Vax S4 Grime Master Handheld Steam Cleaner

I have borrowed steam cleaners from friends before but was delighted to get one of my own. I would say this is by far the most compact and easy to use steamer I have used. The steamer can be operated using one hand. (Some of them I have used required you to hold the steamer in one hand and a hose connected to it in the other which is very awkward). This allows you a free hand to steady yourself if you are reaching into corners or a free hand to clean with after using the steamer.

It comes with a range of attachments - these include a simple 15cm long nozzle, a small circular brush that fits on the end of the long nozzle, a window-cleaning attachment and a couple of elasticated flannel covers that fit into the window cleaner for use on furniture. Of course, you can also use the thing with no attachments at all. There is also a plastic beaker for measuring the correct amount of water that you can pour in to the tank (260ml).

For those of you who have not used steamers before it does not eliminate the need to use elbow grease but what it does do is make cleaning much easier and quicker. It is also great for crevices that are difficult to clean. The steam forces the dirt on allowing you to wipe it away.

I have used the steamer on tiles and shower screen in the bathroom. It is great for cleaning the scum of the grout. There is a round brush attachment that comes with the steamer but I always use an old toothbrush with the steamer for this job. It is also great for mirrors, sinks and toilets. What is does is removes the germs that you cannot see as well as they dirt you can see.

It great to cleaning the inside out outside of oven and grill doors but you cannot use it inside because of the danger with electrics and steam! I have also used the steamer to clean the kitchen tiles and the gas hob. It makes the job of cleaning anything greasy so simple, after a blast from the steamer you merely wipe away with a cloth.

The manual indicates that the elasticated covers can be used for mattresses as well as furniture. I found that the covers were of no use as it was not possible to make contact with the mattress. This would involve tilting the steamer forward which results in water dribbling onto the mattress. I did manage to steam the mattress without this simply by holding the steamer level and allowing the steam to fall onto the mattress. At least this freshened the mattress up and hopefully eliminated some bacteria.

I have a leather sofa so could not test this function out. I have used a steamer before to freshen my vertical blinds and this is the next item on my cleaning list.

A steamer is not a product that most people will use everyday. For some jobs it is invaluable and with the nice compact size, the S4 Grime Master is more likely to be used on a regular basis.

I've seen steam cleaners advertised around the place and they seem like a good idea. So I was happy to get an opportunity to try one out. O.k. so - it is good, it is useful, but it's not going to suddenly turn your home into a gleaming germ-free palace. A little elbow grease is still going to be required and it's not going to take over every cleaning job in the house. But for some jobs, it has quickly made itself pretty well indispensable.

What do you get for your money? A 3metre/10ft mains cable. That is a sensible length, I think. Long enough to give you flexibility to move around, not so long that you'll be tripping over it. A range of attachments - these include a simple 15cm long nozzle, a small, stiff brush that fits on the end of the long nozzle, a window-cleaning attachment and a couple of elasticated flannel covers that fit into the window cleaner for use on furniture. Of course, you can also use the thing with no attachments at all. And a plastic beaker for measuring the correct amount of water that you can pour in at one time (260ml).

The instructions are all in pictures - no multiple languages. They are straight-forward. Unscrew the large grey nob and pour in 260ml of tap water. Screw down the nob, plug in, switch on - make sure the safety catch is set to ON while it is heating up. A red light shows that the power is on and a green light signifies when the machine has reached a working temperature. There is also a calibrated switch which allows you to select the power of the steam jet.

Once the green light is on, flick the safety switch to OFF and press the trigger. That's it really. It takes about 2.5 to 3 minutes to heat up. 260ml of water doesn't seem a huge capacity but it lasts for long enough. I didn't time it but I'd estimate between 5 and 10 minutes at 'full throttle'. Once it's empty, I think it is a good idea to let it cool down before you refill it. I didn't and as I poured in more cold water, it spat at me.

