Steam Cleaner: Can It Really Clean Your Home or Is It Just All Hot Air?

by: Oliver Bugarin, Makati City, Philippines

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Many people today now own steam cleaners because of the promising benefits that it can give to its users. However, are steam cleaners really that effective in cleaning or is it all just hot air? First of all, you may want to know about how the different types of steam cleaners work in order for you to truly understand if this machine can definitely deliver what it promises.

Basically, steam cleaners are surface cleaning machines that promises to remove deeply embedded dirt and other contaminants and kill mold, fungus, and even bacteria that most cleaning machines tend to overlook. Steam cleaners have built-in boilers that heat the water inside to produce steam. The steam will be sprayed on to the carpet and other surfaces in order to loosen dirt and even stain.

Some steam cleaners work with prepared cleaning chemical agents to remove stain while other types of steam cleaners just uses steam and rotating brushes to do all the cleaning. When you visit your local home improvement store, you will see that steam cleaners come in different types and sizes. You will see hand held steam cleaners for spot cleaning and stain removal and you will also see large industrial steam cleaners for heavy duty cleaning. In most cases, steam cleaners will resemble your conventional vacuum cleaner.

The only difference between vacuum cleaners and steam cleaners is that vacuum cleaners only pick up the dirt that is on the top layer. Steam cleaners are able to penetrate right in to the fibers and loosen any dirt that is embedded in the fibers and vacuum the soiled water back in to the cleaner which can be discarded after use.

You will see that vacuuming after steam cleaning your carpet is a very efficient way to clean your carpet as the fibers will be loosened through steam cleaning.

The great thing about steam cleaners is that you will be able to use it on almost any type of surfaces. You can use it on carpets, most floors, upholstery, outdoor decks, furniture, bathroom tiles, and even on cement and kitchen tiles. Steam cleaners are perfect for cleaning damp areas in your home, such as your basement where mold and fungi are likely to thrive.

Most conventional steam cleaners use hot and not boiling water to produce steam. And, you may need to wait several hours in order for the cleaned surface to completely dry out. Although this type of machine is effective in removing dirt, grime, mold, and kill parasites, it can prove to be quite inconvenient as you will need to wait for the lengthy drying time.

Also, most of the conventional steam cleaners use chemical based cleaners along with the steam and heated water.

If you really want a real steam cleaner, then you will want to get a vapor steam cleaner. This uses superheated water which will create dry steam. The temperature of the steam in vapor steam cleaner may reach 500 degrees Fahrenheit which is definitely very hot. Also, the steam is delivered at a high pressure. Usually, it will be able to deliver steam at 60psi.

Vapor steam cleaners are very efficient when it comes to cleaning. Because it uses dry steam, it won't leave the surfaces you cleaned damp. This means that you don’t have to wait for a lengthy drying time after you clean it with this type of steam cleaner.

To answer your question, steam cleaners are very effective cleaning machines. It won't just thoroughly clean any surfaces it comes in contact with, but it will also disinfect or sanitize it. These are the facts about steam cleaners. It is a very efficient cleaning machine that you will definitely want to have in your home.

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