Eureka Enviro Hard-Surface Floor Steamer,313A
by Electrolux Home Products (floorcare)
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Eureka Enviro Hard-Surface Floor Steamer,313A
Customer Review: I guess it works...
Summary: 3 Stars
After reading about steam mops, and the Eureka Enviro Steamer, the reviews made it sound like steam mops were the best thing since sliced bread.
My review is: maybe.
As one other reviewer had written, initially, you expect great plumes of steam gushing out of the steam mop, sterilizing everything in its path. That is not the case. Wisps of steam, not much more than what might come from a clothing iron, come out of the device.
Indeed, the first time I used it, after letting it warm up 5 minutes, and seeing some steam, it really did NOT look like it was cleaning at all, since there was literally no moisture on the floor as I slowly pulled the mop back. Honestly, no water seems somewhat disconcerting, making one wonder if it is actually cleaning the floor.
I've found one trick is to wet down the pad before attaching it, which when used, will immediately show some water on the floor.
Also, after reading glowing reviews, I expected stains and goo to magically be removed with all this steam after one or two slow passes. That is not typically the case, as several may be needed. -- My issue with that is, that I could have done that with a regular sponge mop.
Indeed, since you are instructed to use the steamer slowly, it makes you wonder if 6 quick swipes with a sponge mop are better than 1-2 with a steam mop, both of which take about the same amount of time. Sponge mops use physical agitation and friction to loosen and scrub. Does steam work better or faster? Unknown.
Is the steam mop "sterilizing" the floor? I really don't know. Maybe it is. Maybe it's cleaning it better than with a regular mop and some cleaning solution. I think it's hard to tell. Certainly enough heat will kill bacteria, but it remains to be seen whether there is in fact enough steam to do that, over what an anti-bacterial solution (Lysol) might accomplish.
I do very much appreciate NOT having to use a bucket and water. That is a huge plus, and I think my wife and I "enjoy" mopping more, probably doing it more often now with the Eureka Enviro Steamer. Even given this slightly negative review, we have ditched the mop and bucket, hoping it's not just a perception of clean.
Also, many have commented on how "green" this device is, as even the title "Enviro Steamer" suggests it is somehow better for the environment. However, remember, this device uses 800+ watts of electricity.
UPDATE:
Sorry to say, but I think this product is a flop. I've always wondered if steam is a better cleaner than scrubbing with a mop+solution. A month ago, I tried to clean some dried apple juice from a floor with the steam mop, which you'd think would be perfect for a steamer .. it's apple juice, not glue or something. After I put away the steam mop .. I walked upon the location again: still sticky. The steam mop had totally failed. I took out some cleaner and a sponge which made quick work of the mess.
Disappointing product.
Customer Review: Not Bad
Summary: 3 Stars
The Eureka floor steamer helps make mopping easy. There is no bucket of water to prepare/dump, because the steam comes from within the mop. Furthermore, there are no cleansers or chemicals needed, since the high heat supposedly is all that you need. This is why I rate the Eureka steamer higher than a traditional mop.
This mop is better than a Swiffer, et. al., because there is no need to buy refill mop pads. The mop pads on the Eureka are machine-washable instead of disposable (line-dry them, so they do not shrink). This is why I rate the Eureka steamer higher than the Swiffer and similar products.
The Eureka does not necessarily clean better than any other mop, but is just what it claims to be, more enviromentally friendly with no chemicals or disposable pads - which probably makes this more economical, too.
**I do recommend using distilled water in the Eureka (or any other such product) to avoid any mineral build-up on the mechanisms inside the machine.
On a full tank, the mop ran for 15 minutes, which is all that I needed for my ceramic floor area (kitchen, dining room, hall, foyer, laundry room & bath). I did not have the problem noted by other reviewers, of having excess water on the floor after the first use. Mine worked just fine the first (and only) time that I've used it.
