Handheld steam cleaners

[mazza]

***TOPIC SPLIT FROM FAVE KITCHEN GADGETS***

Awww -P-

You mustn't be like that!!

Well I've got a new gadget now - not really just for kitchens...

A hand held steam cleaner. It's really quite powerful considering it's so small and was very cheap - 40 quid or so. It has done really great things to my really manky cooker ( :blush: ) . Next stop...the shower cabinet :o

:thumbs:

[Blue Cow]

Mazza - my steam cleaner cleans my windows better than any amount of elbow grease has done in the past :)

I also used to use it to defrost my old freezer (use to take about 15 minutes as opposed to about 2 hours!) but my new freezer is one of those frost free thingies.

And it's got a wallpaper stripper attachment that works a wonder :)

Good stuff :D

[Annabel]

You must tell us how you get on with cleaning the shower Mazza ...i have a very awkward shower room in my loft which is a real bind to clean..the shower head is fixed so i cant lower it and spray round with it...ive been hesitant to get a hand held steam cleaner in case it hasnt got enough ooomph, but i saw a JML one in woollies for £30 , and it tempted me a bit.... :rolleyes:

p.s. i like my garlic press as well...good fun! :thumbs:

[Beth]

I have seen those steam cleaners on the telly, but I never bought one as they always seem to be too good to be true!

please let us know how you get on, my grouting could really use something like that, and they reckon on the telly, that it does everything!!! :lol:

[Blue Cow]

Hi Beth,

They do clean grout - and very well - but you need a power steamer (not the cheaper types). I think that the main brand is Vaperetto (spelling is probably wrong :blush: )

BC

[mazza]

Well, I haven't started on my shower yet, but I did have serious bash at the cooker yesterday.

I have to confess that my cooker and the hob are completely filthy, I am the worst person at keeping it clean, so you can only imagine how disgraceful it is :blush:

Well, I couldn't believe it that it removed the vast majority of the burnt on crud on my gas burner rings and the cooker door (glass) and the floor of the cooker. I do confess that to speed things along, I used a brillo pad on the door and the cooker burners, which worked a treat with the steam. The oven racks are more tricky cos the surfaces are thinner, but it did work - with effort.

I had a go at the tiles behind the cooker and the tiles themselves came up lovely - really shiney - but the grout was still a bit discoloured, although def better than before. I think that if I brush a bit of dilute bleach over it, it will def come up white :) .

I agree with BC, it's fantastic for windows and this is the ONLY way for me from now on :thumbs: . And mirrors too !

I also got off a gross milk stain from my sofa that nowt else would shift...and clatty stuff the kids had smeared all over the dining room chair pads. ( :rolleyes: )

It's brilliant for getting at the crevices of the toilet and the seat and the seat bolt connector things and the floor too.

Great for sinks, plug holes and about the taps. And the waste pipes underneath the wash hand basin that seem to get so filthy when people let their grimey hands drip down the outside of the basin bowl.

And also kitchen units, worktops. Oh and the microwave :wow:

Blimey, I could go on :lol:

My OH bought it for me for Xmas (tsk :o :hihi: ), but forgot all about it until last week poor thing :( . I'll ask him if he can remember where he got it - It could be off QVC...It's a Power Penguin by 'Hometek'and I am not totally sure of the price , but I think it was probably in the region of 40 quid.

I shall report on the progress with the shower - I am hoping to get cracking later!! :lol:

[Annabel]

The Penguin...Thats definitely from QVC, my SIL bought one, didnt use it, went off the idea (???) and then sent it back to QVC - didnt even open the box!!!!!!

If i had known i would have probably bought it off her!!! strange lady.... :wacko:

I was wondering how long the steam lasts...this is what stops me getting a small one...do you have to keep refilling it every 10 minutes????

Im in an - ti - ci - pation of your reply!!!!

[mazza]

He He !

here I am, back after a hard day's grime busting :lol:

The steam lasts not too bad, I think...yes you have to fill it up often-ish, but it doesn't seem to be a pain at all cos you get a handy pouring thingy which is just right :thumbs:

Put it this way, I cleaned my downstairs loo (inc seat, waste pipe and loo brush), the floor, the wash hand basin, taps, pipes and mirror on one fill (but it wasn't too bad to begin with, nothing like the cooker or shower)...or four (filthy, scummy) shower panels and it didn't need refilling...Hmmm, in about an hour, I must have only filled it four times (if that) .

Well, I have had a crack at the shower now and it has been really hard going, but it has done the job. I think that now I have got the very worst of it off, it will sail through it next time :) .