So does it work? Well, as I mentioned, it depends. It is absolutely brilliant for cleaning nooks and crannies. For example, the joins in my white uPVC double glazing seem to attract particularly stubborn dirt and this just blasts it out wonderfully. It is also excellent for cleaning the cast iron grill tops on my cooker (the little brush attachment is quite useful here). It is rather less useful for cleaning the oven. For a start, in a confined area, you quickly can't see a thing through the clouds of steam, especially if you forget to take your glasses off (yes, I know that's obvious now, but it didn't occur to me then). It also didn't make a great impact on the (formerly white) grouting between my (black) kitchen tiles - but I suspect that the grouting has perhaps yellowed with age, rather than dirt.

I tried the window cleaning attachment. I didn't really hold out much hope for it, but was very pleasantly surprised. It did tend to drip rather a lot, but it really cleaned my greasy kitchen window a treat. So that, in conjunction with blasting the seams in the window frames, makes for a Job Well Done! Generally, though, it seems to work best on small areas rather than over large work tops. It does work on large work tops, but clearly the effects are rather more diffuse.

Before you empty it, let it cool. Basically, this is a hand-held steam cooker. If you take the filling nob off before it cools, steam shoots out under pressure from both sides. It probably says that somewhere in the instructions but, well, you know...:-)

So - all in all, a very useful addition to my armoury of cleaning products. It is, perhaps, a little specialised - i.e. nooks and crannies - but I have no other tool as good at doing what this does as well as this does what it does well. If you see what I mean. I haven't tried the furniture attachment as most of my furniture is covered in throws, so it's a bit superfluous. But, on top of doing what it does etc., it also does it with no chemicals (aside from H2O), no abrasives and no detergents. Yes, so now I've got Steam Heat!.. (Sorry - just couldn't resist it :-)).

The only reason I award one star is because no stars is not an option.

I ordered this a few days ago on free delivery and, as ever, Amazon excelled and it arrived this morning.

I had high hopes, not least because of the very favourable reviews hereon. I decided to try it out on our Ikea chair pads with white cotton covers. The result: after a lot of gurgling and spitting and some steam, not a steam-cleaned pad but a sodden pad, looking beige instead of white.

The steamer comes with a label asking that those with a problem phone VAX before returning; it's the first time I've seen such a sticker on an appliance. So, I phoned VAX and explained the problem. What I really wanted to know is this: did I have a faulty steamer and should I seek a replacement from Amazon? The answer I got from VAX astounded me: "The product is not designed to be used at an angle because the heating element is in the base." VAX didn't need to explain the technicalities, since I understood immediately: you lose steam power when you tilt the steamer and end up with a mixture of steam and gurgling water (and sodden chair pads!)

Amazon's photos show the steamer being used at an angle and Amazon's description states "1 × Matress (sic) / Upholstery tool". By contrast, VAX told me: "the machine is not designed to do this", despite VAX's User Guide, on page 5, containing a drawing of the steamer being used at an angle of 45 degrees to clean the arm of a sofa!

When I pointed out to VAX that the Mattress / Upholstery tool, when attached to the steamer, sits at an angle of 45 degrees, thereby making it impossible to steam the bottom of a chair without tilting the steamer itself 45 degrees, they still advised that the steamer is not designed to be tilted: "it must be held straight". (It also strikes me that if I wanted to steam-clean a dress hanging up, I'd need to tilt the steamer 45 degrees backwards with the same loss of steam.)

The lady I spoke with spoke with her manager and she certainly understood my point - she advised me to return the steamer to Amazon for a refund. I'll be taking her advice.

If Amazon read this and want the call reference, if they email me I'll send it to them. VAX have taped the call and I'm happy for Amazon to have the details. In any case, if what VAX told me is true then Amazon should change their product description.

I rather like VAX as a company and am looking forward to the arrival, from Amazon, of a VAX floor steamer. Please read this review in conjunction with all the very positive ones. I had hoped that VAX would have suggested I seek a replacement from Amazon - but, no, VAX state that the steamer is designed to be used straight, not angled - in which case VAX's inclusion of a Mattress / Upholstery tool is pointless.