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Kärcher SC1 Steam Stick - Review thread - non testers - chance to win one of your own! NOW CLOSED

561 replies

KathrynMumsnet · 23/12/2014 10:21

This thread is for the 30 Mumsnetters who are currently testing out the Kärcher SC1 Steam Stick.

Kärcher say "The SC1 Steam Stick is the UK’s first handheld steamer that can also be used to clean floors. The Steam Stick cleans deeper without chemicals killing 99.99% of all bacteria just using tap water, making it an environmentally and family friendly alternative to chemical cleaners. It’s an innovative new way to help you effortlessly clean the most difficult and frequent household hotspots; whether it’s cleaning everyday dirt from floors, limescale from bathroom tiles, spot cleaning stubborn carpet stains or eradicating tough, dried-on oven grease."

Non-Testers: If you’re not an official tester but you’d like another chance to be in with a chance of getting a Steam Stick (RRP: £99.99) for yourself then please share on this thread where in your house could really benefit from a deep steam clean? Is there a task or area you always avoid? Where would you most like to put it to use?

Testers: We'll be asking you to add feedback twice - we'd like your first impressions now and once you've had a bit of time to test out your Steam Stick, we will add some more questions.

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

  • Where have you used the Steam Stick?
  • What cleaning chore have you been most pleased with the results from using the Steam Stick?
  • What were your impressions from the first few uses?

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

OP posts:
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Emrob86 · 06/01/2015 16:18

Non tester

I would use it on my kitchen floor where my daughter makes a mess at least three times a day. Weaning is very messy and sticky!

I would also use it in the bathroom to give the tiles on the floor and the walls a proper deal clean.

tishist · 06/01/2015 17:14

I'd use it in the kitchen and the bathroom as the flooring is quite old now and so doesn't feel as clean or hygienic as it should.

reenu · 06/01/2015 17:22

non tester: As a mum of a toddler, I would love to use it in bathroom and kitchen..which always seem dirty no matter how hard I try to keep them clean!

noynoyavery · 06/01/2015 17:49

The bathroom shower..nothing can get down those crevices yuck!

chrriss · 06/01/2015 18:01

I have a steam cleaner (not karcher) but it's a disappointment, I'd like something with umph!!!!

jennie1984j · 06/01/2015 19:22

My kitchen is in need of a deep steam clean. I would use it to clean my tiles first of all

waitoverthere · 06/01/2015 21:13

Non-tester: I'd give it to my sister who can't afford a new carpet or kitchen, but would look great with a good deep clean to spruce it up!

helenthemadex · 06/01/2015 22:16

shower and bath, they really need a good steam clean not sure the previous tennant did any cleaning

lindsey3uk · 06/01/2015 22:20

My sofa, and underneath it, it realy really needs a good clean and steam and I don't even know where to start

NellVarnish · 06/01/2015 22:36

Would you recommend a Kärcher Steam Stick to a friend or family?

Yes I've already been spreading the word and have a queue of friends/colleagues wanting go. Who'd have thought housework would prove so popular?! Grin

What are your thoughts of the Steam Stick after continued use?

Still love using it and saw a couple of things up thread that I've not tried it on yet, like the cat flap and the washing machine powder drawer. Oh and the car, I never clean the car. Will report back.

I've got another steam mop which is better on floors than the Steam Stick, imo, as I find the stick leaves the floors quite wet and the flappy cloth is a bit of a nuisance. With a few minor adjustments to the design, I'm sure it would be fine though. It is however brilliant on everything else, with the hose attachment/red nozzle/little brush.

Agree with some other testers that it's quite unclear how to use it on soft furnishings or carpet, so I haven't tried those yet in case I bugger it up. Presumably you use the brush head on the stick? Will give that a whirl at the weekend. It's rocknroll Chez Nell!

Also agree that three hands are needed at times, especially when I was trying to take pics as well, but the tip about locking it so you get continuous steam helps.

Has your cleaning routine changed since using the Steam Stick?

I've found myself going through the house looking for new things to try it out on, on a regular basis so that's an improvement. I'm impressed by its sturdiness and like the clippability factor of putting it together, very easy and not flimsy at all.

Thanks to Karcher and MN for picking me to trial it - I'll no doubt be back again when I've tried it out on more stuff.

hannahlw85 · 06/01/2015 23:46

Non-tester
My oven could definitely do with it, and would be helpful in my bathroom and for the mould/mildew issues round my windows

cococandyfloss · 07/01/2015 00:07

Oh there are new questions-sorry I missed these -will be back by end of week with rest of my feedback.

eandh · 07/01/2015 08:11

I missed new questions too!

Would you recommend a Kärcher Steam Stick to a friend or family?

Yes in fact my Mum has borrowed mine and she loved the results (and is a clean freak so loves cleaning!) friend wants to borrow it to try out as she said it's a lot of money to pay out initially so be nice to try before you buy.

What are your thoughts of the Steam Stick after continued use?

The cloth for the floor part needs to fit better, it's too big or there are not enough clips to hold it in place. I do find the floor gets very wet when using floor stick part so have to do it without the kids around or they traipse through it (and leave footprint marks) love the the little brush attachment that has worked wonders only grout and taps and round the edges of the bathroom floor.

After some googling of other steamers think I worked out how to do the playroom sofa, it certainly looks cleaner but not as clean as I would like so will need to give it another go (probably warmer weather as it took ages to dry too)

It's quite bulky to store with all the pipes so at the moment I keep moving it around the house trying to find a home for it. Ideally the water tank being a little bigger would help or a light to tell you when it's ready to use after filing as was a bit of a guessing game (glad the tip I gave about locking button worked!)

Has your cleaning routine changed since using the Steam Stick?