I must say that the grout has come up fantastically white in the shower room - so it really does work - no chemicals at all involved this time :) . The tiles are wonderfully shiney - cor!

It's brill for blasting fluff out of radiators too - great for laminate floors (for all you fans out there)...Oh stop me someone! :blush:

It's so easy to use, just plug it in (it has a really long flex which is great), fill it up with a dose of water and go! It even comes with a micro-fibre cloth for the wiping down bit :thumbs:

I wonder what a mega-blaster 200 quid job can do :wow: but for now I am well chuffed with this cheapy thing :) .

Shame on me...raving on so much :hihi:

Annabel - your sis in law will rue the day she sent it back after you tell her all this :D

[hollygolightly]

:o I saw the advert for this thing on QVC yesterday I think! They were demonstrating its abilities! :lol:


QVC Price £43.50
Introductory Price £39.56
UK Postage & Packaging £5.45
Save! Buy two or more & save on postage and packaging

Complete a variety of cleaning tasks quickly and effectively with the Auto Penguin steam cleaner kit. High-temperature steam makes it easy to remove stubborn household dirt from hard surfaces like workshops, cookers, ovens and tiles. Use the cleaner to remove chewing gum, mildew, soap sc*m, dirt and grime or to revitalise curtains, carpet and garments. The supply of continuous steam will dissolve dirt on mirrors and windows and help to reduce germs and bacteria in the home!

Is this the one Mazza? :rolleyes: :)

[mazza]

Yes, Yes, Yeessss!! That's the baby!! :hihi:

They've put the price up though, OH paid just under 40 sovs :) .

I briefly saw them demo'ing a different one yesterday on QVC ('Steam Bullet') but it didn't look as good as this Penguin one, plus it needed a funnel to fill it which I thought was too fiddly.

I just thought though...I live in a soft water area...so can't say how well it will do on limescale (thinking of you in London, Annabel) :( Perhaps that's why I'm getting good results. :unsure:

Shower was looking particularly lovely this am though :rolleyes: B)

[Annabel]

:rolleyes:

I just found the penguin , via Kelkoo, on 'HomeFree' for £29.99!...and P&P really is free....

QVC showed on Kelkoo with a price of c.£27!!!! Not correct!

I wonder if it will get limescale off as well, actually, you lot in soft water areas have it easy!!!! :P I am forever splashing limelite about and it really stinks!!! (both environmentally and olfactorily - cor where did i get that word from...been reading too many books lately - need a lie down now :ill: :lol: )

[mazza]

Hmmm, it says that it deals with limescale - although I think that you'd be best treating very bad scale first probably with the chemicals and then doing top up cleans with the steam cleaner.

It gets rid of what water marks I do get with ease though :rolleyes: .

:D

[Annabel]

Just seen in a magazine, the penguin available from Marshall Ward for £24.99 + £2.99 P&P...

Not bad!

[troika]

i saw that penguin last week at kwik save for £19.99 but thought it was too good to be true&#33; wonder if they still have any left? >.<

[freakyfun]

Am I being thick here, but how do you make a penguin produce steam? At the very least you could be arrested for animal cruelty?

FF

(I&#39;ll have to see about one of them)

[mazza]

Hmm, Not totally sure, HN.

The blurb says it tackles it, but I am not sure what sort of level of limescale it would deal with.

If my shower&#39;s anything to go by with infested grime and skunge ( :blush: ) . I think it might have a good crack at limescale as that&#39;s when my shower screen looked like it was coated with :o :blush: :blush: .

I saw that JML steamer demo&#39;d today on the TV and it looks quite good. Cheaper than the Penguin (apart from in Kwik Save mentioned by eeeyore&#33;) and it has a hose which I think would be more convenient to use than just the fixed nozzle alone in some situations :) .

They showed a clatty limescaley tiled corner of a bathroom, I think and they said it deals with that sort of thing, but they didn&#39;t demo it :unsure:

Still, for all the other stuff it can do, I think it&#39;s 30-40 quid well invested :thumbs:

[Annabel]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I am killing myself laughing at this thread&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; What are we like&#33; joy and rapture abut a steam cleaner&#33;&#33;&#33;he he what a chuckle&#33;

and jolly well done mazza for splitting the topic, clever clogs, trying to show me up or something??? :P :P :P

was the JML steamer on QVC or just being generally advertised? our local woolies has a video on loop demo&#39;ing, but i never have the time to stand and watch it properly... at this rate i might have to send my dad out to do the market research for me, im only just holding myself back&#33; :lol:

[goosegirl]

Yeah but what about wool carpets and sofa&#39;s that should be cleaned.

