At Precious Little Worlds blog we are delighted to be a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Network Research Panel. This means we get to test out products that could help you the audience make better buying decisions, for the whole family and to save money on the products that work. We do this by achieving the best results and reporting back with an open honest opinion.
And now I bet you are all thinking "ohhh what could it be" well very excited to say its the Karcher SC2 500C Steam CleanerBut first of all would like to tell you a bit about Karcher -
Taken from http://www.karcher.co.uk/uk/Home.htm
Kärcher is a German family-owned company whose ambition is to constantly invent hi-tech solutions to simplify cleaning tasks and irrigation for consumers and professionals alike. Founded 75 years ago, by Alfred Karcher, near Stuttgart, the heartland of German engineering, the business has developed, such that, now over 500 Kärcher specialist engineers are setting new standards in the field of clea...ning technology. 85% of all products have been developed within the last 5 years providing the very best innovative cleaning solutions.
Today, Kärcher sells over 55,000 products in more than 190 countries on all continents and through more than 40,000 sales outlets. Trusted to clean prestigious world heritage sites such as Mount Rushmore and the Space Needle in the USA, the Statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Odessa Stairs in the Ukraine and closer to home, Nelson’s Column. Bringing history back to its former glory, Kärcher makes a difference.
Now you know more about who and what Karcher do, will now tell you all about our new arrival in our home yes that's right very proud to be testing out the Karcher SC2 500C Steam Cleaner
About the Kärcher SC 2.500 harnesses the power of steam to delivery cleaning performance from nothing more than tap water. With no chemicals or scrubbing, the Kärcher SC 2.500 removes tough grease from ovens hobs & extractor fans, everyday dirt from hard flooring, stubborn stains from upholstery or carpets, and even limescale and mold from tiles and taps.
Is lightweight and with the 'lamellae' floor tool you can clean large areas quickly and effectively, with no chemicals so it may be of use for allergy sufferers. has a steam flow control on its handle, which allows the steam volume to be adapted to the surface being cleaned and the level of dirt.
Now you know more about the Karcher steamer will now move on to the arrival and what's included.
When the Karcher arrived, I know it might sound a little silly, but we got really excited when we saw the box at our front door. I have to say I was like a kid in a sweet shop all giddy, then I soon swooped the box into my arms and onto the living room floor where I first took a picture for my blog as you might see one of the pictures above I took.
Then like a kid opening a present, I started taking each piece out.
You will find in your box Accessories included -
Lamellae floor tool
The optimised floor tool which clamps the cleaning cloth tighter to give large areas a more effective and thorough clean
Hand tool
This tool is designed to allow the user to remove greasy dirt closer with no problems.
Detailed nozzle with round brush For effortlessly cleaning areas that are difficult to reach such as crevices. This means that it could be particularly useful for using in the kitchen and bathroom. Replacement brushes are available to purchase separately.
Descaling sticks These provide a fast and efficient way to descale your Kärcher steam cleaner, easily cleans and is also gentle of the material.
Large and small cloth These cloths are made from a high graded cotton, the large cloth is for the floor tool and the small cloth is for the hand tool.
First impressions-
It looked the part, but we were thinking, what can it do that our Vax steam cleaner can't.
Let the battle of the steamers commence.
The first challenge the ease of following manufactures instruction to achieving a fully working Karcher steamer.
Now I have to say I am not very good at putting products like this together, but I wanted to give a good go. The instruction are very good, you do get a step by step diagrams with numbers and codes so you can look up each part in your reference book. I worked it out quite quickly. The steamer fitted together really well, believe me, f I can figure it out anyone can.
Tells you in your book how to fill the water reservoir-
- Take off water reservoir
- Pull the reservoir straight up
- Fill the water res up to the max marking while positioned vertically under the water tap
- Insert the water reservoir back into the steamer and press downwards until it arrests.
Then you can turn your appliance on.
It can take up to several minutes for the water to heat up, then you need to wait until you see the indicator lamp (heater) lights up permanently then you can use.
We firstly used the steamer to clean our wooden floors, most of the house is laminated downstairs. Use the main handle with the big mop head.
The floors where sparkling, not streaky or too wet. Although the Vax steamer can do the same thing. I found the Karcher light weight and easy to move around the house. The Vax Steamer gets quite heavy when your mopping up and it can be a bit uncomfortable. The Karcher was easy and I had the floors mopped in no time.
So next on to the smaller and extras you get with the Karcher that you can't get with a standard steam cleaner -
Using the detailed nozzle with round brush to steam clean the metal cover strips beneath our living room door why not take a look at this short video before & after one.
Quick clip showing all the dirt before using the Karcher steam cleaner.
Now see the Karcher in action plus results. This is where the Karcher excels beyond others we have used and all with chemical free
Cleaning just heated water pressure from the steam cleaner. It also has a fantastic feature of a childproof safety lock, no fear of the steam being released by accident.
Adjustable steam control - Depending on the surface adjust the steam flow
Compact & Lightweight - Comfortable carry handle and designed with wheels for mobile use.
Next up, this will give you a good idea of also what can be achieved, so people hands up if you think you keep and clean house well I do my best having two cheeky monkeys running round the house day in day out it sure keeps us on our toes. So I was a little shocked when my partner moved the fridge and was horrified to find this !!!!
I know tut tut but with a little help from my Mr Karcher just look at the results.
Happy clean times :)We at Precious Little Worlds would like to say a big thank you to Mumsnet & Karcher for letting us test and report back, just would like to summarize our experiences with the Karcher steam cleaner.
Why we think it's worth spending a little more money on buying a steam cleaner system such as the Karcher SC2 500C compared to a standard floor steam cleaner.
The only enhancement I would make is the lead could be a little longer and it can be a little noisy at times.
The price of the Karcher steam cleaner we have been testing is round £232 our Vax was about £100 I know you might be thinking, well, that's a lot, but you like most steamers you are limited to the number of jobs it will do. The Karcher is extremely versatile and user friendly not to mention healthier without all those unnecessary chemical cleaners.
You can it on:
Carpets,
Upholstery
Hardwood flooring
Walls
Granite
Chrome
Ovens and Hobs
Plus more so an all around multi-purpose cleaning system.
Features and Benefits:
- Powerful - 1500 Watt, 3.2 bar with 1Ltr tank for fast heat up
- Safety - Child proof lock with heat safety valve
- Twin Tank - 0.5L Heat Tank with 0.8L Removable Feeder Tank
- Multi-tasking - Cleans & Sanitises most surfaces
- Flow-Control - Steam flow control on handle & lockable
- Green - Chemical free cleaning
- Cost Effective - Regular use stops the need for harsh expensive chemicals
- Park -Handy lance park between cleaning
- Accessories - Wide range to cover those difficult time consuming jobs
- Allergy - One stop solution for killing germ, virus bacteria, mould, dust mites and eggs
Just to finish will leave you will a few more images and I hope that we have given you a good insight to one amazing steam cleaner.
Disclaimer- “I am a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Network Research Panel, a group of parentbloggers who have volunteered to review products, services, events and brands for
Mumsnet. I have not paid for the product or to attend an event. I have editorial control and
retain full editorial integrity”. www.mumsnet.com/bloggers-network
http://www.karcher.co.uk/uk/Products/Home__Garden/Steam_cleaners/Products/15123520.htm
