9/30/2011

Dirt Devil Power Stick Bagless Vacuum Cleaner, 10 Amps, M084100RED Review

Dirt Devil Power Stick Bagless Vacuum Cleaner, 10 Amps, M084100RED
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I purchased this 12 amp Dirt Devil after my 6 amp Eureka broke from 3 years of weekly use. I was very happy with my original 6 amps of power. However, I decided it was time to double up since I live with two cats that constantly shed. The DD does a great job at picking up furballs, sand, dirt, crumbs, small pebbles and many more from my hardwood and tile floors. Besides a great suction power, the DD is also light weight and stands up on its own. However, there are many drawbacks:
1) Too LOUD!! I wear ear plugs every time I use this machine (seriously!!). We already know it has 12 amps of power... we don't need to hear it!
2) The handle is too short. I am 5 feet 6 inches and I honestly feel that the handle is about 2-3 inches too short. I constantly find myself bending my back while using this machine.
3) The vaccum head does not swivel. I loved the fact that my old Eureka had the ability to swivel. It definitely made vaccuming easier.
4) Air shoots out of the side vents, which blows away what I need to suck up from the floor. This is really annoying since I have to "chase" what I want to vaccum.
5) Too big to go under my sofa. I can only get the vaccum head underneath. The entire body will not fit because is too big. I have to clean the remaining 2-3 feet of space with a swifter.
Although the DD does have excellent suction power, I prefer my old 6 amp Eureka, which cleaned just as well, without the loud engine! If you don't want to run around chasing your dirt while wearing ear plugs, then pass up this DD and buy another vaccum.

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Power Stick Vacuum with a 10-inch nozzle and 15 times more power than any other stick vacuum.

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Earth Friendly Carpet Shampoo (976608) Review

Earth Friendly Carpet Shampoo (976608)
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I went with this brand because my son is slowly working on his crawling skills and tends to scoot himself face down. I would rather not have toxic chemical residue from the regular carpet shampoos on his face and in his mouth. It did a good job cleaning my (fairly clean already) light colored carpet and smells quite nice. However, I was a tad disappointed. It is NOT 40:1. The instructions say to use 1.5 to 2.5 oz per gallon of water. I went with the 1.5 and there is no way this bottle will do 3 average sized rooms; I just did my dining nook and small living room and used over half the bottle. If you have medium to large rooms, get more than one bottle.


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9/29/2011

Carpet Pro CPU-85T Commercial Upright Vacuum Cleaner w/On-Board Review

Carpet Pro CPU-85T Commercial Upright Vacuum Cleaner w/On-Board
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Nice powerful vacuum. More powerful than previous vacuums that I've owned. It blows alot of air out of the top vent, which took me by suprise. The gust it lets out is powerful enough to push my drapes around. That doesn't bother me, but maybe it would if I had alot of loose papers laying around. I Don't have any pets so I can't comment on how well it picks up hair. Prompt shipping and good service from GoVacuum. All in all, I'm satisfied with the purchase.
Also, don't know why amazon has a pic of a ceiling fan attachment? instead of the vacuum. This vacuum looks just like the CPU-75T.

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Hoover FloorMate SpinScrub Bagless Vacuum, FH40010B Review

