apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I saw this on TV and considered buying one, but I'm very conscious of trying to buy American (or at least North American) these days.

Where are these made?

Steam on wood floors? really?

won't 212 degrees on wood floors damage them over time? or certainly hasten the wear and removal of any sealant, yes?

and i'm wondering it it's not being billed as a cleaner, but a sanitizer, doesn't cleaning sanitize? simple soap removes germs, a small amount of white vinegar in water or a small bit of bleach diluted in water would do the same. this seems like a product preying on America's obsession with cleanliness and hygiene imo.

Steam cleaning seems so green, and like bepsf, I'd like to buy American. So, I'm interested in reading more Comments from AT readers (especially about wood floors -- I think funstraw raises a good point).

so, hard wood floors can hold up to the steam? it isn't damaging?
how well does it clean up sticky spills?

This looks great, especially since my house is all tile/laminate flooring.

Did you need to sweep before steaming? Or is the product a steamer/vacuum combo?

I'm intrigued...

funstraw -- exactly. Steam on wood?

When did sanitizing floors become necessary or even really possible? The seems like way-over-the-top germophobia!

I am looking at one of these as an easy mopping alternative. I'd rather sweep then use one of these, rather than a mop and bucket.

Does anyone have any steamers to recommend? I was looking at the shark, but it seems like 100 bucks is too much to spend on something that I possibly don't need.

The thing about steamers is that you don't need soaps, detergents, etc. to clean.

Steam is sufficient to get rid the grime - and it's much more effective on mold and mildew in places like the shower.

No - It's not a vacuum.

i just read a lot of the reviews on amazon, i think it is just a glorified swiffer with a bit more punch via the steam to pull up anything stuck on. It has a fairly good rating across all the models (about 4 stars) a lot of people have attested it does clean up general dust and dirt as well as the occasional spill/scuff, but I would guess it probably needs a good sweep/vacuum before unless you do it really regularly.

i dont know if it would be safe on wood floors, ill let other people attest to that. My apartment is all tile/carpet so this seems really attractive to me with the carpet attachment. I read a few reviews that it is really great for freshening carpet from pets and getting the floors sparkling, which are why I would buy it, not for the germ claims.

If you want a green way try good old fashion hot(boiling) water a rag, and a towel to remove any excess water. Because the water is really hot you have to have thick plastic gloves. I found some at Home depot. Ring as much water as you can from the rag and wipe the floor with it. You would be suprised how much dirt comes up. I then take an old towel and wipe up any excess water off the floor until it dry.

I use this process once a month.

Woo hoo! I've got one. My folks got one for Xmas and loved it so I tracked one down on Amazon.

It is a Korean product for those who are wondering. I did some comparison shopping online even after it was recommended just to see what else was out there. Seems like the Floor Shark is the main competition--you can get that at places like target. But the reviews on the Shark seemed to be pretty mixed.

Here's what I like about the Haan. It has simple and sturdy construction--i'm not worried about this thing breaking. It can hang inside of a broom closet. It doesn't take too long to heat up. It has microfiber pads which simply stick to the business end of the steamer with velcro. After using the pad, pull it off and throw it in the wash or hand wash it when you take a shower. The pad holds A LOT of filth (not to say I'm filthy or anything).

Make sure to use only distilled water. And you must sweep your floors first. Think about this as a tool to get the "film" or "grime" off of wood or tile not as a broom or a mop. I guess it could be considered a "green" or non-chemical swiffer.

It also comes with an attachment for carpets. Its a piece of plastic with wheels that fits over the business end to space it the right distance from your carpet.

Joan52's idea above sounds great - but unfortunately, i'm super lazy. and i have about 1,000 sf of concrete floor at my house. would the haan steamer work for me? or does anyone have experience w/ another product that is durable and easy to use?

Art--

Thanks for the info -

I like the idea of the washable pads - this would be perfect for my concrete floors....

...and I suppose I could deal w/ Korea - but isn't there anything made in the US anymore? I just hate the idea of sending more money overseas when we have so many people out of work here.

I have had the Bissell steam mop for quite a while and I LOVE it! My house is a flooring hodgepodge so I can tell you it works great on stone (it's the only way I can get my slate kitchen floor really clean), laminate, wood and painted floors. It is especially great at picking up tough "kid-spills" like crayon, playdough and candy drips. Plus it heats up in a flash and runs on tap water!

i have the bissel steam mop too, i think i bought it about 8 years ago and it still works great. i have used mine on hardwood floors for about 4 years and there has been no observable damage. before that i used it on laminate floors in my old apartment, again with no problems. the steam evaporates very quickly, so the floors never really get wet the way the do when you use a regular mop.

I have one and love it. I've used it for about 5 months now and it hasn't damaged my floors at all. I love that they're super clean though with not a lot of work and I'm comfortable letting my 8 year old use it on the floors. The haan steams whatever gunk off the floors without using chemicals (which I love) and it dries pretty quickly as well which is a plus when you have younger kids/pets.

http://geekdetails.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/haan-steam-mop-review/

Bepsf-

You should check out the World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. Its about globalization, commerce, etc. It's an MBA "must read." It really opened my eyes about buying foreign products and sending money overseas.

http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/bookshelf/the-world-is-flat

I don't mean that in a mean way, just that you should check it out.

Julia

Hate to be the negative-nancypants on this, but my mother bought one of these. She loved the hell out of it. It broke the third time she used it.

Why would someone need to sanitize their floors?
Countertops, yes, I guess, but floors?

I don't sanitize anything – basic water & household cleaner works fine. Germs aren't that bad.

I'd be wary of the idea of busting mold out with a steamer – mildew and mold loves warmth and heat – plus the vapors would just make the spores travel right into your lungs...
Just my opinion, not an expert, but seems like.

Agree on the vinegar – makes floors shiny. I mop my kitchen floors (fugly 80's fake-marble vinyl) with a diy-readymade mix of water, vinegar, sometimes a drop of eucalyptus or citrus essential oils. Add cleaning agent to stubborn spills by spraying right at it.

I like germs. They are always welcome in my home.

I just got the Shark mop because of a recommendation from a friend. It retails for $99 but Macy's always has sales on it and BB&B carries it, so you can use the coupon. It's really easy to use and supposedly is fine for wood floors, but I don't have any to give you the results. I use it on my tile, and no it doesn't pick up crumbs and such but it cleans all the mess that you would use a mop for.

Can it clean the white grout between tumbled marble?

I inherited the shark steam mop from my mother, who I also inherited an electrolux canister vacuum from, because she's always onto the next bigger better newer thing. I love the steam mop and use it on both laminate and tile flooring. The surface dries instantly, quicker than when I used to swiffer, and it really gets the floors clean. I also love the washable pads.