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Steam Cleaner Introduction
Finding the steam cleaner that is right for you can be a bit of a headache due to all the features now available and the fact that trying to get your head around it all can be really time consuming. At Best Steam Cleaner Reviews we feel your pain! So in order to help you out we have put together this little steam cleaner introduction to make life a little easier. Click here to see our #1 pick on Amazon.com
We hope to explain the sort of things you should keep your eyes open for, things that reliable steam cleaners are capable of doing, what all the accessories are for and just how much you should expect to pay. All in all this should help you when it comes to buying the best steam cleaner to match your needs.
Top 3 our pick for Best Steam Cleaner
>> First: BISSELL 1940 Powerfresh Steam Mop
>> Second: Handheld Multi-purpose Pressurized Steam Cleaner
>> Third: KARCHER Multi-use Steam Vacuum Cleaner
We understand that some of you will already know what type of steam cleaner you are looking for, so why not skip this section and take a look at our steam cleaner reviews for an independent review of the latest steam mops, cylinder steam cleaners and hand-held steam cleaners available.
Best Steam Cleaner Reviews has taken the time to independently test numerous steam mops, handheld steam cleaners and cylinder steam cleaners to help you decide which steam cleaners to buy and which ones to stay away from!
Chemical Free Cleaning
These days multi purpose steam cleaners use steam power to rejuvenate and eliminate unattractive stains and smells from all around your home, these include wooden floors, tiles, windows, ovens, carpets, curtains, mattresses etc, without the need of chemicals (though some steam cleaners allow you to add detergent if you so wish).
So What Is A Steam Cleaning & How Does It Work?
Steam cleaners are an effective, chemical-free means of cleaning a large number of hard surfaces and upholstery by utilising water and heat that is hot enough to kill bacteria and germs. They’re also highly effective on dustmites and mold. Steam cleaners come with an internal boiler which heats water, along with a nozzle which will release the pressurised steam. You ought to be aware that this mixture of pressure and heat shouldn’t be applied to painted surfaces, soft plastic or untreated wood.
What Types of Steam Cleaner Are Available?
Steam cleaners vary from hand-held machines that will provide enough steam for approximately ten mins of continuous cleaning to larger wheel mounted containers capable of cleaning for 60 minutes or more before their containers requires refilling. Not only are the cleaning times of these machines different, these appliances also differ in how much steam pressure they create, their water temperature and the number of cleaning attachments which can be used with them. Despite the fact that higher priced models have a greater diversity of attachments, most steam cleaners provide an variety of brushes for cleaning hard surfaces. The type of accessories you can expect to find will typically be a squeegee tool for cleaning smooth surfaces, a brass brush effective at cleaning metal surfaces, and a wide nozzle with a cloth attachment for cleaning upholstery, mattresses and other fabrics.
In contrast to a conventional vacuum cleaner, steam cleaners don’t use suction. Alternatively, surfaces are sprayed in a light mist, which generally dries fairly quickly. You will find a wide range of steam cleaners available which come in a variety of sizes and shapes. However, the 3 most popular type of steam cleaners are
- Handheld Steam Cleaners
- Cylinder Steam Cleaners
- Mop Steam Cleaners
The type you decide to buy will obviously depend on what it is you are looking to clean with it.
Top 3 Types of Steam Cleaner Reviews
1. Steam Mops
Steam mops are often the starting point for customers new to the world of steam cleaning. A steam mop is an affordable steam cleaner whose usage is normally only for hard floor cleaning. The majority of people rely on them for routine kitchen and bathroom floor cleaning.
Most steam mops have a small water tank attached to the handle. This in our opinion can be both a good thing and a bad thing depending on what you are using the mop for. The water tank on these tend to be smaller than those found on the cylinder type steam cleaners. The best way to describe a steam mop is to say they look like a standard upright mop that most of us use in our homes, except they are a little bigger and look a little more futuristic (SEE PICTURE BELOW). They tend to be lightweight and easy to store, which most people see as a great benefit.
Our Rating: (4.3 / 5)
2. Handheld Steam Cleaners
Up until recently, it was a commonly held belief that hand-held steam cleaners weren’t capable of any significant steam cleaning and should be avoided. This may have been the case a number of years ago but recently we have seen newer and more effective entries into the hand-held steam cleaner niche, that actually performs a very good job of cleaning items that are situated at waist or counter top height.