GG

[hollygolightly]

:wow:

Mazza, you know what? :lol:

You are going to have to call the QVC Studio Line the next time they do a slot on steam cleaners&#33;&#33;&#33; You can tell them live on air what a marvellous discussion you&#39;ve started on the NFHiB forum&#33; :lol: :D

[Eskander]

This thread is wierd - steam cleaners - who ever heard of dirty steam? And you can&#39;t keep it still long enough to clean it. And what have penguins got to do with it?

Why would you want to clean your loo with a penguin, surely a mop would be more appropriate, unless you made a mop by attaching a penguin to a stick.

I think I&#39;m probably missing the point here.

[Annabel]

:lol: :lol: @ Eskander&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

[freakyfun]

Why would you want to clean your loo with a penguin, surely a mop would be more appropriate, unless you made a mop by attaching a penguin to a stick.

I don&#39;t think the feathers on a penguin are good absorbers of liquid - it would be like trying to clean the loo with a piece of cheese.

FF

[Eskander]

Yes but pehaps you could train the penguin to clean the loo - they&#39;re good swimmers after all and it wouldn&#39;t matter if the water was really cold. Although that&#39;s probably more trouble than a steam cleaner which wouldn&#39;t need to be fed herrings.

You can&#39;t train cheese to do much although some of the more advanced blue varieties are close to being conscious life-forms

[mazza]

:wow: :hihi:

I know, how bizarre is this thread ?? :lol:

I am a bit cross now :frown:

I have seen that QVC are now selling a black and white (well, I s&#39;pose they should be those colours really :rolleyes: ) as opposed to my blue and white penguin for about 30 quid&#33;&#33;&#33; TSK TSK :frown:

The JML one I saw was on tv - one of those sad (like me ? :lol: ) channels.

I am concerned that it wouldn&#39;t blast a bad case of limescale, my feeling is that it should be treated as normal with a chemical like Viakal/Limelite and then kept on top of with the steam cleaner :thumbs:

I will watch out for it to appear on QVC and for a laff I will phone the studio line &#33;&#33; I shall ask them if it is meant to get rid of limescale&#33; :hihi:

See, I am too good to you all &#33; :notworthy:

[Annabel]

B)

Ohh, I was having a chat with a mate today, and in amongst our witty and stimulating chat about our extremely exciting and hectic social lives :whistle: we managed to squeeze in a very brief little chat about steam cleaners.... :P

well , she has the penguin and says it makes no impact at all on limescale, which i suspected...i dont think anything other than a chemical can dissolve it. but she did say it was excellent for her windows, defrosting her freezer, cleaning sticky gunk, mouldy grout. not so good on her oven, but then we dont know how bad her oven was eh?? :lol:

i think its still worth it for 30 quid&#33; :thumbs:

[Beth]

ok, I am now saving up for a steam cleaner&#33; :lol:

I have seen them in netto for 34 quid, and might have to have a peer in kwiksave&#33;&#33;&#33; :lol:

[mazza]

hehehehe&#33; :lol:

Just done my downstairs cloakroom (WC, Wash hand basin, mirror and floor), kitchen unit doors, worktops, hob (was filthy), tiles behind hob, sink, kettle (outside which gets all manky), two kitchen windows (inc handles and vents), door, extractor fan, cooker hood, underneath the wall units (have you looked under yours lately? :blink:), microwave (inside and out), outside of cooker and kitchen bin... and all on three fill-ups :P

I haven&#39;t tried it on my carpet - which is wool, but I remember the person on QVC saying to test a hidden area first for colour fastness and use the &#39;upholstery&#39; attachment to clean small areas only - the appliance is too small to clean a whole carpet :) .

Well, I wondered about the limescale and there you go :lol: But it&#39;s excellent for grease if that&#39;s any consolation.

It gets rid of horrid toilet niffs too :whistle:

But for all the other stuff it can do - and it is oddly very therapeutic to use cos you really do see the fruits of your labour - I think it&#39;s worth it :thumbs:

oops here I go again :rolleyes: :hihi:

[hollygolightly]

It certainly seems to be keeping you occupied, mazza :P

I think I might have to get one after reading all about it. :rolleyes:

[Annabel]

:D

Hi everyone, I have been taking this topic very seriously and I just bought one of the penguin cleaners for £20 from EBAY&#33;&#33; Saw it being auctioned and just dived in&#33;

The one I got is the cheaper penguin that QVC sell for £27.

