Scunci SS1000 Hand-Held Steamer - 1000w

by Scunci

Product Details

• Item Weight: 10 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 11 pounds
• ASIN: B0001Y0PHI
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #345,386 in Home & Kitchen (See Top 100 in Home & Kitchen)
  • #8 in Home & Kitchen > Irons & Steamers > Travel Steam Generators

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

86 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Scunci Is Not For The Lazy, June 19, 2005

By 

Artboy714 "Chris" (Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scunci SS1000 Hand-Held Steamer - 1000w (Kitchen)

I bought this machine at Target for $60. The cost was low and I figured I would try it. I brought it home and did not use it for a week. During that time, I looked at all of the reviews here. They were either super bad or stellar. So, I wasn't really sure what to think.

From the bad reviews, I'm guessing that QVC must have been selling these at some point and must have demonstrated it poorly by using unrealistic examples of the applications of the machine. For those of you that buy into buying products that way - let me just say that those people are like used car salesmen and I wouldn't buy anything from them.

After reading the info that came with the unit, I realized that a certain amount of respect and understanding is necessary when using it. I followed the instuctions of the manufacturer. I did accidentally overfill it on one occassion when turning it off half full, forgot, and filled it again. I did notice that the machine did get hot at the handle, but wore work gloves to compensate. I found the harness that came with the floor package very helpful and did also notice that the machine seems to function better to some degree when it is held above the work you are doing. It functioned ok the other way too, but seemed to prefer being over the work.

After working on three projects with it, I realized that this machine is not a fix all for people that do not clean on a regular basis. So, if you haven't cleaned your rims in some years, do not expect results with this machine.

I worked on a storm door that had mud on it from the dog and the sliding glass door in my wife's shower as well as her tub.

The storm door was in quite a state with mud on plastic. The plastic had a texture that really took to the mud. With the Scunci, I quickly realized that it was not going to spray away months of built up, sun baked mud off without some help. 409 got all the surface dirt off the door, but the texture of the door would not let go of much of the dirt even when I soaked it and let it sit. Now the Scunci was off and running, doing a fabulous job getting the door back to a "like new" color. It looks great. It cleaned and cleaned and I got carried away with it - cleaning the stoop and more.

Off to my wife's tub, I found a situation similar to the door. Lots of soap scum, mold and such. without any other cleaning, I started with the Scunci with the same results. The machine is just not going to take the place of taking normal care in cleaning your home. I don't know what those people at QVC were selling, but I can imagine that they said stuff like it would clean the the weeds out of your yard and can power spray the drive way and stuff like that.

After cleaning the tub as it should have been done (with elbow grease), I still had stains from water and mold in the corners. The Scunci powered through it. However, it did not clean the corner mold as I thought it would have, but noticed that it was blowing the caulk out of the seems and saw that the caulk needed to be removed and redone. My bad! Other than that, the tub looks, again, "like new."

The glass on the shower was in the same condition. Using the glass attachment I saw all kinds of crud building up on it before using "elbow grease." So, same story! Cleaned it, Scunci-ed it and now it looks awesome.

I did her toilet in there too. The toilet is no less than 50 years old and has a water stained ring on it from years of use. The Scunci did not get all of the stain out and I wasn't surprised by that. It did make the tank, base, rim and seats look great, but it couldn't quite power through years of stain and that is probably going to be the way it is. I think if I didn't have the stain in there, took care of the toilet as I should, and maintained it with the Scunci, I think that would be a better situation.

I spent quite a bit of time with the machine and liked what it did for me. I would recommend it, but with the reservation that the machine needs to be respected (because it makes steam), and understood (that it is not a cure for lazy people who do not take care of their stuff). Also, it takes some time to get used to the machine as far as understanding when it is empty of water, how to hold it, timing betweening empty and full, and so on.

To the manufacturer I would ask:

You should come up with a better handle/trigger thing. It gets too hot and would be nice if I could just leave the thing running so I don't have to constantly hold the trigger down and use my other hand to hold onto something (like when I'm standing in the tub).

It should have a "fuel gauge" so dummies (like me) know when it is empty or over filled.

The little accessory bag thing needs to be a little bigger.

I really like the Scunci and recommend it to anyone who wants to take clean to a higher level. It's a great, helpful tool.

170 of 178 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Do not buy this item!!!!!!, April 7, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Scunci SS1000 Hand-Held Steamer - 1000w (Kitchen)

I just received this item and tried to use it in the bathroom. The steam not only comes out of the nozzle but also the trigger that you press down. The handle becomes so hot with the steam that you can not hold it. I put on dishwashing gloves to use this item and it was still too hot to handle.

I called Scunci to see if the item was defective they said to use it without the attachments. What good is it if you can't use it with that attachments. I listened to what they said tried it without but the steam still poured out of the trigger making it impossible to hold.

Please do not buy this product!!!!!!!

108 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Buy, April 13, 2004

By 

Regal Beagle (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scunci SS1000 Hand-Held Steamer - 1000w (Kitchen)

I tried it in the bathroom and on tennis shoes without luck. The only thing it has worked on is the grout on my tile floor. I'm considering returning the steamer.