Hoover FloorMate SpinScrub Bagless Vacuum, FH40010B
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Okay,
So I bought this product today (from Target, not from Amazon.com) and I want to begin by saying, undisputably, outstanding.
I was hesitant to purchase this product because last year I made a huge mistake by buying Bissel's Flip It (electronic broom vacuum and mop).
Before I begin my review of this product, let me begin with the Bissel equivalent. I bought the product because I'm 26 years old and was living in New Orleans in the French Quarter. I would have friends over all the time, and they'd track in the quarter filth all over the hardwood. I bought the Bissel because it seemed to make sense. It's an electronic broom vacuum on one side, then you flip the handle over to the other side and it becomes a wet map. It came with two attachable mop features, a non-moving brush and a small microfiber pad.
The Bissel product was awful. It weighed about 20 pounds (much heavier than this product) and the vacuum wouldn't pick up anything, not the smallest dust or debris. It would blow dust away before the unit could get to it. When you flipped it over, the electronic mop side did what it was advertised to do. The only problem was the squeegy would push water around. The unit had to build a suction to pick up water. It wouldn't build a suction unless you lifted up lightly on the unit while pulling it back. Then it picked up water fine, though, again, the unit weighed about 20 pounds.
I bought the Bissel product on Amazon.com for about $189 dollars. But I didn't open it until about a month after it arrived, so by the time I got to use it was too late to return. I wrote to Bissel to see if they would give me my money back and they declined, saying they would only replace it. I gave it away to a friend, and he put it on the curb two days later.
This Hoover product is completely different. It doesn't just have a microfiber pad, it has a moving, agitating brush that really cleans the tile (in my new home in Arizona). I rebought this sort of product because, for anyone that hasn't lived in Arizona, the area is extremely dusty and a lot of tile is textured. My intention was to buy it to *try* to clean the tile and then return it. This product is not going back.
The people who lived in the house before me had coated the tile with some sort of protectant which was peeling off and collecting dirt. They also brought in their bicycles so when i purchased, the first goal was to try to buff them off. Nothing worked. As of today, when I bought the machine, they're gone. So is the peeling protecting that was gathering dirt. Someone said in a review 'it won't clean my grout.' The grout is clean, so I don't know what they're talking about.
The bottom line is, some people have a mental illness. You can look at their profiles and see the number of reviews they do, and it's clear they purchase things solely to review them later. They're the same people who religiously call into QVC and HSN. The same people who complain "it's so heavy," are the ones saying, "it doesn't have this, this, this, and this." If it had those things, it wouldn't be as light as it is, simple physics. The vacuum works fine, so does the mop. You don't have to flip it, or lift it, to build a suction and get the mop function to work. It glides over the tile with relative ease, and though I'm in shape, it's impressively light.
My only complaint was when I went to remove the collection resevoir, I didn't know you had to hold it very tightly. The bottom fell out and spilt all over the floor. I washed out the resevoir and replaced it, and the mess was recleaned in less than 3 minutes.
Buy this product.
Purchase the damn thing, and return it if you don't like it.

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9/28/2011

Racine Ind. 8HB Host Dry Carpet Cleaner Review

Racine Ind. 8HB Host Dry Carpet Cleaner
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I've used HOST for over 20 years, both professionally applied by a carpet cleaner and in this do-it-yourself version. It's been great for my carpets and the benefit is it that it doesn't leave your carpets wet.
Recently I bought an expensive sisal rug. Sisal cannot be cleaned with any water as it will shrink and distort the shape as well as discolor. I've got two big dogs and HOST has been a miracle worker on this sisal rug. From dog urine to dog vomit this stuff has cleaned it all with no trace of what had happened left behind and no damage to the sisal. I will always have a tub of HOST around for accidents!

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Professional Resolve Spot & Stain Carpet Cleaner, 22 Oz. Review

Professional Resolve Spot and Stain Carpet Cleaner, 22 Oz.
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Let's see. Spilled coffee. Rust stains that dripped off a plumber's snake. Concord grape juice. A pet's "accident". And that's just off the top of my head as I recall the various carpet stains I've tried to resolve by using, er, RESOLVE SPOT & STAIN CARPET CLEANER.
Well, this cleaner is consistent. . .in that it consistently doesn't lift the stains out. The directions are simple enough: Spray the stain, let it soak for at least a minute, wipe up with a damp (and clean) cloth. While I will give this product some credit for lifting a portion of the color out, it still doesn't remove the stain. As they say in the law enforement vernacular, the evidence remains.
So if it's complete stain removal you're after, PROFESSIONAL (yeah, okay) RESOLVE SPOT & STAIN CARPET CLEANER is going to come up short. But in all fairness, I've yet to find any carpet cleaner on the market that effectively removes stains. I guess I'm just too messy. Hand me that cranberry juice.
--D. Mikels, Esq.

