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: Simply the Best! Excellent Results!
Summary: 5 Stars
After 58 years of trying just about every floor cleaning method known to woman, this is The One!! I think the first three positive Most Helpful Reviews are all you need to know about this appliance, really, and I would say they are accurate. But I want to tell you about my experience; what it was really like to use and how I compare it to other methods.
As for the price, don't think twice about it! With this item, you will never have the expense or inconvenience of buying chemicals or disposable pads, as you would with the flimsy and overpriced but cheaply made "mops" you can buy at almost any grocery or variety store. With this, you will never have to delay cleaning your floor until you can get to the store to buy consumable items. And if you are on a fixed income like me and run out of money before you run out of month, or disabled and can't get out to the store very often, at least you'll be able to have clean floors!
I was skeptical at first and was amazed at how quickly and completely the Eureka 313A Enviro Hard Surface Floor Steamer worked, and how truly effortless it was to use. I have severe arthritis in my spine and I used to dread using other mops because I had to push down on them while mopping and it was painful. I used to hate it when someone would call and say they wanted to stop by, and I would have to hurry up and break a sweat and be in pain to get my floor clean before my guest arrived!
A few months ago I thought I was making a wise choice when I purchased a hard floor cleaner with rotating brushes. I reasoned that it would do a good job with less effort, take less time, and I could suck up the dirty water and flush it away. It was very highly rated and I thought I couldn't go wrong. Wrong! I was very disappointed in that purchase, as the brushes were so soft they did little to clean the floor, and I always seemed to have leftover solution in the machine that I would have to dump out. It wouldn't do me any good to save it, since it would be cold and useless for next time, since the machine didn't even heat the water. Then there was the task of cleaning the dirty water tank and brushes afterwards. And the issue of where to store the machine and all of its attachments and the useless attachment rack and the chemicals that go with it. Crimeny-ations, it takes up half of the hall closet. In reality, using that machine took all of an hour to get a reasonably clean floor in my large kitchen, and the cleanup and stowing it took even more time. Perhaps due to my age and condition, by the time I was finished I felt like I'd had quite a workout and needed to rest.
In contrast, when I used my new steamer today, I couldn't believe the difference and the time and effort I saved. I had just swept the kitchen and I had just planned to try it out on a little spot this afternoon to see if it even worked. It took about three minutes to prepare it and another couple of minutes to let it heat up and start steaming. I tried it out on a small area and couldn't believe my eyes. It only took a minute. So I tried it on a couple more small areas then stood back to take a look and compare the dirty and clean areas. I could hardly believe how well it cleaned, and the first areas I had done were already dry! So I kept going. In about 15 or 20 minutes I had done the whole kitchen floor and it looked awesome. About the time I was ready to call it good, the steam ran out so all I had to do was unplug the unit, remove the dirty cloth, wrap the cord and set the steamer on the heat up/cool down tray in the corner. No muss, no fuss. I wasn't sweating, I wasn't tired, and I wasn't hurting. Eureka! This evening, every time I pass through the kitchen I can't help but notice how clean the white floor looks. It's actually white, for God's sake!
A few more thoughts...
This steamer only weighs a few pounds so it is easy to pick up, but the weight of the machine takes the work out of the task. With the cloth in place, it is effortless to slowly glide it forward and back. I have pet kitties and appreciate that I no longer need to put chemicals on the floor, and it sanitizes as it goes. Some cleaning chemicals do discolor a floor over time, so that is a consideration as well.
Even though I have trouble bending down and worried about being able to fill the steamer with water, it was a non-issue because I was able to simply lift the unit by the handle and place it on table to prepare it. I had no trouble opening the cap, although it took quite a few turns to unscrew it. The threading inside the cap is metal and well machined so it won't break, cross-thread or come off. The size of the cap is good and not too small, so it is easy to grasp and does not hurt my fingers.
When I purchased this, I bought an additional one for my daughter, who has her first apartment and is just starting out. I'm glad I did, because I know she won't have to spend her hard earned money buying chemicals and disposable pads and it will do a great job with little effort. And, if a short stranger dressed in blue or pink comes into her life a little later, granny won't worry because the floor will be clean as a whistle with no chemicals. I think this steamer would make a great housewarming gift or be a great money saver for those heading off for college dorm life, too.
