NOW CLOSED Kärcher steam cleaner feedback thread: Non testers – win a steam cleaner (RRP: £219.99) for yourself by letting Kärcher know your home’s ‘dirty secrets’

[AlexMumsnet]

This is the thread for the lucky 30 testers who were sent a steam cleaner by Kärcher and our currently using it to do the spring clean.

Kärcher say their Steam Cleaners "revolutionise home cleaning, tackling any and all frequent and difficult cleaning tasks with professional results and abolishing the need for hours of endless scrubbing! Our steam cleaner is a natural and environmentally-friendly solution that provides a family-focussed alternative from chemical cleaners that aggravate allergies and are harmful to children, killing 99.99% of all common household bacteria without the need for detergents"*

Testers are trying the SC 2.500 C

Testers: we'll be asking you to add feedback twice - we'd like your first impressions now and in a week we will add some more questions.

So, for your first impressions, Kärcher would love to know:

~ Did you find setting up the Steam Cleaner easy, were the instructions helpful?
~ Where have you used the Steam Cleaner?
~ What were your impressions from the first few uses?
~ What cleaning chore have you been most pleased with the results from using a Steam Cleaner?

If you're not an official tester but you'd like another chance to get a steam cleaner (RRP: £219.99) for yourself then please share on this thread where in your house could really benefit from a bit of a deep-steam-clean. What's your home's 'dirty secret' ? the place where you've let the grime build up and now can't bear to look at? Where would you most want to use the steam cleaner?

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

*When thoroughly cleaning with the Kärcher Steam Cleaner 99.99% of all common household bacteria will be killed on common household hard floor surfaces.

A few of you have been asking about using aromatic oils in the Steam Cleaner. Kärcher wanted to contact to say:

"Kärcher would not encourage adding aromatherapy oils to the steam cleaner as the units are designed to kill 99.99% of bacteria and clean deeper without any chemicals using just tap water."

Non tester here. My dirty secret is the windows, we have never cleaned them in the thirteen months since we moved in and I would bet money that the previous owners didn't bother either. Some of them have window security grilles so it will be a fiddly job!

Non-tester

The tiling behind the downstairs loo always gets overlooked... in fact any tiling doesn't get donetoo much and winning a steam cleaner would be a great help to me!

How do you get to be a 'tester' I wonder?

Tester testing.

Has anyone else mentioned the open water filler tank? Why on earth is there no little rubber cap on it to stop toddlers dropping biscuits and lego into the water tank when it's switched off?

It's a pity Karcher don't recommend essential oils or something because I do miss the clean smell. I know I know - I've just been conditioned to expect the smell through the power of advertising etc and it is 99.9% clean without chemicals. But I like that smell and it masks the smell of dog for 5 minutes.

Dear Karcher - I know I'm norty I'm defeating the object of steam cleaning but if I want smell would it be better to use essential oil or an alcohol-based scent (was thinking lemon-scented cologne)? I don't want to bugger up my cleaner with gunk.

Love Slambang

Non tester.

My living room carpet has had to bear the brunt of me being a first time mum. It's lived through learning that we must use a mat when changing DD on it have the lovely pee and poo spots to prove it and lots of food being squished and squashed on and into it because we never put anything under her highchair when she eats. Now that she's starting to cruise lots of other things are being thrown onto it and it's starting to look like it could use a good clean despite daily vacuuming.

When does the award for biggest slattern get announced then?

Non tester here too. Mine is the bathroom tiles and the limescale on the taps. They are gross.... I didnt clean them when I had a new born and now time has passed. I attempt to clean them and give up.... ( i need one of these cleaners!)

Not a tester.

I have a toddler who keeps messing the floor up with food etc. so my laminate floor will definitely benefit with a karcher steam cleaner. And also the floor and wall tiles in the bathroom for sure:)

Not a lucky tester, sadly.

My dirty secret is pretty much my whole house, embarrassingly enough. The worst area is the bathroom, where grime -and the unmentionables- collect around the base of the toilet and sink. I really should be on one of those programmes set to shame people with dirty houses! :(

The silicone sealant around the bath is also beyond the rescue of any cleaner that I've tried as yet.

Not a tester, but I am the proud owner of a brand spanking new kitchen, completed on Friday, and I would love to keep it looking like it does now. As for my dirty secret - every other room in the house, including a 16 year old's bedroom - I hold my breath before I enter.

I'm loving my steamer. I did a burnt pan today.I also did my bin, and tried it on a school uniform but that didn't work.

~ Did you find setting up the Steam Cleaner easy, were the instructions helpful?

Yep, really easy. Instructions were a bit vague, the diagrams were pants, but to be fair its pretty self explanatory.

~ Where have you used the Steam Cleaner?

Tiles, grout, oven, floors, mattress, window frames, patio doors, dogs bed, car

~ What were your impressions from the first few uses?

Awesome on tiles and grout. Rubbish on the oven. Heats up quickly, fun to use.

~ What cleaning chore have you been most pleased with the results from using a Steam cleaner?