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9/27/2011

Bissell PROdry Fast-Drying Carpet Cleaner, 7350 Review

Bissell PROdry Fast-Drying Carpet Cleaner, 7350
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I'm a big fan of Bissell products. I have their HealthyHome upright vac and absolutely love it. Also have their SpotBot (for spot carpet cleaning) and their FlipIt (for hard floor cleaning) and put both to use regularly (when you have multiple cats, you need lots of cleaning equipment!). So I was expecting another home run from the ProDry.
Big disappointment! While it has some merits, the bottom line is that it is not nearly as effective as a traditional carpet cleaner.
The unit assembles easily. Just four screws and you're good to go. You fill the clean water tank (located in the rear) with hot water and cleaning fluid, just like a conventional carpet cleaner. The dirty water tank is the front. What's different about the ProDry is the roller bar.
Rather than spray water on the carpet and then suck it back up, the ProDry wets a roller bar that, in turn, rubs on the carpet and (in theory) cleans it. The roller bar looks just like a long nap paint roller (e.g., the type you would use to paint a textured wall).
The benefit of this approach is that the carpet is not soaked with cleaning fluid, thus cutting down on the dry time. Also, it's good for area rugs, since the cleaning fluid won't soak into the carpet and damage the floor below.
That all sounds good, but the be-all and end-all of a carpet cleaner is whether it actually cleans the carpet. The ProDry did a very poor job on a thick pile carpet (a 10 by 15 area rug). While it was barely damp when I was done, it was also barely clean. I've had much better results with a conventional carpet cleaner. Even the SpotBot did a better job! (Yes you can use a SpotBot to clean a large rug -- use the hose and set aside a LOT of time!)
It did a bit better on a loose nap rug but again, the results were significantly below what I would consider to be acceptable.
The roller bar can be cleaned and should last (according to Bissell) for six months. The problem is that removing it for cleaning is a real bear -- you have to remove several screws to get it off the machine. I was surprised by this design issue given the thought Bissell has put into their other products to make them easy to use.
It also has a spray nozzle and hose system for cleaning stairs, furniture, etc. That worked well - just turn the dial on the front to switch to the hose, and it dispensed the fluid and sucked it back up with minimal fuss. It also has a rather unique cleaning head (in addition to the regular one) that can be filled with the Bissell OxyGen cleaning fluid. That was a bit messy in terms of leaks, but a nice idea. I'm a bit concerned about the build quality of the hose assembly - seems rather flimsy.
I'll use this mainly as a stair cleaner using the hose and nozzle. I've been using my SpotBot for that, and the longer hose and bigger tanks will make that job easier. Other than that, I can't see much benefit to this model, and I don't feel it is worth the cost charged.
I'd recommend the ProDry only if you have nothing but area rugs that are brand new and need only the most gentle of cleaning. For anything else, I think you can do a lot better with a more conventional carpet cleaner from Bissell or Hoover.

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Bissell 8910W ProHeat Turbo Upright Deep Cleaner Review

Bissell 8910W ProHeat Turbo Upright Deep Cleaner
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I have two male dogs and live in a rented carpeted apartment and with on of the dogs being prone to marking so having this is more of a neccessity than anything else.
I really like the way it works, doesn't over soak the carpet, and it's large water resevoir helps do larger areas without multiple stops. I have noticed that it works much better if the heater is on and I use very hot tap water when filling.
I pair this with the Spot Bot so I haven't, and probably won't need to use the attachments but this cleaner does a very good job. The only thing I don't like it that pet hair seems to collect in the brush area, you cannot easily remove the brush or the shield to clean the hair so cleaning the machine after use can take a while. But that's pretty much the only negative I have on this.

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9/26/2011

Urine Off Odor and Stain Remover Dog Formula Sprayer Top 16.9oz Review

Urine Off Odor and Stain Remover Dog Formula Sprayer Top 16.9oz
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This product was just OK. I really thought it would be a lot better at removing dog odor on carpets, because of previous reviews. After using, even when I just caught puppy having an accident, the odor of pee would remain on the carpet. The product does seem to help remove the stain so I gave it a rating of three stars. I just wish it was better at odor removal.

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Hoover Dual V Tank For Hoover V2 SteamVacs Review

Hoover Dual V Tank For Hoover V2 SteamVacs
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This container is better then the original that came on my SteamVac. Because it is the new improved one. it has the detergent container all together with clean water tank & has new & better seals. Very happy that my old one was broken by my sister-in-law!

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9/25/2011

Capture Carpet Pet Stain & Pet Odor Neutralizer - 32 oz. Spray Review

Capture Carpet Pet Stain and Pet Odor Neutralizer - 32 oz. Spray
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My daughter says this Capture made here carpet look professionally cleaned. Stains that wouldn't come out before are now gone!

