Clean and Clutter-free: Steam Cleaning Machines

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Author Content Depsi Orofino, ID (Zone 6a) March 3, 2008 12:15 PM Post #4616708 Have any of you used the steam cleaning machines? I'm looking at getting one and would like some input from those who've already used them...were you pleased with the performance? I am thinking of using them for oven racks, barbeque racks, etc...Looking forward to hearing from you...Thank you, Deb andidandi Arlington, VA March 3, 2008 2:00 PM Post #4617209 Here is a starting point for your research: [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com] Depsi Orofino, ID (Zone 6a) March 3, 2008 10:49 PM Post #4619405 Thank you so much...may I ask how you located that thread?? Do you use the forum search???? I never think of the easiest thing first...I appreciate your research...Deb andidandi Arlington, VA March 5, 2008 5:05 PM Post #4626595 Well, I was a participant in that thread, so I knew it was there and in my post history. But once you are in the forums, look over to the right, and there is a search function. You can search one forum, or all of them. scutler Charleston, SC (Zone 8b) March 9, 2008 3:18 PM Post #4642809 I have one that came along with my Bissel Proheat Carpet Cleaner as a bonus gift - a Bissel, of course. I can't imagine that it's a particularly expensive unit since they threw it in [for a limited time] as a free gift with purchase. I love it and use it often. I use it to clean the micro-wave inside and out, the stove, especially around knobs and such, counter tops, kitchen sink and surrounding area, all counter top appliances, bathrooms where I find it especially great for cleaning the area around where the toilet meets the floor and all around the sinks and fixtures. For all of the items mentioned, I just spray with steam and wipe with a clean cloth (other hand) and that's it. For most tasks in the kitchen and bath, I've been very pleased with it. I like being able to clean without having to cough and wheeze over toxic fumes, so cleaning with water is nice. For many tasks I think it works better than strong and expensive chemicals. I don't think mine has an attachment for steaming clothes (I haven't really used or scrutinized all of the attachments) but a few times I used it to steam a wrinkled shirt or jacket for work when I was in a hurry. Just hung the shirt or jacket from a hanger and 'ran' the steamer around in front of it. It did a decent job. Quickly dropped all of the wrinkles and crinkles out of severely wrinkled cotton and linen items. Items did not, of course, end up with that neatly pressed and starched look, but were rendered wrinkle free and wearable. I hope this helps. I don't know if the item I have was ever offered for sale. Just went to Bissel site and they don't list hand held steam cleaners. Depsi Orofino, ID (Zone 6a) March 9, 2008 3:51 PM Post #4642910 Thank you for your insight...we are on a septic system here & I worry about all the "cleaning chemicals" that goes into the tank even tho I try to watch for safe products...you've convinced me so now just to find the best one...Deb scutler Charleston, SC (Zone 8b) March 9, 2008 4:07 PM Post #4642978 Forgot to mention. One place where I think the steam cleaners excel is cleaning crevices - basically anyplace where two or more things come together and gook gathers at the intersection, the places you might have to clean with a toothbrush otherwise. Sponges, rags, even sprays just don't get into those minute crevices - but steam does, and it blows the gook right out of there so you can just wipe it away! The only time I recall being at all disappointed in my steam cleaner was when I tried to use it to clean the grout on the ceramic tile floor in the kitchen. Just didn't whiten and brighten it like I had hoped. I guess that's a bleach job. Otherwise, it has done a great job on everything else I've tried it on. flowerjen central, NJ (Zone 6b) March 11, 2008 2:30 PM Post #4651005 I always go on here [HYPERLINK@www.epinions.com] or [HYPERLINK@www.bizrate.com] for ratings on all kinds of stuff. Depsi Orofino, ID (Zone 6a) March 11, 2008 3:24 PM Post #4651173 Thank you so much...good info...Deb shuggins Houston, TX (Zone 9b) March 12, 2008 8:22 AM Post #4653871 Another good place to look for reviews on items is on Amazon.com, even if you don't buy it from them. They usually have a