 The Steam Canister SHOWDOWN: I've done the comparisons for you |
| Review Date: December 31, 2009 |
| Reviewer: A. Chandler, Austin, TX |
I have had my eye on the Ladybug steamer for months now, drooling over all it could do but it was far out of my price range. I own the Envirosteamer steam floor mop and love it, but I wanted something to get into tight spaces like around the toilet, in the tub, the oven, etc. With some Santa money I got more serious about purchasing a canister steamer in addition to my floor steamer and began some comparative testing and studying. Fortunately, I live in a neighborhood that is all "green built certified" which means, in order to have a green rating, all homes were built with no carpet and lots of people hate chemicals which means it's a neighborhood full of steam mops which makes comparing the models quite easy. That's a good thing because it just saved me over a thousand bucks because I wound up no longer wanting the Ladybug. Here's how they rate...you decide which is best for you:
These are the canister mops I compared:
Vapamore MR-100
Ladybug XL-2300
Haan Canister
Reliable Enviromate
V=Vapamore
L=Ladybug
H=Haan
R=Reliable
NUMBER OF STEAM JETS SPITTING OUT HOT STEAM:
V-10
L-8
H-12
R-5
WATER PRESSURE CONTEST; (1st place being shoots steam the hardest)
V- 2nd PLACE
L-1ST PLACE:
H- 3rd PLACE:
R- 4th PLACE:
CORD LENGTH: (so you don't have to stop, unplug, water cools some, replug in)
V-18 feet
L-15 ft
H-18 feet
R-8 feet
recap: An 8' cord is INSANE. I couldn't even get across my kitchen counter or walk around my bed to steam all of the mattress without using an extension cord!
STEAM TEMPERATURE
V-256 degrees
L-297 degrees
H-212 degrees
R-218 degrees
Note: These temperatures are based upon using the small hose attachments. In every case that we used the long hose attachment included to turn these into a floor mop, the steam had to travel down the long hose so it cooled and wound up only being about 115 degrees by the time it reached the floor. Which results in very poor cleaning. Because of this, if you are wanting this mostly for floor steaming, I would suggest going with a steamer that shoots out hot steam directly onto the floor from its tank rather than through a long hose before reaching the floor as a canister mop does.
TIME TO HEAT UP:
V-10 min
L-8 min
H-3 min
R-5 min
WATER TANK:
V-1.6 liters
L-1.8+1.5 quarts
H-20 oz
R 2 liters
CLEANING:
For a controlled cleaning test, I mixed Dr. Pepper with sugar and spread it evenly across a 4' length of my stained concrete floor and kept the pets away until it dried completely in a gunky mess. I then tested each mop against it in lengthwise strips, moving them at the same pace after a full heat up, as well as testing each on its own strip of bathroom tile & grout. Here's who performed the best:
Tie: Ladybug and Vapamore. These, due to the really hot temps, loosened the gunk on impact and made it VERY easy to clean my floor. Their hot temps and heavier steam also cleaned tile the best but Vapamore actually did a BETTER job on uneven surfaces like tile with grout..but don't expect shiny white grout because it wasn't exactly returned to looking brand new either.
2nd place:Haan...but it wasn't nearly as good as the above two.
Last place: Reliable. Although the steam temp is hotter than the Haan, it doesn't shoot out as strong and only had 5 steam jets so this diminished its effectiveness Didn't come close to the V or L.
All were at temps to kill bacteria and sanitize without using chemicals such as counters and mattresses, unless you tried to turn it into a floor mop which I don't suggest because the steam was too cool to clean as well as a real floor steam mop made for that purpose...
Other notes: The ladybug was the most awkward to carry. It just wasn't made for carrying up stairs, etc.
