
What the experts say

9 /10
Real Homes found the FC5 is a good hard floor cleaner for giving floors a deep clean, although it wasn’t great at picking up larger debris so you may need to vacuum first. It is slim enough that storage isn’t a problem and by using only a small amount of water floors dry fast. Drawbacks included the fact the cleaner can’t stand up by itself and it also pulls itself forward quite strongly when in use so may not be suitable for frail users.

8 /10
Trusted Reviews found the FC5 to be a capable hard floor cleaner although it did take quite a lot of man-handling to get it to clean in the right places. Performance was good, doing a great job of cleaning off dried mud and leaving a streak-free finish with its polishing action. Another drawback was a relatively small wastewater tank so did need frequent emptying.

8 /10
Geek Culture gave the FC5 a good score with cleaning performance, build quality and satisfaction being particular highlights. While it doesn’t come cheap, it was considered to big a huge step up on using a mop and bucket.
What users say
24 Mar 2021
9 /10
Pros: Cleans up to the edges. Uses clean water and lifts the dirty water to a separate tank.
Cons: I thought the tanks were a little small but they are big enough to do the job.
10 Feb 2021
9 /10
Pros: It’s motorised, so there’s absolutely no effort at all....it virtually cleans the floor by itself! Also the fact that it sits in the little stand, so it’s fully upright and secure when not in use, and therefore very easy to store.
Cons: The instructions are sadly lacking! Fortunately it’s easy enough to assemble and more or less common sense, but for the size of the booklet that comes with it, there’s very little information on how to use. The only other small thing I would say is that it doesn’t leave the floor as dry as I would have thought, but it’s a very minor detail, and could well be the way I’m using it......need a bit more practice maybe!
17 Dec 2020
2 /10
Do not buy this product
I had high hopes that this would be the answer to be able to easily clean my floors. However, I regret ever buying this product. As previous customers have said it very soon stops working as the cleaning fluid does not reach the rollers. I have returned it to the manufacturer to be mended and it was returned without any comment on what was done and it still did not work. Somehow I hope that it will work and try it again but always resort to a mop. It is now a large machine that takes space in my utility room. I have no confidence that if I return it again, and especially at the high cost requested for repair , that it shall work again. Always keep the box for return as they will not take it without the box and then they return it to you without the original box so there are problems if you return more than once.
05 Nov 2020
9 /10
Pros: Actually washes the floor rather than just move the dirt around like other mops.Like how it can pick particles of dirt up at the same time.
Cons: I would like a handle in the middle for easier lifting, like hoovers have.
02 Nov 2020
9 /10
Pros: Motor moves along without having to push it
Cons: Reviewer left no comment
31 Oct 2020
9 /10
Pros: Effective cleaner.Cordless makes operation easier
Cons: Its a bit of a pain having to move base unit each time I use machine.It is awkward to store, due to positioning of charging socket on machineDoes not improve dirty grouting
6 /10
Very disappointed with this machine
Bought this in October 2019 and it broke down within a few months. John Lewis replaced it under warranty with no quibble. Cleans the floors ok except at the edges, if you touch the skirting board or furniture, the motor screams at you so I have to do the edges with a mop. It is very noisy. The only advantage with this machine is that it is cordless.
8 /10
Lovely shine
I was really looking forward to using the hard floor cleaner, we have a large 3 bed house complete with hard floor throughout. It works fantastic on really flat surfaces, however , our tiles in the hall and kitchen are cushioned so it does clean the grout in some places, it would be great if the rollers came in longer bristled brushes too. Leaves a nice shine Quite heavy Needs lots if filling and emptying And you have to keep upright so you cant do under even high furniture.
10 /10
The Very Best Hard Floor Cleaner
We have tried various floor cleaners, manual (sponges etc) and appliances (steam cleaners etc) without any real success. The Karcher FC5 Hard Floor Cleaner is absolutely fabulous, it is such a well engineered product. It is easy to use not too heavy and leaves our floors (tiles and laminate) clean and almost dry. We would strongly recommend it to anyone considering a hard floor cleaner. Argos had a very good offer on and a convenient location.
4 /10
Karcher cleaner not for me
Karcher cleaner is far to heavy i have fibromyalgia and wish i had bought the lighter version Also cleaning the roller after every use is a pain and drying them so they dont smell next time i use it! The karcher cleaner is only suitable for big houses with plenty floor space not for a average 3 bedroom house.
8 /10
Effortless floor cleaning
This is a great machine. I used to find mopping floors so exhausting and back-breaking. This makes floor cleaning so easy and effortless, I definitely clean my hard floors more frequently now. Also, because it doesn’t soak the floor, it dries really quickly. I wouldn’t agree that you don’t need to vacuum first: it picks up light dust, but not hair or larger visible debris.
2 /10
Avoid at all costs!!
Has been returned 4 times now after various faults and takes several weeks each time to be returned only to fail again after a couple of uses. Now waiting for a new replacement as they will not provide a refund. I don't expect much better from the new one.
10 /10
Fantastic floor cleaner
This floor cleaner is fantastic. I have used it on my laminate floors, tiled floors and lino and they are all now spotlessly clean after very little effort on my part. I’ve spent the past 25 years searching for the best labour saving device to clean floors. My search is finally over. Buy one you won’t be disappointed.
10 /10
This is brilliant ease of use any man can use this
This is fantastic one of the best things I’ve ever used to clean my tiled floor no streeks just simplicity it’s self , if I can use it any one can.