After some research and contemplation, I bought this unit to clean and disinfect bathrooms and other household stuff. By in large, most of the observations from the reviews here have been consistent with what I''ve seen.
PROS:
1. Steam lasts a very long time. The manual says it can hold up to 48oz of water from which to generate 2 hrs of steam. This appears to be right if you''re holding the nozzle open constantly. In reality, its longer because you have to steam-wipe-steam-wipe repeatedly, letting the machine rest during "wipes". I can get a good 3 hrs of cleaning done on one full tank of water. Also keeping you from holding open the nozzle is that you have to give it time to "recharge" since it appears that it does not generate steam as fast as you use it.
2. It works on what it claims: most "organic" build-ups like soap scum, toothpaste, dirt, etc. Cleans darkened grout nicely. Doesn''t damage the finish on fixtures. I was expecting a little too much on the calcium deposits from hard water... steam just wasn''t effective.
3. Nice supply of attachments (brushes) although its unclear what types of surfaces these brushes can be safely used on. In particular, I refer to the smaller round brushes. For example, my guess is that the brass brushes are not meant for highly polished finishes.
4. Good enough to clean hard to reach crevices like sliding door tracks (shower doors or patio doors), faucet details, etc.
5. Works well on car wheels. Brake dust is very fine and a pain to clean by hand. Not to mention that the chemicals are often not meant to touch the brake disc surface (I have yet to figure out how splashing water from a hose can be directed only to the wheel and not the brakes within).
6. Steam is the only option for cleaning chemically-prohibited surfaces (I never knew chemical cleaners were not recommended in microwaves!).
CONS:
1. Its loud! Not the machine, but the steam as it comes out of the nozzle. I strongly recommend hearing protection while you use it when indoors. My ears were ringing for about an hour after my first session.
2. Steaming takes time. If you''re not opposed to using chemicals, often I find that bleach works as good, if not better, than steam. Compared to 5-10 mins steaming a polished chrome bath fixture to get it sparkling, it took 30 secs using your household bath cleaner with bleach.
3. Steam just doesn''t work efficiently on mineral build-up. Chemicals are far more time-efficient. Hard water stains and deposits require lots of time and lots of elbow-grease (scrubbing). And even then, I''m not convinced it was cleaner than using chemicals (i.e., judging from the "gleam" off the surface).
4. The steam pressure is not very high. It isn''t very low either, but definnitely not high enough to "blow" debris away more than an inch or two from where the steam jet hits. The best approach seems to loosen with steam then wash away with water or wipe away with sponge. Hence, I don''t recommend using this for something like cleaning a car engine where neither wash nor wipe are feasible. (I guess you could steam long enough so that the condensed water from the steam was enough to wash away the gunk on its own, but that would take forever.)
5. It needs time to build up steam pressure while you work. The light is supposed to turn off when it is ready. While in use, the light will come on when the pressure reaches some threshold. Continued use beyond that point without letting it rest means you work with less pressure. When the tank is full of "condensed" water, the light comes on more frequently. As the water is depleted and more volume in the tank can accommodate vapor steam, the light comes on less often.
6. The width of the brushes simply do not permit reaching into 90 degree crevices or those really tight spaces. This is minor, however, but a flat or low-profile brush attachment would have been nice. A medium bristle toothbrush is a nice companion in my cleaning adventures...
Overall, pretty happy with this unit. To be efficient, I''ve found using a combined balance of chemicals and steam is best. It definitely reduces the amount of chemicals I need to use. For hard-to-reach or delicate surface areas, steam wins outright (with the mentioned toothbrush).
I am cleaning things that used to be such a drag! I have panelled doors, and some doors with louvres (that are painted). The dust collects in the nooks and crannies. Well, a few blasts from this machine, and a swipe with a cloth, and dirt is gone. I used the floor scrubber on the bathroom floor, and it works great! I use old diaper rags instead of the one terry cloth they provided. Any rag will do. The floor scubber has these heavy duty clips that grab the rag so you can steam and go as you please.
As for the toilet? Well, we have little boys that come over and do their thing all over the place. The steam gets in the cracks of the toilet, and you should see all the gunk that came out.
I am not sure if it disinfects, so I just put some disinfectant on the towel that I wiping up with.
As for the soap scum? Yes, it is hard the first time you use it, but the next time it goes much easier. Slick as glass, and it does stay cleaner longer.
Plastic foliage? Done in a snap!
I have steamed base boards, walls, most of my spring cleaning is done, and I''ve only had it a few days. It also works great on miniblinds!
I''ve even cleaned the black stuff off the brick of the fireplace!
Grease and grime on your kitchen cabinets? Gone!
Vegetable bins in the fridge? Glass shelves. Done in a snap! Be careful though, if the shelves are cold, you may crack them with the hot steam. I take my shelves out and let them sit for awhile.
The glass door of the oven looks great!
I am going to try to peel off wallpaper with it next.
The only con is the constant fill up of the "little mouse", that''s what we''ve begun calling it. The steam lasts maybe about twenty minutes, then you have to turn it off for five, then fill, then wait five more minutes. No big deal for me, I can use the breaks.
All in all, an excellent purchase.
If anyone else has any other cleaning hints for this machine, please post them. I''m sure there are lots that I''m missing.
Buy McCulloch MC-1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner Now
I am allergic to everything, especially dust. For this reason, I have no carpet only hardwood floors, or tiles in the kitchen and bath. I saw an infomertial for some Euro-steamer thing, where they touted how well the "steamer" cleans hardwood and tile floors with water and no chemicals. I figured I''d buy through Amazon for quicker shipping. However, most of the reviews explained that the unit was cheap, and that it would break in just a few uses. Other people burned themselves. One reviewer suggested this McCulloch steamer.