Conclusion: Considering the Ladybug is over a thousand dollars more than any of the other mops, this was a real eye opener! I tested these with my friends and we all agreed, hands down, that the Vapamore was the best buy. And I love it! It cleaned the best BUT the Ladybug lasted much longer as far as cleaning time. However, Vapamore cleaned for 50 minutes prior to needing a refill which, for me, is all I need. That said, if you want to use this commercially and don't want to have to take time to refill, the Ladybug may be worth the steep price for you. Considering they have the same 3 year warranty though, I'd rather buy 4 Vapamores for the price of one Ladybug and have one in every room. I kid. The Reliable seemed to lack things that were just silly...like having a cord longer than my blow dryer and only having 5 steam jets.
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Excellent Value
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| Review Date: October 29, 2009 |
| Reviewer: wal hurt, Chicago |
Very versatile and compact machine with excellent build quality for the price. I have used it for a variey of different jobs. These include: cleaning bathroom tiles, stripping old vinyl floor tiles, cleaning vinyl floors,sanitizing/cleaning shoes and deodorizing/sanitizing my dog's bed. It also exceeds the minimum temperature requirements for killing bed bugs and dust mites. Therefore, I have utilized it in order to sanitize my mattress, box spring and bedding. (this is useful if you have allergies) It does a pretty good job at a fraction of the price of competing models.
I have owned this procuct for ten months and am very pleased with its performance. Therefore, I can give it my highest recommendation with no reservations. |
This Steam Cleaner has saved my house!!!!
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| Review Date: April 28, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Susan A. Roth, Phoenix, Arizona |
| So here's the scoop. I have bought various steam cleaners over the past 5 years when I was first made aware of them. My home has to be sparkling clean all the time in order for me to feel comfortable and at peace in my own home. I have 4 kids running around and 2 dogs. Everyone seems to love to track mud in from outside. Whether I need the Vapamore to clean the tile and grout, keep my oven clean from all the cooking I do, keep our beds and furniture clean and free of germs, this powerful Steam Cleaner is my answer to my battle against dirt and grime. I was about to give up on the idea of using a steam cleaner because the other ones just seemed to never work that good. My sister-in-law told me about the Vapamore and I could not believe how great it cleans everything. It works unbelievable and it's really easy to use. I had red ink in my living room carpet from a rug I purchased years ago. I tried the rug doctor and a few other solutions on the carpet, nothing worked. It was the first major stain on the carpet I used the Vapamore on and it literally took it all out. You cannot see anything! This handy steam cleaner can be used for so many tough stains. It's helped me tremendously!!! |
Love the Vapamore!
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| Review Date: February 17, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Jonieta Stone, Scottsdale, AZ United States |
| I live in a typical Arizona house with about 2400 sq. feet of tile, which means there is a lot of grout! If this machine ONLY cleaned grout it would be worth the money, but it does a fantastic job on windows as well. Using the Vapamore I had less water, less mess than usual, and the windows sparkle in less time! I am still in the discovery process, so I don't know all uses I will make of this machine. I do prefer the Shark Steam floor cleaner on smooth tile floors, the Vapamore isn't nearly as good. Thanks to all the reviewers for offering ideas on how you have made use of the Vapamore.Vapamore Multi Purpose Vapor Steamer w/ Variable Steam Control + Free Shipping |
This machine is everything they say it is! LOVE IT!
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| Review Date: April 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: RV Queen, Naples, FL USA |
| We live in a custom motor coach where there are lots of nooks and crannies and hard to clean areas. We used it first on the tile floor (our main reason for getting the Vapamore) hoping it would also clean the grout, and it did a great job. No more scrubbing on our hands and knees. Then we used it to clean all the windows and window tracks, all the mirrors and Corian counters, bathtub and shower enclosure. No more scrubbing hairspray residue, or bathroom scum it just wiped right off. It was so much fun watching the dirt roll off. We did use a lot of microfiber cloths to wipe up the mud we were making but, no more scrubbing or noxious cleaners. Then we got a little daring, and tested it on the laminate cabinets and the Ultra Leather furniture, concerned about the high temperature possibly causing damage but it didn't and the next thing we knew we had cleaned the entire coach. We used our new steamer all day and we only had to refill 3 time. We couldn't be happier with our new steam cleaner! |
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