There has been this stain on my vinyl floor for the last several years. No amount of mopping, scrubbing or chemicals have been able to get it completely removed. To this day I still have no idea where this stubborn stain had come from. After receiving this product I thought, "If this can get that stupid stain out, I''ll give it a 5 star review." So to work I went.
At first I used the extender attachment on the floor (along with the cleaner that came with the product), set it to high clean, blasted it for several minutes, wiped it with a rag and the stain didn''t budge. I was about to call it quits but for the sake of the review I thought, "What the heck... I''ll give the small plastic brush attachment a shot" but had little expectation after that. The plastic (not metal) brush in conjunction with the steam removed the stain with just a little elbow grease. I was floored (hehe)! I no longer have to hide the stain with an awkwardly placed appliance. Also shocking, my vinyl floor has a ton of grooves and pits by design and all of the darker ridges I thought were part of the design was actually dirt that had gotten deep into the vinyl! When I stopped cleaning my stain area I realized how gross the rest of the floor was by comparison. I mop and sweep regularly!!!
After that I started seeking out things in the house that needed a good scrubbing. First up was the refrigerator door handle. I have a white fridge with a plastic textured handle that has turned gray from grubby kid hands. It only took seconds for the grossness to melt away as opposed to the other times I have cleaned it and scrubbed for several minutes. I was starting to wish I had kept the old nasty shower door from the bathroom before the remodel. I am super curious to hear how this performs on showers from others'' experiences. The only reason we didn''t put a shower door in the bathroom post-remodel is because it was ridiculous to keep clean.
So why four-stars after my promise of a five-star review if Hoover could remove my stain? Well.... I used it on a HOT day and was wearing shorts and was barefoot... yeah... I know... but between the heat and the steam I wasn''t putting on long pants to test a product that I didn''t believe would actually work. I also moved my precious works of art from the fridge to the nearby kitchen table. I removed one star for the amount of sputtering which hit my legs/feet and ended up on my Picassos. I did NOT receive burns and there was no major damage to my child''s artwork, however, I think there should definitely be less sputtering and the Hoover should be able to maintain a steady flow of steam instead of steam/spray/sputter/steam. I would recommend pants or other protective clothing in case your skin is more sensitive then mine and be sure to move items away from the surrounding area where you will be working. Also, all the sputtering just makes water pool up on the floor unnecessarily, wastes the water/cleaning solution, and makes the steamer less effective.
I have posted my before and after stain photos under "Product Images" if anyone is interested. I highly recommended this product to save time and energy getting out those tough stains/messes that seem to melt away with this product.
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The Hoover Enhanced Clean handheld steam cleaner is a powerhouse in a small package. In hand the unit feels no heavier and is no larger than a pitcher of water half full. Not difficult by any means to carry around and use, but at the same time is quality made. One can tell that every attention to detail has been addressed when they were making this.
Each attachment locks into place securely, but is also simple enough to figure out how to put together with out instruction. It comes with a wonderful selection of brushes and tools, one for every cleaning job you can think of. The hose attachments have 2 reusable cloth pads for each attachment (total of 4). So even if you have one being washed in the laundry, you have a second one that can still be used. The bristles on the brushes are a mix of ones made of firm nylon some with wire bristles.
The unit itself is extremely easy to operate. The on/off button is on the side near the bottom. A blue light indicates when it''s turned on and another light indicates when the steam is ready. There is a not near the top which allows you to adjust the amount (if any is used) of cleaner that is mixed in with the steam. The steam is released by pressing down on a lever on the handle. The nob on the top of the unit is for opening and closing the area where you pour in the water. This nob has a rubber texture to it so one can easily grip it even if their hands are wet. The option use cleaning solution is poured into a small reservoir located at the bottom of the handle.
I am beyond thrilled with the performance of this steam cleaner. I am able to steam out dirt that has wedged itself in the seams of our floors between the flooring and kitchen cabinets. I am able to get the black stuff cleaned out from the inside of window frames, clean out the sticky stuff that collects under the microwave and refrigerator, remove the mold from crevices in the bathtub and steam away the yuck that you can''t see from around faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms.
No matter how clean it seems you are able to get something with paper towels and spray cleaners, you will be shocked how much more dirt/grease/mold/etc its removed when you use a steam cleaner afterwards.
This unit gets very hot and packs a lot of steam for being compact and handheld. It''s easy to use and even comes with a Hoover tote bag for keeping your steamer safe and the accessories all together. Sleek looking and built for results, I high recommend this Hoover Enhanced Clean Steam Cleaner if you looking for stellar results and working within a budget.