There are loads on them on there for anyone who wants one&#33;

I think Mazza deserves a commission from HomeTek for drumming up sales for them&#33; :P :jump:

[Eskander]

That&#39;s it, I&#39;m totally confused now. It couldn&#39;t get to grips with the notion of cleaning steam since I assume that&#39;s what a steam cleaner is for - totally lost on the penguin issue. Now, I see from Annabel that you can buy a pengiun cleaner. Amazing, I mean just how many dirty pengiuns are there out there? they spend most of their time in the water so would stay pretty clean anyway.

And if a cheap pengiun coats £27, I wonder what would get if you spent more. perhaps £27 would only get you a Jackass Penguin - perhaps an Emporer would cost a lot more.

And where does this all fit in with the smack the penguin game that someone (Vanner?) posted here a month or so ago. :blink:

[goosegirl]

If using on cream carpets, don&#39;t keep it on the same area too long. My fella&#39;s dad had a wool carpet cleaned. They burnt it. It left brown lines all over the cream carpet.

GG.

[Annabel]

:P :P :P

@Eskander&#33;

:lol: :lol:

p.s. thanks for the tip goosegirl&#33;&#33;&#33; :thumbs:

[Beth]

I am in negotiation with my manager at the mo for one&#33; :) he doesnt want us to use loads of cleaning products due to risk,
so to convince him I have had to ring health and safety and they said as long as I do a risk assessment and use it carefully theres no problem&#33;
so I have left a message for him and I hope he will let me have one :lol:

to think how hard it is to use anything in a residentail home, tsk&#33; :huh:

[mazza]

:wow:

I am going to have to put a disclaimer on this thread &#33;

I hope that it works well for everyone else as it has for me :D

I saw another one advertised on TV yesterday (&#39;Steam Buggy&#39;) and it claimed to remove limescale...I&#39;m not too convinced though as it was still a small appliance. :unsure:

A steam cleaner would be excellent in a care home, I think - gosh, the steam acts as a steriliser so it could do the chairs the folk sit in, their trays, WC&#39;s etc etc I can&#39;t imagine anyone disagreeing esp as there are no chemicals involved&#33;

Just mind nobody can trip over the cable :o

I&#39;m off to do my weekly blast again later (looking forward to it :lol: ) :whistle:

[Beth]

:) still trying to twist his arm but I think he is coming round to the idea&#33;&#33; :lol:

(just told Matthrew I want one for the house too&#33;&#33;)

[Annabel]

:sad: :D :rolleyes:

Hi everyone, just to let you know, the steam penguin I got off Ebay came today and I have had a go with it in the kitchen. Considering its quite a small thing, I think its well worth the money, I havent done that much with it, but what I have done I am pleased with... :thumbs:

I cleaned the microwave, the windows, the top of the fridge(which gets very greasy over time) and i had a blast at the oven (until I got too hungry and stopped for me dinner) I also cleaned the tile grout round the hob and sink...all very clean and no effort at all. B)

So it has my recommendation. it definitely doesnt touch limescale though, so us hardwater people will still need our chemicals, worst luck&#33;

I think for a care home, Beth, you will need to invest in a decent size one, the little penguin wont be that helpful for you - you have to keep pumping the steam which is a teensy bit of a nuisance. :unsure:

So remember, they have them on EBay for about £20 if you are lucky with your bidding&#33;&#33;&#33; :thumbs: :thumbs:

(i have to say thank you to mazza at this point&#33; i owe you one&#33;&#33;&#33;)

[Beth]

:lol: @Annabel&#33;

I did get my way&#33;&#33;&#33; :lol:

and we now have a steam cleaner, we are not a big home, only 5 beds, the penguin is ok actually, it does take a bit of effect to use, I got so carried away with the grouting in the bathroom, it started to come away&#33;....please dont tell my boss&#33;&#33; :lol:

the main use I think it will have is for sterilsing stuff, we do have some residents who mange to get body fluids every where, and I give the taps and door handles a steam each day, its good for plastic chopping boards too&#33; it minimises that onion smell you can get.

come pay day I will be getting one for me&#33;&#33;

[mazza]

:lol:

I am sooo relieved it works for you too :thumbs:

And at last we have conclusive answers for the limescale :)

I saw QVC selling one yesterday (more expensive, didn&#39;t look as good to me though :unsure: )

They claimed it did get rid of limescale, but he quickly threw in a comment about &#39;it would work even better if you treated the limescaled area with lemon juice first&#39; ...

Beth, it&#39;s fantastic for all those cruddy areas that people touch and where germs can be transmitted - I think it&#39;s great that you have got one.

It makes me think that loads of other institutions should use them routinely too.

It&#39;s no bigger than my kettele, so I just leave mine on the worktop now and I actually look forward to using it :hihi: (novelty still not worn off :rolleyes: )

:D