Agencies and other headaches, keys and cleaners, running costs and contracts...in short, all the things we spend so much of our time doing behind the scenes.<br>
Having seen some ads on French TV recently for these I've been wondering about buying a small-ish steam cleaner with a glass cleaning attachment, mainly to clean shower doors/screens and windows but also to do the other things that steam cleaners do (when I find out what they are that is ).
Does anyone use a steam cleaner on glass? Do they work? We have a lot of windows, some of which are nearly 4 metres high, and it's a loooooooong job cleaning them - and a pretty scary one too, given that it's up a ladder. Outside it's worse because the house is built on a hill, so it actually needs an 8m ladder to reach them ... not a lot of fun between guests. So anything that would make it easier is going to be worth the investment.
I bought one a decade ago and it was a tad heavy - and given that you already get arm ache cleaning windows it was like a form of torture. Added to the fact that it dribbled boiling water down my arm - I can't say it was a success. I think it only made it out of the box once.
I have also had a very expensive polti steam hoover, and when it burnt in our fire (along with the other one) the cleaner asked me not to replace it, which should give you an idea of how successful that was. It was good for cleaning off black mould but not for steam cleaning the floor - for which it was supposedly designed.
I have used the Karcher hand held steam cleaner for windows and such like but am not sure how practical it would be going up ladders and such like.
I have a Haan handheld that sanitizes too at home which is good but has to be plugged in and then filled up with water every 15 mins. I use it more with its scrubbing brush attachments and the jet blast of steam for around faucets and such like and not for windows. I use it for steaming upholstery too.
Having been literally burned by a steam cleaner in the past I am happy with this hand held version in that when I have had to refill it I have never burned my self opening the tank. I only have wood floors at home so did not feel the need to have a bigger machine for cleaning the floors.
When I use it to clean an area whether it be the bathroom, kitchen or things like the fridge freezer etc I can really see the difference at the end, it sanitizes (not all do, I think you need one that heats to 220+) and you use zero products with it so for some this is a big plus.
I don't use it on a regular basis more so when I have time to do a whole room and want to do it thoroughly.
I have a big Karcher steam cleaner. I tried using it for windows but it is not practical, and I find microfibre cloths for glass much easier to use for cleaning windows, shower enclosures, mirrors etc. My Karcher is used occasionally for floors and upholstery in the gites and my car, but it is too time consuming and too much hard work to use on a regular basis.
Yes, I find microfibre clothes the best too. My problem really is with the lime deposits on shower screens - they're all 'nano coated' (!) which is supposed to make them easier to clean - which it does, but the downside is that you're not supposed to use vinegar or anything but water on them, so paradoxically it makes them more difficult to clean.
The best way to leave them shiny is to huff and puff at them and then polish with a cloth, but there's a limit to how much puff I've got. Even if some say I'm full of hot air
i seem to have stumbled on a neat thing. we have just opened a second unit and have a wet room type shower which has just a large glass partition separating the shower from the rest of the room. I found it hard work cleaning it the first few changeovers but then i was watching our window cleaner at work one day with his squeegy thing. You know a T shaped thing. I left one in the shower and guests seem to be cleaning it perfectly well themselves after a shower! i still give it a quick wipeover but really that is all it seems to need. Their doing this has made it so much easier.
have recently seen adveritsing for steam cleaners and was wondering about their effectiveness, since I am a bit nervous about well our eco-friendly porducts work at idsinfecting. What intriques me, since we do not use bleach or any other harsh cehmeicals is that the steamers only use heat and water and of course electricity.......
If you don't mind using chemical,products, I find all Lakelands shower cleaning stuff very good,(along with the t shaped thingy) The best is called 'no scrub' or something similar and also,their daily spray stops scum building up on glass.
I bought the new Karcher window cleaning thing. It is very quick and completely dries the windows but still leaves streaks
I always seem to have streaks even with microfibre cloths, unless I'm buying the wrong ones.
The best microfibre cloth is the Vileda professional. It is quite hard to get hold of and not cheap - I get mine online from cleaning specialists. The 'microfibre' cloths sold at the supermarket just don't compare.
I bought a cheapo hand held steam cleaner for £10 a while ago at Netto's or Aldi or the like. I find it useful for defrosting the freezer quickly and also to get right in around taps etc. At a tenner as Lily would have said "it owes me nowt". I don't think I'd buy a more expensive one although I often wonder what those steam mops are like.
Mouse wrote:I bought the new Karcher window cleaning thing. It is very quick and completely dries the windows but still leaves streaks
Mousie
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I just bought one of these too, Mousie, based on so many 5 star reviews on Amazon. It arrived yesterday and I spent this morning playing with it (how sad am I? ).
But .... it's brilliant! The shower screens that used to take me nearly half an hour each took about 3 minutes, and our big sliding glass doors were a doddle too. And no streaks .....
It's an expensive toy but worth it for all the time it's going to free up - great for daily shower cleaning, and window cleaning at changeover. Only quibble is that the battery life is quite short - about 20 minutes - but you can get a lot done in that time.
I bought the new Karcher window cleaning thing. It is very quick and completely dries the windows but still leaves streaks
I always seem to have streaks even with microfibre cloths, unless I'm buying the wrong ones.
Not sure how much truth there is in this, but in Italy everyone says you shouldn't wash windows when it's sunny (even on cars) because you will get streaks - better to do them on a cloudy day, first thing in the morning or in the evening...
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