McCulloch MC-1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner
by McCulloch
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of McCulloch MC-1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner
Customer Review: Cleaning Was Never So Much Fun
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first steamer, so I didn't know what to expect. It's been two weeks now and overall I think it's a good value. It's fabulous for cleaning any corners, small cracks and intricate items like around faucets, refrigerator handles and the coil behind the refrigerator. It did a really good job on the impossible to clean area under the front of the refrigerator that had caked-on dust and dried spills covering all the metal brackets, wires, tubes and wheels. But best of all - the toilet, especially the hinges for the toilet seat, and the seam where the toilet meets the floor, and anywhere behind the toilet - you get the idea.
The combination of the heat and the powerful blast of the steam acts to soften the dirt and then force it out to where you just wipe it up. You get a nice, really clean surface. Some items haven't been this clean since they were new. Some even look like new.
Do yourself a very big favor and get a whole bunch of microfiber cloths for wiping and drying. Sometimes, for stubborn old dirt, first spray a little Fantastic cleaner, then use the steamer and wipe with the microfiber cloths. This makes a super dynamite cleaning combination. You can also use your own microfiber cloths with the floor attachment.
The steam leaves a clean smell and I don't have to worry about breathing any of it. It's good that most of the steam ends up in the air, so that there is not a lot of residual water that needs to be cleaned up. After not spraying for a while, some steam in the hose condenses back to a little bit of water, so then I usually spray for a second or two into the sink or a cloth to clear the water.
There is some confusion about the so-called ready light. Just know that it's a small light that turns on whenever the water heater is on. So when the light turns off, it means that the heater has reached the high temperature shutoff point. I notice a slight increase in the steam pressure just after the heater light turns off because this is when the water is the hottest. But the steam pressure is very good all the time, even if you have a long steaming session. The heater light automatically turns on and off while you steam, and you don't even notice it. I usually steam, then wipe, steam, then wipe, and never have to wait for more steam.
There is also some confusion regarding the steam temperature. I was surprised that this big cloud of steam is actually not too hot to your hand, even as close as 3 or 4 inches from the tip. I think it's because the steam quickly cools itself by the evaporative process. This is good because you really don't need to worry so much about burning your hand, like when you are holding an object in one hand and spraying steam with the other. But don't be fooled. The temperature right at the tip is hot. I measured about 170 to 180 degrees right where the steam comes out. Most home water heaters are set for only about 120 to 140 degrees. If you steam a small metal object (that conducts heat), it will quickly become too hot to handle. I've accidentally peeled a little spot of latex paint off a door because I held it on the same spot a little too long. I always use rubber gloves and have had no problem with handling the steam.
Regarding the noise, firstly, the unit makes no sound at all when you are not spraying steam. When it sprays steam, the noise comes from the tip where the steam comes out. I can understand that many people say it is loud. To me, it means that this is a pretty powerful spray of steam. After I do steaming for an hour or two, without earplugs, then my ears feel a little bit like I've attended a rock concert, especially if I were steaming a bathroom or inside the refrigerator, which magnifies the sound. Now, I always wear ear plugs.
The unit has a carrying handle, but no caddy for the attachments, cord and hose - not a big problem for me. I use only distilled water, as they suggest, so the tank doesn't become clogged with mineral deposits. I put in two or three of their measuring cups with their little funnel and it lasts a good long time, like you wonder why the steam hasn't run out yet. I always keep an extra couple of gallons of water on hand because I have a tendency to keep cleaning more stuff once I get started. The steam keeps going strong until the tank is totally empty, and then it suddenly stops. Refilling is pretty quick and easy, but first hold the sprayer open to release any remaining pressure. You only need to tighten the filler cap with light fingertip pressure. It takes a few minutes (2 to 5 minutes depending on how much water you add) for the water to reheat and then you can steam for another long time.
