit, it is quite flexible re long handle for floors/windows vs plenty of hand-held attachments for awkward areas.

DH is out cleaning the inside of the car with it atm. This is how much he loves it (and the car). He also voluntarily does the kitchen floor with it and then comes to tell me how awesome he is and how many different attachments he used. So I think that is a good recommendation.

looking on Amazon now. do you think mops with rectangular are better than triangular heads or vice versa.?

I've got a swivel triangle head and it gets right along the kick boards and into corners

I got one the other week from asda. £25 and it's great. It doesn't dry instantly but it's quick at drying. The head doesn't swivel but it does the job and doesn't leak. Cheap and cheerful. Didn't want to pay a fortune for something I wasn't sure I'd use.

Weelady, we bought the Prolex one as recommended by you this morning! Great excitement, the mucky grout is looking better, not perfect yet, but I reckon it is a cumulative effect. It has taken 15 years to get this bad, so can't expect miracles immediately. The actual pad was less filthy than anticipated, do you think this means the dirt is just being melted and distributed more evenly over the tiles?

Winklewoman, first time i used it,it was black so your floor must be cleanish
I use everyday and can get a couple of days out of pads but if I miss a day the dirt on pad is really noticeable!

Cleanish floor! Me?

Those of you who have used it on your ovens do you have any tips ? Either my oven is really skanky stubbornly grubby or I have underestimated the amount of effort in addition to the steam required to get it clean !

Liz I steam and use a scraper cause the attachment is rubbish

You mean like a freezer scraper ?

I can't quite see how you manoeuvre a mop type steamer into an oven unless it is some fancy dan one with attachments. I have a hand held one £14.99 ftom Lidl, which might work, but not as well as the professional cleaners I had as a pre-Christmas treat.
Our cleaner was thrilled with the new mop, her first go on it today.

lol , yes it is a Russell Hobbs with removable handheld. Loads of attachments but they seem a bit feeble when faced with my oven!

I've just got a cheap handheld steamer from amazon think it was about £10.99, yeah any kind of scraper I used a knife the last time

Weelady, so pleased you mentioned your handheld steamer. I was wondering why my Prolex mop had no attachments when your seemed to.