pretty good variety of items and a pretty good variety of people doing the reivews. fancyvan Calgary, AB (Zone 3a) March 19, 2008 7:17 PM Post #4683877 I have a house cleaner and she uses two different steam cleaners - a small hand spray one and a floor model. She loves them and I do to - she uses them for just about everything! Depsi Orofino, ID (Zone 6a) March 19, 2008 8:06 PM Post #4684090 Thank you so much...I haven't gotten one yet but it is definitely on my gotta have list...Deb Terry Murfreesboro, TN (Zone 7a) March 20, 2008 12:03 PM Post #4686726 Chuckle...I just emerged from deep-cleaning my shower and my lungs feel seared from the chemicals, even though I opened the window and ran the exhaust fan the whole time. We have moderately hard water here - not enough to warrant a whole-house softener system, but enough to leave pesky hard water residue on things like the shower tiles. (And I tend to wait until the deposits build up and I have to use harsh chemicals to dislodge them - my bad.) The whole time I was cleaning this morning, I was pondering the merits of a steam cleaner (better for our lungs, better for the septic system, etc.) I see where there's now a variety of under-$100 hand-held models: Rowenta, Scunci, Steamfast, Europro, Bissell, McCulloch, etc. I've skimmed Epinions, but I thought I'd also ask my fellow DGers for their personal recommendations. Are any of these worth the money, or do you need to spend a little more to get better results? And will they effectively remove the mildew and hard water deposits? Or am I consigned to using bleach and lime/scale remover (not together of course ;o) to do this dirty job? andidandi Arlington, VA March 20, 2008 12:40 PM Post #4686875 Terry- I've never done it, but I've read about people, once they've removed the buildup, applying car wax in a thin layer to make it easier to clean. That's said to make it easier to clean with just regular household detergent. Depsi Orofino, ID (Zone 6a) March 20, 2008 12:40 PM Post #4686881 That was my dilemma. From the cheap to the expensive and each says it does everything the next one does. I am pretty set on a Shark but there was an odd named one that seemed to get the best ratings but couldn't find where you'd buy it. the search has been put on the back burner for a moment because of another pressing issue so will be back on it in the next coupla days...Deb Depsi Orofino, ID (Zone 6a) March 20, 2008 12:45 PM Post #4686895 Our plumber told us about that...just said don't do the bottom...I've not tried it but know my mother did that...she was the ultimate clean lady...after living in her home for 35yrs, when she died you'd never known it had be inhabited...WD40 & wax/polishes were her friends...no rings, no streaks, no mineral build up anywhere in that house...the house was wall to wall white carpet thruout and was perfect...this apple didn't fall from that tree, tho...I came from the German Laid Back/I'll get to it side of the family...Deb scutler Charleston, SC (Zone 8b) March 20, 2008 3:20 PM Post #4687400 We don't really have much of a problem with hard water deposits, so I can say how well it will work for that particular problem. My machine has a case full of attachments and I've never had occasion to use any of them. I just aim the steam at the dirt and grime in the bathroom and the cooked on, dried on food in the microwave and wipe it away with a cloth. Mine is electric and I think I might prefer something battery operated if that exists and has sufficient power. Then I wouldn't be tethered by the cord. Mine also has a water filter (which changes color when it needs to be changed) to remove things from the water that might clog up the works. I like that feature, but as this is the only steamer I've tried I don't honestly know how much of a difference it really makes. I read about the idea of using car wax for the bathroom fixtures some time back. Sounded like a great idea. My results were not as expected, however. I found that the smell of car wax (petrochemicals) is very strong when used in a confined area (and I have a very large master bath so am not talking about the confines of a normal bathroom). When you think about it, you normally use that stuff outside where the smell dissipates quickly. I thought that I would never get that odor out of my house. I would not try that again. Most of those chemical cleaning sprays activate my allergies