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Hoover LINX Cordless Stick Vacuum Review

Hoover LINX Cordless Stick Vacuum
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Hoover LiNX Cordless Stick Vac (Model BH50010) List $179.99 (3/17/09)
Pros:
Cleans well - on/off brushroll for bare floors or area rugs/carpeting, excellent on pet hair
Control on handle - easy to use
Charge indicator accurate & useful
Dust cup very easy to empty & clean (including baffle tube when necessary)
Filter easy to clean
Stands up to store
Cons:
Awkward on stairs - no stair-handle, must support from below. I'm getting used to this, and it's easier if I use my stronger hand for the machine and weaker hand for the handle.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Hoover Platinum CSV is absolutely shines in two areas: ease of use (switching from brushroll on to brushroll off, going between surface heights & types), and cleaning ability, especially the tricky maneuver of getting pet hair off area rugs.
WORD TO THE WISE:
I got this information from Hoover after my battery failed: don't store the battery in the charger. (I stored it in the charger and only took it out of the charger when I used it.) There is nothing in the instructions about this, but storing it in the charger can cause it to fail. It's OK to leave it several hours or overnight, but then take it out of the charger and put it in the vacuum. The battery will continue to hold the full charge no matter how long it is stored in the vacuum. (Thanks to the 2 year warranty on the battery, they are sending me a new one at no charge.)
Read on if you are interested in more detailed comments:
Price:
I am sure that with time the price will come down or discounts will be available from the $179 list. I know that the Hoover Platinum Lightweight Bagged Upright (another model in this line) which originally listed for $399 is readily available online for $300 now. (Nov 12, 2009 edit: Price has finally dropped into the $150 range!)
Battery Life:
The battery life is quite good, and I like the "fade-free" aspect of the product - it works at full power for the whole time. It does a much better job so much quicker than my old vac and I am more than satisfied, since I can get everything I want done in a single charge.
Bagless feature:
I think I finally understand why bagless vacuums are so popular, even though they are more work: there is something so satisfying about SEEING how much dirt and pet hair you have removed from your flooring. But however satisfying it is to see what you have removed, it creates an extra step that you need to perform nearly every time you use a bagless vac - ANY bagless vac - if you want it to maintain its cleaning power. With my previous stick vac, the dust cup emptied fine, but I had to pull the dust off the filter with my fingers to ready it for the next use, and occasionally use another vacuum to clean the filter because it was not washable. The Hoover Platinum CSV, however, is exceptionally easy to empty and clean. The dust cup empties from the bottom, the baffle tube is easy to remove from the dust cup assembly if necessary (which it will be, if you have multiple long-haired daughters), and the filter can be bushed off with a dry toothbrush and washed when necessary. Long hair does tend to wind around the baffle tube (part of the bagless system). Fortunately, that is easy to remove when emptying the dust cup.
Carpet Cleaning:
I have used (and liked, and still believe it is a good stick vac, although with limitations) the Eureka The Boss Lite Cordless (96 b)Eureka 96 B Quick Up Upright Cordless Stick Vacuum cordless (rated 4 ½ stars on Amazon) for years on my hardwood floors and area rugs for quick cleanups, so I have a basis for comparison.
My old Boss Lite was great on bare floors, but only better-than-nothing on rugs. (I used to kneel down and wipe the surface with a well-wrung out sponge to get the hair off my area rugs because the brush-roll on the Eureka just wasn't up to it.) By comparison, the Hoover Platinum Cordless Stick Vac is amazingly good at getting surface pet hair, dirt, and sock lint off rugs. It won't deep clean, but it will help to make the carpet surface LOOK clean, which is all I want for a quick clean up.
Ease of use:
Easily goes from one surface to another seamlessly, except for certain very lightweight mats. Rubber backed bathmats and doormats require me to lift the vacuum up off the bare floor and onto the rug, but it does a good job on those at cleaning them rather than sucking them up. It cannot be used on the very lightest towel-weight throw rugs with no backing, even without the brushroll - it sucks them up. With ordinary area rugs, however, the Hoover Platinum CSV goes up and over the edge with amazing ease.
Edge cleaning:
This vacuum has excellent edge cleaning. I don't ever have to stoop down to get that random bit of whatever from near the baseboard. This is a MAJOR plus when compared to my old stick vac.
Clearance:
The Hoover Platinum CSV will go under about the first 9 inches of furniture with only about 2 ½ inches of clearance,- you can't go further than that, because the bagless dust cup gets in the way. But if you have more clearance - about 8 inches (what my kitchen chairs have under the crossbars between the legs)- then you can get completely under.
Was there anything I liked BETTER about the my old stick vac?
Yes, I liked the way it hung on the wall to charge. The Hoover has a charging base which charges the battery, and the vac, while it stands on its own (a plus), does require floor space.