One of the few things it doesn't do so well is the hard baked-on food like inside the oven or the stove top. Also, when I was steaming the metal handles on dark wood kitchen cabinets, I noticed the wood starting to take on a light, cloudy haze. It seemed ok after rewaxing, but you need to be careful around wood furniture or cabinets.
I've read some complaints about the small brush tips wearing out too quickly. I think this might be because people are mashing down too hard on the tip. The idea is to try to let the steam do the work and brush with only moderate pressure. Sometimes I use a toothpick to loosen stubborn dirt in small areas, and then go back with the steamer. I think the tips are holding up ok.
One precaution I take is to avoid pulling the tank by the hose because I think this could break the hose which does not seem to be repairable.
Customer Review: Great HOUSEHOLD steamer
Summary: 5 Stars
After some research and contemplation, I bought this unit to clean and disinfect bathrooms and other household stuff. By in large, most of the observations from the reviews here have been consistent with what I've seen.
PROS:
1. Steam lasts a very long time. The manual says it can hold up to 48oz of water from which to generate 2 hrs of steam. This appears to be right if you're holding the nozzle open constantly. In reality, its longer because you have to steam-wipe-steam-wipe repeatedly, letting the machine rest during "wipes". I can get a good 3 hrs of cleaning done on one full tank of water. Also keeping you from holding open the nozzle is that you have to give it time to "recharge" since it appears that it does not generate steam as fast as you use it.
2. It works on what it claims: most "organic" build-ups like soap scum, toothpaste, dirt, etc. Cleans darkened grout nicely. Doesn't damage the finish on fixtures. I was expecting a little too much on the calcium deposits from hard water... steam just wasn't effective.
3. Nice supply of attachments (brushes) although its unclear what types of surfaces these brushes can be safely used on. In particular, I refer to the smaller round brushes. For example, my guess is that the brass brushes are not meant for highly polished finishes.
4. Good enough to clean hard to reach crevices like sliding door tracks (shower doors or patio doors), faucet details, etc.
5. Works well on car wheels. Brake dust is very fine and a pain to clean by hand. Not to mention that the chemicals are often not meant to touch the brake disc surface (I have yet to figure out how splashing water from a hose can be directed only to the wheel and not the brakes within).
6. Steam is the only option for cleaning chemically-prohibited surfaces (I never knew chemical cleaners were not recommended in microwaves!).
CONS:
1. Its loud! Not the machine, but the steam as it comes out of the nozzle. I strongly recommend hearing protection while you use it when indoors. My ears were ringing for about an hour after my first session.
2. Steaming takes time. If you're not opposed to using chemicals, often I find that bleach works as good, if not better, than steam. Compared to 5-10 mins steaming a polished chrome bath fixture to get it sparkling, it took 30 secs using your household bath cleaner with bleach.
3. Steam just doesn't work efficiently on mineral build-up. Chemicals are far more time-efficient. Hard water stains and deposits require lots of time and lots of elbow-grease (scrubbing). And even then, I'm not convinced it was cleaner than using chemicals (i.e., judging from the "gleam" off the surface).
4. The steam pressure is not very high. It isn't very low either, but definnitely not high enough to "blow" debris away more than an inch or two from where the steam jet hits. The best approach seems to loosen with steam then wash away with water or wipe away with sponge. Hence, I don't recommend using this for something like cleaning a car engine where neither wash nor wipe are feasible. (I guess you could steam long enough so that the condensed water from the steam was enough to wash away the gunk on its own, but that would take forever.)
5. It needs time to build up steam pressure while you work. The light is supposed to turn off when it is ready. While in use, the light will come on when the pressure reaches some threshold. Continued use beyond that point without letting it rest means you work with less pressure. When the tank is full of "condensed" water, the light comes on more frequently. As the water is depleted and more volume in the tank can accommodate vapor steam, the light comes on less often.
6. The width of the brushes simply do not permit reaching into 90 degree crevices or those really tight spaces. This is minor, however, but a flat or low-profile brush attachment would have been nice. A medium bristle toothbrush is a nice companion in my cleaning adventures...
