I’ve run out of elbow grease and my knees are creaking. Is a steam cleaner the answer?

I have had several and they all broke (all Vax).

They are wonderful things when they work, and cut the cleaning time in half, leaving the floor really clean without residue from detergent. BUT, mine all clogged quite quickly, and stopped steaming. My husband is an electrical engineer, and can fix things like this, but even he just declared them FUBAR and gave up. I think the current one (which acts as a normal mop as the steam isn't working) is the fourth, and I won't be getting another, unless or until the design changes radically.

Also, the last couple were supposed to convert to hand-held 'at the press of a button'. King Kong would struggle to get the tank to come off the pole. Two adults (one holding it steady whilst the other heaved and twisted) had difficulty converting the thing, so I don't recommend getting one of that design if the hand-held 'option' matters to you.

£20 plus for a cleaner ?. I would think that £15 would be a good rate in most areas. I have a steam cleaner but have recently bought a micro mop. Basically a micro cloth that you rinse out in cold water. Does an excellent job. I can honestly say I have never scrubbed a floor.

Have you tried WD40?

I have a steam cleaner and a carpet washer. Both are really good - but in different ways. The carpet washer has a different head for hard floors and sucks up the dirty water - so is much better for getting dirt out of corners!

I had one some years ago. It was hardly used after the first few weeks so not sure I'd have another. To clean a whole floor properly with it took ages.

I had a steam cleaner with a detachable microfibre pad at the bottom and it was good but I still had to sweep or vacuum up the bits off the floor before using it. So three years ago I replaced it with a Bissell Crosswave which cleans, vacuums and dries the floor. You use cleaning fluid diluted with water which I used to buy from Bissell but I have recently found that the Flash floor cleaner you dilute with water is as good and cheaper. The Bissell has two settings one for hard floors and the other for rugs. It was expensive but it has made my life so much easier. Since I bought it they have brought out a cordless model and Karcher and Hoover have also brought out similar floor cleaners

I should have said my Bissell Crosswave is only for floors. I am currently considering getting an oven cleaning service every few months as it is such an unpleasant And increasingly difficult job. For the shower cubicle I don’t really a problem as we have a water softener so it just needs wiping over with a microfibre cloth. The spin and scrub devices look quite good, I have seen them in B & M.

I'm with Lucca - I have never once in my 72 years got down on my knees and scrubbed a floor!

I dyson then mop.....and only when it actually looks dirty!

Jane43 can I ask please is the Bissell Crosswave easy enough to manoeuvre and to carry upstairs?

I have mobility problems and have tried various floor cleaners and multi tool steamers. None of them do a particularly good job on the floors. However, a friend recommended a machine called an Aircraft Powerglide. It’s a bit like a smaller and lighter version of the floor polishers you see being used in hospital corridors. It has a small tank into which you can put the diluted cleaner of your choice and there is an on off switch and spray button on the handle. It has two spinners to which you attach cleaning pads, and the unit comes with several different washable pads for scrubbing and polishing. Since it glides on a bit of an air cushion, there is little effort involved. I have tiled floors throughout my ground floor and found cleaning the grout a real pain, but with this, all I do sis use a spray bleach as I go, and the floors and grout come up really well and it gets into the corners efficiently too. The link to the website is below.

aircraftvacuums.com/product/powerglide-hard-floor-cleaner

Lucca

I’m embarrassed to say I see no need to scrub floors. Dyson and then mop thing seems ok to me.

Me neither

Use a nozzle on the vacuum in the corners and edges first.
The steam cleaner is quite difficult to push but does a good job.

Scrubbing floors? ?
The only floors I scrub are in The Argy, they are a mucky lot in there.

Yes I’ve never visited but I understand that establishment is full of scrubbers.........

I do think some people actually love cleaning dusting scrubbing.....

Grannynannywanny

Jane43 can I ask please is the Bissell Crosswave easy enough to manoeuvre and to carry upstairs?

Yes it us for me. I am 77 now and don’t find it a problem to manoeuvre or lift. Later Cordless models may be even lighter. If you go on Amazon Or AO websites you will find the specifications of items which will probably include the weight.

According to the AO website the Bissell Crosswave is 5 Kilograms.

I bought one when we moved into a rental with porcelain floor tiles. the mop left the floor very wet. the steam mop leaves it dry almost immediately. The only thing I don't like about it is that I have the cord to contend with. If I was buying another one I would get a cordless if available. I've not used any of the attachments but my oven manual tells me not to use a steam cleaner on it. I have no idea why and am tempted to try it.

Jane43 thank you. I really fancy one of them.

To be honest I now have 3 which I've bought over the years. A handheld bought to clean the bungalow we renovated for about £20 - ok for small jobs but not been out of the cupboard for months. A stand up triangular shaped one with detachable covers which is very good but a faff to get out and in the house we've just left I had to have an extension lead on it to reach all of the tiled flooring we had. The other is quite old - think it's called the Big Yellow (on account of it being yellow ) which has a lot of attachments - used that mainly as a steam wallpaper remover and for cleaning under the toilet rims. I mostly use my rotating mop bucket and mop - it's quick, gets into most places and leaves the floor nearly dry!

What is a steam cleaner?

As you might guess I am not a cleaning enthusiast.

What is a rotating mop bucket?

Is it like mine I wonder? The sort you fill with clean water and floor cleaner and use to rinse the mop?

I'm not a cleaning enthusiast either Monica!

I have read this all with interest, and also read lots of reviews online for various gadgets.
What I am looking for is lightweight and easy to manoeuvre, will clean into corners of the kitchen and bathroom, do tiles and windows. I am not bothered about floors, though if it spot cleaned carpets, that would be useful.
Any recommendations, please? Price is not important as long as it works well.

My question makes me sound like an enthusiastic cleaner. Far from it. It may be a Glasgow thing that my mum, gran and all my aunties washed the floor on their hands and knees. I’ve always done it that way until now, but I have more tiled and wooden floors these days too. I’ve also decided that if there is a gadget to make things easier then I want it. Wondering about a robot vacuum and a robot lawnmower - they won’t need tea and biscuits, use, their phones when they should be working or bring their children - there’s another story, sigh. Feeling cynical. Cant sleep, having another cup of tea. Thank you for all the comments.

I use a lightweight Dyson to vacuum and a microfibre mop with Method floor cleaner (smells divine).