Kärcher Kärcher SC1020 + BE

Steam cleaner effective but not perfect

I decided in December 2011 to buy this steam cleaner from amazon.co.uk. My own needs was simply to keep the house looking clean and tidy. This steam cleaner has definitely helped achieve that. In a few uses I was able to clean my carpets in the living room and in the bedrooms with what I feel to be a convenient and cost effective manner. I had the feeling that vacuuming alone was not enough. In short where it impressed me the most was that I used a small attachment with a terry cloth that came with the machine and I used this machine to clean my gas hob. In around 2 sessions of steam cleaning my gas hob was looking like new. This machine has the steam cleaning power and is effective. There are more pricier models than the Karcher SC1020 but as far as steam cleaning goes I am more than happy with this machine. I also used. On the first occasion I used this machine I noticed that I had to first of all vacuum the surface so that the dust from the surface was removed.

The Steam cleaner is quite light weight at 3.7kgs due to its compact size, it looks fairly good but am not too keen on the yellow color. The attachments all seem to click into place fairly well and easily. The machine is light weight and this makes moving around with the machine seem easy. I have used this machine and it is quite straightforward once you get used to using it. The design of the handle makes it easy to pick up and hold safely the steam cleaner. Also there are 2 large wheels enables the user to pull the steam cleaner along easily. It is quick to assemble the fabric pads/Terry cloths which are provided, are easy to attach. The small Terry cloth is elasticated and easily slips over the nozzle. The bigger mop attachment you need to clip it in.

The length of the hose length is 2 meters which makes this reasonably good and the mains cable is around 3 meters which is enough to clean a lot of my downstairs area without having to keep unplugging this machine.

The gun trigger is easy to use which starts the steam flowing to your surface. I have not and would not advise using this steam cleaner on wooden flooring, wooden surfaces. Use this machine on carpets, bathroom, kitchen tiles, laminated flooring, porcelain tiles. Using the small attachment on the gas hob is ok, but this machine would not be recommended to use to clean an electric oven. I also was more than happy when it cleaned the residual soap from the bathroom screen and it also is easy to clean windows.

The good aspects of this machine are that it makes it easy to clean carpets really easily and it does work. I have removed dirt marks and the steam dries reasonably fast. In my mind there is nothing better than having steam cleaned carpets and clean surfaces around the house and this machine has helped me achieve my goal. I would say that this steam cleaner does the job well but I personally doubt if this deep cleans carpets. The tiles in my bathroom also were cleaned although I felt that the machine could have more power to make the job a bit easier. I was delighted however, when it got the gas hob looking new again.

The main aspects of using this machine include the steam taking around 5 or so minutes before the steam cleaner is able to be used. It does take a bit of time for the water to heat up. When pouring the water into the water holder, you put the cap/screw and screw it down deep, then once you switch the plug to the mains there will be 2 lights showing on a small display. There will be 2 lights on when you put the machine to work. One is an amber light and there will also be a green light. When the steam cleaner is ready to use there will be just the green light showing which means it is ready to use. After that time you will be able to steam cleaner as you like. If you steam clean the carpets and floor surfaces you will use the long attachments with the mop head, and place your terry cloths. If you want to spot clean parts of your house i.e tiles, bed etc then you will just need the smaller attachment with the small sized mop.

The negatives of this machine is that the Terry cloths once dirty effectively stay that way. I have tried to remove the dirt from the cloths but any amount of cleaning does not work, which means that you have to buy replacement cloths. Secondly regarding the safety and usage of the steam cleaner, I have noticed that the cap holding the water must be screwed on properly otherwise the steam and water will flow out of the device and water the carpets or surfaces. Initially I had to get used to screwing the cap on properly and I did not feel that this design aspect was particularly good. Thirdly I found that the water capacity of this machine only takes around 4 cups of water which might not seem like a lot but it does provide enough time to steam clean for around 20 minutes. After 20 minutes of steam cleaning, if you require to go over a certain surface again which is probably unlikely, then you need to wait again a similar amount of time before opening up the water cap and refilling it with water. If you open the cap in a hurry the water and steam move upwards making this quite dangerous if you are not careful.

Another slight disadvantage is that hard grease does not come off completely, so you will need to also use a small scourer on the gas hob. Other traces of dirt come away well. Dirt on tiles around the grouting is a bit more difficult but I have noticed that recent dirt marks come off well, but not if you have never cleaned your tiles, then they will simply need to be re grouted.

Overall in paying around £115 for this machine I feel that it has done the job that I required, and I feel from a cleaning aspect I have already got my money's worth. I would recommend this machine to people that require a good steam cleaner. The machine is easy to use and is effective. My main criticism is that the power could have been a little better and a bit more powerful to clean tiles and the gas hob more easily. Another main selling point of these types of steam cleaners and steam cleaning in general is that you are cleaning surfaces and carpets using the power of water steam. There are no chemicals involved. I have felt no need in using chemical products since buying this steam cleaner. It is light weight so it is easy to use, and compact so it is quite easy to store without taking up much space. The tank of the steam cleaner is only 1 liter, which provides about 15 -20 minutes worth, which would be enough steam water to clean floor tiles of around 2-3 average sized rooms, and perhaps more if done on a regular basis.

If you are steam cleaning the carpets it is advised to vacuum the carpets beforehand.

All in all a recommended product and one that will help make and keep the house clean. It is a bit pricey for what it is, though I have been able to maintain a higher level of cleanliness than that was possible before, and of course without the use of chemicals. I think that this product deserves a 4 star rating. It would have been better and useful if there were more Terry cloths provided because once the cloths become dirty, you are in effect spreading the dirt, so to have a clean replacement cloth would ensure more efficient cleaning.