I'm considering one of these also - a cheapo like the Shark or Shark Jr. I searched and read a few threads concerning them - seems like people like them I think.

Can you use these on the inside of your windows? or does it get all drippy? Do they work on a "crust" of dried up old bugs, spiderwebs and bird droppings on your outside aluminum window trim? (we live in the woods).

How easy are they to use? For example, I have a Floormate and love the results, but cleaning up all those parts afterwards discourages me from using it on a regular basis. Do you have to refill the steamers a lot? (like how many square feet does one fill cover?) Can you use a shark to spot clean upholstery and carpets, or is it for hard surfaces only?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated!
Charlene

Charlene,

Please let "us" know what you've learned. I see the Shark at the local BJs for about $90. It appears to have a high pressure cooker, which I think is necessary. I have a steam cleaner, not a Shark, that doesn't do much in my view. It just has an unsealed water holder from which it appears to draw small bits of water that it turns into steam, very low pressure steam. Something like a steam iron used on cloths/fabric.

My neighbor has a Shark and likes it. I have barrowed it to try it out, but I haven't as yet because I don't want to do a steam cleaning test while the weather is hot and humid, as it is in the NE.

I have a little, 900 w. Scuncii, and I've used it primarily for wallpaper and glue removal. It did a fabulous job on that. For cleaning, though, it's better than nothing, but not all that great. But it beats scrubbing to death!

I have a steam cleaner and I find it very helpful especially if I have caked-on dirt. I just spray with a cleaner, wait a bit, steam it, then use a rag to dry. I find that I don't need to scrub hard at all since the steamer does the work for me.

There's a steamer on Amazon that's gotten excellent reviews. It's $105 after a $25 discount with free shipping. Here's the link for anyone interested:

Here is a link that might be useful: Amazon steamer

I have a Ladybug steamer and although there are some uses, it certainly doesn't do what I was expecting.

The promotional info made it seem like it would remove stuff like magic (like the scruffy, buggy aluminum window noted above). Not so, while it does loosen things, it doesn't remove them, you still have to do that the old-fashioned way, with a rag, while handling the very hot, slightly awkward machine and hose assembly. For me it's faster to just vacuum, scrape or wipe the stuff away.

It can't really be used on painted wood; it will lift the paint off. (In fact I sometimes use it to strip paint.)

Its ability to steam a carpet is notional, at best.

The idea that it can "steam clean" upholstery is exagerated.

The idea that is sanitizes toilet bowls and tooth brushes (who would want to do both with same tool, anyway?) is a fantasy. The toilet bowl never gets hot enough to be "sanitized" because of the toilet bowl's inherent thermal mass.

It does a so-so job of cleaning britework in the bath and kitchen. It's far faster to use a damp cloth, with or w/o vinegar.

The idea that it will kill dust mites on mattresses is laughable since they exist not just on the surface of a mattress and you can sheild your hand with an inch of fabric and not be burned by the steam so the mites are probably in there laughing their heads off while enjoying the free sauna.

So, why don't I toss it?

Well, it cleans my non self-clean oven like gangbusters. I find it terrifically useful for cleaning my plaster and painted walls and it's useful for cleaning gunky greasy front of the stove on wood floors. If I had vinyl or tile floors I think it would be more useful.

So, it has it's uses, but IMO it's vastly over-sold. If you already have a very clean house having the steam will make you feel like you are doing great things, but in most cases in my experience you are not doing more than you are alreadya doing.

It's one of those things sold to desperate people with fearful allergies who are trying to breathe better. Prices are silly, for what you get. It pays to shop around, too. And ask vendors for open-box items as they get a lot of these back.

Molly~

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's the model I have

I have owned just about every steam cleaner. The best I've found, by far, is the Bissel upright steam cleaner. Now even that one stays in the closet. I have a Bissel Quicksteamer that does the job of a full size machine with as much effort as vacuuming. Any spots that give me a problem are no match for my Little Green. I love Bissel. They are powerful machines and never lose suction. The others I've tried have never matched up to that.