Love Affair With Clean -- Steam in a Jiffy!

Adele Kurtz
by Adele Kurtz
2 Materials
$200
2 Weeks
Easy
This post might CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
Or at least make it so much easier by satisfying your O/C DIY tendencies.

I have discovered new pleasure in something I used to resent.
Feels sooooo gooooood, so easy, natural and fulfilling, that my husband is getting jealous.

I have fallen in love with the Squeaky Clean I get from Steam.
All the Grunge is falling off FASTER than I ever dreamed possible.
No chemicals, less bending and scraping, no more cleaning-day bad moods.
I must admit that after a couple hours of deep cleaning, the old way, everyone is wise to avoid my company. icon I get cranky and irritable from the smells, the way my hands feel, the cleanup after cleanup. The disappointment...

But that was before, and this affair appears to be lasting.
I have tried many different steam mops by Bissell and Shark. Nice, but toys in comparison to what I got now. And toys break quickly too. This might as well, but I already got my thrills and money out of it in two short weeks.

And I haven't even taken it out to the garage and outdoors yet.
It was an auto detailer's review that encouraged me to spend the money.
I am SOOOO GLAD I DID.

Here's the worst of the worst I steam cleaned this week. My workhorse taboret. It's been with me at least 25 years. I set my junk on it when I do projects and wheel it around. So it's got old paint, spills and stains.
Since I tastefully cleaned up my Creative Space, see post:



this looked too messy to bring in.
I thought I'd need to either toss it or paint it.
But even if you paint it, you need to scrape and clean it first.
Old paint and stains steamed off in SECONDS!
I honestly could NOT BELIEVE MY EYES! The steam got off the old paint and 97% of all stains immediately. I put it on the highest setting & blew over the surface. I used a kitchen knife to gently scrape, and microfiber towels to wipe. Did not even need to use the Scotchbrite scrub pad.
I was so excited that I pulled out a can of old stain and did a quick sand and wipe in areas that were lightened due to used old varnish being removed. Here's how fresh it looks.
While I was at it I cleaned the copper tray in seconds too.
The whole clean up: steam, light sand, wipe on stain -- took about 20 minutes...
The best part is that I did NOT need to take this project outside or to the garage. No chemicals, no mess. I did it in my sweet . (Great tip for apartment dwellers.)
Then, I swept the dust from sanding and steam cleaned the floor and surrounding area afterwards -- company clean in less than five minutes.


If you follow me, you know I am in my old mountain home. I've been posting about cleaning and brightening the pine.


Well goodbye to TSP, abrasive methods and harsh cleaners! I'm doing a better job in less time using STEAM.


It took me about 1.5 hours to steam-clean all my cabinets in the kitchen.


That includes opening the doors and drawers to get inside too.
Since there are no harsh chemicals or residue, I do not even need to remove all the stuff inside!
Two contractors were in last week and they both thought these 25 year old cabinets were brand NEW!
One pointed to them and said he had just installed the same type last week.
Warning: Just as I showed in the first pic, paint will come off if it wasn't properly prepped and sealed. So be careful with painted cabinets. On the other hand, at a normal setting, taking it easy, I can steam clean my painted walls my dirty dog likes to lean against. Just steam & wipe.
I also steamed the floor while I was down there. Testing how the metal scrub attachment (right) works on the grout. YEAH! Pros charge $$ by the square foot to do this. We can DIY.
I'll come back to these later when I am ready to do my annual sealing. Steam at the highest setting over 200 degrees will pull the old sealer off-- eIther a good or a bad thing.
There is a mop-heap attachment with micro-fiber covers for regular cleanup too. Use it like a Swiffer at a lower setting.



Steaming makes fun work of your routine cleaning, without needing to change products. I use it on the stainless appliances and get a mirror shine....
Then head over to the oven. Cleaning the stove took only a few minutes.
I was really beginning to HATE this stove, due to how difficult it was to keep clean. But now I am happier.
Steam clean microwave in a minute or less
Get the microwave inside and out
Steam countertops, toaster, coffeepot...
Why not get the small appliances too while you are going over the countertop? Spray steam and quick wipe to make them sparkling clean.
The grungiest of all: shower stall
Now we go to something really tough. I have bought the professional best products to try to get my hard water and scum stains under control. Good, but don't last. Steaming with brush & scraping is faster, about 15 minutes for 1/3 of my door and a sample section of the shower. I can really feel the scumless difference too.
Since I will need to reseal glass and stone, this is going to be a bigger project than I'd normally like to tackle on a Saturday.


Filth and bugs be gone!
Wonder why the thrift stores won't take your used bedding?
Dust mites and filth. One who takes them told me he had them professionally steam-cleaned before resale.
So I'm giving it a try. So much better after only a few minutes. While my sheets are cleaning and drying, I'll steam over my bed and pillows. 200 degrees KILLS dust mites, they say.
This is only steam. If I sprayed with OXY mix, it would probably clean better.
They give you lots of floor attachments to clean carpets as well as solid floors. Here's a bad spot I've had for years. I'll steam with a spot cleaner as I get the rest of the carpet steam cleaned. I use a Bissell Resolve mix sprayed lightly over, set for 5 minutes then go at it.


Of course, you probably guessed, as an O-C DIY, I'd rather have a solid floor, so I might not try toooo hard to get carpet clean. icon


I've read all the reviews before buying. I wanted near-pro versatility, a large tank for water, adustable temperature/pressure control. And to spend less than $200.


McCulloch has lesser models, but I think this fella is really worth every penny!
Such is love.
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 2 comments
  • Wendy Wendy on Mar 19, 2018

    Wow, wow! Thank you for sharing!

  • Laurel Miller Laurel Miller on Feb 17, 2024

    Love your post! Just wondering, have you ever tried cleaning oven racks with your steamer? Do you put something on them to loosen the grime first? Mine need help badly!

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