Steaming good tool! (Earlex Steam Cleaner)

Member Name: arfon

Product:	Earlex Steam Cleaner
Date:	22/04/01 (2038 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Effective, good value, accesories

Disadvantages: no on/off switch on unit

After just one or two uses (and there are many of them), you'll wonder why you didn't get one sooner.
I have been using the 'Combisteam' cleaning kit for the past couple of weeks and can tell you it is absoloutly marvellous.
The steamer can be found in most DIY and large department stores and can be bought in a variety of packages from the basic steamer with one or two accesories, including a wallpaper stripper plate, to a full package (as I have) that includes attatchments for just about any job you can do with a steamer.
It is worth getting a steamer with as many accesories as possible because buying them separetly later is more costly.

The main unit holds approx. 4.5 litres (8 pints) of water which heats up in about 19 mins thanks to a 2200W heating element, and this will give up to 2 hours continuous steaming. Less water will heat up quicker and give a shorter steaming time. So it's your choice.
As well as the large plate (wallpaper stripping) some of the accesories available include:
*small steam plate-for awkward areas
*carpet and upholstery tool
*jet nozzle-inc. brush and scraper-for defrosting the freezer etc.
*window/tile cleaner
*heat shields for various accesories

There are 101 uses for this equipment, since having mine I have cleaned 2 carpets, de-greased the engine bay of my car, de-frosted my freezer, prepared a room for decorating, removed stains from my three piece suite, cleaned my cooker and the utensils used with same, all with very good results.

I can't speak for the results of using the window tool because I haven't tried it yet but I can tell you it cleans tiles a treat.

A word of caution though- the steam is obviously very hot, being generated at 100 deg C, but there isn't an on/off switch on the unit so it has to be switched off at the wall socket, not a major problem but you need to be aware of where the steam is blowing as you m
ove around such as when bending down to switch off etc.
Also when the unit first reaches opperating temperature and producing steam it is usual for hot drips to come out of the end of the hose for a few seconds-advisable to keep small children and pets away.
Some fabrics such as Dralon or delicate fabrics will not stand up to 100 degree steam so caution is advised.

With a 3m (10ft) mains lead and a 3.6m (12ft) hose accesability around the home is good and it will even stretch to my car parked on the drive if plugged in the hallway.

All in all this is a very good, versatile kit and good value for money esp. with the accesories in the kit.
I wouldn't be without mine now.

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