Cleaning with Steam; SteamFast portable steamer

I’m really enjoying using steam for cleaning around the house. The Hoover Twin Tank Steam mop that I’ve purchased makes mopping a breeze and it’s no longer a chore that I dislike.

Unfortunately, I don’t get to use it too much since my daughter has decided she likes it also. I do sneak and spot clean when she isn’t around.

Yesterday the Steamfast 1300-Watt Sidekick Portable Steam Cleaner arrived from Amazon. I did a lot of research before settling on this model. I wanted something that I didn’t have to refill often, many of the portable steamers I saw didn’t hold more than about 10 ounces of water. Something I have to change often, nope not interested! The good news is that this one holds 33 ounces of water and the steam lasts 30 minutes. I liked that. Another selling point is that it has a strap so you can carry it while cleaning around the house. Sold!

First thoughts on the Steamfast 1300-Watt Sidekick Portable Steam Cleaner

I’d say the Steamfast steamer is extremely effective in lifting up stubborn stains. Which is perfect since you don’t need to do as much scrubbing to get rid of the ground in dirt/stains. The tub was the first thing that received the attention of the portable steamer. I pretreated the bathroom wall with a 1:1 vinegar water solution. I let that sit for about 10 minutes and then went over the area with the steamer and wiped everything down.

I did this one more time and the remaining hard water spots were removed. My only regret is that I didn’t take a before picture.

The next area that received the steamers attention was in the kitchen area; more specifically the oven door. I recently had a spill, and as you can see the juices were baked in pretty well. Let’s see how the steamer handles this job.

I tackled the oven door, steaming it first and wiping. I noticed that it did pull up a lot of gunk.

For some added cleaning power, I applied baking soda/vinegar to the oven glass. The baking soda/vinegar combo made a delightful fizzing sound. After about ten minutes I pulled out my cloth and wiped it all away. Everything was gone, except the spots that somehow managed to seep inside the glass when this spill happened a few days ago. I’ll have to take the oven door apart to remove that. Boo!

What I didn’t like about the Steamfast 1300 portable steamer

The nylon utility brush attachment needs to be redesigned since it won’t stand up to heavy use. Since I already knew this might be a possibility in the reviews I’d read, I was prepared and had a much larger brush.

Of course, it didn’t attach to the steamer but that’s fine. It did the job. The bottom line is I really do like my Steamfast portable steamer, this combined with my Hoover twin tank steam mop will make daily cleaning a bit easier.

Judging by the reviews I’ve seen on floor steam maps and hand held steamers I think people get the steamer only models confused. The steam/heat can be effective in loosening up ground in dirt and sterilizing the area but it’s not going to “clean” the area. Just like my Hoover steam mop, this does not suction up the dirt. You’ll have to wipe away the loose dirt. I find it most effective to clean as I go; Clean an area with the steam, wipe away the dirt. Rinse and repeat until the job is complete. Unless it’s a ground in stain I’m able to clean an area with just steam. I like that!