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: Great for Bird Owners!
Summary: 5 Stars
As a caretaker to a small parrot, I have to deal with a lot of "presents" left around my abode. Let's not even talk about the cage. And because birds are sensitive to harsh chemical cleaners, I was once a slave to the nasty aroma of diluted vinegar, diluted bleach or outrageously expensive poop removers or grapefruit seed extract. To make matters worse, I have just a tiny outdoors area since I live in an apartment. The cage is huge and wouldn't fit in the tub. Thus, hosing down the cage every week or so was not an option either. It left me wondering about all the nooks and crannies I was unable to reach with even the most diligent elbow grease. Until I got this puppy.
The Pros: Even when I cannot reach the dirt directly, the steam is powerful enough at close range to dispel even caked on mess from the powder coated bars. The steam jet isn't so huge that it's too easy to burn yourself, nor has it damaged the various wooden/acrylic/fabric toys in the cage. I'm now also using it regularly to sterilize all unsealed items from pet shops prior to giving them to my bird to prevent any sort of communicable diseases. I've been getting droppings out of my fabric couch as well my carpet. It's super quick for spot cleaning jobs like this. It leaves absolutely no aroma and just a tiny bit of wetness behind. The accessories are very versatile and I've even begun using it in the bathroom, which has proven wonderful as well. It's really small over all and well maneuverable, which is an added bonus to us apartment dwellers. The construction appears to be pretty sturdy and I imagine many, many years of good use out of it. And it doesn't seem to scare the bird at all, unlike my vacuum cleaner. :)
The Cons: It's somewhat time-consuming for larger jobs as you have to keep the area under steam for 5 seconds for it to fully sanitize it. I second the points on this unit being very loud. Since using it beginning in January, mine also still smells kinda like plastic when at full heat, probably from the hose. It's also a powerful energy sucker and blew my circuit once when too many other appliances were in use. Lastly, and not quite related to the product itself, I really wish Amazon would retail some replacement heads as the plastic ones do get worn over time.
Over all, though, 5 full stars. I wouldn't trade this baby in for the world!
Customer Review: Great for what it is
Summary: 5 Stars
What it will do:
- Clean surfaces without using chemicals
- Melt away the "soap" part of "soap scum"
- Melt away grease from any painted or chromed surface
- Make vinyl flooring look almost new
- Clean the porcelain on the sink & toilet without leaving any film, chemical scent, or residue whatsoever
- Save you money on a lot of the household chemicals
What it won't do:
- Magically clean anything without wiping it (unless your toilet is covered with grease for some reason like in those commercials. I think you might have to see a doctor for that, but I digress. . .)
- Dust any surface that has a layer of dust on it
- Remove scale or heavy hard-water stain
- Bleach any white surface that is seriously dirty/stained
- Save you money on distilled water
I bought this machine because I wanted to use less chemicals & cleaning agents around the house, and it doesn't disappoint. I do use distilled water in it though. It doesn't create a huge amount of puddles either, as I had feared. After the initial warmup (~10 minutes), I never ran out of steam or had to wait for the thing to replenish. The capacity is more than adequate for household chores. Excellent on greasy stoves (no heavy rubbing) and vinyl flooring. I don't really use the brushed nozzle tip to scrub anything (A separate green scrubbing tip is included for just that.). I do wish they had included some more replacement pads for the mop attachment, but you can easily make a couple of your own with cheap terry-cloth rags (It's not some exotic fabric.). Everything just smells genuinely clean, instead of "Lemony Fresh". . .
If your textured white tub is stained, then you're still going to have to use some kind of bleach-containing chemical on it, although it will power right through caked-on soap. If you clean your tub regularly, then this won't be a problem. There is temptation to grab a citrous cleaner for lighter jobs (cabinet handles, etc.), unless you actually enjoy firing up a steam engine for everything. It also tends to be very loud, especially in the confines of a fiberglass shower stall. Ear protection wouldn't be a bad thing. Seriously.
My objective was to cut down on the closet full of half-used chemicals and their fumes. And this machine accomplishes that big time.
Customer Review: The Little McCulloch
Summary: 5 Stars
Before purchasing the McCulloch Mc-1275, I did extensive research online: was a steam cleaner the best thing for our 2,00 square feet of laminate and vinyl strips (looks like pine flooring)? If so, which steam cleaner would perform best for us, who have three dogs and two cats, all furry creatures? What would I need, in addition to the machine itself and the two pads (which quickly become the dirtiest part of the operation)? For us and our large amount of flooring, it appeared that we would need many of the pads and quite a few microfiber cloths (not only lint-free, but also quite absorbant). Everything arrived within 24 hours of each other. My husband and I couldn't wait until the next day to try it out--we used it that night.