causing me to cough and sneeze myself silly. Then my nose will run until I look like i have a really bad cold. I do have some Orange Glo paste [HYPERLINK@www.orangeglo.com] that I use sometimes to clean the bathtub ring when I'm in a hurry and don't want to get out the steam cleaner and wait the 2 minutes for it to heat up just for that one thing. I like this stuff because it doesn't cause me any allergy problems, it has that nice fresh orange smell, and removes the gunk without any muscle grease. sarv48 south of Grand Rapid, MI (Zone 5a) March 20, 2008 3:23 PM Post #4687412 We have terribly hard water...would a steam cleaner work on those build ups? Man oh man if they would, I'd buy a hand held one in a minute. I have the floor steam mop and love it... shebs45 Chicago, IL (Zone 5b) March 21, 2008 2:18 PM Post #4691470 I haven't carefully read through this entire thread, so I don't know if anyone else has recommended it; but besides Amazon, there is another great site for getting consumer reviews on all sorts of products, that is Epinions.com. I put in "steam cleaner" in the search box and came up with loads of entries. Check it out. [HYPERLINK@www.epinions.com] The neat thing about Epinions is that they give price comparisons too. andidandi Arlington, VA March 21, 2008 3:19 PM Post #4691705 I have a steam cleaner, but have never had cause to use it for that purpose. My guess is that it would not work well. I have one with the attachments and everything that cost about $150 (see the other thread for details). My take is that they are good with things that are either water soluble or easily removed with a bit of force. I think most sediment is tougher than that, and that the time required versus the chemicals would not be worth it for most people. It's hard to judge without knowing how bad the problem is. Terry Murfreesboro, TN (Zone 7a) March 21, 2008 4:02 PM Post #4691873 Andidandi, that's kind of what I'm thinking, although I wonder if the steam might help soften/loosen the typical soap scum and minderal deposits, making it easier for a "lime away" type product to do it's job (and maybe I'd be able to use less of it.) The problem - if I stay on top of it - isn't really bad, it's just annoying. And I tend to put it off until I can't ignore the spots any longer (if I'd stay after them weekly, I probably wouldn't be whining about the monthly/bi-monthly chore I create for myself!) andidandi Arlington, VA March 21, 2008 4:21 PM Post #4691940 I've heard that the squeegees are very effective and simple. You just have to make sure that they are used after each shower. Terry Murfreesboro, TN (Zone 7a) March 21, 2008 5:34 PM Post #4692193 We had a squeege for the shower in our last home, and yes, it did work very well in keeping a (mostly glass) enclosure looking good between weekly cleanings. But this is a 30-year-old tiled shower and I haven't found a squeegee to work very well :-( But thanks for the tip - they are great for some showers! KaperC No. San Diego Co., CA (Zone 10b) March 21, 2008 8:51 PM Post #4692890 Terry, San Diego is known for its hard water and I have two tips about the shower: 1) there is a line of cleanig products (I know Target carries them) called Method - I use their Daily Shower Spray on the glass doors and it works great. It does have a scent, but it's nice and goes away quickly. [HYPERLINK@housekeeping.about.com] 2) Recently, DH came home with some sample products from 3M he got at work. One of them was an "eraser" sponge. I'm a skeptic about this stuff, but will try almost anything to make cleaning the shower easier. To my amazement, it literally wiped off the soap scum and mineral deposits with NO scrubbing. I've never seen anything work so easily. [HYPERLINK@www.3m.com] Oh, and the car wax works, too. We have fiberglass and faux marble in our bathrooms, and the wax really helps - I've used in on tile as well. About the steam cleaners: I bought one on EBay years ago to clean our bird cages. I also use it on the carpet and anywhere else I can think of. The only thing I don't like about mine is it's like a tank vacuum cleaner and a little awkward to use, but the many attachments help. Sorry for being so verbose. Kathleen Terry Murfreesboro, TN (Zone 7a) March 21, 2008 11:32 PM Post #4693673 No need to apologize - good information! I've seen Method, just haven't bought it. (We have one of those daily cleaner thingies in there, and