passatdoc
Well-known member
About half the house is ceramic tile, the other half carpet. Due to a minor orthopaedic impairment, I can't bend my right knee sufficiently to kneel on the floor to scrub tile (nor would I want to, even if I could kneel....). The ceramic tile is somewhat textured, which makes it safe (in terms of slipping) than slick tile, but also makes it harder to clean. I had found a long-handled deck brush (probably intended for boats) that allowed me to scrub the tile while standing, but it was still a hassle and the results were not as good as hand scrubbing.
A Hoover Floor Mate did not reach the nooks and crannies of the tile, nor did a wet Swiffer mop. In addition, using the Floor Mate was very tedious, because you would have to scrub an area, then go back and squeegee dry the area before moving on. Slow and tedious, plus the tanks didn't have a large capacity and it felt as if I had to add new cleaning fluid and/or empty the dirty water tank every 15 square feet or so. If the dirty water tank was more than say 60% full, the machine would no longer squeegee the floors dry (for small scale clean ups, it's great). Worst, of course, it didn't get dirt out of the textured surfaces; on slick tile or wood flooring, I'm sure it would have been easier to use and given better results.
I ended up using a twice a year commercial service (HydroClean) that professionally cleaned the floors twice a year, at a cost comparable to carpet cleaning. The rest of the time I'd sweep daily and wet Swiffer weekly, with so-so results (dog, etc.).
An employee of mine has a Haan floor steamer and kept raving about how easy it was to use, no scrubbing and the mop heads are washable/reusable. And no chemicals, as it uses only distilled water. I checked them out on Amazon and the reviews were very, very good, no one dissing the machine. There were quotes like "you'll never use a mop again". Also, several reviews added that they were unable to scrub on their knees due to orthopaedic or age issues, but the Haan let them clean the floors as well as scrubbing would produce, but allow them to remain standing.
For $115, it was worth a try. The results are amazing. The process is slow, you have to go over textured tiles multiple times to get them clean, but the tiles look and feel clean. The tank is removable so you don't have to lug the machine to the water source (in my case, water is portable because it's just a gallon of distilled water). One tank lasts about 15-20 minutes, which is also about how long a mop head lasts before becoming saturated and ready to wash. For animals in the house, no chemicals on the floor to accumulate on paws and then later be licked off.
I can't speak for durability, but my overall impression is very good, based on how well it cleans the tile. I think once the thing gets heated up and steaming, you are essentially mopping the floors with water/steam close to boiling. The water evaporates and the dirt accumulates on the microfiber mop heads. The cost of the unit was less than hiring HydroClean, the results are comparable, and I can use it whenever I wish instead of waiting for twice a year deep cleaning.
Five stars so far. Anyone else have experience with floor steamers from Haan or other make? I understand the Shark is also a popular brand.
A Hoover Floor Mate did not reach the nooks and crannies of the tile, nor did a wet Swiffer mop. In addition, using the Floor Mate was very tedious, because you would have to scrub an area, then go back and squeegee dry the area before moving on. Slow and tedious, plus the tanks didn't have a large capacity and it felt as if I had to add new cleaning fluid and/or empty the dirty water tank every 15 square feet or so. If the dirty water tank was more than say 60% full, the machine would no longer squeegee the floors dry (for small scale clean ups, it's great). Worst, of course, it didn't get dirt out of the textured surfaces; on slick tile or wood flooring, I'm sure it would have been easier to use and given better results.
I ended up using a twice a year commercial service (HydroClean) that professionally cleaned the floors twice a year, at a cost comparable to carpet cleaning. The rest of the time I'd sweep daily and wet Swiffer weekly, with so-so results (dog, etc.).
An employee of mine has a Haan floor steamer and kept raving about how easy it was to use, no scrubbing and the mop heads are washable/reusable. And no chemicals, as it uses only distilled water. I checked them out on Amazon and the reviews were very, very good, no one dissing the machine. There were quotes like "you'll never use a mop again". Also, several reviews added that they were unable to scrub on their knees due to orthopaedic or age issues, but the Haan let them clean the floors as well as scrubbing would produce, but allow them to remain standing.
For $115, it was worth a try. The results are amazing. The process is slow, you have to go over textured tiles multiple times to get them clean, but the tiles look and feel clean. The tank is removable so you don't have to lug the machine to the water source (in my case, water is portable because it's just a gallon of distilled water). One tank lasts about 15-20 minutes, which is also about how long a mop head lasts before becoming saturated and ready to wash. For animals in the house, no chemicals on the floor to accumulate on paws and then later be licked off.
I can't speak for durability, but my overall impression is very good, based on how well it cleans the tile. I think once the thing gets heated up and steaming, you are essentially mopping the floors with water/steam close to boiling. The water evaporates and the dirt accumulates on the microfiber mop heads. The cost of the unit was less than hiring HydroClean, the results are comparable, and I can use it whenever I wish instead of waiting for twice a year deep cleaning.
Five stars so far. Anyone else have experience with floor steamers from Haan or other make? I understand the Shark is also a popular brand.
