Name: Courtland J. Carpenter
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana United States
Date: 2004-10-12
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Those cheapie handhelds are "lost in the fog" of this unit!!
Comment: 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!
Name: Magnus Opus
Location: Washing DC
Date: 2006-03-06
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Great HOUSEHOLD steamer
Comment: 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).
Name: L. Coles
Location: California
Date: 2005-01-10
Customer Rating: -
Summary: I can't stop steaming!!!!!!!!!
Comment: 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!!
Name: readingaway
Location: bookville, nc
Date: 2005-02-20
Customer Rating: -
Summary: I AM CLEANING!!!!!
Comment: 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.
Name: Nicholas Michels
Location: Villa Park, IL USA
Date: 2005-02-05
Customer Rating: -
Summary: What other steam cleaners only wish they could become
Comment: Well after seeing those little hand-held steam cleaners all over the place, I decided having a steam cleaner would be worth it. Of course never ever trusting an `As Seen On TV' product, I ran across this McCulloch steam cleaner. I noticed two very positive reviews on Amazon so I decided to order one.
My first impression upon opening the box was very positive. All the steam fittings were a heavy copper and tight fitting. The plastic hose, extension pieces, and accessories were all very heavy plastic and looked like they would hold up quite well. I also found it interesting that they would bother to package a long shaft screwdriver (a pretty decent one) for the solitary screw needed in assembly (and by assembly I mean attaching a small plastic bracket for holding the handle when not in use).
After using it for a couple of days I was just as impressed. On 48 oz of water (max amount) I could easily use the steam cleaner for the 40 mins estimated in the manual or longer. This is not just 40 mins of spot use either...I can literally use the trigger lock and have constant steam shooting out the nozzle for almost the entire time.
I don't recommend one of these cleaners for anyone wanting something for small spot cleaning (as the heat up time doesn't make that practical), or planning to make cleaning much faster. Cleaning my stove top, covered with baked on/burnt splotches from my most recent batch of chili, took roughly 30 percent more time (Although it did get it cleaner then I ever think it was before).
Over the past few days I've used the cleaner on my floors, sinks, essentially everything in the bathroom, and refrigerator with good results. It is a bit noisy to use, but no louder then the average vacuum cleaner. Also the attachments and handle can get a bit warm, but they've never been uncomfortable to use.
If you want an alternative to using chemical cleaners and don't mind having another household gadget around, I highly recommend buying one and believe they should hold up to years of use.
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