“It’s that simple. Reach deep and clean more with the chemical free power of steam.” … Don Aslett
Steam cleaning appliances are the hottest new technology. They allow you to easily clean and disinfect every surface in your home without the need for harsh chemicals, buckets, mops, or brooms – making them extremely environmentally friendly. With the introduction of portable hand held units and a wide variety of “smart” attachments, they have become one of the most useful tools for home deep cleaning, disinfecting and deodorizing the natural way.
Steam cleaners for home use are especially important if you need to maintain a hygienic home for your young children or if you have messy pets or are allergic to the dust mites that live in your mattresses and carpets. Use the power of steam to sanitize and deodorize your home and render it as healthy as possible – free of mold, germs, bacteria and pesky dust mites.
If you’re thinking of investing in a home steam cleaner, here are some facts to consider before you buy:
What are the benefits of steam cleaning?
- Steam uses clean water to create a pure, powerful cleaning force.
- Without the need for potentially harmful and expensive chemicals, steamers are a very easy, safe and cost effective way to clean your entire home.
- Steam leaves no toxic residue on cleaned surfaces and does not stain clothing.
- Steam kills harmful bacteria such as e-coli, listeria, and salmonella.
- Steam cleaners are not one purpose appliances, they can be used virtually anywhere for a wide variety of cleaning tasks.
How does steam clean? It’s very simple – dirt, grease and grime have sticky, gummy type qualities that make them bond onto all types of surfaces – especially in crevices, nooks, corners and cracks. The low pressure and moist heat in steam loosens dirt and grease, lifts it into the moisture, allowing you to simply wipe away the mess with a microfiber cloth. For more challenging surfaces like tile grout, brick hearths, or oven tops – most steamers include are a wide variety of specialty brushes and nozzle attachments for cleaning everywhere.
How does a Steam Cleaner work? Clean water is poured into a vessel, which uses either a boiler or “instant flash steam” heating element to boil the water to create the steam. The steam is then delivered through a hose or nozzle, which has a select cleaning tool attached for the task at hand. Steam is continually produced by the heating element until the water container is empty.
What can I steam clean? Steam cleaners are extremely versatile – with hundreds of uses for cleaning throughout the home, garden, car, utility vehicle and mobile homes on all types of surfaces including:
Bedroom/Lounge: Steam clean windows & window frames, mirrors, most curtains, drapes, blinds, flooring & carpets upholstery, hearths, painted surfaces, also great for removing pet stains from carpets and upholstery.
Kitchens: Steam clean stubborn fats and grease from cookers, oven tops and grills or barbecues, tiled floors and walls, getting rid of the “black spots” from grouting, disinfect work surfaces, fridges & freezers, defrost freezers in a fraction of the time.
Bathrooms: Steam clean around faucets and shower heads, disinfecting toilet bowls, tiled floors and walls, shower screens or curtains, removing “black spots” from grouting, porcelain or chrome
In the Garden: Steam clean outdoor plastic furniture or fiberglass, garden tools such as lawnmowers, disinfecting soil, killing weeds in patios, cleans away algae from swimming pools.
In the Car/mobile home/SUV/Boats: Steam clean fabric or vinyl seats, dashboards, storage wells, carpets.
On clothing: Use steam to remove wrinkles from clothing in seconds, Use steam to refresh the appearance of garments, steam helps remove odors from clothing, too.
Other home uses: Steam cleaning jewelry, shoes and boots, high chairs and eating surfaces
Things to consider when buying a home Steam Cleaner:
Boiler Capacity – The theory is, the greater the boiler capacity the longer the operating time. However, the longer run time of larger boiler units must be offset by the time it will take to heat up the water, which will be longer. Our Steamfast Hand Held and Multi-Purpose Canister models utilize boiler-heating technology and have extended run times – up to 45 minutes – but take 3 to 4 minutes to heat the water to steam. Units such as the Haan Slim & Light and the portable Vapamore Wet/Dry Vacuum & Steamer utilize Flash Steam technology, which allows them to be ready for use within a minute – when they run out of water, simply refill and you are ready to go again quickly. Depending on which model you buy, steam up can be less than one minute or it can take as long as 30 minutes in some machines. Check these features carefully.
Tools and attachments – The key attachments to look for are the floor cleaner, window/tile cleaner and an assortment of nozzles – usually with different brushes, scraper nozzles, and crevice style attachments. The Steamfast Multi Purpose Canister steamer has 12 such special reach attachments, mop heads and nozzles to choose from.
Mobility – When using a steam cleaner for cleaning floors, mobility is essential. You’ll want to be sure you have an extra long electrical cord for working large areas of the home from one outlet. In the case of a canister steamer, you’ll want the long cord, and of course the ability to pull the unit around the floor with ease.
Ease of use – In the past, the bulky design of hand held units prevented you from being able to clean intricate areas. Not anymore – the SteamFast Hand Held and Vapamore Steamers are sleek, lightweight, have tremendous steam power and run time, and have smart attachments that reach to steam clean almost anywhere. Hand held steamers work great for small areas and quick spot cleaning and go hand in hand with an upright or multi purpose canister steamer for cleaning larger areas such as floors, windows, walls, carpet and upholstery. We should all have one of each!
Also try to ensure that steam control is a simple press and hold button rather than any sort of pump system. A push button and lock feature is even better for long periods of steam cleaning. All of our steam cleaners have both of these features
Some systems are difficult to fill up and require a jug or funnel to get water into the boiler. All of our steamers are simple to fill and refill – every time.
Steam cleaning technology is here to stay, so make sure you purchase the right steamer for your family’s needs. At Cleaning Center, we believe we have the best in the business! If you have any questions about the steam cleaner information you’ve just read, please feel free to call one of our knowledgeable staff members at 1-800-451-2402 or e-mail at info.website@cleanreport.com.
Happy Cleaning!
