Favorite TV advertised thing (I know, this is O.T.)

[Guest guest]

 Re: Favorite TV advertised thing (The Shark steam-cleaner machine)

 

I know this is pretty much off topic, but I thought that since there's been a

lot of posting

about growing the vegetables we eat, and some folks here are into non-chemical

growing

and also non-chemical home maintenance...And since a couple of people here got

to

posting about the " as seen on TV " gadgets (first the Salad Shooter and then the

Shark

Steam-cleaner), I thought I'd ask about this last topic.

 

I have seen these steam cleaners advertized on TV, have seen a few in specialty

catalogs

and have wondered about some aspects of their use.

 

Question 1: Can a steam cleaner be used outdoors?

 

Question 2: Is the steam burst really, really HOT?  (They say it is, which is

why it " vaporizes " on a floor or other surface and doesn't leave water damage,

even though it uses

water to make the steam.)

 

I have chemical sensitivity and use only a few (safe for me) cleaning products

in the house.

Outdoors, we absolutely do not use any " chemicals " in the yard, which makes it

bad sometimes, as WE do not own the property where we live (my DH's employer

does).  Not

only do we sometimes get flack from our neighbors for not being conventional

with " lawn treatments " , but I have a very hard time keeping up with " weed

control " by hand!  Even some " home remedies " for weed reduction are actually not

environmentally friendly--like

spraying chlorine bleach on the weeds to kill them.

 

Well, I have used boiling water, which is somewhat successful, but very slow and

time-consuming--I can only carry out a teakettle full of boiling water at a time

and there is a lot to cover.  (And it doesn't work very fast, nor is it easy to

target ONLY the offending weed plant.)

 

I know there are devices sold thru gardening supply catalogs that use (I think)

butane gas

cylinders to make a " flamer " to kill weeds.  I am scared of those--and don't

want to handle

the gas cylinder in the first place.  SO....

 

Here's my final question about the steam-shot cleaners:

 

Question # 4:  Could a steam cleaner with a concentrated (pointed) nozzle be

used outdoors to shoot a blast of very hot steam to kill weed plants?  Could one

of these be used instead of the " flamer " things or instead of the hose-pump or

squirt nozzle of the

chemicals like Round-Up to get rid of outdoor weeds?  Ever since I first saw the

steam

cleaner machines advertized, I have wondered if this could be done, and would it

be safe?

Does anyone have experience with using a steam-shot cleaner (like the Shark)

outdoors?

 

Thanks--sorry my questions are so weird!  Knowing how to deal with weeds in an

easier, non-chemical way would be a huge help to me, both with maintenance of my

" yard " and in future, when I do hope to get back to having actual vegetable and

flower gardens!

 

Blessings and peace!

--Laura B., in Illinois