Floor tiles. The grout has gone from black to white! When I moved in I just assumed it was black grouting

My dirty secret is that we live in a 600 year old house with solid wooden floors. I am not sure they have ever had a really deep clean and with 2 kittens and a baby on the way it would be lovely to think that the floor was really clean and hygenic for the baby to use!

Thanks,
F

Testers Thanks for continuing to test out the Kärcher steam cleaner.

Kärcher have asked us to say: ?We would like to thank all of you for your insightful feedback so far, your views have been very interesting and we?ve picked up on a two popular suggestions, about the clarity of instructions and number of cloths included, we are now looking into how we can realise these recommendations.?

Here are the final questions for you to answer now that you?ve had a bit longer to use the steam cleaner:

~ After a few uses, has your Steam Cleaner changed your cleaning regime at all? If so, how?

~ Have you tried the Steam Cleaner out on any of the following? If so, please tell us what the results were like: 1) everyday dirt 2) limescale in the bathroom 3) tough grease from the oven hood.

~ Is there anywhere else that you've used the Steam Cleaner where you've been impressed with the results?

~ If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Kärcher steam cleaner to a friend or family member or not?

If you?re not an official tester but you?d like another chance to get a steam cleaner (RRP: £219.99) for yourself then please share on this thread where in your house could really benefit from a bit of a deep-steam-clean. What?s your home?s ?dirty secret? ? the place where you?ve let the grime build up and now can?t bare to look at? Where would you most want to use the steam cleaner?

Thanks
MNHQ

not a tester, but am a lone woman in a house of lads.... the one thing that isn't used often enough by any of them is the shower... HOWEVER because showers are infrequent they seem to save up the grime and filth which always seems to congeal around the glass shower panel where the grime builds up...particularly around the rubber seals.... I hate cleaning the grunge - (sometimes with a sharp instrument!) completely gross

~ After a few uses, has your Steam Cleaner changed your cleaning regime at all? If so, how?

It's changed a little, I wouldn't say massively to be honest. It's quicker to clean the floor, so I do it more often now.

~ Have you tried the Steam Cleaner out on any of the following? If so, please tell us what the results were like: 1) everyday dirt 2) limescale in the bathroom 3) tough grease from the oven hood.

1. Yes. Great results. It's been brilliant.
2. No, it's not something we have an issue with
3. Not the cooker hood, but certainly the door of the oven. You know when the grease gets kinda baked on? It was rubbish. Absolutely no help there whatsoever

~ Is there anywhere else that you've used the Steam Cleaner where you've been impressed with the results?

Nothing else jumps out at me.

~ If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Kärcher steam cleaner to a friend or family member or not?

I would, but as long as they hadn't just seen the advert. The advert seems kinda misleading (not too sure if right word) the floor doesn't dry quick enough for kids to crawl on it, let alone eat a fallen biscuit! Also, it just didn't do what I thought it would.

That being said, I still love it. We are moving soon, so I think we'd get even more use when we do. We'll be going to tiled flooring.

~ After a few uses, has your Steam Cleaner changed your cleaning regime at all? If so, how?

~ Have you tried the Steam Cleaner out on any of the following? If so, please tell us what the results were like: 1) everyday dirt 2) limescale in the bathroom 3) tough grease from the oven hood.

~ Is there anywhere else that you've used the Steam Cleaner where you've been impressed with the results?

~ If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Kärcher steam cleaner to a friend or family member or not?

After a few uses, has your Steam Cleaner changed your cleaning regime at all? If so, how?

I clean more often! Strange but true. I don't think I was much of a minger before, but in particular with regards the kitchen floor (3 DCs, one mucky hound), it is so much easier to get the Karcher out and clean the floor that way, rather than filling a bucket with flash and using a mop. Particularly as the floor dries so quickly afterwards.

Have you tried the Steam Cleaner out on any of the following? If so, please tell us what the results were like: 1) everyday dirt 2) limescale in the bathroom 3) tough grease from the oven hood.
(1) Every dirt, particularly on the floors - both wooden and tiles. So easy and both come up a treat. The tiled walls in the bathrooms too - soap scum comes off really easily with no scrubbing and the long handle makes it easy for a titch like me to reach the ceiling.
(2) Limescale in the bathroom - depends quite how bad it is. We live in a hardwater area and I've had limited success. I tried using limescale remover first and leaving it for a few minutes before attacking it with the little brush. It did get some of it off, but not all of it, and the brush is quite hard so you do have to be careful not to rub too hard on the taps as the "silver" bit is wearing a bit thing . Putting a cloth over the end of the brush does stop you rubbing excessively though.
(3) I have to be honest and say my cooker hood isn't very dirty. It is made of glass so I have to keep it fairly clean anyway or it just looks vile. It worked wonders on the inside glass of the oven door, though.

Is there anywhere else that you've used the Steam Cleaner where you've been impressed with the results?
The front path - tiled Victorian - came up beautifully. I thought the tiles were beige: turns out they're white!
We also used it on the outside woodwork and window sills very successfully though you do have to be a little careful not to use full power as the paint bubbles.
Also, as DH pointed out, using it on the cold glass of the windows (particularly "old" windows) might not be a good idea as the glass might well crack with the temperature difference.