I can finally feel good about the cleanliness of my floor for the first time since I had to give up scrubbing on my hands and knees. I've seen good times and bad times in my life, and I so appreciate those wonderful things in life that are well made, save time and effort, and lighten the labors we all endure and make our lives better. I feel very fortunate to live in a time when such luxuries that are so well made and useful are available to common, simple people like me. I feel blessed. But may the lord have pity on the soul of anyone that tries to break in here and take my steamer! I hope this information was helpful and you had as much fun reading this review as I did writing it. I can't wait till morning when I can make a trip to Goodwill to donate all those other hard floor cleaning appliances, mops, chemicals, etc. and reclaim the space they've been taking up!
Customer Review: The important capabilities of the Erueka Steamer - pro and con
Summary: 5 Stars
By now I'm sure you have read the excellent and detailed comparison reviews. I just want to hit on the capabilities of the steamer. Pro and con.
What it will do well:
This steamer does what it is capable of doing extremely well. Flat surfaces is it's specialty. I have linoleum in my kitchen and 3 vinyl/ plastic type desk chair mats on the carpeted floor in my office. These surfaces are totally flat and the machine does an amazing job. Even removing dried sticky spills. Just go slowly and linger on the bad spots for a few seconds. No need to press down on the steamer. The steam and weight of the tank is sufficient. (Cleaning tile and wood floors is discussed below.) With the tank at floor level the steam is expelled directly through the cleaning pad and onto the floor with no chance to cool down. It puts out all steam. No excess water so it literally dries in a couple of minutes leaving no streaks or dirt. The steamer is very light weight and very easy to push and operate. It will pretty much swivel on a dime and is thin enough to reach under cabinet overhangs. So it gets along the edges pretty well. It is so easy even a senior citizen can do it. I got one for my 85 year old mother and one for me too. It is so much simpler and easier than mopping. No buckets, wringing, rinsing. One step and it is clean, done and sanitized using only water! This steamer can also be used on SEALED wood floors. Just don't linger too long on this type of floor. Keep moving and don't stop in one place.
Very easy cleanup and maintenance:
When finished the cleanup is simple. Just rinse out or gently wash the high quality cleaning pad in cool water. Don't use hot water when washing. DO NOT BLEACH. It can ruin the pad and replacements are very expensive. Hang to dry. DO NOT PLACE IN DRYER. IT WILL SHRINK THE PAD FOR SURE. Remember the hot steam will sanitize the pad as well as the floor. So if the pad looks dirty after rinsing or washing it does not matter. Don't store with water in the tank. Empty any remaining water from the steamer before storing. In a very short time you will learn exactly how much water is needed to clean the amount of area you have to clean. Just adjust the amount you add to the tank accordingly. Once the water quantity is adjusted to your needs you can just run the steamer dry and not have to ever empty any water after use. I always run mine until it is dry and start with fresh distilled water every time. (Distilled water is only about 49 cents per gallon at Wall Mart. Way cheaper than cleaning solutions. Using distilled water will prolong the life of the steamer by eliminating mineral deposits in the steam jets. It does not use much water anyway. Surprising how little is needed.) DO NOT EVER ADD ANY CHEMICALS TO THE WATER. Chemicals can damage the machine and the cleaning pad. Water is all you need! Remember - STEAM CLEANING POWER.
What the steamer won't do well:
The Eureka will not pick up loose chunks of dirt and crumbs etc. You must vacuum first! Make sure to get along all the edges and corners of your floor with your vacuum wand.
It will not clean your grout between tile squares if the grout is even a little lower than the level of the tile. It will not clean deep dips and crevices in textured tile. It will do an excellent job on the tile surface. My mother has lightly textured porcelain tile with shallow dips and crevices and it works great on that but will not get into the grout. We both own Wagner brand wheeled canister type steam cleaners that have a hose and pressure wand spray nozzle that we use to do floor edges and corners as well as counter tops shower etc. It also cleans her grout pretty well but sometimes requires the additional use of a grout brush with grout cleaner. When grout cleaner is applied you must use a grout sealer after cleaning. FYI - None of the other upright hard floor steam cleaner brands including the one with rotating brushes will get into the grout either. They ALL work best on flat surfaces! Also they don't clean as well as the Eureka and take longer for the floor to dry. Some even will leave dirty puddles on the floor because they don't have enough vacuum power or the ones that use steam only don't put out hot enough steam to dry quickly leaving floors wet just like using a mop. Plus too much liquid can damage some floors such as wood floors.
