Good, but not a panacea
Written: May 02 '03 (Updated Jun 23 '03)
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Pros: Cleans crevices REALLY well, neat gadget, disinfects
Cons: Doesn't really save time, can damage plastic and seals, noisy, steam can burn
The Bottom Line: This appliance is great for cleaning out crevices and disinfecting things, but don't think you'll stop having to scrub...
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| clouseau2's Full Review: Euro-Pro EP93 Steam Cleaner |
Note:The epinions description says "handheld" for this unit. It most certainly is not a handheld steamer, it is a canister with rollers, similar in size and weight to a canister vacuum cleaner.
I've had this unit about 9 months and I have used it 3 or 4 times. You fill the 2 quart tank with water, plug the unit in, turn it on, and in about 10-15 minutes you have copious amounts of steam coming out of a variety of attachments.
I bought this unit after doing research on the internet, and I determined that most of the really cheap steamers were worthless (the "steam buggy" for instance). The Euro Pro 93 is a sturdy, well constructed unit that feels like it will last a long time.
What do I use it for? I use it to clean the bathroom. It's great for blasting steam into cracks and crevices where mold can grow. A good spot is the bottom of the shower door, where the metal is attached to the tub. You'll be amazed by how much black, green and purple slime comes flying out of these areas the first time you use it. I have also found it excellent for cleaning mirrors and disinfecting things like electric toothbrushes.
My steamer came with a wide variety of attachments. There are 2 detail attachments, which are little brushes you screw on the end of the wand to scrub small areas. It also comes with 2 larger brushes: a triangular brush and a large wide brush. You can clip a small towel to these to clean areas with a steamed towel. I haven't used it that much for that. The last attachment is for cleaning mirrors, windows, and other flat surfaces. I found this one to work quite well.
The steamer does a good job of cleaning grout lines, although you still have to clean up the gunk you remove. It does NOT remove hard water buildup from shower doors. It also does not remove anything truly encrusted, no matter how long you steam it.
There are some dangers associated with using the unit. First of all, the steam is HOT! You have to be careful to not burn yourself. And, if you run out of water in the tank, you have to open the tank slowly, and if you add in more water before the steamer has a chance to cool down completely, you can easily burn yourself because steam will come shooting out. Also, in the process of using the unit, you end up leaking a lot of water on the floor, so keep a towel handy to clean it up.
Because the attachments have to connect in an airtight manner, I found it difficult to change attachments. I don't have any problems with strength in my hands, but I imagine if you were arthritic or had little hand strength it would be very difficult to change the attachments.
Also, I found that the steam can easily damage paint, plastic fixtures and worn fixture seals. Especially if you use it without any attachments, it's easy to melt things. The manual also warns you not to use it on car paint, and I believe I read somewhere that it is dangerous to use on vinyl floors.
I'm pretty sensitive to noise (I wear earplugs in airplanes, at loud parties, etc.) and I find the loud hissing noise the machine produces, from the steam blasting out, to be loud enough to require me to wear earplugs when using it. But I can't imagine how the steamer could be both powerful and quiet at the same time.
Overall, I find that it actually takes more time to clean with the steamer compared to just plain cleaners and scrubbing, but I have to admit shooting high power steam and watching stuff fly away is fun, and it's nice to be able to use less chemical cleaners, which translates to less fumes as well. You have to also be careful not to point it at small plants (the dirt will spray everywhere) and other loose items and be ready to wipe up after the steamer, otherwise you will just have redistributed filth instead of cleaning it up.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 199.00
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Epinions.com ID:
clouseau2
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Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 1 member
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