since I'm the last one out of the shower most mornings, I do make sure the button gets hit so it's getting a daily once-over (my grandma would call it a "lick and a promise"; a weekly once over with a regular bathroom cleaner, and the once-in-a-while super-deep cleaning. Even with that, the tile still has a thin layer of unbudging residue. I have no idea how regularly or rigorously the previous owners were about cleaning the shower, although it looked reasonably clean when we bought the house...albeit with some build-up in place then. (Not gross or really noticeable unless you got nose to nose with it.) My guess is I'm just going to have to live with it unless/until we move or remodel the bathroom. (Which desperately needs gutting - the entire "master" bathroom is a whopping 38" deep by 6' or 7' wide, including the shower! It's barely enough room for one person and definitely doesn't fit the modern vision of "master bathroom" ;o) scutler Charleston, SC (Zone 8b) March 22, 2008 10:43 AM Post #4694783 Terry, as mentioned I don't have experience with the hard water problem, but you got my curiosity up so I checked around a bit and found the following 'answers'. Be warned, however, that I have not tried any of these things myself, although I'm considering trying a couple of the oil ideas. I'm going to start 'backwards' by addressing how to keep it off once you finally get it off. Several sources swear by car wax, but again beware of the lingering fumes. This one, I did try and it pleased my allergies for weeks maybe months. Along a similar vane some recommended polishing the newly cleaned tiles with lemon oil, furniture polish, and even baby oil (which as you probably know is just mineral oil). One would imagine that you are to buff that afterward so as not to leave an oily residue. Presumably, these things help by filling in micro abrasions and such in the surface of tiles or even fiberglass surfaces. These tiny openings would otherwise 'grab' water droplets which dry leaving the chemical deposits behind. For removal, if you haven't tried these yet, several sources recommend white vinegar, a paste of vinegar and baking soda, or a paste of borax and lemon juice. With any of these you are supposed to apply it and leave it for 30 minutes or more before returning to rinse and/or scrub. With all of these it's the acid content that works to break down the build up of calcium, magnesium, and such. Time and temperature help the acid do its job. This, believe it or not, is where the steam cleaner comes in as a few sources indicate that the high temp from the steam will help if used in the cleanup phase after applying one of the acid treatments above (or the chemicals in the store). A few sources recommend that you do the cleanup phase with either a razor or steel wool, but be careful as these may scratch surfaces. Best to try on inconspicuous area 1st (where is that? inside the hem? lol) Lastly, in case you haven't seen or tried this one, there is the really 'crazy' idea that lots of people seem to swear by: Easy Off Fume Free Max oven cleaner. I reiterate that I've not tried this, but numerous folks out there (not the mfg) indicate that this product will almost melt the deposits away effortlessly supposedly without even harming fiberglass. Leave on for 1/2 hr or so. BTW, the orange glo paste I recommended above is also said to work for hard water stains. It is safe for fiberglass, contains a mild abrasive, and has the advantage of adhering to the surface so that you can let it sit for a little while and then rinse off. If all else fails, you may want to test a little bit of car wax on a small area - to see if you have problems with fumes and such before doing the whole shower - the action of this stuff may actually help to break down some of the existing layer during the application process. Based on the chemistry involved (sorry, I'm an engineer so can't help it), daily use of one of those shower sprays (to interfere with the process by which salts leach out and adhere) and/or wiping the shower down after use to minimize the water left on surfaces (as if anyone has time to do that) along with some kind of wax or oil to seal the surface between cleanings are your best bets to keep the buildup from occurring. I apologize for writing a dissertation but wanted to relay what I found just in case any of this may help. If not, you may have to get a water softening