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9/24/2011

Hoover FloorMate Hard Floor Cleaner - 48 oz. Review

Hoover FloorMate Hard Floor Cleaner - 48 oz.
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Bought my floormate from Amazon - great deal - it cleans so well, I now allow my kids to wear their white socks in the house. Drawback - the cleaner can be expensive if you just run out to the store and buy it - I've found it for less than $8 a bottle delivered online - but you may have to buy by the case. Great product - especially if you have younger kids that always seem to be making a mess.

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McCulloch MC1235 1300-Watt Handheld Steam Cleaner Review

McCulloch MC1235 1300-Watt Handheld Steam Cleaner
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I purchased my McCulloch MC1235 1300-Watt Handheld Steam Cleaner last year from [...], and I have loved it ever since! I use this great tool to clean automotive door / wall panels, engines, carpet, upholstery, and also household items such as microwaves, toaster ovens, vacuums and such. I have owned other steam cleaners in the past and gotten mixed results (from exploding boilers to no steam out of the box), but I am finally satisfied with the reliable performance and great customer service of McCulloch and SteamFast (manufacturer). When un-boxed, the vibrant yellow steam cleaner has grey accents and a high grade feel to the plastics used in its manufacture. I really like the refillable water tank, and also the eight minutes of steam you get with that container. Other brands of steam cleaners hold enough water to make less than five minutes of steam, and call for you to allow the unit to cool before refilling. With the McCulloch steam cleaner, you don't need to let it cool; just pour 8 oz of tap water into the reservoir and go!
There are some pros and cons with the cleaner I should mention:
Pros:
quick-refilling reservoir
high-powered steam
lots of useful tools
adjustable steam output
quick warm-up time
compact size
Cons:
loud water pump (as indicated by other reviews)
poor quality switches / reservoir cap
unit gets hot after extended use
As you can see, the pros outnumber the cons. The water pump is loud, but that is the trade off for having the amazing variable steam output switch... Speaking of that switch, you have to play with it to get the steam to come out "full power" as the quality of that particular switch is sub-par. This problem doesn't seem to extend to the steam switch, but I will update if anything happens. The reservoir cap is held on with two minute tabs less than 5mm long. I had to call the manufacturer to get a new one out of warranty (it broke 1 year 3 months of course ;D) but they were very helpful in sending me the correct part for a low price of less than ten dollars. The unit DOES get hot on the top and near both ends after long uses, but I always have it plugged in for at least 45 minutes when I clean so that may be part of it... Overall, I love it for what I use it for, and it beats purchasing chemicals all the time to clean everything. I hope my review will help make the decision to choose this steam cleaner over the inferior "infomercial" models... Thanks, and enjoy your new steam cleaner!
Alec

