51 out of 51 people found this review helpful.
Euro-Pro Shark Super Steamer ~ I?m All Steamed Up Over this Steam Cleaner
Date of Review: Mar 14, 2009
The Bottom Line: A non-toxic, chemical-free way to clean. Loosens dirt and grime, but you still need to scrub and wipe. Slightly heavy to hold.
I decided I wanted to try a hand steam cleaner for various duties, but most particularly for my kitchen tile floor that has rather wide grout lines which have managed to collect and absorb stains and spills that ordinary mopping just doesn't touch.
~ Product Description
The Euro-Pro Shark Super Steamer SC710 allows you to clean and sanitize with the power of steam, with the added advantage of no chemicals. You can use ordinary tap water in this. This is designed for general cleaning such as bathrooms, soap scum, kitchen, baked-on messes, glass, automotive, such as wheels, etc. , patio, bar-be-ques, and much more.
Here's what you get in the box, for a relatively decent price of about $30:
- Concentrator Nozzle
- Angled Concentrator Nozzle
- Garment Steamer
- Fitted Cleaning Cloth
- Window Squeegee
- Extension Hose
- Filling Flask and Funnel
- Round Detail Brush
The Shark Super Steamer has a heavy-duty cord that is over 15 ft. in length. The long cord is great, and necessary to reach all the places you need to go within one room.
It is very important to read the instruction manual prior to use. There is hot steam involved here, and you should follow the instructions carefully to avoid injury. That being said, the instructions are easy and pretty basic.
Use the filling flask with its measure marking to fill the tank with the correct amount of tap water; just pour into the tank using the included funnel.
After filling with water, plug it in and wait 5-6 minutes to allow the water to fully heat up. When you're anxious to get started cleaning that may seem like a long time, but it's important to let it get "up to steam" so to speak.
To use, press the steam trigger with your thumb while pointing the tip at the area to be cleaned. Steam and then wipe with a paper towel or cloth. Or, as you are steaming, scrub with one of the brush attachments before wiping.
~ My Experience
The main thing I wanted to use the Euro Pro Super Steamer on was my tile kitchen floor. I had some deep stains in the grout, like old cranberry juice stains and the like. After filling the tank, which was very easy to do with the measuring flask and funnel, I plugged it in and waited. I didn't time it, but I'm sure it was less than the suggested 5 minutes. Pressing the steam trigger it seemed like more water than steam came out, although there was a little steam. I decided I'd better wait the full time and get it really hot before continuing.
Okay, so now I'm ready to go, I've got the small detail brush attached to scrub the grout line. The steam is really hot now and I blasted it right at the stain in the grout. Using the brush I scrubbed and steamed, and with a little bit of scrubbing the stain got lighter. If you hold the steamer too close you really get the surface very wet. I think it works better at a little distance. This worked pretty well on my grout stains, and definitely was better than using ordinary chemical cleaners. You for sure need to wipe up the moisture with a cloth or paper towel as you go.
This did a nice job on the dirty nooks and crannies on my tile floors, and also great for my bathroom tile floor that has a deep texture which traps dirt and grime. I haven't tried the window squeegee attachment because I just don't have that many windows in my small apartment. For kitchen and bathroom cleaning though, this does a good job. I still need to use some elbow grease, though, on the tougher, deep stains. I like this for my kitchen and bathroom counters.
The water tank holds enough water so that you don't have to add more all the time. You should get about 20 minutes worth of steam from one tank. This is good, because to add more water you need to unplug and allow the unit to cool for 5 minutes before refilling. Also, this is on the heavy side, especially when full. You have to hold it in one hand pressing the steam trigger, and use the other hand to scrub and wipe. If you have hand issues, this could be a problem.
Included in the box is a smaller box to store all the accessories. The cord on the unit is a little awkward for storage purposes as it doesn't retract, nor is there any special way to store it, since it's attached to the unit. I just sort of wrap it around the steamer haphazardly, and it pretty much works okay.
~ Final Thoughts
The Euro-Pro Shark Super Steamer SC710 is a chemical-free, non toxic way to clean and loosen dirt and grime. You get lots of attachments which makes this a versatile way to clean. For my situation I still had to use some elbow grease, but it did a good job. You can use this for kitchen and bathroom jobs, and also garage and patio cleaning uses. It's on the heavy side though. For me, it's not something I'll wipe out for a quick cleaning - it's more of a "big job" appliance where I want to spend some extra time deep cleaning. But then again, I'm lazy......
