Steam Mops - Cleaning Floors

[ali-cat]

No matter which floor cleaning products I use, I always seem to end up with a white residue over the floor tiles, after mopping – I presume because of the hard water. Does anyone have a “steam mop” for cleaning their floors – do you have to use a special “softened” water & have you found them any good?

I've got enough Super U points to get one from their catalogue & am sorely tempted!!

[ali-cat]

As no-one has answered my query I am going to adjust the phrasing of my post & try to use a different approach.

PLEASE HELP!!! [:-))]    (I'm not ashamed to beg!!)

Has anyone got a small steam floor cleaner which they use on tiled floors & if so, is it any good & does anyone know if avoids leaving the chalky looking mop marks all over the floor??

With my back I can barely use a mop so it's not done very often (or very well! [:(]) & I wonder if the small “Nettoyeur Vapeur" I've seen will save me from the usual post-floor-cleaning-agony it causes me.

[Pierre ZFP]

Well since no-one answered I'll proove I am house trained

I got a steam mop thingy when they were severely reduced in my local Hypermarché.

I know now why they were reduced so much.

It is utterly and totally ineffective.

I can't vouch for all makes and maybe there are ones that are good but this just huffed and puffed like Thomas the Tank engine and I can't even say it rearranged the dirt.

I now use a flat swivel head mop with whatever-is-cheap floorwash and can whizz over my floors in no time.  One head for wet and a fluffy one for drying. no mop marks at all.  When the heads are grubby, chuck 'em in the washing machine and come out as new.

If you want it, you can have my steam mop for free!

 

[Théière]

Well done new man Pierre ZFP,

Now I can post too, we have the Earlex steamer and used it once on a sofa because it left a white ring round the bit we were cleaning.

The jet nozzle is useful in the cooker for blasting the grime out, the rest of the time it sits in the box.

For cleaning our tiled floors we use the JML wondermop thingy because it leaves the floor almost dry and cost about £4.50

[ali-cat]

Thank you!!  I think you both may have saved me wasting 5000 points on my Super U card!!

Think I'll look again & see if there is anything else I fancy ..... there's a nice DeLonghi expresso machine I'm getting close to!! [:)]

[Pierre ZFP]

Oooo be careful about suggesting coffee makers.

You'll have people jumping in dicussing things like

'How many Bars does it have?  I wouldn't consider anything that didn't have enough pressure to initiate nuclear fusion' [:D]

Just kidding  [:P]

 

[Framboise]

Well thanks ZPF.   I had just persuaded my OH that I NEED a steam mop for these wretched cream floor tiles he inflicted on me and then he reads that posting, hence now he says that since they are useless he won't buy me one.    Grrrrr.    Back to the scrubbing brush again I suppose, on my hands and knees with bleach water scouring five rooms to remove the muck.    [:@]

[Pierre ZFP]

Cleaning floors did wonders for The Karate Kid - Wax on, wax off.

If Ali-Cat doesn't want my steam cleaner, you can have it if you like [6]

 

[ali-cat]

I'm starting to have second thoughts again ..... or would that be third or fourth thoughts!!

The Vaporetto I can get retails for about €90 & is a good make (I think!) - Polti.   Would it be rude to ask how much you paid for yours, ZFP, as a comparison? To be able to get it for literally nothing (except cleaning out my card points) I might give it a try.

If it's good Framboise – I'll personally email your OH & demand that he buys you one!! [:)]

[Théière]

I stand by my previous post this cheap little thing is brilliant.

http://www.jmldirect.com/product.asp?pf_id=S6631&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PPC&utm_term=jml_super_mop&utm_campaign=googl_JMLDirect_IRE

[Pierre ZFP]

I cannot remember what make my cleaner is (definitely not Polti) but it was originally maked as €70 and I bought it when it was reduced to €20. Money well spent (not)

 

[ali-cat]

[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]

I cannot remember what make my cleaner is (definitely not Polti) but it was originally maked as €70 and I bought it when it was reduced to €20. Money well spent (not)[/quote]

Thank you!

I love the look of your mop, teapot - but with my back problems even that looks painful to me.

[Théière]

This is my one, not as exotic as Polti but it lives in it's box.............that good.

http://www.earlex.co.uk/html/menus_html/sc.htm

[Pierre ZFP]

Ah see, that's just a typo on the product name

It's really an Ear Wax cleaner [+o(]

 

[Théière]

[:D][:D][:D]

Belly laugh

 

Ali, it's never given me any back trouble............................................................passing it to OH [:-))][Www]

[ali-cat]

[quote user="teapot"]

Ali, it's never given me any back trouble............................................................passing it to OH [:-))][Www]

[/quote]

[:D] ........ but as poor Mr Cat has to do virtually everything else around the house I would hate to have to add anything else to his list!!