Summing up:
The only physically bad thing about the steamer is that it has a fairly short electrical cord. I just don't get that. The good is the adjustable length handle that can be made quite long or short to fit your requirements. It has a green light to tell you the power is on and one that turns amber when you're out of water. There is a foot operated on off switch. There are hooks to wind up the power cord for storage. It has a small foot print making storage easy. They give you a little funnel and measuring cup for filling with water and it is simple to put on and remove the cleaning pad. Once the water is filled and you turn on the steamer it only takes 3-4 minutes from cold to steam. Once it begins steaming I let the machine steam for about 30 seconds longer before beginning to allow the steam to fully penetrate the thick cleaning pad and then go for it. I recommend this hard floor steamer to everyone but especially the elderly or partially disabled persons because you could even sit in a rolling chair to operate this machine. It is so light weight and easy to push and pull.
One last important notation:
You may or may not have read this in other reviews - The first 2 or 3 times you use the steamer it will steam but put out more hot water on your floor than what is normal for this machine. It will take maybe 15 minutes for your floor to dry BUT after the machine becomes "seasoned" this will definitely stop and you will be getting pure steam from then on. Don't think you have a defective machine when at first this happens. Be patient regarding this issue because it is worth it in the end. Once "seasoned" you won't believe how fast your floor dries! Literally 2 or 3 minutes. Also it will clean the floor even better because of the pure steam. Basically: hot water bad - pure steam good!
Customer Review: I've summed up product comparisons for you!
Summary: 5 Stars
I spent days and days reading reviews for the perfect steam mop and I felt that the Eureka Enviro Steamer was the best choice. I'll sum up what I LOVE about my Eureka Enviro Steam Mop.
Eureka Euro Features:
1. Swivel head (a must, can get around objects)
2. tall and removable handle (yes you can take the handle off and steam your counters to sterilize them)
3. Eureka has been making steam mops for over a decade and this is the 2nd version of their VERY POPULAR steam mop.
4. Long cord.
5.Weight is on the floor where the water tank is, this makes it easier to use and makes for less scrubbing (tanks on the handle make you scrub and push down more to remove grim)
6. NO PUSH TRIGGER! This means CONSTANT steam. Who wants to hold down a button the whole time you're mopping?
7. The steam vents are from SIDE to SIDE..not one hole in the middle like some.
8. THICK and tough waffle cone pads. Picks up plenty.
9. HIGH heat (220 degrees)
10. About 3 minutes to heat water.
11. Leaves very little water on floor, dries quickly.
12. TOTALLY GREEN! Okay, I'm not a green fanatic (I don't recycle, sorry guys) but this product makes me feel like I'm making a difference! No wasteful trash (i.e. disposable pads) and it uses JUSTS water. No chemicals!
OKAY NOW SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD HEAR OTHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT OTHER MOST POPULAR MODELS:
MONSTER STEAM MOP:
1. BAD HANDLE (complaint after complaint about flimsy handle and it breaks when pushing too hard).
2. takes 5+ min to heat up.
3. does not have a swivel head.
(compared to Eureka: does heat up more- 266 degrees and does have extra burst of steam in front, more expensive)
SHARK STEAM MOP:
1. very flimsy handle and plastic tank (both break easily)
2. you have to "pump' the handle to get steam.
3. hard to push because the weight of the water is half way up the handle on the tank)
4. tends to "sleep" in the middle of the job as it takes a break to re-heat the water for the next pumping action.
5. heats to about 110 degrees.
BISSELL STEAM MOP:
1. Again, top/plastic water tank-very flimsy.
2. leaves very wet floors.
3. uses a "trigger" again to get steam.
4. thin pads, get soaked easily.
5. not hot enough (110 degrees)heats pad, but not more than hot water from your sink.
6. One steam hole in the middle, not all the way across like Monster or Euro or HAAN.
HAAN STEAM MOP:
1. cost more money
2. handle breaks again and not tall enough
3. does have attachments and removable handle
4. water has leaked from tank and burns hands when lifting up to steam object (like counters, beds, etc).
H20 steam mop:
1. 130 degrees temp
2. tends to leak from the tank and the tank is flimsy.
OKAY THESE ARE THE IMPORTANT THINS TO CONSIDER FOR ALL STEAM MOPS.
