I had mentioned in this thread (http://www.detailingbliss.com/forum/f39/just-bought-gaia-vapour-clean-3082.html) that I had purchased a Vapor Clean Gaia model steam cleaner and extractor. I finally got it home late last night and took the instructions to work today and read the booklet straight through. I filled it with water and turned it on. I had no idea how long it would take to heat up but I had completely filled it. It took 10 minutes which I didn't think was too bad. First I sprayed kitchen chair with Folex that was badly stained thanks to the kids. I did not remove the Folex and let it soak while the machine heated up. Then I cleaned the chair. It seemed to clean it very well..not quite 100%..there was a purple stain (maybe grape juice) that had been there for a long time..it got about 90% of it out. It got the chair wetter than I thought it would, but the instructions said to use full steam pressure on upholstery..when I do cars, I think I may use the low setting and see how it goes. You can alter the setting of the steam as well as the vacuum...I had both on high as per instructions. Next up I did a section of grout. Our house is 8 years old and the grout has only ever been done before by my poor wife on her hands and knees with a toothbrush and bleach. I was BLOWN AWAY by how quickly and effectively it cleaned the grout. This is one tool where I think I am going to dream up lots of uses for. Here are some before and after pics of the chair (it's still damp in the afters) as well as the grout. Bottom line..Especially for the house, this is a must have! My only gripe so far is small: There is no clips to wrap the cord around (which is fairly long). Their website offers free shipping(Steam cleaner, steam cleaners, steam cleaning, steam vapor cleaners). I bought mine off ebay and saved about $70 or so. Be careful if you buy off ebay though, I was watching a few who actually paid MORE than they would have from the site b/c of the shipping charges.Vapor Clean Gaia - Steam Cleaner with Vacuum - eBay (item 230243058423 end time Apr-19-08 19:09:34 PDT) BEFORE PICS (CHAIR): AFTER PICS (CHAIR): BEFORE PIC OF GROUT: AFTER PIC OF GROUT: PICS OF MACHINE AND ACCESSORY BAG:
Good revie there richy, both the chair and the tiles look great. Looks like the machine worked like a charm. Thank you for taking the time to do this review eace:
Thanks for the review Richy, I think I might need to upgrade to one of these in the near future. :thumb:
Carlos..thank you..it was my pleasure to do it. In fact, it was the first review I have done...constructive criticism required!! Thanks Mike..I knew there were several people on here who were interested in seeing the review.
Very nice review Richy! I am happy for you! It looks like it did an outstanding job on that chair! I looked at the link with all the attachments, thanks. I have a few follow-up questions. Is there one or several attachments that you think will be great for detailing? Was it easy to clean the area where the dirty water is stored? Since you have had it for several days now..... what else did you use it on and how did it do? Thanks again for the information. Keep us updated please. :thumb:
Thanks Tonya..There is a narrow brush that is similar to what comes with regular vacuums that looks like it'll be good for the vents, crevices, etc. I may look into seeing if there's an attachment that is even more narrow than what comes with it. I got the optional accessories kit, so I'm not sure what else will fit it. As far as the dirty water goes, just dump it in the toilet or sink. One thing I observed about it though, compared to a vacuum style carpet cleaner that I've had for years, there is MUCH LESS dirty water volume. I think it has to do with steam cleaning it rather than water...much less is used. The other thing I used it on was our area rug where the kids play on. It had a ketchup stain that got about 90% removed ( I had wished it would have removed it all) and the rug came out so clean it's hard to describe. I walked on it with bare feet and it just felt so soft. It really felt brand new. This is a machine that's going to see a lot of service, both household and automotive. If you are considering one, watch ebay; the company seems to be posting their inventory on there, one by one with different models..there are some deals to be had if you factor in the shipping costs.
Tonya..I found a 3" extension tube for the steam end that you can attach a little brush to if you wish...that'll be perfect for the nooks and crannies of an interior. I had to look more closely at what I had received.
Oh good, lately I've been a bit tied up with work and not as much time to be on the forum but the forum has been bombarded with spam :shakehead: :shakehead: I'm already looking at once again upgrading security here :computer: there were over 100 members that were spam bots :shakehead: Any who if you see any speam please report it, I along with Calgarydetail and Sneek get the e-mail and we will deal with it ASAP!
richy, I'm thinking of gettin the Gaia. After having it for a few months, what do you think of it? Does it still work like new? Are you still using it? How well does the vacuum work? If you are using the vacuum at the same time as the steamer, do both the steamer and the vac run full power?
Hey Johnny..In fact I used it again yesterday. My opinion of it after using it for months is this: it's great for a lot of things, but not everything. My main disappointment is getting out stains. Steaming followed up by blotting with a white terry cloth doesn't remove everything nor does the steam/vac combo. Having said that, it does clean the carpeting in a different way than an extractor does. It's hard to describe the physical feeling of how soft it makes the carpet. For nasty stains, you still need chemicals and an extractor. I have followed Carlos' videos with interest about his uses of it..he has been more creative than me with it, that's for sure. I want to use a process that does a great job quickly..that's why I won't use it on wheels, etc. For me, its uses in a car are limited to interior surfaces and the carpeting (after stain removal done 1st). If I did engines (most of my customers don't want it done) than I may use it there too. For its uses around the house, this is where you will have no problem convincing your wife that you both need it. While using an extractor on my daughter's stained carpet, I steamed the toilet bowl (just under where you get that nasty stain) and the seat with great, great results. I am still blown away by what it will do to grout!! The other use it regularly gets is to clean my fish tank filter. It gets pretty slimy and I don't like to use chemicals on it. The steamer does an amazing job on it quickly. BTW..another product I can't live without and anyone with an infant should not either, is this product called the Lotus sanitizer. It converts regular tap water to oxygenated water that you can use in a spray bottle or in a large bowl to clean your produce(no more e-coli scares). It is an official santizer which means it kills 99.9% of germs, bacteria, etc on any surface...WITHOUT CHEMICALS. This invention was Time Magazine's invention of the year for 2006. AND it was invented by a Canadian..boy, we rock!! Between the steamer and the Lotus, your chemical cleaning will become a small fraction of what it used to be. Here's the link: (I have no affiliation to them, I'm just a big fan!) lotus Systems for Water Purification, Food Sanitization and Home Cleaning without Chemicals Sorry to blab for so long..hopefully I actually answered your question!! And yes, lots of power to run both steam and vacuum. The vacuum output is adjustable; my shop vac is a little stronger, but I've got a good one. Bottom line, I wouldn't be without either one.