I clean a lot as husband is a triathlete so trains every day and there is always muddy trainers or bikes in the conservatory so floor gets filthy (dd2 is an outdoors child so she also traipses mud through too!) I do find it easier to give floors a quick steam rather than mop and bucket out all the time and def use it a lot in the bathroom (it will probably end up living upstairs as def use it more in that room than anywhere else) apart from that no it hasn't changed immensely

nowitsenough · 07/01/2015 10:37

Tester, back to answer added questions:

Yes, I would recommend this to my friends and family, in fact I already have recommended it to my mother.

I'm enjoying using the cleaner, everything I've used it for so far has been great, most of all loving it for hard floors and wall tiles. I haven't tried it yet on fabrics, but plan to this week.

Yes, my routine has changed since having the cleaner. I now use it mainly on Friday, my big cleaning day, when I start with the kitchen floor and the hob and then anything else that needs cleaning with the steam cleaner.

Thanks again for letting me test it, I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a steam cleaner.

BigHairyLeggedSpider · 07/01/2015 11:10

Non Tester
I would love to try this on my kitchen and hallway floors (open plan) they are an odd shape with loads of corners, and get filthy with kitchen dirt plus people coming in and out from outside. Also have cats so floor is covered in wee tinyfootprints this time of year.

glenthebattleostrich · 07/01/2015 12:52

I have recommended it! A friend has had a little try and loves it.

The only thing I'd change is the on switch, it can give thumb ache holding it down for a while. Still love the cleaner, it is so versatile and quick. I an using it everywhere and think windows are the only place I won't use it much.

My cleaning routine is much quicker now, I have changed the order I do things to allow warm up time, cool down and refilling if necessary but this has also led to time savings. My kitchen floor has never been mopped so much because its so much easier than using a mop and bucket.

glenthebattleostrich · 07/01/2015 12:55

Forgot to say, I do find my own microfibre cloths work better than the one provided and for just as nicely.

HannahLI · 07/01/2015 14:18

I am a non - tester but since moving into a new house we have so many areas that need a good deep clean starting with the oven, around the taps, the shower area is in terrible need of some serious love, the floor tiles in the downstairs toilet look like they will never be clean again and thats only the start!

Tzibeleh · 07/01/2015 16:20
  • Would you recommend a Kärcher Steam Stick to a friend or family?

Not sure, TBH. I certainly prefer it to the other steamer I tried a couple if years ago, in that its compactness is great, but I don't really find it that amazing overall.

  • What are your thoughts of the Steam Stick after continued use?

I really think it needs a trigger on the end of the little hose. The truck of locking the button down helps a bit, but then of course the steam is permanently on. I haven't yet tried to clean without the hose. Will do so next time I clean the oven and report back. Though as the oven is now sparkling from its first steam-cleaning, this may not happen for quite some time!

  • Has your cleaning routine changed since using the Steam Stick?

Only in the sense that I'm now much more willing to do some of the hideously grungy jobs that I previously avoided, like cleaning ovens. To be fair, that IMO is were steam cleaning literally shines.

I have a question for Karcher: in my area the water is seriously hard, so in order to prolong the life of things like irons and steamers I buy de-ionised water for use in them. I have a domestic water-softener, the sort that uses salt. Is it OKto use water softened this way in the steamer?

MirandaWest · 07/01/2015 16:40

Is anyone else finding the testers posts are now highlighted in yellow? Will mine be I wonder?

FluffyRedSocks · 07/01/2015 17:10

After trying it for a bit longer im not sure I'm convinced.
It takes a while to construct and get to temp, the cloths are difficult to attach and flap around, and it's big to store!

Equally, my friend borrowed it and loved it.. Maybe it's just me Confused

spiroo · 07/01/2015 17:30

Non-Testers: would like to have a go with it on kitchen floor and tiles in bathroom and any surface need to be clean as well Smile

MMMMMaria · 07/01/2015 17:53

If you are still looking for testers then please consider me!
I would use it on the ground floor & terrace which is all tiled in cream porcelain tiles -beautiful when clean and yuck when dingy (have children & dog). Also in the kitchen (white cupboards, 2 ovens, glass splashbacks) & the windows (floor to ceiling & lovely when you can see through them into the garden).
And in the 2 bathrooms, and the upstairs wood floors, and the list goes on!
: )

26Point2Miles · 07/01/2015 18:52

- Would you recommend a Kärcher Steam Stick to a friend or family?

Yes definitely! My dad loves Karcher products so would love this, probably for cleaning his fishing tackle or something! His partner would also love it for cleaning up after him. My older children [adult] have had a go too. I have recommended it to work colleague also.

- What are your thoughts of the Steam Stick after continued use?

I'm finding lots more things around the house to steam clean. But at the moment it's still all stored in the box it came in, so need to find it a home where it's easy to grab. Have lost the cloth pad which came with it! So improvising with another cloth til it turns up

- Has your cleaning routine changed since using the Steam Stick?

Yes. I still clean/tidy then save a bit of time for a quick steam. Think overall routine is quicker. Bigger jobs such as grout/oven cleaning, are tackled seperately

Powaqa · 07/01/2015 19:07

Would you recommend a Kärcher Steam Stick to a friend or family?
Emphatic yes. In fact my mom has been staying with me and she trialed it yesterday and today and is currently trying to figure out a way of sneaking it in her suitcase for when she leaves

  • What are your thoughts of the Steam Stick after continued use? It's my new go to weapon for helping to clean the house.
  • Has your cleaning routine changed since using the Steam Stick?
Yes - my DH usually does the deep cleaning as I am unable to due to the chemicals. I have been able to help this time. In fact we had a slight squabble over the bathroom

Thank you to MN and Kärcher for letting me (and my Dh and Mom) test this