Keeping on top of daily and weekly cleaning duties can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t have enough time during the workweek to take care of all the various tasks we associate with it.
The results can vary from a small dust build-up to years’ worth of grease in your oven, depending on how much you’ve let the maintenance of your home go. One of the most effective solution at tackling many kinds of stains and cleaning projects can be found with a turn of the tap.
Water is nature’s most versatile solvent, but on its own it might not be up to the task.
This is why we’ve seen an influx of steam cleaners over the past few decades that turn this precious resource into a highly effective cleaning agent which is perfectly safe and environmentally friendly to boot.
Today’s models can do anything from keeping your hardwood floors in shape to cleaning your mattresses. How do they manage to accomplish that though?
Generating steam
The basic principle is very simple actually. Every steam cleaner regardless of make has a boiler that heats up water poured into it to its boiling point. Then the water is released through a pressurised nozzle into the environment, cleaning anything it comes into contact with.
Depending on the type of machine there are different other tanks available. Most models intended for home or commercial use come with a separate refillable water tank which doesn’t need to withstand pressure and which you can pour additional water into while cleaning.
Industrial grade models also have automated filling options and can be connected directly to a water main.
Apart from water tanks, some cleaners have an additional smaller tank for cleaning solutions. Even though steam itself should be more than enough for most jobs, it doesn’t hurt to have a cleaning solution handy for cleaning tougher stains or freshening up your home.
Using it effectively
Steam cleaners can be separated into a few broad categories based on their size and functionality. The largest ones look very much like vacuums and have large tanks. Often times they can act as vacuum cleaners as well. Then there are the more portable models that can double as mops, hence the name steam mop.
They’re practical since you can use them to reach harder to reach places and their light weight makes them easy to transport. The smallest variety is the handheld steam cleaner.
These are perfect when you need to clean ovens, curtains, upholstery and other surfaces not suited for the mop variety, although with some steam mops you can detach the handle and are left with a handheld device.
Different cleaners come with different accessories. They generally come with an assortment of brushes, squeegees and wipes for glass surfaces, and even plungers that can unclog sinks and toilets.
All that’s left for you to do is to pick out a model that suits your needs and freshen up your entire home with this handy, versatile device.