Kärcher SC1 Steam Stick review

I'm sad to say, my time as a Kärcher Clean Ambassador has drawn to an end. Well, actually, I can't be too sad because I think I've reviewed pretty much all of their products over the past year ! You can check out my previous reviews to see what we thought when we roadtested their pressure washer, steam cleaner, vacuum cleaner, floor polisher and Window Vac, as well as some of the accompanying accessories. For our final review, we received a brand new product from Kärcher, the innovative Steam Stick which is the first handheld steamer that can also clean your floors.

Inside the box you get a small handheld steamer unit with various attachments - a hand tool, a floor mop tool, an extension hose, a power nozzle, a detail nozzle, a round brush and two Terry cloth covers, one for the hand tool and one for the floor.

What I love about Steam Cleaners is that they deep clean without chemicals, killing 99.99% of all bacteria just using tap water. When Allergy UK independently tested them, they concluded that Kärcher steam cleaners remove 99.99% of House dust mites, 99.83% of Cat allergens, 99.01% of Dog allergens, 99.37% of Pollen allergens and 100% of Fungal spores. All without bleach or harsh chemicals so it's better for the planet and safer if you have kids or pets around.

It's not just the hidden germs though, steam cleaning is a fabulous way of tackling the stubborn grime that you never thought you'd get rid of - limescale build up on the shower walls, the grime around taps, the nooks and crannies in the oven, the extractor fan filter, ...

Kärcher are very proud of their new addition. They explain : "In a recent independent study the Kärcher Steam Stick outperformed all leading competitors using just tap water. It features an innovative new boiler system which combines the deep cleaning power of steam with the latest safety functions in a light-weight handheld design. With up to 3 bars of pressure in the palm of your hand, the Steam Stick is able to blast away the most stubborn of stains in the hardest to reach places. The Steam Stick is the ideal solution for all of your household chores, able to clean your kitchen and bathroom on just a single tank of water."

It is a really good product, although I'd have to say it's no better than the original SC 2.500 C Steam Cleaner that we reviewed. It heats up very quickly and provides consistent powerful steam cleaning. It has the advantage of being lighter and smaller, so it's easier to manouever and takes up less space in storage, and it also has a lower price tag (RRP £99.99 as opposed to £219.99 for the larger model, although you can find cheaper deals online). As we already have a bigger Steam Cleaner, I wouldn't bother buying a Steam Stick because they both do basically the same thing, but if you haven't got one yet, it's definitely a suberb ally for the spring cleaning (and winter, summer and autumn cleaning too, for that matter !). It makes cleaning much quicker and easier as well as - dare I say it ?! - rather fun. I may have been heard shouting "I'm a dragon" as I tackled the shower, but it was only to make Pierre laugh, honest !

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £99.99

For more information on the Kärcher Steam Stick and other home and garden products visit www.karcher.co.uk

Disclosure : As a Kärcher Clean Ambassador, I have received a selection of products throughout the past year in order to write honest reviews.