could you say more about how what you use & how. Trying to find effective low energy cleaning methods.
First a warning - because you're not messing about with different products it's easy to get carried away and do a bit too much. So you'll be tackling one task and then think ooh, while I'm here I'll just....
Also, steamers use triggers and if you do too much in one go I find it can trigger pain in my hand.
I have tried a couple of steamers. I found the big ones a bit cumbersome and at the moment we have a polti pocket which is a smaller, easier to move in small spaces device. The downside - to move it you carry it. It's not particularly heavy though (for me). These days there are various other people like karcher and they might have products that suit better.
The idea with steamers is not just the heat, but also the pressure at which the steam is released. The higher the bar (pressure rating) usually the more powerful and more expensive the device. Some steamers allow you to adjust the pressure downwards for more delicate jobs.
Different heads or attachments are also available or come as standard with steamers. So you might get a head for floors, a window cleaning attachment, small nozzles that focus the steam and small brushes for cooker tops, taps etc..
Cloths - some manufacturers sell their own cloths, but old tea towels, microfiber cloths are fine. Textured cloths are best as they "catch" and lift the dirt better.
Some might involve spraying steam directly at the surface - ceramic tiles for example. Then you wipe them down with a cloth.
Surfaces such as leather furniture, wooden furniture or flooring might be harmed by direct steam so you either put a cloth on the floor head (mine has grippers that hold a cloth to the head), or you spray the cloth with steam and then wipe the table, shelf, surface.
Areas/jobs mine has been used -
Dusting, floors, refreshing carpets, deoderizing/freshening cushions and dog beds, paintwork (good for taking small dirt marks off), windows, uPVC doors, garden furniture, kitchen counters and doors, bathroom fixtures.
In terms of chemicals - in theory the temp of the steam is hot enough to sanitize. However when it comes to removing grease then it's not really enough on it's own, but using the steamer as well as your usual chemical of choice means you use a lot less chemical and need a lot less elbow grease.
If you're in a hard water area you'll need to use an ampoule of Kalstop or something similar for every few tanks of water to prevent limescale build up in the boiler.
To be honest - even with a steamer, although it takes less effort, it's still effort. There will still be bending, wiping pointing the nozzle and pulling the trigger. As we speak my own house needs a jolly good clean because I'm just not up to it and my husband can only do so much. If you can afford or persuade someone else to do it then that's much lower energy still!
