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

[KathrynMumsnet]

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

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

Yes I would! It's fab and very versatile. I have cleaned lots with this and my house is much cleaner that it was!

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

I continue to be impressed with this to be honest. It's not perfect on anything but to be fair, my oven did give it a run for its money. What has been great is that it is easy to get good results with minimal time and effort. Great for lazy people like myself who like things to be clean but don't have tons of time and/or motivation to achieve this. I will certainly keep using this for ovens (although additional cleaner needed), shower screens, floors etc. I am still trying to find additional uses as it is so quick and easy to use :)

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

I am cleaning things more that I did not clean so often (e.g. to keep oven clean and shower screens). I did clean shower screens but nothing ever worked that well. Once things are looking much cleaner then it feels easier to blitz often and keep things clean rather tackling what I think are going to be hard arduous jobs with other cleaners.

Thanks again for allowing us to test. If you need photos please do let me know :)

I meant to add that it would be great if the cord was longer. That would be a big advantage when cleaning floors in particular (we have a long house!)

Would I recommend?

In a heartbeat

What are my thoughts are continued use?

I am getting braver with it and am amazing myself at the things I am finding to clean. I still would have like more cloths as I have wrecked one and would still benefit from a scraper like tool.

Have my cleaning routine changed since using Steam Stick?

Yes, it is easy to be cleaner now as tasks are not as hard and I actually enjoy the mechanical side of it.

Tester.

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

I have already offered a loan of mine to some family and friends and have been extolling its virtues.

I think it's particularly good for older and/or frailer people if they have relatively clean (non grime-ridden) homes.

That it's idiot-proof makes it ideal for teens to use and facilitates them helpng out which household chores. DC1 (14) found it great fun to use!

Its multi-functionality really makes it a no-brainer addition to a family's household appliances!

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

I've never used any type of steam cleaner before so it's come as a very pleasant surprise to experience its many advantages first-hand!

It's great, has already made a marked difference on the areas we've used it on thus far, and I'm looking forward to using it over coming months and years in all manner of ways.

Just a pity it's not suitable for laminate flooring, but we can't have everything.

Recommendations:

A more instructive manual would be very useful. It was commonsensical to put together etc...but it would be great to highlight which ends to use for what housecleanng jobs and unique functions (such as the 'constant steam on/off' button)

A larger water barrel would work really well as there wasn't one job I completed without having to refill it which is a tad inconvenient.

Loved the suggestion of having a 'beep' or change in light colour to indicate when the water has warmed up sufficiently to turn to steam when using the Steam Stick.

A few more cleaning 'end' options would be great - something with a scraper on it and one to steam/suck up excess simultaneously (very useful for large/long cleaning jobs). Whe we were blitzing the oven there was a big puddle of steam-turned-to-water left on the floor when we'd finished!

Has your cleaning routine changed since using the Steam Stick?

to report that as a domestic slattern having the Steam Stick to product trial means that I've done more cleaning (more difficult-to-clean chores particularly) in the past fortnight than I usually do in a month. As I looked round my kitchen (a project in progress) this morning I actually though that 15-30 minutes of steam cleaning a day would have it spotless in under a week and then would be so easy to maintain.

Of course that's the theory after a fortnight coinciding with essentially 'being on holiday'. It remains to be seen whether I keep to my New Year's resolution to keep a tidy house now that we're 'back to life, back to reality' but with the trusty Steam Stick to hand, I've not really got an excuse not to!

Thank you for letting us trial this great household appliance!