First, I used our Dyson to vacuum the floor area quite thoroughly. Next, in the 48-oz capacity water holder, we put 32 oz. This would get us through 30 minutes of cleaning, the directions told us. We began using the steam cleaner at about 9PM. We'd put the dogs up and out of the way, we had a lot of the cleaning pads at the ready, and I (brilliant person that I am) used my original Swiffer sweeper (the one that you put the duster pads onto the base by poking the ends into holes on the top of the base, remember?) to hold the microfiber cloths. The cloths are necessary when you've gone back and forth with the steamer to get something off the floor, because there will be a little puddle of water there, unlike when you are moving back and forth in continuous sweeps, where the steam dries almost immediately.
This was the first time the floor had been truly cleaned since it was laid, 18 years ago. We went through many of the cleaning pads. I couldn't really tell what had been washed and what had not while the floor was wet. When it dried? Holy smokes, who knew that the "color" of the flooring had darkened that much over time? It looked brand new again.
But this floor-cleaning dynamo is more than that, and next we plan to take the air vents out of the floor and give it a go, plus the wrought-iron storm doors, the vinyl shower stall; the list of to-do items is endless. We have wooden mini-blinds, and from what I've read about the McCulloch, it's something we'll have to test first, but I think we'll be able to clean all 19 window blinds with it. Such a little price for so much excellent work it can do!
Customer Review: I AM CLEANING!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am cleaning things that used to be such a drag! I have panelled doors, and some doors with louvres (that are painted). The dust collects in the nooks and crannies. Well, a few blasts from this machine, and a swipe with a cloth, and dirt is gone. I used the floor scrubber on the bathroom floor, and it works great! I use old diaper rags instead of the one terry cloth they provided. Any rag will do. The floor scubber has these heavy duty clips that grab the rag so you can steam and go as you please.
As for the toilet? Well, we have little boys that come over and do their thing all over the place. The steam gets in the cracks of the toilet, and you should see all the gunk that came out.
I am not sure if it disinfects, so I just put some disinfectant on the towel that I wiping up with.
As for the soap scum? Yes, it is hard the first time you use it, but the next time it goes much easier. Slick as glass, and it does stay cleaner longer.
Plastic foliage? Done in a snap!
I have steamed base boards, walls, most of my spring cleaning is done, and I've only had it a few days. It also works great on miniblinds!
I've even cleaned the black stuff off the brick of the fireplace!
Grease and grime on your kitchen cabinets? Gone!
Vegetable bins in the fridge? Glass shelves. Done in a snap! Be careful though, if the shelves are cold, you may crack them with the hot steam. I take my shelves out and let them sit for awhile.
The glass door of the oven looks great!
I am going to try to peel off wallpaper with it next.
The only con is the constant fill up of the "little mouse", that's what we've begun calling it. The steam lasts maybe about twenty minutes, then you have to turn it off for five, then fill, then wait five more minutes. No big deal for me, I can use the breaks.
All in all, an excellent purchase.
If anyone else has any other cleaning hints for this machine, please post them. I'm sure there are lots that I'm missing.
Customer Review: I you have pets or kids you NEED this unit!
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start by saying I have two messy kids, a husband, a 100 lb German Shepard, two cats and I HATE TO CLEAN. We are a very busy family so DEEP cleaning isn't always at the top of the list. Therefore, when I do find the time to schedule in a day for those deep cleaning sessions it is pretty nasty to say the least. I used my steamer for the first time today in the master bath. This is the largest bath in the house & so it gets used the most for everyones showers. It also houses the cats box. (Yuck.) I just spent the last 90 minutes steaming the whole room--every surface but the walls and ceiling. WOW!! The bathroom looks great and I did not use any cleaners, scrubs, soaps, or bleach - just STEAM, a little elbow grease, and some paper towels. Imagine how much money I just saved on tub cleaner, toilet clean, floor cleaner, & windex? I can't wait until my husband gets home from work - he's going to think I was in there all day long and I did it less than two hours with my new magic cleaning machine. One more bathroom & the kitchen floor to go!
I've read lots and lots of the reviews on this machine before making my purchase. Anyone who gave this machine less than 5 stars either was not using the machine correctly or possibly got a bad unit. I even recall reading about one reviewer that said he put his hand in the steam and it wasn't any hotter than the hot water from a faucet. Well thats BS, because I tested out mine & guess what? I burnt myself!!
I have a Bissell SpotBot for spot cleaning the carpet, I've got some old set in spots I've not been able to get clean. I blasted them with some steam, gave them a little hand scrub, then ran the spotbot over them again with some carpet shampoo and the spots are almost gone. Amazing what a little steam will do.
My mom had one of those junky Steam Sharks from the TV. Don't waste your money on those cheap, poor quality products. This unit is well made, has lots of attachments, and looks to be part of my family's cleaning regime for years to come. Don't hesitate any longer - order one for your house today!