Kärcher FC 5 (2019) Hard Floor Cleaner

The Kärcher FC 5 Hard Floor Cleaner promises to revolutionize the way we clean hard floors, and in many ways, it delivers on that promise. With its innovative 2-in-1 design, this corded floor cleaner simultaneously vacuums up light debris and washes your floors, saving you time and effort.One of the standout features of the FC 5 is its Smart Roller technology. The two self-rotating microfiber rollers are permanently moistened with water, effectively lifting dirt and grime from your floors without the need for excessive scrubbing. The absorbed dirt is then directed into a tank, ensuring a thorough clean with minimal effort on your part.The FC 5 is remarkably versatile, capable of cleaning a wide range of hard floor surfaces, including tiles, laminate, cork, stone, linoleum, PVC, and even sealed parquet floors. The small amount of water used ensures that your floors are walkable within just two minutes of cleaning, making it a convenient option for busy households.Another noteworthy aspect is the 7-meter-long cable, which allows you to clean large areas without the need for frequent outlet changes. This, coupled with the cleaning and parking station included in the package, makes the FC 5 a user-friendly and practical choice for maintaining spotless floors.However, despite its many strengths, the FC 5 is not without its drawbacks. Some users have reported issues with the rollers becoming tangled or clogged, especially when dealing with longer hair or debris. Additionally, the water tank capacity may be insufficient for larger homes, necessitating more frequent refilling.Overall, the Kärcher FC 5 Hard Floor Cleaner is a convenient and efficient solution for those seeking a hassle-free way to keep their hard floors clean and shiny. While it may not be perfect, its innovative design and impressive performance make it a worthwhile investment for households looking to streamline their cleaning routine. With proper maintenance and realistic expectations, the FC 5 can be a valuable addition to your cleaning arsenal.

This gets up to the edges and works well as a cleaning mop, as long as the floor has been thoroughly swept or vacuumed. But it will not get into grouting and it also "trips" on the edge of ceramic tiles if you use it at certain angles. It would really benefit from having alternative rollers with brushes. It is also a pity that it only works as a mop, only getting up fine dust/grit. I also have a Bissell which is more versatile, in that it has interchangeable rollers including a brush for carpets and a roller which is half and half, which works well on tiles and grout, but unfortunately doesn't reach the edges and sometimes causes streaks. The Kaercher does do the edges, which is great. However, I do find I have to keep stopping to push the rollers back on.

This machine actually has me looking forward to cleaning the kitchen floor. I used to have to empty everything floor-standing out of the room, vacuum first, mop the floor, go and have a rest, wait hours and then put everthing back. Now I can move things to one side, use the Karcher, wait a few minutes then move stuff back and do the other half of the room. It means I clean the floor much more often, as it only takes a fraction of the time and it keeps me on top of things. It didn't suck up a stray piece of onion skin, but it picked up all the pet hair (we have a collie) and some lentils that had been spilt - except where there were deep cracks between our Edwardian terracotta floor tiles. Wondering about getting the rollers with bristles that Karcher list on their website, for getting down into the cracks for a deeper clean (until we get round to regrouting them...).Some people have commented that it's a problem that it doesn't stand up on its own, like the Bissel one does. I haven't found this an issue - you clean a big area of floor, and then put it in the stand. And when it's on the stand properly (which there's a bit of a knack to) then when you move the cleaner the stand stays on until you put your foot on it and take the cleaner out. Also, the gap between the rollers is not a problem because surely you go over the floor more than once? Both these are the design results of having a cleaner that CLEANS TO THE EDGES, which this does, and which is more important to me than having a cleaner that stands up on its own.I got the corded version, at it was a lot cheaper than the battery-operated one and I didn't see any disadvantage to it being corded (and you don't have to worry about running out of charge). It's not as if I'm going to fetch it out for a 30-second job, as you need to moisten the rollers first and clean them afterwards - which is not big deal, and the roller cleaning cycle in the stand is easy and effective, but if you're doing that you might as well clean the whole floor.I do think Karcher should have included a plastic measuring jug for the 50/200ml for moistening and roller cleaning - they're not exactly expensive and it would save the customers having to go out and buy one. Also, the user instructions could have been better - summary guide differs slightly from the main manual, and there's no mention in either about attaching the separate roller cover before putting the rollers in when you first assemble it.Overall, I put this in the same class as the Karcher window vac, for making cleaning fun enough that I actually look for more things to clean with it. (I'm not exactly the most domesticated person in the world, so this is a big deal.)So now it's just a question of waiting to see whether it's still working in 6 months' time...