So, I got my hands on one of those handheld steam cleaner things. You know, the ones they show blasting grime away like magic on those infomercials? Yeah, well, I figured, why not? My kitchen grout was looking sad, and the oven door, don't even get me started.

Pulled it out of the box. Looked simple enough. Small tank, bunch of little plastic nozzle thingies. Instructions were, well, they were there. Seemed straightforward: fill with water, plug it in, wait for steam.

Filled the tiny tank – and I mean tiny – with water. Screwed the cap on tight, or so I thought. Plugged it in. It hissed and gurgled. Okay, promising. The little green light came on. Time for action.

First target: the greasy splatters behind the stovetop.

Pointed the nozzle, pressed the trigger. WHOOSH! A puff of steam. And then... well, it sort of just made the grease wet. Moved some of it around. Not quite the 'melt away' I was hoping for. Had to scrub with a cloth afterwards anyway, which kinda defeats the purpose, right?

Okay, okay, maybe I was expecting too much too soon. Tried the sink next. Some gunk around the faucet. It did a bit better there, loosened it up. But the pressure? 'High pressure' felt like a bit of an overstatement. More like an angry kettle.

Then, the bathroom. The real test.

My shower grout. That was the dream.

• Refilled the tank. Again. That thing drinks water like it's free.
• Attached the little brush nozzle. Seemed like the right tool for the job.
• Got down on my knees, aimed, and fired.

Steam. Lots of it. And a whole lot of water dribbling down the tiles. It definitely blasted some dirt out of the grout lines, I'll give it that. But it was slow going. Line by line. And the stuff it dislodged? Just ended up smeared around until I wiped it. Plus, my hand was cramping from holding the trigger. And did I mention refilling it? Yes, again.

Tried a few of the other attachments. The squeegee for glass? Left streaks. The angled nozzle? Good for getting into tight corners, but again, the power just wasn't always there. It felt like I was spending more time changing nozzles and refilling water than actually cleaning.

And here’s the kicker for me.

I thought, 'Okay, maybe it’s not for heavy-duty grime, but what about sanitizing?' So I tried it on my kid's high chair tray. Seemed like a good idea. Steamed it down. It got hot, sure. But then I had to wipe it all down to dry it, and I was left wondering if just using a good disinfectant wipe wasn't faster and less hassle.

This thing, it’s not a replacement for good old elbow grease, not by a long shot. It’s more like a… helper. A very specific, sometimes fussy, helper.

So, what’s the verdict after all this faffing about?

It’s not the miracle tool the ads make it out to be. Not even close. It's got its moments, I guess. Small, specific tasks. Like, maybe loosening some gunk in a really awkward spot before you go in with a proper cleaner and a brush.

But for big jobs? Or if you think it's going to save you time and effort across the board? Nah. You'll spend half your time refilling the darn thing and the other half wishing it had more oomph.

It's one of those gadgets that sits in the cupboard after the initial excitement wears off. Mine's probably heading there soon. At least I gave it a good go, right? Another 'As Seen on TV' dream that didn't quite live up. Oh well, live and learn.