I have always had a problem with my floors feeling grimy after I mop, due to the fact that I am spreading dirt around the floor. I have gone through all types of mops, and finally resorted to getting on my knees and scrubbing with a rag and bucket, with frequent bucket changes. This still did not resolve my problem, and I was going over the floor three times. I was not able to get motivated for this great mopping task, so I tried the Eureka. With the Eureka, I am still spreading dirt around with the mop pad, and still detected a little bit of that grimy feeling when I walk bare-foot on the floor after mopping; but it did not seem as bad as with my other mops, and was only noticeable because I was specifically checking for it. I do wonder if this would be helped by rinsing with a vinegar solution. The bottom line is that, of all of the ways I have used to clean my floors, I find the Eureka to be the easiest and most effective, but not perfect (I still have not tried the scuba robot).
The Eureka floor steamer does not have a carpet attachment, but I tried it on some carpet spots since some similar products are designed for carpet use (note that the Eureka does not claim to be designed for carpet use, and I was aware of this when I risked using it on my carpet). It successfully got out most spots on my carpet, just by setting it over the area for about 20 seconds (without the pad attached), then blotting the area with a dry towel and rubbing slightly. This did not damage my berber carpet. In fact, my husband was very pleased that I was able to get the carpet so clean, so he supported by decision on buying a $70 floor cleaner.
Customer Review: Very disappointed! Going by the facts next time, not just reviews.
Summary: 1 Stars
Here's the deal.....I should have went with my gut. The Envira Steamer shows up, I happily unpack and get ready to steam. I fill with water, I wait..the light is continually on. So, it doesn't let you know that it is ready (hot enough), just that it is turned on! Weird. I give it 5 minutes. I get down by the machine to listen. I hear a little something. Hmmm. Maybe it isn't ready yet? After a couple more minutes...it has to be good to go. Apparently it was, cause a few minutes later, a red light comes on indicating it is out of water. For not putting out any visible steam, that seemed fast. It did leave my floor WET, and at no point was it ever warm. And another thing, the cord is a joke. I had to unplug and replug 4 times to do our living room and kitchen. So unless you are doing a small kitchen floor in an apartment, it would be a lot of unplugging or an extension cord. If that was it, I could settle! But, there is no way, even if you left it sitting there 15 seconds it was sanitizing anything! Amazon gladly accepted my return, and gave me a refund. Thank goodness.
I previously owned the Monster floor steamer, which after a year while my husband used great force with it, the handle snapped. I looked online and saw many reviewers had the same problem. So, I come to Amazon where I love to shop and try to find the BEST hard floor steamer. And all indications pointed to this one. In fact, one reviewer (which by the way has quite a few reviews on Amazon about products, which if you do your research do not add up in truth) had such a stellar review, she had me sold. Ahhh, why do I let myself get sucked into a person who has tried every steamer on the market, and has a review 5 paragraphs long? Who is paying her, who is supplying all of these steamers to try? The facts stated are not true in fact. Heat output,cord length, etc.
And after researching some more, I came to realize, there was nothing I did not like about the Monster except for the handle issue. My husband will no longer be using it is the solution for me!! =) It heats to 266 degrees (far hotter than any other), you can see steam billowing out if it, lights up when ready, water lasts, cord is long (only had to replug once), steams only when handle is tilted down therefore you aren't wasting water if you have to leave it sitting in upright position, the floor is warm where you mopped, it dries within one minute, extra steam shots from front if you like, and I know the floor is clean. Do not apply pressure with this mop! That is what can break it. If you have something like crayon or glue which I do all the time, leave mop sitting on it, then glide back and forth. It removes anything!!!! Just wanted to pass my experience along, and I am not a paid spokesperson.
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Hope this helps a future buyer to do some more research first. I did not write the review for buyers who love the product to read and tell me why I am wrong. Thank you! =)
Customer Review: In a word; WOW!
Summary: 5 Stars
Threw my mop and bucket out long ago and have been scrubbing floors on hand and knee way to long. Almost bought a Shark steamer several times till I started a little digging and reading reviews here.
Skeptical at first but for the price why not give it a try?
Does it emit clouds of steam so you can tell it's working? No. I had to really watch the first time to see if it was steaming and ready for use. I'm not sure it get's as hot as it says it can. I was able to use it bare footed and the floor was warm to the touch but not unbearable.
It did not leave puddles of water everywhere as other posters have had trouble w/. It did leak when I turned it to the side to examine the pad. Duh. The booklet tells you not to. Minor problem. Don't turn it over.
