Seeing no other response to this in two weeks I offer the following: See subject: Euro-Pro Select Delux 1600 W Pro Steam Cleaner". If this is related to your question you'll see there isn't a consensus on how well they work. Not well in my view.

I own one of these machines, the TidyVap. I bought it from Allergybuyersclub.com. I think the machine is great, it does an amazing job in the bathroom and kitchen. I posted a big long review here when I bought it. I did not buy it for allergy purposes though so I cannot comment on those results.

In regards to Jerry's post: There is a difference between the EuroPro type steam machines and the dry vapor machines (dry vapor being much hotter). People on this forum have mixed reviews with the EuroPro type steamers, many are disappointed and they can be splattery/messy to use (some like it). Dry vapor machines are cleaner to use and more powerful, but - you guessed it - they are much more expensive, Ladybug being over $1000 versus the EuroPro in the low hundreds. (Don't even think about the handhelds.)

It is very dangerous hot steam, so you have to use it carefully: no painted surfaces (unless you are VERY careful), no wood, etc. If you have a lot of stone/tile/glass non-porous material to clean this will be amazing to use. I have used it to spot clean stains on carpet, but it is impractical to use for a whole carpet cleaning (too small). I have not used in on mattresses or anything for allergies but that seems reasonable.
Another price difference is the continuous fill option. I splurged and got one that you can refill while using it - others you have to wait 20 minutes for the water to heat up again if you run out. I use this feature almost every time, so I am glad I have it, but it depends again on how much surface you plan to cover while using it (or if you care about waiting.) I get about 20 minutes on a "tank" lol.
They are very effective, the value depends on whether you would be able to use it a lot considering the materials in your house, and if you would lug the thing out. :)

LPolk and Jerry, thanks for your comments.

I've had adventures in vapor steam cleaning since I first posted my query. A nice lady from Norwalk, CT came to my house and demonstrated the wonders of the Ladybug XL, which I did order from her. I think the on-site demonstration is very helpful, because there are definitely a few things to learn about how to use these things, and the hands-on demonstration helps. There's a video that comes along with the machine, too. Since I am of the opinion that one might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb, and since I have few other major vices besides my addiction to high-end home appliances, I bought some fun accessories as well: the (terrific) steam iron that can be run off the Ladybug, and the aromatherapy attachment (after cleaning the kitchen you can infuse the air with a favorite essential oil, like peppermint, or bergamot).

I am enjoying the Ladybug very much -- it has added a couple of years to the lifespan of child- and dog-worn living room upholstery, and revived outdoor furniture cushions that I thought were beyond the pale, and I use it on all the rugs in the house, including some old vegetable-dyed Orientals -- they are significantly brighter and silkier/springier afterwards, and I don't see pigment coming out of the old rugs onto the terry towel that wraps the cleaning head, just dirt. I can clean my entire bathroom (limestone, stainless steel, porcelain, glass, and polyurethaned wooden floor) without using any solvents or paper towels -- the very hot vapor sterilizes surfaces. Afterwards, I wash any dirty terry towel wraps in a hot-water wash, dry them, and they're ready to reuse.

I bought the cleaner because I wanted to be able to steam-clean mattresses to kill dust mites, to which my mildly asthmatic son is allerlgic. There is medical research that shows that vapor steam cleaning does significantly reduce the amount of dust mite and dust mite antigen on rugs and mattresses -- you have to follow the steam cleaning with a good vacuum with a HEPA filter to remove the dead mites and their residua -- but I haven't yet come across any medical literature that proves that this leads to significant improvement in clinical symptoms for those who are allergic to dust mites -- so it's too soon to make that claim. Still, I feel very virtuous as I steam clean the mattresses and pillows.

The Ladybug can wash windows -- or i should say, YOU can wash windows using the Ladybug. There are other attachments like the "tough kit" for cleaning grills, or detailing the car, but I haven't done either of those tasks yet. I do clean my kitchen range, and that is deeply satisfying. In general, the Ladybug is a great tool in the kitchen. In fact, the hardest part is deciding where to keep it: near the bathrooms, or in the laundry room with the ironing board, or in the kitchen?