Non tester here and I'd love to try it!
Our house used to be lived in by a bunch of students who I swear had never heard of cleaning. Now hard work and elbow grease has got rid of most of the filth, but there are some areas that I'd love to get finished off. Firstly, the narrow gap down the side of the oven, too deep for me to reach into especially being 7 months pregnant. I'm also amazed it does ovens, I'd love to try that out.
There are also some marks on the bath tub that a good steam cleam should get off, again the pregnancy is making takling this impossible without some machine assistance, and I am not naive enough to think I'll get round to it soon after he arrives. I'm also heavily nesting at the moment and am really anxious to get things sorted!

would you recommend?
Definite yes. Much easier to use than any I've used previously. And great for places with limited storage. In fact, some type of hanging rack would be great. Sturdy, easy to use.
Thoughts after continued use
Much the same as others. Longer lead, a ready light/beep, bit bigger tank, needing an extra hand to press the buttons. I find no matter how long I leave it to heat the first few sprays are just hot water. Extra cloths would be good, but I use dishcloths or micro fibre cloths. A window squeegee and some more scoury attachments would be great ( especially for the price)
has your cleaning routine changed?
I'm doing more regular cleaning (Slattern alert) it's no longer a chore to clean the kitchen floor and jobs that I put off because of their overwhelming tedium are much easier. This weekend the oven and ceramic hob!

Having read the reviews on here, I would love one of these! I've got the Karcher window cleaner squeegee which I love using for windows, doors, cupboards etc - it means it's the only bit of cleaning I do regularly as it makes it so easy!
Our kitchen floor would be a great test for this. We haven't replaced it since we moved in but it's tiled and really hard to clean as the tiles are uneven, bumpy and the grouting in between them is a magnet for collecting dirt. The cat's litter tray and food bowl in the kitchen only add to the mess.
Our current steam mop (an X5) just doesn't seem to work on the kitchen so I'd love to get one of these but it seems a bit pricey.

Should I've said I'm a non-tester.

non-tester - kitchen floor, I never seem to have the right tools for the job.

@NoisyOyster

I have just read reviews for dozens of different steamers online and so far these mumsnet ones for the Karcher stick seem the most positive-

However, I can't seem to find this product online to buy??? Is this because this is a test of a new product which is not yet out in shops yet? If so, MNHQ, could you ask Karcher when it will be abvailable to buy please? My crusted pit of despair by the u-bend needs something ASAP

Hi NoisyOyster, we've checked with Kärcher, and they've confirmed that the SC1 Steam Stick will be available in Argos from 19th January, and it will also be available in B&Q soon after.

Oh fab, cheers angelie, just need to get saving now!

Tester here:-

• Would you recommend a Kärcher Steam Stick to a friend or family? Yes absolutely without question.
• What are your thoughts of the Steam Stick after continued use? I love it. I've used it on the cooker crevices and around the knobs and it now looks brand new. It even got old marks off the hob. The grout in my tiles is white again. My washing machine drawer looks brand new. I love it!
• Has your cleaning routine changed since using the Steam Stick? Yes it has. I now feel that my home is hygenically clean, because I've been able to get at the ground in, hard to get at dirt. I don't need to use as many products so it wil be economical in the long run. I'm a very happy bunny :o and want to say again thank you for choosing me.

Ohhhhh!!! ohhhh!!!! the seals around the sink!!! amazzzzzzing!

non-tester

I would use it regularly in the oven - I really struggle to keep it clean due to husband's insistence on cooking bacon at every available opportunity.

I am also interested in the idea that you can use a steamer to spot-clean carpets, which I had not realised. We recently moved into a new home and the carpets here are badly stained but we can't afford to replace them, and spray-on cleaners don't do anything. I would love to give a steamer a try!

Tester
Would you recommend a Karcher Steam Stick to friends and family?
Yes I definitely would. I think it is an excellent cleaning product at an affordable price .
What are your thoughts of the Steam Stick after continued use?
I have used it today to clean the Washing Machine it was especially good for the compartment all the nooks and crannies where fab con and washing gels collect and congeal. My washing machine is only a year old and I think this will be brilliant at getting rid of the majority of left behind product that then goes on to produce that black mould. I started by attaching the round brush then to get at the awkward places I attached the hose and the Red nozzle which targets an extremely powerful jet of steam. very impressed so I thought that this would be excellent at " blowing out " the fluff from the tumble drier and the dreaded monthly job of cleaning the filter that normally needs constant pouring of water down to flush out the lint.
Did do an excellent job albeit but still had to flush with water, however felt the steam had loosened the lint so easier to flush out.
Be prepared for a lot of fluff on your kitchen floor though ! This is however easy to sweep or vacuum up.
Thanks again for picking me.