Overall, pretty happy with this unit. To be efficient, I've found using a combined balance of chemicals and steam is best. It definitely reduces the amount of chemicals I need to use. For hard-to-reach or delicate surface areas, steam wins outright (with the mentioned toothbrush).
Customer Review: Those cheapie handhelds are "lost in the fog" of this unit!!
Summary: 5 Stars
My dad had one of those Euro Steamer's, and was looking fondly at that "other" handheld they put on TV all the time. Problem is they are junk. What are you going to do with about 5 minutes of steam anyway!? His birthday was coming up, so I got him this one. I have to say it was even more impressive than the description. Not only do they have all the attachments of the handheld (and perhaps more), they are well made attachments not the cheap, plastic, ill-fitting, junk you get with the handheld.
For instance, the extensions, heavy gauge hard plastic with double o-ring seals where they connect. They fit together solid, and would be hard to break, even if you stepped on them by accident. My dads Euro Steamer broke the tip off it when he turned in a doorway. This stuff is definitely not that fragile. The connectors to the steam hose and the steam gun are just as well made, if not better. They combine metal fittings with rugged plastic parts, and solid sealing o-rings.
About those attachments, they include a concentrator with a round brush on the head, and six different brushes to choose from. Some are nylon of various sizes, and one is a brass brush for the tough surfaces. They have a corner brush, a window cleaner with steam squeegee, an attachment for the extension pieces that steam-mops floors, and a round scrubber attachment. It also came with a 16 ounce measuring cup and a funnel for filling. Outside of the attachments, there is one mounting handle to attach to the unit. It attaches to the body with an included, machine screw. They even include a foot long, toolbox quality, Phillips head screwdriver with the package, to put in the single assembly screw, nice touch!
What about steam you ask? Well I laugh my head off at seeing those oilcan looking things on TV put out that thick steam in the commercial. You have to let those things get heated up fully, and that big plume you see on the demo lasts about a minute at most. I wouldn't be surprised if they connected a hidden steam hose to demo those junky things. Not so, with the McCullock, with a full tank you get close to an hour worth of solid, cleaning steam. The gun is the most fun to use, be careful not to get your face too close to the work, because the steam blowback is hot! The glass tool really did work on the shower glass. I've not tried them all, but since it's the steam that does the real work. The attachments all pass on solid construction alone.
One of the main reasons we got a steamer, is because you can clean and kill germs without chemicals. Our pet poodle Sandy is a bit too curious when licking up spills, so using chemical cleaners can be dangerous around him. Moreover, antibiotic cleaners are under fire by health officials for their potential of creating super-bugs. If just one of the bacteria survives the antibiotic cleaner, it will be antibiotic resistant! It can return as a bacteria colony that no longer is affected by the cleanser! Steam cleaning is just as anti-septic, and it doesn't create resistant strains of germs!
Customer Review: Worth every penny
Summary: 5 Stars
I am allergic to everything, especially dust. For this reason, I have no carpet - only hardwood floors, or tiles in the kitchen and bath. I saw an infomertial for some Euro-steamer thing, where they touted how well the "steamer" cleans hardwood and tile floors with water and no chemicals. I figured I'd buy through Amazon for quicker shipping. However, most of the reviews explained that the unit was cheap, and that it would break in just a few uses. Other people burned themselves. One reviewer suggested this McCulloch steamer.
I bought the McCulloch MC-1272 in December 2005, to clean all the floors in my apartment. I've used it every 2-3 weeks since. In general, using this steamer is a little more inconvenient than a vacuum because you really don't want to bang it around or tug on the hose.
