Steam cleaners

clearingout

can anyone recommend a steam cleaner for cleaning upholstery? with 3 children, the settee is looking worse for wear and I wondered if a steam cleaner would help? There are plenty of small handheld items for around £20 on ebay. Are these what I'm looking for? As far as I'm concerned, the cheaper the better but obviously there is a need to balance price with the machine actually doing what it's supposed to!

many thanks!

paddy's_mum

A lot depends on what fabric your sofa is covered with - for example, you CANNOT steam Draylon .. the heat wrecks the fabric.

I always feel that with any steamer, you are going to have to rub the fabric to absorb and remove the soiling so if that is the case, would you be just as well off with a bowl of warm sudsy water and some old towels and save the money you would have spent on a steamer?

Now, a Vax, Bissel or Rug Doctor type machine is a whole different ballgame.

Hope that helps.

clearingout

thanks for that. The covers are actually removable but it's a huge sofa and in one piece, it just won't fit in my washing machine! On that basis, I'm not too concerned about shrinkage but I take the point - not something I had thought about. I am still in two minds.....might try your suggestion and see what happens!