Buy Hoover TwinTank Disinfecting Handheld Steam Cleaner Now
I''ve been using steam cleaners for several years, both hand-held and canister. While I generally prefer canister models, this is one of the few handheld models I''ve tried that actually performs well.
Hoover offers a unique feature in that there''s a dispensing system so you can add a Hoover-brand disinfectant cleaner (as expected, the user''s manual states that no other brand other than Hoover cleaners can be used). There''s a control knob that meters out how much cleaner is dispensed. Granted, this feature is the opposite of why some people use steam cleaners -the ability to clean WITHOUT using chemicals. But, using the chemical is optional, and the unit will function just fine as a plain steamer.
There are several pros to this model:
> Temperature is the best of any handheld unit I''ve tried: consistently 150 to 160 F at the tip without any attachments; 125 to 130 at the tip when using the extension hose. Pretty good for such a little guy!
> Lots of attachments are provided for many different tasks. The attachments attach and remove easily and securely. I especially like that the brushes snap in using a retaining system that does not rely on O-rings (which usually fail pretty quickly).
> Has an on/off button so you can turn it off without having to pull the plug.
> Very quiet (especially compared with some canister units that you need ear plugs to use).
> Fast to heat up (few minutes).
> Comes with a storage bag (sort of a large tote bag) to hold the many bits and pieces. The bag quality is only so-so, but just having one is a nice touch.
> Extra long power cord with a Velcro tie to keep it organized in storage.
> Steam is pretty dry, although not dry enough for this to be useful as a means to kill bedbugs or clean mattresses. Best of all is that there is virtually no condensation in the hose between uses. Normally, low-end steam cleaners release a splat of water when you let them sit a few minutes between uses. Not so with this model.
Down sides and quirks are:
> The included nylon brushes are very soft and deform easily under heat. After less than 2 hours of use one is already getting pretty worn. Since brushes are a critical component to any steam cleaner, Hoover should have included more of them as well as include stiffer nylon brushes that last longer and are good on grout.
> The steam trigger switch does not have a lock, so you must keep it depressed to use. While I can see the safety reasons behind this, it makes using this a two-handed operation most of the time. Very annoying! I''ve used other handheld steamers that had a trigger lock and I''ve never had any safety issues. Still have all 10 fingers and no burns!
> While the steam temperature is excellent, the steam pressure is anemic. This is a mixed blessing in that low pressure is good for some tasks (cleaning walls, cleaning in enclosed areas such as microwaves, etc.) but higher pressure is much more effective for other tasks since the pressure, in combination with the steam, blasts out the crud hiding in the corners (such as stoves, around faucets, grills, etc.). It''s common to have a pressure regulator so you can dial the pressure up and down. This model does not have it you only get low pressure. I''m guessing that''s due to the fact that low pressure is best when using the dispensing system.
> You need to be careful not to cross thread the knob when putting it on after filling up the unit with water. A beefier knob would be better.
In conclusion: if you''re looking for a hand held unit, this should certainly be on your short list. A bit pricy for a hand held, but a lot of features.
General musings on steam cleaners:
Should you get a hand held or a canister? Hand helds are good for quick cleaning jobs, are easy to store, and heat up fast. For example, I can get my stove top cleaned with a hand held steamer in the time it takes most canisters to warm up. But, they suffer from lower power, less water capacity, and the inability to do floors.
So, unless you really are pressed for storage space, a cannister will give you more bang for the buck. In the under-100 dollar category good canister models are made by Wager, McColloch (sp?) and Steamfast. My favorite is the Euroflex Monster canister which is no longer made, but can occasionally be found at places such as Sam''s Club.
Keep in mind that the under $100 dollar price point will not get you a lot when it comes to steam cleaners. Nice units are in the several hundred range, and can easily top $1500. Moving up the price ladder gets you hotter steam, higher pressure, better build quality, and features such as dual tanks so you can refill without having to let the unit cool down.
Read Best Reviews of Hoover TwinTank Disinfecting Handheld Steam Cleaner Here
The "sell" for household handheld or canister steam cleaners has long been the argument that you can throw away caustic or potentially dangerous chemicals and still get your surfaces clean and germ free. It''s a "green" argument as well less products washing down the drains and into the sewers and water tables being a Good Thing.
Hoover has definitely retooled that argument with this new handheld cleaner it uses an optional disinfecting solution, a proprietary formulation sold by Hoover, as a 2nd line of defense against germs and bacteria. You can fill the solution tank and spray that for a touted 99.9% effectiveness against germs, or just stick with the steam for unspecified lesser efficiency.
