what climate are you in? does your house have forced air? if you have moving air in the room that gets steamed, you can expect big wool stuff to dry out quickly. All vapor steam cleaners are not sopping wet except when the handle end is inefficient. It's never the fault of the tip end. Definition of handle end = operator holding the handle. Definition of quickly = not so slow as to upset the most tolerant people. Definition of big = boy oh boy do you ever have a lot of mass here. HTH -david

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.

I have one of the pricey "dry" vapor steam cleaners, from allergybuyersclub site, the tidyvap. I like that site and frankly am surprised they OK'd it for your floors and walls. DO NOT use it on painted walls! It will remove paint, or at least discolor the area you use it, plaster or drywall (drywall even worse). It is very intense heat, and would scald your hand if you used it on skin, so I would not recommend it for wood, either (although I am unfamiliar with trax?). I have used it on UN-painted wood to spot clean adhesives, but I would not regularly use all over wood floors, as I bet it would warp the boards. The machines are WONDERFUL for tile, stone, metal, glass... it is a miracle machine in the bathroom and kitchen, no chemicals and cleans to sparkling new. It is OK for rugs but frankly a little too labor intensive to clean the whole thing regularly, I have only spot cleaned rugs too. (Cat throw up - great for that!) I don't have allergies but these machines are recommended specifically for dust mites, because the heat kills them, and it can be used on cloth/furniture and mattresses effectively. A very good HEPA vacuum (Miele is the cadillac, I love my Oxygen) would be a much better bet for dander and you could use it on walls/wood floors. Dander is superficial, and you won't need the most deep cleaning to keep it clear. You could also get a wet steam cleaner like the shark and try that, but I think a good HEPA vac is all you need.

The Ladybug is an excellent choice, but is one of the most expensive steam cleaners on the market. They usually cost $900+. Another good steamer you can use is the McCulloch MC-1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner which will cost a little less than $100 and has numerous positive reviews and ratings.. Here is a link that might be useful: vapor steamers