Oh and about the fluff/lint thinking of Asthma sufferers because the steam dampens the lint there is no dry lint floating in air there is just a lot of wet lint on floor.

Tester back.

Would you recommend to a friend?

Yes I would I like it and think it is easy enough to use it is also quite a neat cleaner and doesn't take up loads of room. I also think it is a reasonable price too.

What was your thoughts on the cleaner after continued use?

I still really like it, this thread has been great though as I keep thinking of other place it would be good for cleaning ! You still need a bit of elbow grease and it isn't the amazing miracle cure to a sparkling house that you may think but it just makes everything feel a lot cleaner and I know that I have got little bits of grime that I would have never normally. As others said another set of cloths would be good and also the light or indicator for water and also when it is heated up. I am really pleased with it though.

Has your cleaning routine changed?
Yes I am more thorough . I am cleaning bits that I used to wipe down and think I would never get a chance of getting clean. It is also good to be cleaning without all the chemical sprays I normally use everywhere.
I feel I am doing more deep cleaning now rather than just surface cleans.

Tester
Just a quick report back as have now used this to clean oven hob and chimney.
Good results on oven but again wet so went over with paper towels. Doesn't get rid of burnt on brown stains that you get on the glass door though although to be fair neither does the like of Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner , Astonish paste etc I find the only thing that works here is a good old fashioned Brillo pad and a lot of elbow grease!
I have a Baumatic ceramic hob no knobs to worry about as it is finger touch sensitive. Again the steam did a good job but did not get rid of burnt on food / grease. But the surface is squeaky clean but feel I get same effect with normal cleaning of hob.
The revelation has been the Chimney Hood it is now back to super shiny stainless steel, the grease ( of which there was lots ) simply melted away I used the Hand nozzle brush without the terry towel cover for this.
Again not all grease removed straight away took a few goes and finally went over it with a spray of my normal cleaner Dettol Power and Pure Kitchen Cleaner but feel now that this has been done will be easy to wipe over every day then use the steamer say once a fortnight.
Very impressed.

Non tester - I'm pretty sure this would be the miracle I need for the (f)utility room of doom. It's a former outhouse and just gets yuck. I hate spending time in there so if I could wave this magic wand at it that would be marvellous!

Non tester here. I would like to try it on my kitchen and bathroom tiles - they are matt and show every speck of dust and dirt within minutes of being cleaned.

Non tester - I really want one for my shower. I always leave it as long as possible and never seem to get it properly clean however much I scrub and clean bits with a toothbrush.

Wow, which part of my house WOULDN'T benefit from a steam clean?! My no. 1 spot would be the stairs carpet, which has suffered from cat (puke and other filth!) and child messes over the years. I'd love to give the uPVC window frames a blast too...those crevices that are so hard to keep clean.

None tester: I would like to use it on my UPVC windows especially where they open & get all black in the grooves. Bathrooms & kitchen would benefit greatly from a steam stick too.

Non Tester.
Our kitchen floor has quarry tiles which have tiny holes in, very uneven and 'characterful', but a total nightmare to clean. I reckon this would really make a difference on them. We were flooded this time last year, with water coming up from under the floors, so in places the tiles have a sort of crusty mould on (delightful ), which I've not yet been able to get rid of, so I'd love to see whether it would work on this, too.

Oops, I hadn't realised it wasn't suitable for laminate flooring and used it on mine today.

Still loving using it and finding new things I can clean. Tomorrow I'm going to clean the dishwasher, as there are some bits that collect slime and grime

I would use this mostly around the toilet (then the rest of the bathroom floor) where I frequently find sticky yellow patches after my 4 year old son uses the bathroom. Joint second place would be the kitchen to remove the cooking grease from the floor, walls, extractor and appliances and my daughter's bedroom where her zebra finches think it is better to aim out of the cage to do their 'business' and cover her walls and floor instead . My husband would be even more pleased than I if we got one because he dislikes my lack of commitment to mopping!