where to get large supply of flour/baking soda/etc

[Rosamunda]

I still think a steam cleaner is the cheapest and most effective way of cleaning a house. No smells, no bottles of stuff, just water and electricity... and so easy to use, very little elbow grease required. I use mine to clean sinks, loo, basins, drains, floors, walls, oven, windows, rugs & carpets, dog basket, sauna, car seats etc etc etc. I find the smell of vinegar nauseous: I did use it for cleaning limescale when we lived in France but here there is no need for that because the water is so soft (and I can't remember the last time anyone in our house used the bath tub anyway ).

[raamv]

I have been wanting to get one...but still not convinced about Buying the expensive ones..( e.g. Kärcher ) as compared to the quality..
One of my friends told me that parts for Kärcher and the one they sell at Hong Kong ( Duzer or so )comes from the same chinese factory..
Its just the branding..
I wonder how the Bosch and other ones are..

[Rosamunda]

You are probably right. It is a really simple piece of equipment.... like an old fashioned pressure cooker on wheels. 'Xcept you have to plug it in to the wall. Nothing really can go wrong with it. So if you find a substitute with a similar warranty guarantee, I think it would be safe to go with that. Possibly the only advantage with Kärcher is the availability of the spare nozzles etc which can be found in any hardware store and most big supermarkets. But they last for ages... not something you need to shop for on a regular basis.

BTW I would definitely never buy anything from Kärcher with a rechargeable battery again. I had a Kärcher floor sweeper and a window cleaner but the batteries failed to recharge after only a year or two and a replacement costs almost as much as a new machine, even if I order it from Germany .

[Pursuivant]

Yeah, checking ebay.de for prices might be a good idea. Though I agree with raam that "Deuzer" isn't bad stuff, I've got their power tools and such and the other cheapo - Einhell and lets say the Deuzer beats Einhell 6-0

[EP]

Penelope`s selling speech was so convincing that I am now a new steam washer owner. Hong Kong had only the little toy that is on the front page in hongkong.fi. So I took the easy and expensive way and got a Kärcher from K-Rauta. I will test it tomorrow.

[Rosamunda]

Let me know how you get on. To be honest I don't get mine out every day of the week, but when I do decide to steam clean then EVERYTHING gets done!!! I zapped through the whole house this week and even did the grout in between the tiles in the hallway. It takes a while but the result is 10x better than a bucket and mop. If I use the steam only (not the water) setting, then I can get all the floors done and the walls in the bathroom with one refill (when you refill you have to leave the machine to de-pressurize, so it takes a while). I think the instruction booklet says you can use it on parquet flooring too, but I have never done that. Our dog is not allowed in the living room, so hoovering is enough.

[raamv]

I thought that the Hongkong store has a pretty good collection of höyrypesuri!!
Generally, I try to get all the prices and specifications and go through many iterations before I decide on one!
( These are items that you want and dont need..so really time is of no essence here)
BTw, Which model of Kärcher do you all have ?

[Rosamunda]

BTw, Which model of Kärcher do you all have ?

SC1702

[EP]

After two days of steaming orgy I am ready to report. Mine is SC1402, and if I had known how much it weights I would have bought a smaller one. It also takes annoyingly much space.

I have not tried it on the sofa yet, but sauna is squiky clean, so are the bathrooms and all the windows from inside. Next I´ll do the owen and kitchen walls...

I recommend, but a smaller, lighter model.

[Rosamunda]

Isn't it on wheels? Does it matter how heavy it is, if you don't have to lift it? Mine is really heavy (espcially when full of water) but I just pull it around the house. There is quite a long electric cable and the hose is also long enough to reach up to the ceiling if necessary (but I have never steam-cleaned the ceiling). My guess is, the smaller one would not be much, much lighter.

[EP]

Do you draw it from the hose?

[Rosamunda]

Yes. The hose and socket seem to hold quite well.... but I don't tug it like crazy. And sometimes I kick it along, gently. But I couldn't lift it. BTW I never bother to empty it when I've finished (usually I just run it until I'm out of steam). We have soft water so I don't think leaving some water in the tank is a big deal. If I know I am not going to do much, I only half fill it.

[raamv]

I saw a kärcher SV1802 ( höyryimuri ) on sale last week...and it was like €599!!

[Rosamunda]

That's the one which is also a vacuum cleaner. The one I have is just a steam cleaner. I wouldn't want to hoover with a steam cleaner as it is heavy. But I guess it would be a useful piece of kit in eg: a daycare place, a vet clinic or a restaurant. You can hoover and steam all-in-one and then you know your floor is squeaky clean.

[raamv]

But it didnt look heavy...It looked pretty compact..

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