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9/23/2011

Eureka 313A Enviro Hard-Surface Floor Steamer Review

Eureka 313A Enviro Hard-Surface Floor Steamer
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Know going in If you get the Envirosteamer, know that, though it cleans the best, the first two times you use it the water goes through holes faster than it will in subsequent uses, so it will go through steam faster and your floors will be wetter than normal. Enough people wrote me to know this happened the first one or two times as it did my first time of use, then after that the mop was normal, our floors are great and it lasts waaaah longer. We don't know why. Just know that going in. After the first two initializing uses it steams perfect! Also obviously the steam lasts longest if you don't hold the mop above the floor to walk to another area since the steam pours out as it will with any steam mop if you do.
(update: This review was updated on 11-2-09 after I got to compare the Bissell as well as add notes about the Ladybugg steamer at the bottom, and then on 11-30 when I got to compare the SteamFast SF-140 and on 12-7 to compare the Steam Boy)
I live in a neighborhood where EVERY home is "green built certified" this means that, to have that certification, the builder built no homes with carpet. All the main floors are polished concrete and the upper floors wood. The bathrooms all have tile and/or slate in every home.
Because of this, as you could imagine, steam mops are quite the neccessity...not only because they get the hard surfaces better than anything else, but because they are also "green" and clean chemical free. I'll be honest, for us...that's a bonus but we weren't cleaning chemical free before. We like chemical free for our pet's paws but I'll confess I was mopping with chemicals before I got my steamer and just kept the pets out of the room while doing it because, up until then, I couldn't get it clean any other way.
Okay, so that said...we decided to have a steamer show down to compare 7 different steamers because my friends and I knew as long as we are in these homes we are gonna have to have a steamer to get all these hard floors clean...we may as well figure out which one to buy next go round. Because my own home is graced with 2 cats, 3 dogs, and two gregarious cooks, my kitchen floor (which had not ever been cleaned by a steamer since my steamer had just arrived) was the testing spot.
Mind you, I vaccuum twice per week and do a mega mop twice a week. I THOUGHT I had pretty clean floors in spite of my pet capacity.
I thought wrong. These picked up dirt so well it's scary
So here's the results:
1. steam mops are the mac daddys of clean floors. What these things picked up was tremendous and no comparison to my vigorous prior constant major mopping.
2. So now I'll break down the elements of each mop we used and then go into more detail about each at the end.
We tried out:
"S": The shark by Europro
"E" The Envirosteamer by Eureka
"H" the haan steamer
"M" the Monster
"B" The Bissell Green Tea
"SF" The SteamFast SF-140 by SteamFast
"SB" The SteamBoy T1
CORD LENGTH: so you don't have to stop and unplug and replug in somewhere else:
Shark ( will be referred to as S):20 feet
Envirosteamer (will be referred to as E): 25 feet *Note* The Envirosteamer has a clip at the top of the handle to keep the cord out of the way. When it's plugged in and you need more cord length, a light tug undoes this cord on the clip so that you have the full 25' of cord. Otherwise it's only around 20 feet. It's made to do this.
Haan: (will be referred to as H)19'8"
Monster (will be referred to as M): 25 feet
Bissell (will be referred to as B) 17 feet
SteamFast (will be referred to as SF): 18.7 ft.
SteamBoy (will be referred to as SB): 16 ft.
STEAM TEMPERATURE: this is a primary element. The hotter the steam, the more dirt picked up and hot steam will also kill parasites, mold and mildew and loosen more dirt:
S 110 degrees. lame
E 220 degrees. very hot
H 212 degrees. very hot
M 266 degrees. hottest...although the envirosteamer and haan seemed plenty hot enough. The shark didn't clean nearly as well and this was one reason. 110 degrees just isn't going to melt off stuck on grime.
B 125 degrees. Note that, because of this low steam temperature the manual said that if I wanted to sanitize the floor or pick up caked on spills, I had to hold the steamer on the spot for 15 seconds but no more than 20 because that could damage some floors. Now I don't know about you, but if I can sanitize with one swipe of the other steamers because of their sanitizing temps my floor will be done WAY faster but I don't have a timer to worry about the extra 5 secons where my wood floors could get damaged. My sink water is hotter than this so it would take less time to use a regular mop if I have to hold the steamer on every spot of my floor for 15 seconds to santize. Just sayin
