Such a shame...

I bought one of these from Lakeland and a couple of weeks later, a friend bought one too.
It was amazing to start with - easy to use, cleaned brilliantly, I thought I had solved the problem of living on a croft with a cream ceramic kitchen floor and a labrador!
All was well for a couple of months and then it just suddenly died. No idea why. Then a couple of weeks later, my friend's one died too.
Built in obselescence or just sheer bad luck? I see another reviewer had the same problem.
Sadly, I can't recommend it - I really wish I could!

Simple but impressive

It comes in a relatively small box - three parts for the handle, a water bottle and the base unit - and fits together in a few minutes. Fill up the bottle with boiled water (recommended so you don't get scale build up), switch it on, and wait another couple of minutes for the lights to come on. I have to say the first time I turned it on I was sure it was broken. It took ages for the pump to suck the water through - I'd recommend jiggling it a little to help the flow. Once it's going though there's a satisfying 'pssssh' noise as the steam flows through the pad. It cleans very well indeed and the pads get very grimy so definitely buy the version with spare pads (I get through three doing one floor).
I give it four stars, not five, just because I think the steam could be a little more powerful (you have to glide a bit too slowly to get maximum effect) and the power cable doesn't reach as far as I'd like - granted my kitchen is quite big, but my vacuum reaches so I don't see why this shouldn't.
Don't let that put you off though. Once you get used to it, it's just like a mop to use, and far more effective at cleaning linoleum and hardwood floors.

penguin steam cleaner

The product efficiently produces steam quickly.However,I feel that the attachments could be improved as the bristles on the brush soon became distorted.Overall the product did not live up to my expectations.

Karcher steam cleaners

I have been a happy user of Karcher steam cleaners for over 7 years now, and can hopefully help a couple of the reviewers with points they have raised:

- The 'spinning cap' issue. The safety valve is designed so that it will not release until the pressure in the tank has dispersed. It is not a fault, there is no point getting your bodybuilder friends to try to force it. It is a deliberate design feature. I admit that it is very frustrating to have to wait for the tank to cool before you can top it up when you are half way through a job, but surely that's better than getting scalded by steam?
- Limescale. Try putting some vinegar or lemon juice on the limescale and letting it sit for a while before you attack it with steam. I successfully removed large amounts of built-up limescale from around the taps when I moved into a new house.
- Of course you still have to wipe - or in the case of built up, burned on or very old stains - go over them a few times. The steam will loosen/dislodge/melt dirt, but will not make it 'vapourise', if you'll pardon the pun. Steam makes cleaning easier, it does not make it completely effortless. I do think, though, that it gives a better result than chemical cleaning, and without harming the environment or leaving harsh smells behind.
- As for the reviewer who complained that the steam is very hot, well d'oh!

Be smart and don't buy it!

I didn't buy this appliance from Amazon, but from the manufacturer. It has only been used 4 times since new - approx 2 years ago - and now it doesn't work at all, after changing fuses and checking all eventualities etc... it coughed and spluttered and then died forever. So RIP steam machine - Longevity is not happening here!

Be smart and don't buy it!

Worked ok for a little while, then the hose split right at the base of the unit where it was impossible to fix, and at this point it was out of warranty, so another case of: RIP steam machine.

Dissapointed

I found the unit difficult to use. It rolls round everywhere when you try to steam any garment because there seems to be no way to lock the wheels when in use. The results were very poor on heavier items such as trousers which were very difficult to steam, you have to start on your knees and work upwards and because you can't apply any pressure as it will roll away from you, you have to go over and over the trousers taking much longer than ironing and with a poorer result. Light cotton is better but again takes longer, is very awkward and you don't get the crisp ironed finish. Sorry but I will be asking Amazon to accept the return of this item!

Impressive first use

I bought this today, and used it for the first time a couple of hours ago, so I can't claim extensive experience... but so far I am pretty impressed.

First off, I bought this for £13.99 at my local Wilkinsons, and then saw it here for £40 odd pounds. So that is nice. Grin.

Pros:

My kitchen sink has not shone so brightly since it was installed 4 years ago. It has a mirror shine. All those grimy little edges around the base of the tap have been blasted clean. the drain hole is shiny. and I am confident that the whole thing is sterile, because that metal got HOT!

the machine was easy to understand, fit together and use. the instructions were simple. the attachments are self explanatory.

I was really impressed with the amount of black gunk it blasted out of places that I had cleaned yesterday with a cloth and a good quality cleaning fluid.

Cons:

the water reservoir does not last the 13 minutes claimed on the blub above. nearer 6 mins, in my estimation.

waiting for the unit to cool, before re-filling the reservoir is a frustrating business (5 mins) and I simply didn't bother, risking scalds but saving time.

it took me 4 fill-ups to clean by drainer and double sink - but then I did it very thoroughly.

the lead is not long enough for me to use it in the bathroom without a looooong extension cord.

Overall:

An excellent purchase (at the price I paid), and while it was slow, I felt very confident that it had done a very good job. the list of things on which I will use it is growing... starting with my bedroom windows.