Steam cleaners !! Have you got one - are they good ?? Shall I get one ?

[scatterbrain]

I've got this grey ceramic tiled floor throughout my hall and kitchen/diner - it looks pretty grubby to me - kind of ingrained dirt inherited from previous owners over a good few years - still looks dirty despite occassional moppings !

I am just wondering whether a steam cleaner would clean it well ? Or am I just wasting my money on more gadgets ?

What do you reckon ??

No one got one ??? Or subject just TOO boring ?

Go on - tell me about your steam cleaners please !!

I have one

It lives in the garage

dh used it once to clean the BBQ

I'm sure it would be good if I could be bothered to fetch it in and try it

Aha - y'see I have lots of things that live in the garage and are rarely used - and that's why I am loathe to get another something if it's not going to be any good !!

My floor is kind of textured so there are small pits in the tiles - that's where the dirt is harboured I think - my mother says I should get down on my knees with a scrubbing brush - but I am really not keen on that !

If a steamer would magic those dirt particles out I'd buy one in a shot !

DH is offering to power wash the tiles for me !! Imagine the mess !!!

I wouldn't bother, The amount of time it takes to clean something is horrendous. A scrub is still better.
Mine now lives in the garage, in fact would you like to buy it £5 + postage nearly new, used twice.

I might !!! What model is it discoverlife ?

Is it a mop one or one of those odd shaped pointy things ?

You can get scrubbing brushes on long handles, great for floors. I think you can get them from chandlers (ship supplies).

Well....i used one to clean a tiled kitchen floor. It took quite a long time, but i was very particular, and it came up lovely!! All the little ingrained dirty marks had gone! My one can only work for 15mins then needs to have a rest!! I didn't follow that rule and it switched itself off, thought it was broken but when it had cooled down it was fine. I like my steamer, it is only a cheap one from Woolworths but is good for losening dirt in ovens cleaning bathroom tiles etc., I just don't use it enough!!! Oh and make sure you get one where you don't have to hold the 'on' button on all the time, friends have had them and said they are a pain.

Ahhh - thanks for that blossomsmine - it is ingrained dirt on mine for defiunite ! I just cleaned it with my VAX for hard floors and although the water came out BLACK the floor still looks very grubby !

Think I will bite the bullet and buy one !

I posted on this subject a few weeks ago and bought this steam mop- its very good, won't change your life buts beats scrubbing and emptying minging mop buckets!
If you think it's rubbish you can return it anyway (Lakeland have fab returns policy)
Not sure I'll bother with the patio cleaning bit though!!

Ahhh - that looks good and has a scrubby thing - the one I was looking at on QVC didn't !!

Thank you for that !

Sorry - one more question ! It says it uses dry steam - so does the floor not get wet ? And if it does get wet does the mop suck the wetness up or do you have to dry the floor separately ?

Thnaks !

floor gets a bit wet but really not much - not sure what they mean by dry steam - does that exist! Dries very quick, much better than mopping

My wasn't dry steam, so all the surfaces got wet, which is fine cos you tend to clean/dry with cloths or kitchen roll anyway. My sister borrowed mine and wasn't impressed, she kind of thought it was going to be amazing and practially do it all for her....she thought it sucked up all the wet and dirt....no it doesn't do that but it loosens all the dirt then you can wipe/scrub and it comes off easier. Not a quick fix but a good way of getting things really clean.