SF: 137 degrees. Not hot enough to clean well nor sanitize.
SB: 120 degrees. Not hot enough to clean well nor sanitize
BUILD:
We found how it was made corresponded with issues with the steamer. The Shark, for example, was quite flimsy and they actually sell replacement handle kits because so many people have issues with the handle breaking! We know this because my neighbor's shark broke and the store had a replacement handle kit on the shelf because he said "it happens often". That's an extra cost.
Envirosteamer: Was 5.4 lbs which made it lightweight but strong enough that you didn't have to press down to clean. Very well made and strong parts
Haan: not made as well as the envirosteamer but it's more expensive so this was a surprise. A bit flimsy and you need to press down on it more to clean at 3.15 lbs.
Monster: hefty and well made at 9 lbs but a bit too heavy unless you want a good workout. (Note: They have changed the Monster handles on the mops now and they are all plastic and people are having breakage issues)
Bissell: It's 8.4 pounds but that includes a water filter that you have to get for this one (see notes below)
SteamFast: very flimsy plastic all over, but it's also more affordable than the other mops so it's a bit of a trade off. 7 lbs.
SteamBoy: They didn't even ship this preassembled like the other mops. We had to assemble it! Pretty flimsy plastic. 9 lbs but that includes the water filter you have to get with this one (see notes below)
WATER CAPACITY: Very important because having to stop and add more water just adds on to the time you have to spend cleaning, especially if you are cleaning a hallway or livingroom or some other area that has no sink:
S: only holds up to 10 oz of water. Lasted for 10 miinutes of cleaning
E: holds up to 20 oz. of water. Lasted for over 20 minutes of cleaning (we stopped at 20 and it was still going)
H: holds up to 11.83 oz of water. Lasted for 13 minutes of cleaning
M: holds up to 17 oz. of water. Lasted for 15 minutes of cleaning
B: holds up to 13 oz of water, lasted for 12.5 minutes of cleaning AND you have to undo and remove the tank from the machine every time you fill it up then hook it back on and the steam tank is on the handle rather than the base so the steam doesn't flow directly out after heating up which may explain why it's not as hot once it leaves the machine. The way this mop is made the water flows past heating elements which can, according to Bissell, develop calcium deposits on it so this is the only mop where, because of this, you also have to use a water filter with it and replace the water filter when there is build up which means and extra 12 bucks every few months. The better mops are made to heat the water in a metal tank so this is not an issue and you pour the water directly into the tank.
SF: Holds the least amount of water and I had to stop and fill up and get the water reheated often in trying to clean the floor. Only holds 8 oz of water and if you use 8 oz it gets your floor too wet so we wound up filling it with just up to 7.5 oz of water for best results and it only lasted 7 minutes when we did that before we had to refill again.
SB: up to 24 oz BUT it only lasted for 12 minutes of cleaning. I think because of the build. This one also is made so that the water has to flow past heating elements down the handle, rather than flowing directly from a hot tank to the floor at the base. Because of this it can develop calcium deposits inside the mop so you have to also buy a water filter for this mop and replace it every few months when there is build up which means extra cost and, quite possibly, more repairs. Because this does not flow directly out of a hot tank it cools on the way down and possibly with this one evaporates somehow because we tried it twice and the steam simply didn't last as long as it should.
STEAM HOLES: We found a difference although you'd think they'd all be the same. The shark only had one hole that the steam came out of so it wasn't cleaning things on the edges, just in one spot. All the others had steam coming from bottom and sides. Steamboy also didn't have holes near the edge
SIZE: The taller it is the less stooping, the wider the mop head, the more it covers
S: 40"Hx12"Wx7"D
E: 50"Hx13.25"Wx6.75"D (the fact that this depth was smaller made it reach under applicances better...it fit better under things)
H: 50.5x11.5x7.5
M: 48x12.7.5
B: 45.25H (this was uncomfortably short) x11 x8.4 (even though this didn't fit under cabinets because of the depth it did swivel the best)
SF:49x11.8x7
SB: 28.2x6.9x7.9
Conclusion of comparison: First it must be pointed out that, in order to use the shark and the Bissell and the SteamBoy, you had to keep pumping the water...Read more›