1. They aren't going to clean your grout. If you steam it and then get in there with a brush or rag I'm sure it will come up, but ALL fiber pads don't have "fingers" deep enought to get in the grout (neither will any product likely except a good ole fashioned brush) But they will be sterilized!
2. You need to take in consideration what type of water you have. All hard water will clog up your steamer over time. Use soft/distilled water (we installed a water softener in our house because we had VERY hard water)You could clean it with a de-calcification product (like CLR) or vinager occasionally.
3. You should NOT use a steam mop on unsealed wood or waxed floors. We are talking HIGH HEAT here and you're going to ruin wood if it isn't sealed, or melt that wax and make a mess.
4. Water should be at least 155 up to 212 degrees to kill germs (depending on the type of bateria). Steam is nice, but not if it isn't hot enough to kill bateria.
5. These are not ALL IN ONE floor cleaners. You are STILL going to have to vacuum. Heck-do what I did-invest in a Iroomba robot vacuum (HSN has Flex Pays) AND a steam mop. You'll have floors you can eat off of every day for very little effort.
6. My opinion is that ANYTHING that is rechargeable ins't going to last as long as something with a cord. Batteries have weird electronic memory to them (yeah I'm obviously not a tech pro) and they are luckly to last 6m! Don't waste ANY money on those rechareable products. They are a waste.
All in all this is the BEST product I've found for the cost, unless you want to invest a fortune in commercial grade steamers. I'm THRILLED with this purchase!!!
Update: After 10 months, I'm still thrilled. However, many complain that the first couple of uses the mop tends to leak a lot and leave the floors very wet. Although I never did experience this, many have and the solution they have found is that it requires a couple of uses to "season" the product and then the appropriate amount of steam and heat becomes reliable.
Customer Review: They should have called this the WOW Mop.
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this mop and recieved it two days ago. I used it yesterday and let me tell you this thing really works! It's a little frustrating going slow, since I'm used to zipping around the house with a traditional mop, but even going slow I was able to get more area cleaned in less time. My house is 3000sq feet and all the rooms are large except the kitchen, which is about average size. I have two dining rooms, one on each side of the kitchen and a long hallway that runs down the middle of the house. Usually I do the kitchen and a dining room one day. The living room and the hallway another day and then the bedrooms. The kitchen and one of the dining rooms are high traffic areas so they are always heavily soiled by the end of the day. We have 7 dogs and 7 cats so that adds to the mix-and the dirt! Well, yesterday in under an hour, i was able to do the kitchen, both dining rooms, the hall way and the living room- now that's pretty impressive! Making it even more impressive was that yesterday it rained and three of the dogs had come in muddy and soaking wet. Out they went and I brought out the mop to do it's job. I swept up the loose dirt and put the mop to work. OMG did it do an awesome job! The floors came out clean, clean, clean!
I had been using a traditional mop and bucket before, and then switched to sponge mop. I had been considering getting a swifer mop because even with the sponge mop, I still felt a thin layer of something- the cleaning chemicals maybe?- even after I mopped and the floor looked clean. I have a 11 month old who is constantly crawling and it bothered the heck out of me to let him crawl on a floor that was not squeaky clean. I actually wasn't even looking for a steam mop when I bought his one. Wal-Mart had discontinued the mop head I used for my sponge mop and the new sponge mop they stocked sucked. All it did was push the dirt around. So I went online to see if anyone sold the mop heads. I came across this products and researched several different brands after reading the raving reviews. It seemed like this brand was the best one (based on the customer reviews which I have learnd is a great way to learn about products!) so I figured it was worth the risk for really clean floors. At $69, it was pricey but it wouldn't break the bank, and if really worked, I would make up for it on the savings of chemical products and mop heads in about 2 and a half months.
I mopped my kitchen and as soon as it dried (in about two minutes) I got down on my hands and knees and felt the floors. I wiped my hands across the floor and -nothing. No film, no dust, no crumbs. The floor looked and felt clean. Our house is an old house and it has linoleum (which is partially removed because we are installing tile right now), tile and exposed concrete flooring (what is underneath the linoleum). The linoleum is pockmarked and scarred deeply in some areas. It didn't get the deepest pock marks, but when I reached down to scrub it, the grim came up like nothing. I guess the steam had soften it up. The tile came out looking great as well. I tested each area the same, with my hand, down on the floor and all the floors were squeaky clean. I used distilled water since we live out in the coutry and have well-water with a high mineral content, but so far, I still have over 2/3 of the gallon left. I actually walked in socks yesterday and they stayed clean! That's a major accomplishment in my household.
