Review: Karcher FC5 Hard Floor Cleaner - Is It Any Good?

Earlier this month I was sent the Karcher FC5 Hard Floor cleaner to review.  I've used it for a couple of weeks to give it a good try out and now want to share with you my thoughts.



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.

Valuing being home

This is how I now feel. I can jump for joy at accepting I'm supposed to be at home right now

I love having some time to myself during the week when the kids are at school. I never realised before how little time I had to think, life was so busy that I dashed from one thing to the next and never allowed myself the freedom to ponder, to imagine and to create new possibilities. I just accepted the first thought that popped into my head and went with it, but not anymore. Now I question myself and explore all possibilities and often come to completely new conclusions. It really is a revelation to me.

Over the last year I have been having a guilt battle in my own head. On the one hand I know how busy I am and I know that I don't sit around and watch daytime telly, I'm not a lazy kind of woman. Then on the other hand I question the value there is in what I currently do. Surely when I worked outside the home I was creating more value? Adding more money to our household account? being a better example to our kids?  But no to all of those things.

Today I was able to go for an open morning at the secondary school that JJ wants to attend, this week I can do both school drops and collects for mine and a friends kids as she is recovering from an operation, today I sat for over an hour at the table with the girls and we did maths homework and we laughed and they learnt. Also today I cooked a really tasty meal from scratch and it was ready for 5.30pm when dh got home from work so he could eat quickly and head straight out to lead cubs.

There is value in what I'm doing and I need to believe it and embrace it. If I want to sit down and read my book or watch TV for an hour then I should do it without any guilt. When did I ever feel guilty taking a lunch break at work? Never, I felt like I earned it. But I earn a break here too, the washing is up to date, the ironing done, the shopping put away, the dinner cooked and the dishes washed, the floor swept and hoovered, the beds changed and all those little things like remembering birthdays and booking holidays, yes I do those and keep this household running smoothly.

I also earn money, nowhere near what I used to earn but nowadays I can read each day with Miss E and help her with her struggles. I can chat to Miss M when she tells me the woes from her day at school and I can have a cuppa with JJ and laugh at his crazy jokes. How important is it that I connect with these little people every day?  Beyond important, it is imperative.

I enjoy my new way of life, I've got into a good rhythm and what might seem mundane to some is enjoyable and relaxing for me. When dh says to me on an evening what are you doing tomorrow, I need to hold my head high and believe I'm doing something important that adds value to our lives.

I'm making our home.

I'm nurturing our kids.

I'm stretching my artistic talent.

I'm writing to change the world.

I'm spending time with God and

I'm learning who Michelle is and what really means something to her.


This journey of discovery is good, not without its scary bits and you have to be willing to face some fears but I'd definitely recommend it.

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Things I have learnt this week...

It has been a good week, you know one of those satisfying weeks where lots has been done but I have also had loads of great time with my kids and work was full on but satisfying.  A blissful week really!

So what was different about this week? A bit of a double whammy really - my boys have been away this week, for the whole week and this has happened before, a few times in fact but this it the first time that things have continued as normal at home whilst they have been away.  I have been at work, the girls at nursery and Nanny has not been to stay with us.  You see, this is what normally happens when the boys go away.  Mum and I take it as an opportunity to have some girl time, I book the time off work and we have our own holiday at home but we are off on our real holidays in a couple of weeks and my work is full on at the moment, so I decided this time I ought to be grown up and see if I can single handidly parent a couple of pesky twinnies for a week!

I survived and so did they and in the process here are some of the things I have learnt this week -

• A house is far easier to look after with just 3 people in it, even if one of those 3 is the biggest mess maker of all. I suppose when I only have to have enough emotional energy and patience for 2 kids rather than 3 I can be more 'on form' and able to engage the kids in all sorts to help me clean and sort things
• My house is quiet without my vivacious boy, I did not realise how much I had missed him until I set eyes on him again
• and better than that, as soon as he saw me he gave me a big hug and a kiss, told me he had missed me and he had bought me a gift from his own pennies (we must be bringing them up all right!)
• I can do it, I can look after my kids on my own and not fall over! In fact better than that, without burning myself out I can do loads of activities with the girls and have some fun times out with them all as part of a normal week
• That it is worth feeling fat and getting in my swimming cossie even when all the other Mums are not, because I had the best fun having an hour in the water with my little girls.  Their squels of delight as I threw them up in the air and dipped them back in the water were reward in themselves.
• That I like life in the summer holidays, no school walks, no after school clubs or kids for tea and no picking dh up from the station, it all makes such a difference
• That running a very busy training course can be completely satisfying, I do hope next Monday and Tuesday feel the same, wish me luck with the 90 people I will train on those 2 days, arrggh