I bought the McCulloch MC-1272 in December 2005, to clean all the floors in my apartment. I''ve used it every 2-3 weeks since. In general, using this steamer is a little more inconvenient than a vacuum because you really don''t want to bang it around or tug on the hose.
Here are the negativesit doesn''t have a handle, which makes moving it from one room to the next a bit of a pain. But I guess that''s because they don''t want you walking around, carrying a tank of super-scalding pressurized water. Nuff said. Also, the device ships with one cloth that''s used for the floor-cleaning attachment. It wears pretty fast, so if you''re getting the steamer primarily to clean floors, I highly recommend you order some extras right away. They are machine washable. Also, I recommend you get a six or eight inch funnel from your hardware store, for filling the tank. If you try to use the spout of a pitcher, you will spill water everywhere but that''s mopped up pretty easily once the beast is fired up.
Here are the positivesfill it up, turn it on, in about 10 minutes you''re steamin'' away. The hose is quite durable, and despite the warning stickers everywhere, none of the surfaces on the attachments have gotten so hot that they could have burnt me. This was a subject of many complaints with the EuroSteam thing. Also, none of the attachments has sprung leaks, or melted another common complaint with cheaper steamers. With a gallon of water, this steamer pushed steam for about 45 minutes, which was ample time for all the floors in my apartment. I figured I''d plug in some of the wire-brushes and attack all the mildew in the shower while waiting for it to empty. The jury''s still out on the shower; I think a few squirts of Tilex do a better job on grout. But for cleaning hard surface floors, I have found nothing better than this steamer.
The bottom lineif you''re thinking of getting a steamer, here''s what you should consider: this model steamer is the low-end of the "good" quality devices. Anything cheaper will be a waste of money, and will only be good for a few uses before it breaks, melts, or springs a leak and burns you. If you have the cash and can spend more, do so you DO get what you pay for. There are more expensive models with fancy features, and greater capacity. However, if you''re like me and trying to get the most bang for the least possible buck, this machine is where innexpensive and quality meet. It has been reliable for me, for the past 5 months.
Read Best Reviews of McCulloch MC-1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner Here
My dad had one of those Euro Steamer''s, and was looking fondly at that "other" handheld they put on TV all the time. Problem is they are junk. What are you going to do with about 5 minutes of steam anyway!? His birthday was coming up, so I got him this one. I have to say it was even more impressive than the description. Not only do they have all the attachments of the handheld (and perhaps more), they are well made attachments not the cheap, plastic, ill-fitting, junk you get with the handheld.
For instance, the extensions, heavy gauge hard plastic with double o-ring seals where they connect. They fit together solid, and would be hard to break, even if you stepped on them by accident. My dads Euro Steamer broke the tip off it when he turned in a doorway. This stuff is definitely not that fragile. The connectors to the steam hose and the steam gun are just as well made, if not better. They combine metal fittings with rugged plastic parts, and solid sealing o-rings.
About those attachments, they include a concentrator with a round brush on the head, and six different brushes to choose from. Some are nylon of various sizes, and one is a brass brush for the tough surfaces. They have a corner brush, a window cleaner with steam squeegee, an attachment for the extension pieces that steam-mops floors, and a round scrubber attachment. It also came with a 16 ounce measuring cup and a funnel for filling. Outside of the attachments, there is one mounting handle to attach to the unit. It attaches to the body with an included, machine screw. They even include a foot long, toolbox quality, Phillips head screwdriver with the package, to put in the single assembly screw, nice touch!
What about steam you ask? Well I laugh my head off at seeing those oilcan looking things on TV put out that thick steam in the commercial. You have to let those things get heated up fully, and that big plume you see on the demo lasts about a minute at most. I wouldn''t be surprised if they connected a hidden steam hose to demo those junky things. Not so, with the McCullock, with a full tank you get close to an hour worth of solid, cleaning steam. The gun is the most fun to use, be careful not to get your face too close to the work, because the steam blowback is hot! The glass tool really did work on the shower glass. I''ve not tried them all, but since it''s the steam that does the real work. The attachments all pass on solid construction alone.
One of the main reasons we got a steamer, is because you can clean and kill germs without chemicals. Our pet poodle Sandy is a bit too curious when licking up spills, so using chemical cleaners can be dangerous around him. Moreover, antibiotic cleaners are under fire by health officials for their potential of creating super-bugs. If just one of the bacteria survives the antibiotic cleaner, it will be antibiotic resistant! It can return as a bacteria colony that no longer is affected by the cleanser! Steam cleaning is just as anti-septic, and it doesn''t create resistant strains of germs!
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I absolutely love this steamer! Unlike the smaller hand held steamers this one holds enough water to steam for almost an hour! And it packs a punch! I can''t stop steaming! I''ve steamed my cupboards, refridgerator, oven, microwave, floor boards, carpet, silk plants, tile floor, showers, tubs and more! I haven''t been disappointed once! Also, cleaning without harsh chemicals is such a blessing because of my sensitive skin! Light weight, quick and easy to use! Love IT!!
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After searching for a good shower water filter for a long time and trying other models, the Omni Filter SF200 is GREAT. It lasts for a long time and when broken open, contains 3" of charcoal. Other filters of this type might give you 1/2" or less, plus a bunch of cotton. The SF200R (replacement cartridge isn''t what I''d call cheap ($12) but it DOES last about six to eight months.
