Hoover CA2IN1D capsule 2-in-1 steam cleaner
Power: 1700W
Heat up time: 15 seconds
Steam time: 25 minutes
Cord length: 7m
Accessories: Hose, window tool, two small round brushes, copper brush, small mop, curved nozzle, deep cleaning conical pipe, carpet glider, two mop pads
This nicely designed steam cleaner was ready for action in less than 30 seconds after filling the tank, while the strength of the steam at max was brilliant for shifting seriously stained tiles in a high-traffic hallway. You can release a small triangular scrubber by standing on the outer rim of the main pad, which was handy for getting into tight corners. The combination of bristles and steam powered through our clean up.
Removing the tank for handheld cleaning was a doddle, and we used a combination of the copper brush and curbed nozzle to deep clean a toilet and sink that was suffering from limescale build-up. We’ll never scrub with chemicals again – steam is the way.
Beldray BEL01097 rectangular detergent steam cleaner
Power: 1300W
Heat up time: 25 seconds
Steam time: 15 minutes
Cord length: 5m
Accessories: Microfibre mop pad, carpet glider, detergent mop head, measuring cup
Our tester had just had some building work completed in their kitchen area, so this Beldray steam cleaner was certainly put through its paces. Although one of the cheapest models in our final selection, it easily got floors and kitchen cabinets back to their hygienic best after an initial sweep and vacuum to pick up builders’ dust and grit.
Although the power of steam cleaning can tackle stains and rid surfaces of almost all germs, some prefer a spritz of detergent to make things smell fresher. This model has a small tank for just that, with a trigger action releasing a short spray in front of the cleaning head when needed. We thought the swivel head made this light floor cleaner really easy to handle, with the glider making it easy to push over rugs and carpeting too.
Shark S6005UK floor & handheld steam cleaner
Power: 1050W
Heat up time: 30 seconds
Steam time: 15 minutes
Cord length: 8m
Accessories: Two dirt grip pads, filling flask, accessory hose, concentration nozzle, steam blast scrubbing tool, copper brush, steam crevice tool
Two steam modes – high or low – on this powerful steam cleaner mean that it’s suitable for just about every household clean up. After testing it on an out-of-sight area, we used it on the low setting to clean skirting boards, quickly moving the velour, wedge-shaped head over surfaces for instant grime busting. Pick up was impressive on floors, especially; we liked being able to flip the large microfibre pad over to give twice as much clean surface area to mop up with.
We kept on going without unplugging, thanks to a generous 8m cord. When removing the pad for washing, we didn’t have to wrestle it off the main body – one click and it dropped off into the laundry basket. We liked this model a lot – it was versatile and well built – though it is not a budget choice.
Kärcher SC3 easyfix steam cleaner
Power: 1900W
Heat up time: 30 seconds
Steam time: 25 minutes
Cord length: 4m
Accessories: Hand nozzle, detail nozzle, small round brush
The attachments included with this tank-on-wheels model were limited compared to some in our finalists, though Kärcher does sell a whole range of add-ons separately. It worked very well on basic cleaning through a kitchen clean up, freezer defrosting and a splash-back degrease. We liked the way there was no delay in filling up again as there’s no need to let the machine cool down. The sturdy cleaning handle and accessories on this model seemed of superior quality to some of the other steamers we looked at, but then the price does reflect that.
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