It doesn't corner like a race car. It doesn't corner at all. Don't try to get into corners. It's a square. It is low enough to easily slide under cupboards and kick plates on dishwashers, stoves and refrigerators. The cord is a wee bit short. I'd kiss James Dyson on the lips for having the hind site to put a long cord on a vacuum why hasn't anyone else figured that out?
It is time consuming. You have to go slowly across the floor and it seems to work well forward and back. Don't expect to skim through the floor mopping like you would a vacuum. It was still faster than the old mop and bucket w/ a wash and 2 rinses to get the chemicals and dirty water off the floor. Leaves a slightly damp floor. Nothing that doesn't take a few moments to dry. Certainly quicker than the old mop.
Those horrible little pocks in vinyl flooring that never come clean and always black? Clean. Yep, one slow swipe and you'd never had known the last time I got them clean it was w/ a Mr Clean Magic Eraser and took me days to get the whole floor done.
I almost bought the replacement pads from another maker as it seems Eureka doesn't automatically pop up along w/ the steamer for purchase. Reviews there suggested they were a waste of money. Now I'm glad I didn't get the extras. It came w/ 2 pads. The box suggested it was a "bonus" for the extra pad along w/ the funnel and measuring cup. I'm glad there's 2 as I won't be washing the first before I need it again. I doubt you really need more than 2. We'll see. The pad isn't anything to write home about. At 50% cotton it will shrink if you machine dry it. I knit cotton "Swiffer" covers for friends and will knit myself a few pads for the Eureka.
If you don't have someone who loves you to knit one for you save yourself some money on buying extra pads and buy an extra cheapo thick dish towel w/ a waffle knit pattern.
In conclusion. It'll pay for itself in no time. No chemicals, no mop heads breeding who knows what, no replacing mop heads or mops every few months. No more hands and knee work. I'd buy it again if it were $162.
Customer Review: Great buy!!
Summary: 5 Stars
About 2 weeks ago I realized that I needed more product and pads for my swifter mop (which I love). I thought about it and wanted to save money on these products. I was watching the TV and saw an infomercial for the Shark steam mop and just before placing an order I went online for reviews. I ended up at this site and read all the reviews. I was skeptical at first but thought that I would give the Eureka 313A2 Enviro Hard-surface Floor Steamer a try. I usually do not write reviews but I wanted to share my experience with other buyers who like me are looking for reviews. When it arrived I had a hard time figuring out how to extend the handle to make it longer, but my daughter showed me and actually it was quite easy. The first time I tried it the steam lasted about 16 mins and I had to unplug it to change plugs because the cord seemed short. My kitchen and breakfast nook area has ceramic tiles and is 28' x 14'. I thought that it cleaned pretty good. Removed the pad - placed it in the washer and forgot to tell my daughter not to dry it in the dryer - it shrunk some but still usable. My cleaning lady used it for the first time 3 days ago and she was very impressed with it - it was used on the ceramic tiles, laminate floor and vinyl tiles. She called and said that I should have purchased that years ago. Today I was prompted to write this review after I saw what my dogs did when they came from outside. My son let the dogs in without cleaning their paws, there was mud all over my kitchen floor and some of the carpet. I filled up the steamer, and about 5 mins later (I think it was ready before that, but I was doing other stuff). The pad that previously shrunk from the dryer was used with EXCELLENT results. I have an open floor plan. I actually plugged the steamer between the kitchen and breakfast nook and had no problems with the cord. I unplugged it one time to move the steamer to my laminate floor which is approx 20' x 11' without refill - it worked perfectly. When I noticed that steam was still coming out I turned the machine off, flipped the pad over, turned it back on and just placed it over the muddy paw prints on my biege(wool berber)carpet - just moved it slightly from side to side and it removed these prints (I don't believe that this is recommended by the manufacturer) - the area is now dry and you can't see where the paw prints were. This is an excellent product - do not let your first try straight from the box be your lasting impression. My teenagers love using it. No cleaning chemicals and no disposable pads to buy - it definitely is a winner at my home!! Thank you Eureka, and thanks to the guys who did the big trial with different brands - I really appreciate that.Eureka 313A2 Enviro Hard-Surface Floor Steamer