Wow.... steam would be terrific, i'm sure... but how do you get it? I'm just one of those cleaning ladies that for low wages goes home to home. Sound to me like you need expensive equipment to create steam. How do you steam clean a toilet or under the tub? Do you steam clean teddy bears and lingerie as well?
Eureka Enviro-Steamer - $39 at Tuesday Morning. Takes no chemicals, so it pays for itself sooner or later.
Actually.... i'm starting to fall in love with this idea, and its cheap enough that even if it bombs, it pays for itself eventually. What does it do to the glue on the back of linoleum? Does the heat cause problems with sythetic glues and surfaces?
I have used the floor cleaner for about 5 years on all types of floors - vinyl, tile, sealed wood, and laminate. It has never caused a problem with the flooring. I used it on glue-together laminate and snap-together laminate without problems. But, just like an iron, you can't turn it on and then go answer the door, leaving it in one place. They recommend that you not leave it in one area for more than 45 seconds as I recall. The floor is cleaned and dries in seconds without having any chemicals or buckets of water to tote around. You do have to sweep the floor to remove debris before using the steam mop, but I always did that before using a bucket and mop anyway.
There are two models of the Enviro Steamer. The original and the deluxe. I would avoid the original model because you have to use their proprietary cloths with the unit. They are contoured to fit the machine and have an elastic band that holds them on. The deluxe model has spring clamps that will hold any cloth. I use pieces of old bath towels. The unit also is more square and gets into corners better. I actually own both. I liked the original so much that when I saw the deluxe model on sale, I both it also.
If you are interested in steam, rather than buy two inexpensive units like I mentioned, you might consider getting one unit that is a little more costly but more powerful. Home Shopping Network (hsn.com) often features a nice canister type steamer at a good price. When they feature products they often have some combination of price reduction, free shipping, and multiple payments. The good thing about HSN is that you have 30 days to use the product. If for any reason you don't like it, you can return it and they will refund your purchase price and the shipping cost. You would be out only the cost to return it to them, so there is very little risk. Having a machine with a larger boiler means that you can fill it once and do a lot of cleaning. Some machines let you add water without letting it cool down.
A side benefit of the steamer is that you can use it to remove wrinkles from draperies and clothing. It isn't a miraculous cure-all device, and you will have to use some specialized cleaner occasionally, but it does address a lot of cleaning needs in an effective and non-toxic way. In the long run, you will probably save some money no matter what brand of cleaner you no longer have to use.
I do not know WHY the other commenter persists that it is expensive to use, as I'm a low income earner, bottom of the food chain, and I use it all the time to SAVE money. Geesh. Each gallon costs me pennies.
Also, I spent $35 on a big bucket of the stuff, used it for two months in all the homes I clean, and still have about one third of a bucket left... That includes about ten carpet cleaning gigs as well.
It only takes about one tablespoon per gallon to mix up the most commonly used solutions. A baby could drink the whole thing and not get sick. Its a kelp enzyme, that is activated by water. Its GREAT for carpets... i use a heavier solution for the carpet steamer... cuz babies crawl and suck things on the carpet, and the residue from the cleaner keeps eating deep down at the dirt between washings. It gets cleaner and cleaner each time you use it.
Ruby Q wrote:
THANKS... I shall look into this. It totally appeals to the enviro aspect of my agenda. ;) Thanks for the tips, too... they are in my files. If you can think of anything else.. pass it along, too, please.
(side note: the sweep>
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.