Steam cleaning records 2

Still not afraid of the lead in the Perfection's power cord. If you hang those little Christmas lights you've got the same thing. Just don't chew on the cord and wash your hands after using(which I would hope anyone would do after handling dirty records anyway). The points almost moot now since the Perfection's discontinued anyhow.
More concerning is what happened yesterday after steaming eight LPs. The Perfection steamer was just sitting on the counter and suddenly the seal on the cap seemed to just give way and steam vented all the way to the ceiling. Is this a failure of my unit or was the steamer just relieving excess pressure? This has never happened before and now I'm just wondering if this particular unit is still safe to use.

Most steamers have a pressure relief valve in the cap that allows steam to escape at a certain pressure to avoid the tank from exploding. There is a thermostat in these machines that keeps the steam up to, but not over a certain pressure/temperature. I would not take a chance with these relatively inexpensive machines. You could expose yourself to severe burns. Either your thermostat did not shut down the heating element or the relief valve opened prematurely. In either case I would replace the machine, it is not worth the potential risk.

Thanks Zen,
I have a feeling you're right. Probably not worth the chance, especially when I have two more Perfection steamers sitting unopened.

Sonofjim: I purchased a lead detection kit from The Home Depot to test power chords. The results may not be the same as yours, I now wash my hands after fiddeling with them. You should try the test yourself. Nothing to go crazy about but an eye opener.

FYI: Several years ago, I did a search of the hospitals in my area for # of persons harmed by handheld steam cleaners , there were none. I now use a instant steam unit & not a traditional water boiler, pressure in a non-issue. Cheers

I just finished testing a "SteamFast" steam cleaner from Walmart and am not impressed. It seems to lose pressure within seconds and you have to wait for it to build up again; it often sputters, and on test areas in the kitchen to see if it has any cleaning ability, it fails miserably. So, I'd like to try the Walgreens "Lifestyles" steam cleaner mentioned in this thread, but I cannot find it anywhere! it is not listed on their website, and I've tried three nearby locations and they do not stock such a thing. Can anyone give me a hint on how or where to find one? Thanks--