Steam cleaners…the most common mistake. 

Most people think of a steam cleaner as either a fancy vacuum cleaner or carpet cleaner. This mistake could stop you from cleaning with one of the best cleaning and disinfecting tools you can use in your home or your business.

Although you can buy a steam cleaner that is also a vacuum cleaner that is not the best use of cleaners. Likewise, even though steam cleaners are excellent for disinfecting and sanitizing carpets a true steam cleaner is not meant to clean a carpet. You can buy a steam carpet cleaner that injects steam or hot water into your carpet along with a chemical-based cleaner to clean your carpet.  After injecting the steam/hot water with chemicals into your carpet a carpet cleaner will virtually vacuum away the dirt that is dislodged from your carpet by the combination of steam/hot water and the chemical-based cleaner. This is a good way to clean your carpets if you do not mind leaving behind a chemical residue along with allergens, dust mites, flea larvae, mold and mildew.

Steam cleaners are much different than either a vacuum cleaner or a carpet steam cleaner.  They clean and disinfect in an entirely different way…they use high temperature (220° F and above) dry steam vapor. When the dry steam vapor comes into contact with the surface being cleaned and sanitized it not only thoroughly cleans this surface it also disinfects and sanitizes it.  Furthermore, the dry steam vapor penetrates cracks and crevices common chemical-based cleaners cannot. This insures that all germs, bacteria, allergens, mold and mildew on the treated surface are eliminated.

The obvious uses for steam cleaners are in your kitchen or bathroom where you can clean all hard surfaces like floors, counter tops and appliances. In addition, steam cleaners are great for cleaning grout, cook tops, ovens and cabinets. One of the first things you will notice when you use a steam cleaner in your kitchen or bathroom is that there is no longer any chemical residue on the surfaces you clean. With chemical-based cleaners you will always notice the chemical residue that is left behind after cleaning. Not only is that chemical residue harmful it also attracts new dirt which means you have to clean more often. Cleaning more often with chemical-based cleaners also means more work and more cost for the chemical based cleaners. Also, the more you clean with chemical-based cleaners the more damage you do to the surfaces being cleaned.

Steam cleaners are not just for cleaning the obvious surfaces in your kitchen and bathrooms; they have many more excellent uses. Upholstery, carpets, draperies and mattresses should be treated on a regular basis with your steam cleaner to eliminate germs, bacteria, viruses, dust mites, allergens, mold and mildew. All of these can cause allergic reactions that can make your life and the lives of your family unpleasant.

Do you ever find your eyes tearing when you are watching television? That can be caused by common allergens that steam cleaners can eliminate. Do you get congested when you try to sleep at night? This can rob you of valuable sleep and it can be caused by common allergens that are eliminated by steam cleaners. Do you hands dry out and crack after cleaning with chemical-based cleaners? You may have an allergy to chemical-based cleaners that could be avoided by cleaning with a steam cleaner that uses only water.

Don’t think that they only uses for your steam cleaner are indoors; steam cleaners are very versatile and can be used to accomplish many of your outdoor cleaning tasks as well. Steam cleaners are great for cleaning deck or patio furniture, especially glass top tables. They are also excellent for cleaning your outdoor grill; they cut through grease and grime quite fast with a lot less effort than scrubbing the grill with a brush.

You would be amazed at how well a steam cleaner with detail your car. Clean the wheels and tires with your steam cleaner and also use it on the upholstery, carpeting and floor mats. Steam cleaners also can be used to clean many of the surfaces of your boat.

So don’t make the same mistake most people make by thinking of a steam cleaner as either a vacuum cleaner or a carpet cleaner. If you do you will never experience the amazing cleaning ability of a steam cleaner.