I bought a steam cleaner and...

[BertieBotts]

I am underwhelmed. I was expecting it to be this magical cleaning machine?? People talk about them managing everything their kids throw at it.

It's alright at cleaning the kitchen floor (but not really any less effort than mopping TBH except for drying faster) but it does nothing to carpets, it's much too bulky and heavy to heft up onto the sofa to clean that. It probably does sterilise effectively but TBH I don't especially need sterilised carpet stains? I'm too scared to use it on the wood floor in case it damages it! But that's what really needs a good clean.

What am I missing - did I buy the wrong kind or am I doing it wrong?

I've had two different kinds, one cheap off a TV infomercial and one really bloody expensive and I gave both of them away, just like you said, not great at cleaning at all.

You're not doing anything wrong.

They are great for sterilising, ok for loosening dirt on hard surfaces but useless for stains.

I have a cheap hand-held steamer which is for basically the entire kitchen and bathroom, and a cheap steam mop whch is for floors, tiles (including the bathroom walls) and soft furnishings. The mop is amazing.

The hand-held comes out if someone has a bug or I'm fully spring cleaning (rare).

Both are great, but you do still need to wipe things down while you're using it IMO.

I love mine for the floors!

DON’T use it on wood floors , it will damage it

I was also underwhelmed by my steam cleaner, which then broke after a few weeks. If you don’t think much of it, would you return it?

My steamer mop leaves nice puddles of water in between the floor tiles, that I then have to dry

I used to like my steam mop, but I now have different floors so can't use it. I have an automatic mop function on my hoover so don't miss it anyway.

My hand held steamer is...OK. Does a reasonable job of loosening the gunk off the shower crevices. But a cloth proddled down with a knife and dragged along does just as good a job, and is miles quicker than dragging out the cleaner and setting it up.

The steam cleaner was also supposed to be amazing at cleaning the oven - nope. Normal oven cleaner on the sides is much easier to deal with. And I have yet to find a better way of cleaning the carbon and grease off the glass than a damp dishwasher tablet!

All in all I wouldn't bother again.

I got it on Amazon so it's a bit of a pain to return but I might.

Do you think a hand held one is better? I can't see how I would manage to lug it up to a bathroom wall? Also in our bathroom it just sort of moves dust around. Bathroom dust is the bane of my life. Too damp to Hoover but too dusty to wipe up.

I've washed all the pad things and one of them got dyed blue from a duvet cover that I was doing at a high temperature.

@DespairingHomeowner

DON’T use it on wood floors , it will damage it

I was also underwhelmed by my steam cleaner, which then broke after a few weeks. If you don’t think much of it, would you return it?

Feckles! I've just had laminate flooring laid pretty much all the way through apart from the bedroom. Looks like my steamer might be going then!

Mind you amazon never care about that stuff do they. I wonder if I still have the box?

Laminate is meant to be fine as long as it's used on a low setting. But we have actual wood floor in one room.

@BertieBotts

Laminate is meant to be fine as long as it's used on a low setting. But we have actual wood floor in one room.

It wasn't the best on my laminate floor, left it very wet.

Everyone I've ever had has been rubbish. I mope now.

I agree they are rubbish. I have a karcher one and it's bulky and awkward to use. The best thing I've ever bought for sofa/rugs/carpets is the Bissel upholstery cleaner. It shampoos then has a vacuum to suck out all the dirty water. Absolutely amazing.

If you have stained carpet or upholstery then in my experience you need an extractor to suck those out. I’ve not had much luck with a steam cleaner on carpets except to ‘refresh’ them I which sometimes brings the pile back (along with a stiff bristled brush)

I feel like I’ve tumbled into an alternate dimension. I hated mine and returned it but everyone, everywhere always raves about them. Is this thread a reverse?

@BertieBotts

Laminate is meant to be fine as long as it's used on a low setting. But we have actual wood floor in one room.

Maybe I'll test it on a hidden area first before I go and do the whole floor with it just incase it ruins it. I've got one of those flash speed mops anyway so I can always do the living room, hall, kitchen and conservatory with that and use the steam mop in the bathroom. Besides it's one that has all the attachments so can be used for other things too

I was just thinking earlier how I should probably declutter my steam cleaner machine. It was going to change my life. It did not. I haven't even seen it for at least 4 years, it's somewhere in the back of the under stairs cupboard.

I think perhaps it is life changing if you're the kind of person that already cleans regularly :o

The problem is that cleaning the floor is not merely an exercise of cleaning the floor. First I have to pick all the clutter up off the floor. Then decide where it's supposed to go because most of it is homeless clutter, or inspect whether clothes are clean/dirty etc. Then sweep/hoover because the dust bunnies have moved in and started to breed and only then can I mop. At that point it doesn't really matter if it's a steam mop or ordinary mop because so much effort has been expended just to get to this point in the first place!

I got one and was really excited but it's crap. It just seems to make stuff wet and move dirt around that I could just clean normally and without the faff. I don't get it.

Mine is long since decluttered. Found it slow and a faff to get out/fill up/plug in. Would rather just scrub something. Plus, I don't really need things 'sanitising'. Struggling to remember why I bought it

I got a vax one free with my carpet washer. Pointless waste of space. Mopping is much quicker and more effective.

@WeRateSquirrels

Mine is long since decluttered. Found it slow and a faff to get out/fill up/plug in. Would rather just scrub something. Plus, I don't really need things 'sanitising'. Struggling to remember why I bought it

Yeah, me too! It was probably mumsnet though, that's usually why I buy these life changing gadgets!

Thank you for saving me from this fantasy product which was going to make me less of a slattern. I love this thread.