Kärcher SC2.500C review thread. Non-testers: Tell Kärcher about the cleaning tasks you avoid for a chance to win a SC2.500C Steam Cleaner! NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

This thread is for the 15 Mumsnetters who are currently testing out the Kärcher SC2.500C Steam Cleaner.

Kärcher say "The Kärcher SC2.500C Steam Cleaner makes light work of grease, dirt, stains and even limescale, delivering deep cleaning results with no chemicals or scrubbing. It kills 99.9% of bacteria with just the power of steam, and can be used on most surfaces around the home"

Non-Testers: What cleaning tasks do you have trouble with? Maybe you avoid cleaning the oven or dread scrubbing the bathroom? Are there any tasks that you think a steam cleaner could help with? Whatever your cleaning woes, Kärcher would love to hear about them.

Everyone who leaves their response on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win their own Kärcher SC2.500C!

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?
• What were your impressions from the first few uses?
• Where have you used the Steam Cleaner?
• What cleaning chore have you been most pleased with the results from using a Steam Cleaner?
• Did you you use this for more functions than you originally planned?

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

I really hope I comply with "keeping" requirements. I've not had an email about filming - are other testers also not filming?

Saga - LOVE your user name.

Only 5 of us are filming so don't worry if you didn't get an email about it.

Thanks! I LOVE yours!!

I've unpacked the box and set it up but not had a chance to use it yet so I'll answer the questions tomorrow when I've used it. I've decided to be completely honest in my reviews, if I like it I'll say so but on the other hand if I don't like it I'll also say I think it's far more helpful when reading reviews when they say "I like it but…" rather than gushin about how amazon it is and glossing over the parts which could be improved.
I have a few comments, while it was relatively easy to put together better pictures and instructions would be helpful, it seems really stingy only putting one of each cloth and one brush in when I would presume these are expected to get dirty or wear out? What about when one cloth is in the wash?
It's smaller and lighter than I expected and will easily fit in the corner of the utility room but I'm confused by the cord storage, why not have a retractable cord like a Hoover rather than bundling it all up and shoving it into a hole?
Dh was concerned by the lack of packaging in the box, he wondered why it wasn't in polystyrene, I quite liked it, more Eco friendly to use less packaging and the box was packed tightly enough for things not to move around too much and everything was I damaged so that was good, maybe the plastic bags inside could be biodegradable bu that's just splitting hairs.

Gushing and amazing
Everything was ok and undamaged. Sorry
It's been a long day.

Cakey - I had 2 of each cloth in mine, which I thought was good

Totally agree about the retractable cable - it's a little bizarre! They've obviously thought enough about it to create the "wind up your cable and shove it here" bit at the back - why on earth would they think that's a better solution?

Even a device to wind it neatly round would be better.
I wonder why you got more cloths?

My first thought when I put it together was "where do you put the cable".

I think because it looks like a vacuum I expected it to have a retractable lead. It is so odd that there isn't even a winder for it.

I have 4 cloths in my box, two big and two small.

I am going to give it a blast later today but just wanted to chime in and say I also had 2 cloths. However, I tried to stick one on (admittedly, quickly) the floor attachment last night and found it incredibly tricky! I guess you're supposed to catch the cloth in the teeth on each side??

Yes saga, there are sort f clips on each side which lift up, but I've struggled to get the cloth taught enough. I like the principle that you could use any cloth though, instead of buying theirs

I have some old flat terry nappies that I'm going to try, they were never used, I bought them and put one on ds when he was 6weeks, he did a big pop and I freaked and binned the nappy, I'm not fit out for cloth nappies lol
I'm going to have a bash at the kitchen this morning then after lunch it's the big job of the outhouse, which is what we're going to film.
Should be fun, there will be arguments.

Yes, Cakey we're having a bash at the filming later today, too. I'm doing the bathroom because we have some lovely black with dirt grout to test it out on as well as some lovely orange mildewy stuff in the shower. I've been saving it for the vids.

*Note we haven't actually used the shower in that state!

Any other filmers on the board besides you and me?

Mine is here. It arrived yesterday just as we were off out to a party. Hyper child is now at preschool, grumpy baby is having a nap, so I'm about to go rip the box open.

Someone said there were 5 filmers, were filming the emptying and cleaning of our rather grubby outhouse, there's a leak in the roof that drips a bit when it rains hard (we're repairing that today but not for the vid) meaning it's a bit damp out there and as it's become a bit of a dumping ground there's grubby tiles on the floor to clean, mfour big windows and some mould on the wall. I think originally it had been intended as a bit of a conservatory but it's the utility room now.

I've been itching to attack it with a big bottle of bleach for a while but I've held off and left it so it is as hopefully impressive transformation as possible.

I'm a filmer too but no cleaner yet!

I was hoping I could film MIL using it rather than me as she is here tomorrow. I cringed at the bit in the instructions which said you have to film yourself saying a bit about yourself. I was hoping I could point the camera at the dirt and hide myself. No such luck it seems.

I won't have the time to film/report on this until the weekend.

crazy I think I might film DH!