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Haan Steam Cleaner Short Handle Attachment Review

Haan Steam Cleaner Short Handle Attachment
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
What a job this does cleaning my floors! I use it for ceramic tile, hardwood, and for vinyl. The white vinyl floor in my kitchen really allows this product to show what it can do.
I used to do this floor only by hand, because it didn't look really clean using a mop or any other manual appliance. I had better luck once I started using the Swifter, but I was concerned about the expensive, strong-smelling chemical I was using, and about the disposable pads. Then I tried my sister's new Shark steam floor cleaner. It was fine, but did not deep clean. As I recall, it had only one steam jet! I noticed a lot of pull (surface resistance) when using it, so the job took a long time. And then came the Haan. What a wonder! It produces a lot of steam and really gets that old, cheap vinyl floor clean. It came with two wonderful pads, and I ordered more just to be sure I could do the floors in my whole house in one day. (Fat chance of my ever doing that!) The pads are cleaned well in my washing machine. I am so pleased I bought this brand because it really does the job! No more stinky, expensive chemical needed. Very smart purchase!

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9/22/2011

Euro-Pro Shark S3501N Deluxe Steam Pocket Mop Review

Euro-Pro Shark S3501N Deluxe Steam Pocket Mop
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
It started simple enough. A friend said, "You HAVE to get a Shark steamer mop thing. It's awesome."
But if you're a type-A like me, that's where the simplicity ends.
I researched the (older model) Shark and because of the not so great reviews, I ended up ordering the Eureka ENVIRO STEAMER. I chose the Eureka primarily because of a comparison review by a user. Turns out, alot of the qualities written in the review, like water tank size and cord length, didn't apply anymore.
So then, I ordered the Haan FS20-Plus 800-Watt Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer with Deluxe Sanitizing Tray based on the same reviewer's awesome comparison. But again, the info didn't match up to what I ordered/got.
Today, I finally broke down and just went to a brick and morter Bedbathandbeyond. The guy was very helpful and showed me the various Sharks and told me this new model (the most expensive at $119) had a bigger tank than previous.
So, here I am with 3 different steamer mops. Since I buy most of my stuff based on reviews, I thought I would take the time to do a very non-scientific comparison.
*Euro-Pro Shark S3501 Deluxe Steam Pocket Mop ($106 with my 20%coup plus tax at BBB)
*Haan FS20-Plus 800-Watt Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer with Deluxe Sanitizing Tray ($90 via Amazon)
*Eureka ENVIRO STEAMER ($69 via Amazon)
OUT OF THE BOX:
All three were very easy to put together. Handle either snapped/or screwed into base.
HANDLE:
All are plastic and for the most part, feel a bit flimsy. None really stood out above the others.
CORD:
Shark has 30' (the longest)
Haan and Eureka were same... about 18'.
WATER TANK: ((my top priority, behind obviously cleaning))
Shark -- approx 1 3/4 cups* (fill cup provided is not marked)
Eureka -- 1 1/4 cups* (fill cup provided is not marked but manual says capacity total 12 oz)
Haan -- 1 cup* (fill cup provided is marked)
*cup is based on the cup that came with Haan, the only one clearly marked. So I just filled the others and then dumped into the Haan cup. Hence, minor discrepancy. If you convert 12 oz into cups, it's 1 1/2 cups... but for some reason when I filled the Eureka container and dumped it into the Haan cup, it only filled it 1 1/4 ways. Go figure.
CLEANING PAD:
Shark's cleaning cloth covers the head but the design allows you to flip it so you can use both sides with ease. The whole head actually flips on the mop so it's not like you're taking the cloth off and then putting it back on. (2 rectangular cloths included, along with 2 triangular cloths, for the triangular head -- I guess for corners or tight spaces. But I have not used or tried out. Also, 1 fluffy looking thing that's for dusting...again, have not tried this out either.)
**edited to add 1/8/2010** I've used the purple duster on wood floors and love it! Cleans great.
Eureka -- waffle type of towel, held in place by clamps on the base. After 1 wash, the trim started coming off and it already had a very worn/old look to it. Not sure how long it would have held up. (2 included)
Haan -- a thick, microfiber trapazoid that just sort of velcros onto the bottom. Very sturdy. (2 included)
OVERALL CLEANING (see photo):
Obviously, not very scientific but I swiped a wet paper towel on a portion of my tile that I was planning to clean.
I split the area into thirds so each steam mop was used in one section (I have large stone tile with deep grout lines (see photo).
Then I went over that cleaned section with another wet paper towel to see how much dirt could be picked up.
NONE: (first paper towel on left) Clearly, the dirtiest.
Haan: cleaned the best (again, not scientific just how much was picked up on a paper towel after using the steam mop)
Eureka Enviro: cleaned the worst (but obviously, still great, compared to nothing)
Shark: in the middle.
CONCLUSION:
I'm keeping the Shark because of several factors:
*big water chamber (thus longer steam time)
*long cord (convenience of not using extension cord or unplugging and re-plugging)
*dual head cleaning cover (pretty handy)
*complete swivel head... but because of this feature, the drawback is that you have to lean the handle up against a counter because it won't stand on its own, like the Haan or Eureka.
I won't go into detail about the wetness factor because frankly, all three left the surface wet but all three dried pretty quickly (much more quickly than when I use a traditional sponge mop/pinesol). This was really not an issue for me.
OVERALL, seriously, I would be thrilled with any one of these... because they do cut down tile floor cleaning time tremendously-- and without using chemicals. Any one of them clearly beats the old mop and bucket method.
I guess it comes down to how you prioritize the features. For me, after this exhaustive research -- I'm sticking with the Shark! Good luck on yours... and my you NOT find yourself in a similar dilemma where you're obsessing over minor details like I did.
EXTRA FYI:
"Pocket" vs "deluxe" -- what's the difference between the gold and purple set?
Both Pocket (gold) and Deluxe(purple) are priced the same but the Pocket comes with ONE set of cleaning cloths. But you do get a third head -- that's an XL rectagular head. The purple set comes with two sets of cleaning cloths. I think for the money, the purple set is the way to go.
Hope that helps!

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