I'm loving this picture!  My boy on camp blowing his trumpet!

But my biggest learning by far has been that I need to do more to please myself and make sure I get some rest and relaxation when dh and JJ are home.  I am not intrinsically a selfish person, it is not my nature to just take care of myself so next time I feel I should have a rest or read a book for 1/2 an hour I must listen, take note and then act on it.  For some strange reason I always have the feeling I should be constantly busy and that I should explain myself to dh if I am not.  This is a bit crazy as he is not the kind of guy to question what I do and I certainly do not think he would ever accuse me of letting the house or the kids go. 

I have felt so free and happy just answering to myself this week and I need to make sure this continues.  If I am too knackered to cook a full meal, then so be it.  I do not need to answer to dh, he does not demand or expect it, so I do not know why I feel a crazy internal pressure to perform and do it.  I actually think that if I am more relaxed and focused in the moment, rather than planing and living life at break-neck speed we will be happier and more fulfilled as a couple and as a family.  If I show some vulnerability and ask him to help and cook the meal he may even appreciate being needed, don't you think?


How about you, are you good at looking after yourself?

Reasons to be Cheerful 1,2,3 - Week 14

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Good evening all. I hope you are feeling cheerful this week.  If where you live has been anything like here then how can this beautiful sunshine fail to make you feel just a little brighter?

Lets dive straight in....  this weeks reasons to be cheerful are -

1. Work.  I had to make 2 big presentations this week in my new job and they went well. I received comments and emails from senior people about how well I did, so that is super!
2. I am a guest blogger today! Posting over on Maternity Matters.  Have you visited this site yet?  It has been set up by @Susurem and @Jaynecrammond as a resource for mothers who have experienced birth trauma, it is fully inclusive and will offer guest posts around all parenting topics. Today I have a 2 part post over there about what it means to be a Christian parent in a secular world.  If you fancy going over and sharing some comment love I'd really appreciate that.
3. I got loads of housework done today and I did not even mind doing it.  The girls helped me make beds, empty bins, dust etc and they think it is fab - long may that last!  I am trying to get things all organised at home ready for next week, because...
4. We are going to Spring Harvest!  This is a massive Christian festival held at Butlins and it is the highlight of my year, we have such an amazing time.  I pray to feel completely relaxed by the time I return home, I normally do.  I will be taking my laptop with me so I can plan the future program for creche.  I only plan to go on-line every other day for a maximum of an hour, so expect posts/ tweets etc to be much more sparse than normal and guess what else?  My lovely brother asked if could use the house while we are away and I said only if he fits some new lights for us!  So when we return things will be looking all glam in the living room!

What about you, what has brightened your week this week?

Last week I asked if you wanted to see any changes to R2BC and the overwhelming response was no, you like it just the way it is.  So I will change nada!

Another question for you, please let me know...

I have been struggling to get to every post and comment every week.  It really is my desire to do that but you know what things are like... life and kids get in the way!  What I wondered was if you expect me (as the host) to comment on each post you link up?  I realise it is polite and nice etiquette but of course I also know that some hosts don't and that's not an issue to me but I wondered if it was an issue to you?

It was suggested to me today that what I could do was RT your tweet, perhaps with a comment added about your post as a thank you for joining in.  Of course this is good for you too, as RT's from those with a fairly good Klout score, helps your own Klout score.  It means you would have to remember to use the #R2BC hashtag so I can find your tweets though.

So how does that sound, some weeks I'll comment on the blog and others I'll RT posts.  Would you be happy with that?

Do be honest with me, you know you can be.

