Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I purchased the Oreck because it had less bad reviews than any of the other models listed. Unfortunately, I got one of the lemons that are in the 1 star reviews. I had it for just over a month and abolutely fell in love with it. Then it quit producing steam--what a bummer! I contacted Amazon, and they were willing to take it back despite it being over their 30 day return policy. I opted to contact Oreck as I figured going through Amazon would be the round-about way. Oreck was nothing but pleasant and accomodating. They promptly sent out a UPS shipping label. I sent the defective model out and didn't expect to see a replacement for at least a month. It was literally less than 2 weeks when I received a totally new one. What a pleasant surprise! I assumed they would just repair my old one! A word of advice for all Oreck users and potential buyers: Oreck customer service asked if I used distilled water in it. I hadn't. Nowhere in their instructions does it say to use distilled water (I checked). You can be certain that I now use distilled water in my new one! And I wish they would update their instructions and add that little tidbit. This shouldn't be a deal breaker for anyone because distilled water is so cheap and unless you have a huge house with lots of tile, you shouldn't need more than a cup or two of water each time you use it. It is also is much easier to fill the receptacle with a gallon jug of water rather than holding it under your faucet. Now, the good. My God, I don't know how I lived without this thing!!! We have quite a bit of tile in our home. Alot of the grout hadn't been sealed and I have spent hours with a toothbrush and harmful chemicals trying to scrub grout lines clean. And still, the dirt & grime would not budge. The first time I used the Oreck, I thought "how could this thing possibly clean my tile?" Well, I found out in a big hurry when all the dirt I had tried to scrub out with a toothbrush was now caked on the bottom of my cleaning pad! I kid you not, the pad looked like it was caked with mud. Every time I used the Oreck, my grout lines looked better and better. My grout lines are now clean and bright!!! And this is just from steam cleaning. I have yet to use the grout brush attachments. I have tried the Oreck on my windows, tub, and oven with spectacular results. I don't have a self-cleaning oven and it is old with baked on crust. My oven is looking better and better every time a clean it with the Oreck. I am hoping this Steam-It will last me. I'm diligent about using distilled water, thoroughly draining after use, and periodically cleaning the nozzle as directed. If it doesn't last, I know I can return it within one year's time with basically no hassle. I WILL NOT be without it! With three dogs, I know my floors are as clean and sanitized as possible with no harmful chemicals on their paws (or our bare feet). I wish I had an Oreck when my children were toddlers crawling around on the floors. Who knows what I unknowingly exposed them to with cleaning chemicals. BOTTOM LINE: This is a wonderful product, it will keep your floors pristine without exposing your family and canines/felines to harmful chemicals. The fact that it has clips so you can use your own towels and rags instead of buying specialty microcloths is nice. Customer service was outstanding. I am hoping this model will last. And even if it dies after 1 year and 1 day, I will DEFINITELY buy another one.