Carpet Cleaning

OK BUT….could use improvements - Sharper Image Turbo SM420 Handheld Steam Vacuum

Little steam wizard that could. - Sharper Image Turbo SM420 Handheld Steam Vacuum I first bought this unit at Sharper Image when we bought a Puppy. We have off-white carpet around the house so we...

Wizard Needs New Powers! - Sharper Image Turbo SM420 Handheld Steam Vacuum The Good Can get "almost new" model via Sharper Image Auctions for way less than the price in the catalogue! ...

I got the Sharper Image Steam Wizard a few months ago, when I saw the ad on tv. I’ve since gotten all kinds of mailers in the mail regarding it, but at the time I just saw the info-mercial. I thought the thing was cordless. I guess I should have looked better. Folks this isn’t a cordless vac!

Ok, so I’m blonde, as my hubby would say. haha. The cord is long, so it really doesn’t matter that it isn’t cordless. The cord really isn’t a problem, and doesn’t get in the way. I can stretch it all over the house, so it’s really a plus with this vac. I’m sure if it WAS cordless, it would not have the power it has.

It does have good steam power. It has several settings: you can use it dry, as a regular vacuum, or use steam only. You can also spray with it, so you get hot water/steam and it saturates the carpet for tough jobs.

I do have one problem: my daughter has a jolly old time making my light beige/tan carpet pink and multi-colored. Many of the stains came out with the Steam Wizard. WARNING: Play Doh stains don’t come out! If you know a secret to getting the pink stains out of my carpet, I’d love to find out…I’ve tried everything. The reason I’m saying this, Steam Wizard has done the best job so far, getting it out. I’ve used so many things and have gotten two small portable cleaners now, trying to get the stains out. NOTHING has helped. Steam wizard, however, has made the ugly bright red stains fade to a light pink. Maybe if I keep trying, they will come out totally eventually.

To me, this is a great accomplishment. I’ve tried for a year and I’m about ready to either get a professional in to do the carpet, or pull it up and get new. I’ve decided now, to persevere and keep trying with my Steam Wizard.

Beware, the steam is HOT. Don’t let your kids get near it when you are working with it. They will get burned badly. Same goes with your pets. A nosy pet could get a very badly burnt nose from its curiosity!

The booklet enclosed recommends you pre treat your fabric/carpet for some stains. Things like urine, blood, etc. should be treated with something that neutralizes them. Oxyclean works great for this and helps to get the stains out faster, also.

The machine is easy to take apart and clean. This was one feature I liked. One thing I didn’t like…its hard to get the crud out of the inside of the reservoir though. If you’ve found a way to clean the narrow opening of the reservoir, I’d love to know. Maybe I just haven’t found a way to take it apart all the way!

The steamer is easy to handle, but I’ll be honest, one of the features I’d change, it’s a little heavy for some jobs. It tends to really strain the wrist muscles after a bit, if you try to use it for bigger areas. Of course, the machine wasn’t made for the entire carpet, like I try to use it at times! LOL. When you have a little one, you’ll use it a LOT more frequently, and it can get heavy. I haven’t tried it on fabric such as couches, but if you are doing anything up and down, like the backside of a couch or chair the machine would be really hard to handle without using two hands. The brochure mentions using it on draperies. This would be another one of the harder jobs to handle. The picture shows them doing it one handed. I think they make it look too easy. Sure, it would most likely be done but still, the machine is heavy for these types of jobs. It’s really meant to be used on the floor, in my opinion.

You can also use your steamer on wood or tile floors. I haven’t had much use for this feature. One feature I DID use it for though, is my stove. It doesn’t really work well for the crannies of the stove, the indents, but if you have burned something and having a hard time cleaning the gunk off, try steaming it using the steamer, and it comes off like a dream. I think this is the BEST feature! I love to save elbow grease!

The carpet cleaner IS warrentied. You can use it for 60 days and send it back if you decide that you don’t like it. I noticed that someone mentioned getting one at ebay auction. I would warn the buyer to beware, because I would most likely assume that the warrenty would be null and void should you buy it this way. I liked the fact that I could send it back, if I decided that it wasn’t what I wanted or there was something wrong with it.

If you like the review and want more information, the machine can be purchased through Sharper Image at: http://www.sharperimage.com and the last brochure I got in the mail said there was a $10 off sale. The machine, usually selling for $129 is marked down to $119 plus you get a free ionic pet brush with your order. According to the ad, this is supposed to give your dog a "bath" without water, eliminating doggie smells.

Beware, once you buy something from Sharper Image you are INUNDATED with catalogs and adverts. I don’t really care, they just go in the garbage. They do have some neat stuff though, if you get the catalogs, it’s kind of fun to flip through them before filing them in the garbage can!

Hmmm…what else can I say about this thing? Oh! You also get free shipping on the machine if you get it through the company. The steam heats up really fast also, which is a feature I love. No waiting, like I have to do to get steam from my curling iron! I would say, within a minute, you have steam. Me, I’m impatient. It’s a great asset to me to have steam almost immediately upon turning the machine on steam!

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