I think the continuous refill feature is very important, because in the course of several hours of steam cleaning one might need to top up the reservoir at least several times, depending on how much steam one is using. I also like that the vapor steam is so dry that steamed fabrics feel dry to the touch soon after cleaning.

I had one problem when an attachment broke -- I e-mailed the representative, who arranged for a replacement piece to be sent immediately, at no charge.

It's cute, too, did I mention how cute it is? And it is very quiet, so while you are cleaning you can listen to music, or talk radio, or self-improvement tapes if you feel like improving yourself. Perhaps I should "get a life." But there you have my experience to date.

Very Quiet? Now I want a new one, my older one is loud.....

Well, quieter than a vacuum cleaner -- not soundless, of course, and it clucks and beeps occasionally to communicate various things. Cats and dogs like it: they settle in nearby.
Lynn

FarmGirl, are you still loving your Ladybug? Your remark about having added years to the life of your upholstery interests me strangely...I am at the point of ordering washable fitted slipcovers for our cotton twill sectional in the family room. It's only been there since January 2001 and is so nasty looking I hate to sit on it, between us, two teenagers, a dog and a cat. Anyway the slipcovers would cost about the same as the Ladybug, and I would rather have a clean sofa (and clean grout, mite-free mattresses, etc) than a covered-up dirty sofa. But I'm a horrible housekeeper! simply cannot imagine myself first vacuuming and then going over everything one more time with a little terry pad. Is it really easy and quick to use?

Disclaimer: am currently in middle of kitchen remodel & full of resolutions about "when this horrible nightmare is over, things are going to be DIFFERENT around here!"

Delmobile,
I do still love my Ladybug. I've been on a big ironing kick lately, and listened to a lot of sociopolitical commentary on NPR while mowing through the ironing basket. But it occurs to me that I could, in multitasking mode, also listen to books on tape, or continuing medical education tapes (that's the other part of my life, but I work part-time, and housewifery is my hobby).

I noticed some mildew on my son's bathroom's ceiling, and took care of it easily with the Ladybug and an extension piece -- the last time this happened I had to climb up on a ladder with a bucket of bleach solution and ruined a decent pair of jeans by dripping bleach on them. The bathrooms are glistening and not perfumed, just clean-smelling when I'm done cleaning them with the steam cleaner.

Do not think that I use the Ladybug every day and am such a clean freak: I don't steam mattresses every time I wash the sheets, although I'm sure that the dust mite population would be lower the more I use it. I don't set out to clean the house top-to-bottom: rather I undertake projects room by room. We too have a long-suffering cotton-twill-covered sofa in the TV room, a pale creamy yellow, that looked much improved after I had tackled it with the Ladybug: I watched a dopey movie while cleaning. Friends that evening noticed the improvement without prompting, which is sort of embarrassing. I took the Ladybug to a friend's house one day and we cleaned her living room furniture and rugs, which were suffering from the long illness of her very old cat, and we had fun and she was thrilled.

On the cost issue: that's one of those things that only you and DH can decide. You don't have to buy lots of Swiffers and Mr. Clean when you're using the Ladybug, you clean with water and washable terry -- but if you have a cleaning service, they're not going to want to use the machine, because it is slower than their (much more cursory) onceovers with mops and sponges. You will have to pay for however much more electricity the machine uses, but I can't tell you how much that is.

There's a good testimonial posted on allergybuyers.com, I believe.

I'll bet the company would send you a video so that you could understand the tempo of things and see whether you think it would work for you. I've written and asked my rep in Norwalk if she knows of any salespeople near you in Alabama. I'll let you know what I hear from her.

good luck!
Lynn

Thanks Lynn! and thanks for asking your Norwalk rep. There is a video on some website, maybe it's the allergybuyers one, but you can't really get a feel for how it works.

I love listening to books on tape while I clean. That's why I hate the noisy vacuum so much--have to pause the tape.