Okay, so I finally caved and got myself a steam cleaner. I'd been seeing these things all over the place, and after my neighbor wouldn't shut up about how it cleaned her grout, I figured I'd give it a shot. My place isn't exactly a pigsty, but hey, who doesn't love a good deep clean?

First things first, I unboxed the thing. It came with a bunch of attachments – nozzles, brushes, you name it. Honestly, it was a little overwhelming at first, but the instruction manual (which I actually read, for once) was pretty straightforward.

Getting Started

I filled the water tank – it holds a decent amount, which is good. Then, I plugged it in and waited for it to heat up. It took a few minutes, and there's a little light that tells you when it's ready to go. Pretty simple, so far so good.

The Cleaning Process

• Bathroom: I started in the bathroom, because, well, bathrooms are usually the worst. I used the small nozzle attachment and went to town on the shower tiles. Holy moly, the gunk that came off was both disgusting and satisfying. I also used it on the faucet and around the sink – sparkling!
• Kitchen: Next up, the kitchen. I tackled the stovetop, which had some baked-on grease that I'd pretty much given up on. The steam cleaner blasted through it like it was nothing. I was impressed. I even did the inside of the microwave – it looks brand new!
• Floors: Finally, I attached the floor cleaning head and went over my hardwood floors. I was a little nervous about using steam on them, but the manual said it was okay, and it seemed to do a great job. They definitely look cleaner and shinier.

My thoughts

Overall, I'm pretty happy with this thing. It's definitely more powerful than I expected, and it made cleaning a lot easier, especially on those tough, grimy spots. It’s not magic, of course, you still have to put in some elbow grease, but it really does cut down on the scrubbing. Plus, it's kind of fun to use – like a power tool for cleaning! I’m giving it two thumbs up, so far so good.