Here are the negatives- it doesn't have a handle, which makes moving it from one room to the next a bit of a pain. But I guess that's because they don't want you walking around, carrying a tank of super-scalding pressurized water. Nuff said. Also, the device ships with one cloth that's used for the floor-cleaning attachment. It wears pretty fast, so if you're getting the steamer primarily to clean floors, I highly recommend you order some extras right away. They are machine washable. Also, I recommend you get a six or eight inch funnel from your hardware store, for filling the tank. If you try to use the spout of a pitcher, you will spill water everywhere - but that's mopped up pretty easily once the beast is fired up.
Here are the positives- fill it up, turn it on, in about 10 minutes you're steamin' away. The hose is quite durable, and despite the warning stickers everywhere, none of the surfaces on the attachments have gotten so hot that they could have burnt me. This was a subject of many complaints with the EuroSteam thing. Also, none of the attachments has sprung leaks, or melted - another common complaint with cheaper steamers. With a gallon of water, this steamer pushed steam for about 45 minutes, which was ample time for all the floors in my apartment. I figured I'd plug in some of the wire-brushes and attack all the mildew in the shower while waiting for it to empty. The jury's still out on the shower; I think a few squirts of Tilex do a better job on grout. But for cleaning hard surface floors, I have found nothing better than this steamer.
The bottom line- if you're thinking of getting a steamer, here's what you should consider: this model steamer is the low-end of the "good" quality devices. Anything cheaper will be a waste of money, and will only be good for a few uses before it breaks, melts, or springs a leak and burns you. If you have the cash and can spend more, do so - you DO get what you pay for. There are more expensive models with fancy features, and greater capacity. However, if you're like me and trying to get the most bang for the least possible buck, this machine is where innexpensive and quality meet. It has been reliable for me, for the past 5 months.
Customer Review: Steam Cleaner Believer!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I honestly was not expecting that much from this machine when I purchased it, but it has DEFINITELY impressed me. We recently moved into a home with all tile/hardwood flooring and I began researching steam mops, now I reeeeally hate uni-taskers, I want a product to multi-task if I'm dropping more than $100 on it. And this baby really delivers, since I've received it I've cleaned nearly all the grout in the house with ease. The kitchen grout was actually black, we soon found out its really supposed to be a light grayish color...ew. I included pictures of the kitchen floor, which I cleaned with relative ease in about 20 mins or so(taking a couple breaks to let it reheat >.> we filled it to its maximum capacity so it took a little while to heat up). I went over it once or twice just to get the steam to loosen up the gunk, then went over it a tiny bit with the plastic scrubbing attachment. I also cleaned the bathroom tub/tile with this machine, I admit I did use some Lysol during this process because I wanted it to really shine, and now our shower looks like new (yay!!!). The steam mop attachment works, although the pad included really isn't that absorbent, I purchased some giant microfiber cloths to use instead of the pads because I thought this product had "heavy duty clips" to attach ANY cloth... it does not, the review I read misinformed me. I purchased a couple of clips from Lowe's for a few bucks and easily clipped the cloths on. It works like a dream, and there is less water left on the floor after mopping because of the sweet microfiber cloths. Its winter right now so I'm not able to use it outside quite yet, but from the results I've seen I'm super excited to try it out! The grill we got from a family friend is just filthy, and now I'm actually curious to see if this thing can handle it, I'll update the review once I've tried cleaning it. There is also a nifty squeegee attachment that works surprisingly well, I wouldn't use it inside on mirrors, but with all the hose attachments it'll make quick work of the outside windows, with relatively little to no streaking (depending on how anal you are, I went over a mirror inside twice to test it and had no streaking, but it does take some getting used to). Overall I am very happy with the product, even my hubby agrees that this was a good buy, recently he put a pack of tortillas on a hot stove-top -.-, he was in charge of cleaning his own mess! Which he did using some elbow grease and the steam cleaner. The only thing that can get pretty annoying is how loud it can get, but it is a HEAVY DUTY steam cleaner so its to be expected, right? I really can't say how long this product will last maybe a year or maybe ten, but right now I'm very happy with all of the jobs it helps me with around the house.