Have a great week, Mich xx

'You Iron on a Saturday Evening?', Review & Giveaway

I often get strange looks when I tell people that I like to iron.  I have started to whisper it now as I realise that it makes me a bit of a leper amongst the group of mums who like to boast about how they never iron anything.  'I only buy clothes you can put in the tumble dryer and then shake out' I hear them say.  Well like I always say, each to their own.....  personally mine never shake out well enough for a perfectionist like me.

Give me a Saturday night of good cheesy TV, preferably X Factor, Casualty and maybe a stand up comedy show and I am a happy girl.  I can easily stand and iron for a couple of hours in front of the TV. Ironing is something I have grown up with, my Mum does not like it too much so it was something I did to earn my pocket money and help out at home.  I love the satisfaction of watching the ironing basket shrink and knowing that anything we want to wear is in the cupboard. As I have got older and busier the things that I iron have diminished, we do get into bed with creased sheets and the tea towels remain crinkled but that matters not to me.  It does matter to me that when my family leave our house we take pride in our appearance and look good in our well ironed clothes.

Shall I show you what a sense of satisfaction looks like to me?  There we go, 20 minutes of ironing mid week to keep the basket down!  Note they are all children's clothes, they seem to be wear double what dh and I do!

When Morphy Richards approached me and asked if I would like to trial and review one of their irons I said of course, I am more than happy to.  I was sent the latest Comfigrip iron which retails for £79.99.  This iron is full of features, all the usual ones you would expect like extra long cord, self clean, water spray and shot of steam. My favourite feature being the trizone (ceramic) plate which means that the iron glides like on silk on all fabrics, it was a beautiful smooth iron to use.  The extra large water tank and filling hole was also a little extra that made a difference to me. No fiddling around, this is well thought out and easy to use. I think any accomplished ironer would agree that constant steam is a must to get a good precise finish and this iron is great as you can adjust the levels and there is even an eco option so you can save up to 23% energy.

My one qualm with this iron is that it is heavier than ones I am used to and for me it became more uncomfortable to iron after long periods of time. So I would say this iron is perfect for someone who either does not have a lot to iron but wants a professional finish or who irons small amounts on a regular basis rather than someone like me who does a mass iron for a  good couple of hours. On the whole this is a very good iron and I am happy to recommend it, the results from using it are excellent. Lastly, just one more feature that I should mention is the auto-standby, I can imagine this would be fabulous for those with a younger baby who may just demand their attention right now while they are ironing,  You can literally run off and feel happy that the iron will shut off after 1 minute inactive face down and 8 minutes inactive in its upright position.

Here is the iron, pretty stylish right?  Or can you not get as excited about an iron as I can?

So what about you?  Do you like ironing?  Go on, you can admit it here.  This  is a safe place, all us people who actually like to clean and launder can come out the closet and celebrate being just a little bit house proud together. Talking of being house proud, why don't you take a look at the Morphy Richards site Home of the House Proud.  It is full of wonderful inspiration for cleaning, ironing, cooking and other domestic tasks.  At the moment you can enter a fun competition to be crowned the World Ironing Champion, winning a gold iron and £500. Take a look, there are three different categories you can enter, more information here.

Giveaway

Now is the chance for one of you to win the very iron that I road-tested.  So this is an iron that has been used about 5 times and is in perfect as-new condition.  I will send the iron from here at my own expense.

To enter -

• You need to leave a comment on here with a way I can contact you if you are the lucky winner (email or twitter ID)
• For an extra entry you can tweet '#win a superb iron in @michelletwinmum's #giveaway http://bit.ly/g5nTpq'

Terms and Conditions -

• The giveaway closes at noon on 11 April 2011
• The winner will be contacted within 3 days of the giveaway closing
• The prize is not transferable and there is no cash alternative
• The prize will only be posted to a UK address due to the cost of postage
• You have read and accept that this is a road-tested iron that has been used 5 times

Congratulations to Helen at Casa Costello.  You are the lucky winner, please email or DM me your address and I will post the iron out to you.


This is a  review post.  I was sent the iron for the purposes of this review.  My words and opinions are my own and I was not instructed what to write.