I have read people complaining that the unit only comes with two pads, which is a bit of a pain, since my floors were dirty enough to require me changing out pads to keep from streaking, but they are extremely thick pads, kind of like a smaller towel or thicker kitchen towel and you can throw them in the washer to clean them. You can't do that with a traditional mop! I plan on buying at least 6 more pads, because I want to wash them seperate from my other items and I hate to wate the water and engery on two pads, although if I had more time (or maybe wasn't as lazy) I could wash them by hand. The pads themselves seem very durable though. I'll be surprised if they don't last at least two years, probably getting the most wear and tear from being washed.
I'll be recommending this product to all my friends. I'm even going to send one to my neat-freak sister and mother-in-law. I don't traditionally give cleaning products as gifts (in fact, I'll give it to my mother-in-law as a just because gift to cover my bases) but I know they will love it so much once they use it they will be thrilled to have gotten it. I just wish I had known about these steam mops earlier!
Customer Review: Better after the first use!
Summary: 5 Stars
Some background on me: I had a Shark Pocket Steam Mop for about 13 months that I absolutely loved. I was very upset when it broke after only 13 months, and - before jumping in and buying another that might break in another 12 or 13 months - I decided to scour the reviews of steam mops and try to do a better job of selecting a unit that will stand the test of time. After reading a gazillion reviews about every steam mop I could find on the market, I selected this Eureka Enviro Steam Mop over several much more pricey steam mops. I selected this one not because of the price-point, but because of the overall good reviews. I was willing to spend up to $300-$400 for a good steam mop, but I selected this one at $60 because the reviews were the best I'd seen.
Out of the box, this unit was easy to assemble with very easy instructions. Just attach the extension handle, add water and a clean pad, wait for it to warm up and start cleaning. Not so fast!
On first use, I was absolutely sure I was going to hate this steam mop. Water went EVERYWHERE! I had to use a dry towel to mop the water off of my wood floor. I was nearly in tears because - if this unit didn't work after all of my research with no clear 2nd runner up - what was I going to do??? I was really upset, but I took a deep breath and decided to put it away and come back to it later.
A couple of hours later, I came back and tried again...this time with much better results. On this second try, I never really "saw" the steam. I knew it was working but I never saw the steam I was supposed to see before using the unit. That's a bit disappointing when you're use to the Shark Mop and its very visible (and loud) steam. But okay...it seemed to work okay for the most part. I finished a small area for my test run and decided to come back the next day for a more thorough evaluation.
So on to today...I prepared the unit and walked away for the required 3-4 minutes to warm up. THIS TIME, the steam was visible as it came out of the unit. Okay, then GAME ON!
This third time using the unit was 1000 times better than the first two attempts. First, it picked up the dried on dirt and gunk very nicely. Having a 6 year old who drops things on the floor constantly - and being without a mop for about 10 days - my floor was in desperate need of cleaning! This steam mop did a really nice job and even took up some gunk that my Shark Mop was unable to do the entire 13 months I had it.
Overall, I think I'm going to be very happy with this unit.
The GOOD:
- Cleans very well
- Very quiet
- Easy to use, but you need to move it at a slow pace
- Nice extension handle makes it less strain on the back.
- Water reservoir at the base of the unit makes pushing it very easy.
- I had to try using a regular dish cloth and I must admit I'm thrilled that I don't have to buy expensive pads
- No constant "pumping" to get the steam like the Shark Mop - steam comes out in a continuous flow
- Steam is spread out over the pad, rather than directed out at one spot
- Love that it has a tray to rest in when not in use.
- Love that the unit can stand upright and not be leaned against a wall
The BAD
- Initial uses must be a break-in period that can be a huge turnoff!
- Wish it was a bit flatter so that it would handle smaller areas a little better, but the water reservoir in the tank makes that a tradeoff.
- I'm not crazy about the waffled design of the pads that come with the unit. I'll probably buy dish towels as replacements.
- The cord really needs to be longer.
Overall, I would strongly recommend this unit. Just remember that there may be a break-in period on the first couple of uses. Give it a fair shot.