Well I managed to have a bit of a go with it before grumpy baby woke up, less grumpy thankfully.

First impressions;

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

The instruction manual, as someone said upthread, is about the size of a bible. That's mainly due to it being in umpteen different languages, but it's still a bit off putting. Setting it up was easy, everything just clicked into place.

• What were your impressions from the first few uses?

Seems uncomplicated to use. I really didn't like the smell though. Did anyone else find there was a weird smell? I'm hoping it will clear after a few uses. The smell did disipate though.

• Where have you used the Steam Cleaner?

I've had a pop at my cooker. Just the hob and the door so far. The ceramic hob came up well, the stubborn baked on mark took quite a bit of scrubbing. I ended up using the little nozzle thingy with the brush bit. I alternated steam cleaner and scourer sponge in the end, and it came up nicely. The oven door was amazing though. Nozzle thing cut straight through the build up of baked on grease spashes. All the glass is completly clear again. I've also had a little go at the grout in the kitchen. It made a big difference, but it's still not completely clean. I tried having another go, but I started removing some of the grout, so I stopped. I might try it again in a week when it's had a chance to dry out again fully.

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

The oven door. I can see through all of it again, and it only took a few minutes to do.

• Did you you use this for more functions than you originally planned?

Not yet. Still haven't had a crack at the bathroom, that will probably be over the weekend.

Well, it is early days, I'm red in the face, my hair is like Crystal Tipps and my socks are wet, but I think I may be in love!

I have just spent the last couple of hours steam cleaning my shower cubicle.

It was amazing! I am so glad I wasn't picked to film, because I would be embarrassed to show you the rivers of dirt that were coming down the tiles. The grout looks fantastic now, it made short work of the grime and the orange mould, but it didn't completely clear the bits of black, but they look a lot better. The little furry strip at the bottom of the door is no longer brown, it is back to white!

My hands were tired by the time I got to the shower tray, so I cheated a bit and sprayed on some bathroom cleaner, left it for ten minutes, then gently scrubbed it with the steam cleaner and it came up sparkling with no effort.

It was such a satisfying thing to do!

So, first impressions:

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

Very easy to set up but it would have been easier with the pictures next to the instructions. I also don't need a massive book with multiple languages, surely this isn't necessary and is a bit wasteful?

- What were your impressions from the first few uses?

It is amazing! Very powerful. I started out using the extending tube, and when I took it off I was shocked at how much more powerful it was. I found holding the trigger down all the time whilst scrubbing was hard, it would have been better with a clip or lock that would have held the trigger down for prolonged use. It would also have been good for the little round brush to rotate, a bit like an electric toothbrush.

- Where have you used the Steam Cleaner?

In the shower cubicle on the tiles, glass door and shower tray; on the mirror and on the sink taps.

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

Not used it much yet, but I am so impressed at the cleaner power on the tile grout and the furry strip at the bottom of the door. It just blasted away the dirt.

- Did you you use this for more functions than you originally planned?

Not yet, but I have already found myself looking round for things to use it on. I hadn't considered using it on curtains etc but I definitely will.

Still waiting for mine :-( have emailed, it is being looked into. Can anyone tell me which carrier is was, as we have had previous issues with one particular one?

Mine came via UPS, Rhino.

DD came home from school and was gutted to have missed the steam cleaner in action (she clearly doesn't get out much), so I have just had a go at the oven door.

Used the small nozzle and it didn't make much of an impact, then remembered seeing them using one of those metal scourers over the brush so as I had some in the cupboard I gave it a go.

It was amazing. In less than 5 minutes the disgusting opaque mess was gone and I can see into the oven. I did the door on the grill, and it took less than 2 minutes.

I hope it has the same effect on the actual oven when I try it. It was great to be able to turn the oven on straight after cleaning the door and not be greeted by residue and fumes from an oven cleaner.

Arrggg ups is the carrier we have an issue with - they keep delivering to an address which has the same initials as ours but different postcode and the person in the different address keeps denying he has them, so far he has had an iPad and several boxes of lego (luckily paid by cc so claimed back), UPS just not interested. If this has gone there and mysteriously gone missing I am phoning the police.

Oh, meant to say that on second use I discovered that you have to press the trigger to release the steam after you have finished using it and emptied the steamer, otherwise the next time you use it before the steam comes out you get a load of water that must have condensed in the tube.

This is probably obvious to everyone but me.

Non-tester

Here is my top 5 countdown of jobs for my free steamer (fingers crossed):

1. Defrost the freezer- I have broken the bottom drawer because it is so iced up and never eat all the stuff to empty it and do a full defrost.
2. Clean my windows and frames- only done them once since we moved here oops!
3. Attacking my shower- I just can't seem to get in all the gaps around the glass doors and the grouting is slowly turning greyish brown.
4. Steam all the mattresses- saw a scary documentary about invisible mattress 'wildlife' and it made me want to sleep wrapped in plastic.
5. Oven extractor hood-stuck on bacon fat from my DH cooking and I'm vegetarian-bleuuuurgh.