unit for the house. Ouch. very expensive. Depsi Orofino, ID (Zone 6a) March 22, 2008 10:58 AM Post #4694829 Scutler, wow!!! thank you for that information...very, very helpful...we are on a well & have a potassium water conditioner and still get hard water spots...I use a product called "Amaze" which is a pumice powder paste and it helps but I'm definitely going to use the baby oil tip...I'm glad you wrote a dissertation!!! Deb scutler Charleston, SC (Zone 8b) March 22, 2008 11:32 AM Post #4694945 Deb, Glad my 'book' helped. : ) Let me know if the baby oil trick works as I'm considering that one, too, if only to keep the general scum at bay. Thanks for making me feel less self conscious about being so wordy. scutler Charleston, SC (Zone 8b) March 22, 2008 11:59 AM Post #4695059 Oh, I knew I'd forget something. Believe it or not, WD-40 also came up a time or 2 in my research, same concept as the other oils, polishes, and such, to keep the water and resultant crud from sticking. Some people seemed to like this one, but I say consider how much you like the aroma and whether you want to live with it before you try this one on more than a small, small area. KaperC No. San Diego Co., CA (Zone 10b) March 22, 2008 9:41 PM Post #4696982 The white vinegar works to a certain degree for me, but only if heated. What I did was run it through the coffee machine, then put a wet towel on the bottom of the shower (ours is the textured fiberglass), pour on the hot vinegar and soak. It still took some scrubbing, though, which is very hard on my wrists. I haven't had to use the "eraser" sponge again yet, but if it works the same way again, my search is over. I don't understand WHY it works at all, since when I googled the subject, I saw references that said they have no chemicals in them. ???? scutler Charleston, SC (Zone 8b) March 22, 2008 9:58 PM Post #4697056 I've used that eraser sponge for other things and always with great success. I really like it. Strange to imagine it has no chemicals, but it doesn't emit any kind of chemical odor which is a real plus for me. But, wait a minute, it must have some kind of chemical in it. Before I repainted the front door, I grabbed one of those eraser sponges just to remove any dust, grime, etc. I didn't use any elbow grease, was just wiping the outside of the door down when I noticed that the old paint was coming OFF on the sponge. This was outdoor enamel. The door was black. The water in my bucket was turning black but I though maybe that was dirt. Then I noticed that I could see the bare door coming through in places so I quit with the eraser - since I didn't really want to strip the paint, and just finished wiping the door down with a damp rag. I had forgotten about that incident but that sponge is something else again. KaperC No. San Diego Co., CA (Zone 10b) March 23, 2008 12:03 AM Post #4697537 Glad it wasn't just an aberration! I was really amazed at the job it did - I'll be careful now where/how I use it. scutler Charleston, SC (Zone 8b) March 23, 2008 12:30 AM Post #4697637 Now I just remembered, one of the things I use that eraser sponge for is to remove dirty marks from the walls - and it doesn't take the paint off of the walls. Hmm. Well, that door was painted black and was facing due South so it soaked up a lot of sun over the years. Maybe the paint was somehow broken down a bit by the sun, but then again, neither rain nor pressure washing had ever taken the paint off - just that sponsor; however, I do think I was using one of the 'super duper' eraser sponges (can't recall the official name for the extra strength eraser). Yep, just in case, better be careful and test 1st. nanbernier St. Robert, MO (Zone 5b) April 13, 2008 5:39 PM Post #4803364 I thought the eraser sponges were "sanding sponges". They feel like them and work like them, except for the way they disapere... They will take your skin off just like sandpaper too, if you wipe off a splotch of mud; your skin comes off in an abrasian. ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) April 13, 2008 7:49 PM Post #4804033 The eraser sponges (3M has one as does Mr. Clean and probably a few others) do take paint off. If you don't scrub the same spot for a long time you may not notice it (especially if your paint is light colored), but they definitely will remove some paint if you keep rubbing it.

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