I don''t know if that is partly the function of the machine''s maximum temperature, but the manual for the Hoover Handheld Steamer cautions that you have to steam an area for a long time, perhaps longer than is good for whatever is being steamed, in order to get full benefit of steam''s ability to sterilize items. Hence the disinfecting solution.
Now I''m not a huge fan of sterility germ wise in the home environment. Why? If you read studies and current medical thought on the issue, all the antibacterial this and that in our homes, as well as in institutional environments, are encouraging the evolution of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs", and maybe even contributing to an increase of health issues in young children not exposed to the variety of bugs kids used to be, at a young age. Remember farms? And kids being outside all day, getting downright dirty? Exposure also builds immunities; we may literally be cleaning ourselves sick!
Which is not to say that I want to be a slob, and in fact a steamer that kills most of the bugs, leaving me the choice of whether I want to get even more aggressive with the disinfection on *some* surfaces, sounds pretty good to me.
An embarrassing secret: I bought a canister steamer years ago, which is still in pristine condition today, mostly because I haven''t much used it. It was hot and noisy and the manual had plenty of warnings about potentially breakage if you used it on cold glass, and so on. It made me nervous.
After testing the heat of the Hoover (very hot on immediate surface contact but not so much that I have much concern about a little peripheral steam that may hit my skin or surrounding items), I am now fearlessly using it on mirrors and my home''s windows (spotless I''ll never want to go back to rags or newspaper and a spray bottle) though I''ll doubtless be more careful with the later in winter. And I am pretty amazed at how much it can do, for it''s size.
Hard water has made shower door cleaning a real bear in my current home. I can either use one of the really strong bathroom cleaners with the contact warnings all over the bottle, or considerable vinegar/baking soda/elbow grease. Using the Hoover wow. Not perfect; I still had to follow up with a bit of the baking soda paste, but I have never seen the door as clean with so little effort.
A special "hate" of mine is caustic oven cleaners, and even with self-cleaning ovens, there are always areas you have to go after by hand, particularly the door. I still have to do a bit of pre-prep loosening with ammonia in a pan the night before to basically evaporate into crud-loosening fumes, but once that pan is removed, I''m finding the steamer helps to make quick work of whatever stubborn bits still cling.
This is NOT a model with attachments for the floor, although Hoover''s other new release in steamers is a "dedicated" floor unit. I''m somewhat ambivalent in how much I like that splitting of tasks. On the one hand, I imagine that an "upright" would be easier to use on floors than my canister model with the hose, much as an upright dry vac tends to push around easier than a canister vac. Also, although the Hoover Handheld is fairly light for what it does, it''s more work for the wrist than a hose attachment on a canister, and the tank is smaller/needs to be refilled more often than the canister. I''d recommend this unit, for that reason, only conditionally to older folks or those with concerns about carpal tunnel/past wrist injuries. That''s not a big knock against the product though there''s no perfect tool for everybody.
I find some of the attachments to this steamer somewhat silly, including the squeegees and cleaning pads that attach by way of a long, rigid(ish) hose and an adaptor. I can''t see where they are anything but clunky, and I worry that they cool down the steam that I''m trying to keep hot for whatever item I''m cleaning. It''s just less work to use a separate squeegee, microfiber cloth, or whatever from my point of view.
I also have concerns about the inability of using a descaler on this product, although I believe that many steamers share the same inability to be descaled without damage. In a hard water area, I''d stick with distilled water in the boiler tank.
Only time will tell how durable this little machine will be. I can tell you that it will not end up relegated to the back of my cleaning closet, because it works better on many surfaces than I really expected it possibly could.
Want Hoover TwinTank Disinfecting Handheld Steam Cleaner Discount?
I had a bigger steam cleaner before this one, but I love this little handheld one. It''s easier to get out and get to work, and has so far been getting used at least weekly. Pretty much I just like to walk around the house and hit any dirty areas with steam and wipe them clean. I even used it on my car engine and it''s beautiful. It works on baseboards, grout, countertops, shower doors, tubs (wonderful for soap scum), kitchen appliances, walls, and more. My house is looking cleaner and cleaner every week!
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As an engineer I rate this appliance 5 Stars. The only drawbacks is the fan as not really balances and it vibrates slightly. Put mine in service and in 4 hours the humidity went up from 33% to 45%. Recommend NOT using the rollers, set it on the floor directly to damp the vibration. The water jugs are ingenious, handles on top and bottom make it a snap to fill. Wish they had these types in the 70''s. I AM IMPRESSED with this unit, and I do not give accolades freely.
