Hot Shot---my new weapon in the war against grime!
Written: Apr 02 '01
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Pros: Easy to use, no chemicals required. Does a great job!
Cons: Can cause burns, so be careful.
The Bottom Line: This little appliance is very easy to use, and makes short work of cleaning most surfaces. But remember...this is live steam. Be careful!
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| patsyv's Full Review: Eureka 350A Handheld Steam Cleaner |
I am allergic to many cleaning compounds, so when I saw some epinions on the Eureka Hot Shot, I decided that I had to have one. It would be great to be able to clean things using only water.
I wanted to purchase it locally, so that I could see it before I bought it. I searched every store that would be likely to sell this item, but the only local store that carried it was Service Merchandise, and they wanted $100. The epinioners had paid from $70 to $100. Naturally, I wanted the $70 price.
I surfed the internet, looking for my $70 price, but the best I could find was $90 with no shipping charge. Finally I saw that Sears offered the Hot Shot for $80 on its internet site. This was not a good deal, because shipping and sales tax would bring that price up higher than the $90 I had previously found. But the Sears store down the road was having a “10% off everything in the store” sale, so I once again went to see if they might have one. EUREKA, they had two of them in stock, and at the $80 price. With my 10% off, that brought the price down to $72 plus sales tax. Sold!
Here is my epinion on how this little wonder works: the “good,” the “not-so-good,” the “hooray,” and the “watch out.”
The “Good” and the “Not-So-Good:”
The first experiment was cleaning the baseboards. They are painted wood, and the steamer worked fine. I steamed a section, and then wiped it with a Bounty towel. Great results.
Next I tried the vinyl floor. Once again, the results were good, but it would take forever to clean a floor with this method. The steam also seemed to remove the shine from the no-wax vinyl. Fortunately, I just did a little area next to the baseboards. Scratch this from the cleaning agenda.
I then tackled the windows. After attaching the window cleaning squeegee, I cleaned each window with a few strokes of the squeegee, and finished up with a wipe of a paper towel. It couldn’t have been easier.
I next used the Hot Shot to clean the aluminum frame of the windows. The steamer performed admirably, blowing away the dust and spider webs that had accumulated. Once again, a paper towel wipe-up was all that was needed to finish the job. (If I had been smart, I would have done the frames first and the glass later. It would have saved a couple of paper towels I used to re-wipe the glass.)
The bathroom was next. The steam did not do much to remove hard water deposits. I used the Hot Shot on the faucets, and although they shone brightly, I had to use Limeaway to finish the job. I got the same mediocre results for the sink and the tub. It didn’t do a thing for the shower curtain. I did like the results I got cleaning the toilet. I was hesitant to use the steamer there, fearing that it might crack the porcelain, but after gingerly shooting a few bursts of steam at the bowl, I discovered that my fears were groundless, and I was pleased at how easily I could clean the toilet, both inside and out, and the seat hinges were no trouble at all. The bathroom tile floor also came out gleaming, although the grout between the tiles still needed Oxyclean to whiten it. The bathroom mirror sparkled. I didn’t bother using the window attachment for that. I just steamed and wiped with a paper towel. Doorknobs, towel racks, paper holders, all were cleaned rapidly.
Moving on..... I seldom iron anything, because everything is wash and wear, and I live a casual lifestyle. But, for the purposes of evaluating, I used the fabric steaming attachment to see if, indeed, it would remove wrinkles from clothing. I selected a pair of linen slacks for my demonstration, and, after several false starts, managed to steam out some wrinkles. In the process, I created other wrinkles. I think I would just as soon set up my ironing board.
I also used this attachment to attempt to clean an upholstered chair. I couldn’t see much difference in the results, but the chair was not particularly soiled to start with, so perhaps it was not a good test. The chair was somewhat damp when I finished and I had to place it by an open window to dry it out. In Florida, we have too much dampness already, so I can’t see any advantage to encouraging mildew on furniture.
I have not yet used the Hot Shot in the kitchen, because that room belongs to my sweetie, and he is very possessive of it. I would like to see if the steam will clean the oven. I will update this review when I try this.
The “Hooray!”
The patio was the one place I really was happy to have the Hot Shot. We live on the second floor, and the patio has metal banister railings outside of the screening, with no access to the railings short of cutting the screen. There is a security light just under the eaves of the roof, and this is the insect graveyard of Florida. Every imaginable insect visits our security light, and hundreds do not survive the occasion. They fall to the banister railing and glue themselves there for all eternity. We have been living here for five years, and I have tried everything I can think of to dislodge them. We had a hurricane pass directly over the house two years ago, and I was sure that the wind and the driving rains would clean this debris off, but even several hours of hurricane force winds did not work. But, the Hot Shot did! I went along the railing and directed the steam through the screening. With only one or two passes, the railings were clean. I couldn’t believe it. This appliance is worth every penny for the job it did on my patio. The patio furniture and the tracks for the sliding glass door were easily cleaned.
The “Watch Out!”
When using the flexible extension hose, which enables you to direct steam to hard-to-reach places, be very careful when you set it down. I was sitting on the floor, using this hose, and I set it down to reach for a paper towel. Somehow, the hose flipped up and touched my forearm, leaving a painful burn. All the attachments have metal tips, which get extremely hot when the steam passes through. I did not have a problem with any of the other attachments, but the flexible hose cannot be relied upon to stay put.
The Hot Shot comes with the following attachments and equipment:
Measuring Cup
Funnel
Straight Nozzle
Fabric Tool
Cloth for Fabric Tool
Window Cleaner (squeegee attachment for fabric tool)
Flexible Extension Hose
Scrub Brush
Angled Nozzle
After filling the Hot Shot with 3/4 cup of water, it takes about four minutes to heat up. You then have 10 minutes or so of steam before the water is used up. The Hot Shot must cool for about three or four minutes before you can refill it.
The first time I used it, I didn’t get this much time, because I used it continuously, and when the steam ran out, I thought it was empty. When it cooled, I discovered there was still some water in it. If you use the steam in bursts, instead of continuously, the pressure will stay up. If you think the steam is all gone, wait a minute, and in most cases, the Hot Shot will start steaming again. It takes a little practice, but you will soon learn how long your steam will last. Actually, it’s kind of nice to be able to take a guilt-free coffee break while the Hot Shot is cooling and reheating.
The Hot Shot uses only water to clean things. It will clean most hard surfaces. Avoid soft plastics, unsealed wood, and cold glass. It will kill dust mites and some types of bacteria, such as salmonella and E-coli. It is easy to set up and to put away. It doesn’t require much space to store, and, so far, has required no cleaning or maintenance of its own. Do not use it on anything with electrical components, and be careful when children or pets are in the vicinity. It can cause a nasty burn.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $72
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Epinions.com ID:
patsyv
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Member: Pat
Location: Florida
Reviews written: 55
Trusted by: 194 members
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