If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Kärcher steam cleaner to a friend or family member or not?
I would, because it is just so easy to clean with it, and you can clean so many things whilst it is out, rather than gathering together different cleaning implements (mops, brushes, whatever).
As an asthma/allergy sufferer, not having to use chemicals can only be a benefit too.
Initially I wasn't convinced as it isn't cheap, but having used it extensively for a fortnight (not a day has gone by without my using it for something!) I now wouldn't want to live without it!

So it's a YES from me!

~After a few uses, has your Steam Cleaner changed your cleaning regime at all? If so, how?

Yes, I now have a gadget which I use as much as possible for cleaning to save on using chemicals. There are still some areas that need the chemicals, but as much as possible I will use the steam cleaner.

~ Have you tried the Steam Cleaner out on any of the following? If so, please tell us what the results were like:

1. everyday dirt
   Good results - cleans everyday dirt really well (more ingrained dirt, not so well)

2. limescale in the bathroom
   So far not very impressed with the results. I expected more. There is a bit of a limescale deposit on the bath taps, and there still is. The steamer did nothing to shift this.

3. tough grease from the oven hood.
   Again, not as impressed. The tough strains didn't shift. I'm not sure if the stains would have shifted after repeated use, but they certainly didn't after a very thorough going over the 1st time I used it.

~ Is there anywhere else that you've used the Steam Cleaner where you've been impressed with the results?

My laminate flooring came up lovely and clean (but did take a while to dry which I found really disappointing as I was really excited by the advert, thinking I don't have to stress about my DH, DD or cats walking on the floor. But actually I did).

~ If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Kärcher steam cleaner to a friend or family member or not?

I would be hesitant at the price, especially after watching the ads. I was expecting a miracle worker! I would perhaps offer for a friend or family member to try it out first and then let them make up their minds.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to try the device out. We will be using it as much as possible, and I love the fact we will not be using as many checmical products.

~ After a few uses, has your Steam Cleaner changed your cleaning regime at all? If so, how?

A little. I now do all the floors once a week with it instead of mopping.

~ Have you tried the Steam Cleaner out on any of the following? If so, please tell us what the results were like: 1) everyday dirt 2) limescale in the bathroom 3) tough grease from the oven hood.

With everyday dirt it really just makes things wet. They still need wiped so it adds more work I find.

It took a few goes to get the grease off. But although slower than using a spray, the lack of chemicals needed was good.

I dont have any limescale, but I did use it on a particularly dirty area near the door. Hard to reach dirt in a very small space was blasted out nicely.

~ Is there anywhere else that you've used the Steam Cleaner where you've been impressed with the results?

Kitchen cupboard doors and stubborn stains on a lino floor.

~ If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Kärcher steam cleaner to a friend or family member or not?

I would reccommend. However, I feel that the price is a bit high. I dont think this is an everyday tool for me. More an occasional deep clean tool. The main benefit is cleaning the floors without chemicals knowing my baby can start crawling on clean floors.

As a non-tester, I would like the opportunity to let one of these loose on the 'secret' cupboard under the sink in the bathroom. With our firstborn due in the next month visitors are more likely to unofficially inspect the home for cleanliness. Following the bathroom being redecorated 4 years ago, all we had left to do was box in and put doors on the cupboard under the sink. Needless to say other priorities got in the way, and a painted piece of MDF was duly temporarily placed in front. Upon recent inspection, in preparation for 'nesting', it is fair to say that the walls and inners of this cupboard closer resembled a scene from Grimebusters as opposed to the sanctum of cleanliness that the inlaws will expect for their grandson! A steam cleaner sounds like the perfect answer!

Apologies for my c&p post. Clumsy fingers.

Non-tester. My secret (actually not that secret - plainly obvious) grimy place is the shower. I spend ages scrubbing at the grouting and it doesn't look any better. Would love a steam cleaner to let loose on this area.

~ After a few uses, has your Steam Cleaner changed your cleaning regime at all? If so, how?

I'll definitely be using it for the kitchen floor in future. It's only the same amount of work as using a mop, and it gets much better results, really truly clean.

Also I'll get it out once a week for spot cleaning upholstery stains etc - I'm just about to have a go at a single stain on DD's wool coat which I CBA to take to the drycleaners.

~ Have you tried the Steam Cleaner out on any of the following? If so, please tell us what the results were like: 1) everyday dirt 2) limescale in the bathroom 3) tough grease from the oven hood.

1. great, especially in little nooks and crannies
2. I have really really hard water, and was a bit disappointed; it's not much cop on tiles and shower screen, it needs a lot of vinegar or scrubbing or both, but good on funny little angles - acheived a bit of progress on the pongy limescale round the lip of the poorly designed toilet bowl.
3. had a go, but results not great. Better on metal than on glass/wood/tiles though - it's something to do with thermal conductivity I guess.

~ Is there anywhere else that you've used the Steam Cleaner where you've been impressed with the results?

We have some velvet upholstery and it's taken the miscellaneous stains off very nicely. Ditto the random felt tip mark in the middle of DS's bedroom floor.

~ If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Kärcher steam cleaner to a friend or family member or not?

Yes for floor cleaning - especially if they had pets, and if they could afford the outlay.