Plus - he never seems to notice when the floor's filthy!!

This is the little fella I'm after -

http://www.wikio.com/product/polti-vaporetto-pocket-104974.html

[ali-cat]

Well, it's official!!

I now have the cleanest kitchen floor in France ..... well, in Charente Maritime ..... well, in the street - & there are only are 2 occupied houses here. [Www]

I picked up my steam mop, from Super U yesterday & did the floor this morning. It has a fantastic hoover like brush head, which when used with the cleaning cloth leaves the tiles sparkling. It is so clean it actually squeaks when you walk on it! It was really easy to use & put very little pressure on my already defunct back - & the floor was dry in minutes.

The only problem was that when Mr Cat & Ellie came in from the veggie patch, their mucky foot & paw prints were even more noticeable!!

[ali-cat]

[quote user="puzzled"]

Have you or rather did you have ingrained dirt ? [:$] My tiles are light coloured and no amount of mopping with any type of cleaner (and I've tried them all!) gets into all the nobbly bits.

I have been researching this [geek] and I think a 4 bar cleaner will do the trick . I have seen the one I want but it's a little more pricey than some of the steam mops I have seen, do you think yours would do the trick?

[/quote]

Sorry for only replying now but I decided to try out the other attachments on the worst part of the hall floor, this morning, to check for you!! Our tiles are a terracotta type style with little 'pits' - & the ingrained dirt is unfortunately still there. But I can honestly say that after doing the lounge, hall, utility room & entrance porch it did remove marks that mopping never would have. The Polti Vaporetto Pocket is very small, with 3 bars pressure, so I think anything larger would do a fantastic job as far as I'm concerned!!

Under normal circumstances, because of my back, I have to mop one room at a time & leave a few days in-between doing each – I've never done so much with so little effort.

But one more major disadvantage I discovered today ...... it didn't half make my hair go curly!! [:-))]

[mint]

Well, now you can also save money on a perm [:D]

[ali-cat]

Oh!!!! I've just looked yours up on goggle!!

My 11^th commandment ..... “Thou must not covet other forum members steam mops”!! [:D]  It looks fantastic!!

Isn't "mop jealousy" a terrible thing!!

[Âme]

I've been following this thread avidly and have the initial symptoms of steam-mop envy.

What exactly can the steam mop do? Do you need to hoover first, or will it pick up the pet hair and dust at the same time?

[mint]

Also, say you steam clean something really grubby like the loo, do you then throw away the mop or do you then have to wash the mop for next use?

Can you use the mop on delicate surfaces like pine floor boards or will it mark the wood?

Then what about carpets and curtains?  Can you steam mop clean those as well?

Answers, please.............there are some of us out here who are more than envious, they are positively covetous.

[ali-cat]

You definitely have to hoover first. It basically is a hoover (the word 'mop' is rather misleading) which rather than sucks, blows out hot steam. Mine came with a washable mat, which you attach to the “hoover head” & picks up all the loosened dirt on the way (that makes it sound as if my house was pigging!!) but an old dish cloth etc. would do the same thing. For really bad marks on the floor you just remove the mat & use the hoover head brush directly. I haven't tried most of the attachments yet – but there are ones for curtains & deep crevices etc.

One word of warning – due to the nature of them, they always squirt a lot of hot water out at the start (even if you leave it for a few minutes – to change plug sockets or refill etc.) - I have found sticking it out the window, until it starts steaming, works better than their recommendation of having an old cloth ready for that purpose. I also (usually) check that Mr Cat isn't on the other side of the window first!! [Www]

It can be used on laminate, but I'm not sure about a solid pine floor. To be honest I can't see why not. It is 'drier' than mopping so won't soak the wood – but I have, so far, only used it on tiles. We have veneer flooring in the bedrooms, so I will report back when I've moved upstairs to clean!!

It is also, from what I've read, a God send when it comes to defrosting the freezer!!  [:D]

[Clair]

[quote user="ali-cat"]It is also, from what I've read, a God send when it comes to defrosting the freezer!!  [:D][/quote]

[I][I][I]

Why didn't I think of that!

Best thing I've read so far today

(and I have been reading all about the MPigs in clover...)

[ali-cat]

Just a quick update – for those who may be interested!!

Tried it in our bedroom, on the wooden veneer floor - & it's gleaming!! Absolutely chuffed!! [:D]

I then (even though it had been turning off for 5 mins) used the remaining steam along the bottom of the kitchen cupboard doors (you know the carved bits, which always looks dusty & grimy – well, they do in our house because I can't bend down to clean them!!) & they are now spotless!!

Only problems – I keep spotting things, around the house, I want to steam & the bits I don't do look even worse ..... & after 15 minutes or so, with all the steam, I really do end up looking like Dougal!! [:-))]