When we bought our house we only had one area of hard flooring which was in the kitchen and this was quickly removed and replaced as the old owners were not concerned that they had rather stained and holey vinyl. Being a person who has always thought that carpet was not the most hygienic of flooring in the bathroom, this too since been ripped out and replaced with vinyl floor tiles which make cleaning that little bit easier. I did for a number of months resort to cleaning both floors with a mop and bucket of water however, since seeing a number of adverts for upright steam cleaners I bought myself one to both make my house more hygienic and also to save my back from constantly bending over.

==The Vax S2 Hard Floor Master==

The Vax S2 Floor Master is a prime example of a slim and light way of cleaning. Vax are, in my opinion one of the better brands for producing good quality floor cleaners and it was with this thought that I bought mine. This product is very simply designed in a rather clean design using a white body with blue trim and is very slim line in size, the measurements of which are 29cm x 23cm x 122cm.

Put quite simply this product is rather similar in principal to that of an iron being that it has a tank with which to fill the product up with water and a filament to heat the water to steam which can then be utilised to clean both hard floors and carpet finishes without leaving them wet to the touch as they would be with water.

==What It Cleans==

When reading through the instruction manual this product is designed to clean hard floors but can also be used to refresh' carpets. It can be used to clean laminate, sealed wood, tile and lino floor finishes and does not require any cleaning solution as the heat of the steam kills bacteria.

==Cleaning Power==

This cleaner uses only steam and due to the heat it kills both bacteria and dust mites meaning that it suits both kitchen and bathroom environments. Whilst it might be questioned how good steam really is as a cleaner on its own I can testify that it produces a smear free finish to my tiles and the steam lifts off dried on food and dirt without any effort. Due to the properties of the steam it is not necessary to buy any cleaning products for use with this machine however I do like to add a drop of ironing water to mine to leave the floors smelling fresh rather than not smelling of anything at all.


==Price and Availability==

This machine is in my opinion quite an investment however it is worth it considering the savings on both floor cleaning products, time and the fact that it comes with a 2 year guarantee. I bought mine from a local electrical store and paid around £90 for it in the sale. However a quick look online reveals it can currently be ought for anywhere between £89.99 on Amazon to £115 at Littlewoods.

==Assembly==

The product comes packaged in a slim box which upon opening has a number of bits inside, a good example of one of those purchases where you pour the contents on to the floor and try and fathom how they work together. However it should be said that you get 7 pieces in all which are as follows:-

- The S2 Cleaner
- Two cleaning pads
- Measuring jug
- Carpet 'glider'
- Instruction manual
- Guarantee card

The central body of the cleaner is mainly white in colour and is highlighted in blue plastic trim around the front and tank of the machine. The head section is 'angle' shaped or as I put more simply a triangle and this can be screwed to the main body with a screwdriver. The machine also has a handle with a trigger attached which again requires attaching to the body.

Upon assembling the machine it is necessary to add the cleaning pads which can simply be slid onto the triangular base and tightened using the drawstring. These machine pads are cleverly designed to enable them to be washed in the washing machine or by hand after use and therefore save the money of having to buy new ones.

When everything is ready to go simply plug the machine into the nearest socket and fill up with the measuring jug. Then simply wait for the green light to come on which usually takes a couple of minutes and you are ready to go. And after, it can easily fit inside a narrow space or cupboard so that it is completely out os sight out of mind and therefore does not take up valuable space.

==Use==

This machine is both easy and lightweight to use. It clean by simply running the head of the machine over the floor and intermittently pushing down the trigger handle to release jest of steam. For tougher stains I tend to just apply a couple of bouts of steam and this usually removes the offending dirt.

This machine is great for people with mobility issues or who just have as I do a slightly tender back as you simply have to stand up to push the cleaner around the room without any scrubbing involved plus the 1.2m height means that it suits the majority of people. It also comes with quite a long cord meaning that you can move it to the next room without needing to unplug it.

The angular head means that this cleaner can easily be manoeuvred around your sink and toilet bases to really clean behind your sanitary ware without getting any dirt on your hands plus I have found that the 0.5 litre tank gives me around 15 minutes of cleaning time. This can go up to 20 minutes depending on how trigger happy you are with the steam.

==Results==

I have been really pleased with my steam cleaner as it has been an easy way to remove stains whilst also making my floors hygienic. It is very easy to use and it has made my floors sparkly clean to look at with minimum effort. Another bonus is that the floors are not wet after cleaning and are therefore safe to walk on without leaving a trail of footprints or slipping over.

I would thoroughly recommend this cleaner to any like minded cleaning enthusiasts or those who simply have pets and like to keep their house free from any nasty bacteria.

Fives stars out of five from me.

Thanks for reading! x

This review is also posted on Ciao under the same user name.