Most of them I've put into my video review, which you can see above but for those of you who don't like videos then here is the low-down.
What is the Karcher FC5?
The Karcher FC5 Hard Floor cleaner vacuums and mops all in one action, so you can save time by only having to go over your floor area once. It is suitable for all sorts of hard floors such as laminate, lino, marble, tile, stone and sealed wood and it picks up light debris, pet hairs and controls the water to mop the floor without it becoming too wet. I was very impressed that after cleaning the floor with the FC5 the floor was dry within a couple of minutes, even in cooler weather. This is a big plus point.
The RRP of the FC5 is £249.99 with a two year guarantee, but when shopping around I found it quite a bit cheaper and with some good deals out there, so make sure you have a web search. The weight of the FC5 is 4.6kg and personally I found it fairly heavy to use after a while but I do have early-onset arthritis in my elbows so this could be why. It isn't free standing and you get a 'cleaning and storage station' with it. I tend to call it a docking station or mounting station as basically, it is where you place the FC5 when you are not using it to clean. It's just a sturdy black plastic tray, but it does the job well and holds the FC5 secure and upright.
How does it clean?
You have two micro-fibre rollers on the bottom and the machine uses smartroller technology to spin them at 500rpm, which almost propels the machine across the floor, meaning you need only the slightest touch to make ti go forward. One of my 11 year olds commented that it almost took her away across the floor! I think the idea is to make the movement easy but personally I didn't like it feeling like it would move on its own. The rollers are good as they come off and on very easily, and you can wash them with the self-clean facility in the docking station, under a running tap or in the washing machine at up to 60 degrees.
Is it easy to use?
I found the FC5 very simple to put together, you literally click the handle in, so it took moments. In terms of getting ready to use it, I thought the pictorial instructions at the front of the (very chunky) Karcher manual were a bit hit and miss. Some I understood and others not so much, so I watched the video on the Karcher web page and then it was all clear. The clean and dirty water tanks both go in and out easily, as long as you have two hands to use, I found it tricky while filming but lets be honest who normally does that?
Is it effective?
When I was cleaning, the FC5 went right up to the edges of the skirting boards and could go under the cupboards, its also hinged, so it can swivel at the cleaning head to help you reach the corners. I did find that it picked debris up right to the edge and mopped but it found it hard to get bits that were ingrained, like some coffee grinds on my floor.
If you use the FC5 regularly and don't let your dirt get too worn in then I think it is an effective cleaner and as I said before it great that it vacuums and mops at the same time, thus saving you time each day.
You can take a look at the reviews on Amazon (it has a rating of 4.1 out of 5 from 248 reviewers) and also John Lewis (where it has 4.3/ 5 from 245 reviewers). Trusted Reviews also produced a good and through review of the FC5, awarding it 8/10 overall.
Conclusion
The FC5 Hard Floor cleaner is a fabulous idea and it certainly saves time by vacuuming and mopping simultaneously. It's also wonderful that it leaves the floor dry within a couple of minutes of finishing. It's not difficult to use, and it reaches into the corners. However, I find it heavy and prefer my brush and then steam cleaner. So I'll be passing the FC5 on to my Dad who has a lot more hard floors than I do and won't find the weight an issue.
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Disclosure: I was sent the Karcher FC5 Hard Floor Cleaner free of charge for the purpose of this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.
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