Hand held steam cleaners are generally small and simple to store, therefore they are often a great option should you be just wanting to steam clean a small area. Hand-held steam cleaners are perfect for light cleaning.
Our Rating: (3.8 / 5)
3. Cylinder Steam Cleaners
Cylinder steam cleaners (also known as home steam cleaners) look very much like your average cylinder vacuum cleaner as they are made up of similar components and of a similar shape. As you have probably guessed, cylinder steam cleaners are not as easy to store as hand held steam cleaners and steam mops.
These types of steam cleaners are the most popular with our shoppers due to the fact they will perform pretty much everything you will want to do and accomplish it far better than any other kind of steam cleaner. Cylinder steam cleaners are effective at getting rid of mildew, dustmites as well as other parasites such as bed bugs. The higher priced models perform well with disinfection and numerous difficult cleaning tasks within the home.
Buyers can normally expect a much larger water container for longer cleaning times and more accessories and features, for instance a pressure gauge, steam quantity controls and a low-water light. One disadvantage in these advancements is they are bigger, heavier machines. Cylinder steam cleaners are usually a little more expensive than the other two options but may be worth the price for consumers who need a multi-purpose machine and heavy-duty cleaning power around the home.
Our Rating: (5 / 5)
Top 7 Best Steam Cleaner Reviews
We know not everyone can invest time and effort to compare different steam carpet cleaners available in the market. And that’s why we have shortlisted the best steam cleaners to help you find out what you want to know about these machines. Have a quick look at the steam cleaner reviews listed below.
1. Bissell 3624 SpotClean Professional Portable Carpet Cleaner
Bissell Inc is commonly referred to as Bissell Homecare. It was founded in 1876 as a floor care product and vacuum cleaner development company. This family owned business is headquartered in Walker, Michigan. Its product collection includes a vast range of cleaning solutions that deep cleaners that are manufactured to clean numerous surfaces, such as carpets, sofas, and floors. The Bissell SpotClean Professional Portable Carpet Cleaner is a technologically advanced cleaning unit that can remove deep-rooted dirt, grime, and stains.
Our Rating: (4.5 / 5)
- This is a lightweight carpet cleaning unit, weighing around 14 pounds.
- Its 5.7-ampere motor is able to deliver greater suction power than many other carpet cleaners.
- This ready-to-use machine doesn’t require any additional assembly.
- Rug cleaner allows you to remove stains, spots, and dirt from difficult areas, such as stairs, vehicle interiors, upholstery, and area rugs.
- It includes two brush tools. A 6-inch brush tool can be used for area rugs and stairs. A 3-inch brush tool is the perfect option for upholstery and stubborn stains.
- Dual tank system allows you to store clean water and dirt water separately.
- Large capacity tanks ensure you don’t have to refill the tanks frequently.
- A flexible 5-degree hose helps you clean hard-to-reach spaces.
- A 22-inch power cord ensures your convenience.
2. J-2000 Jiffy Garment Steamer
Since its inception in 1940, Jiffy Steamer has been providing the industry with innovative steaming products. It provides a wide variety of steaming products, including travel steamers, professional steamers, personal steamers, and the steamer accessories.
The company uses stringent quality and safety testing procedure to ensure its products’ quality. These products also hold safety and quality certifications with NOM, UL, CE, CSA, ANCE, and cUL.
The J-2000 Jiffy Garment Steamer is a great machine that you can use to get wrinkle-free clothes in just a moment’s notice. Continue reading to find out its basic features.
Our Rating: (4.5 / 5)
- The garment steamer measures 17.5 x 11.5 x 16.3 inches.
- A special plastic covering improves its durability and longevity.
- Made of durable materials, such as steel, brass, copper, and plastic.
- Includes a water reservoir with a capacity of 0.75 gallon.
- A perfect choice for light commercial and home usage.
- Steaming power of 1300 watt.
- A 5.5-foot hose ensures your convenience and comfort.
- Convenient roll casters guarantee ease of use.
- Each filling gives you the steam time of 1.5 hour.
- On/off switch gives you quick operation.
- A great option to remove wallpaper, steam table linens and bedding, and remove wrinkles in curtains and clothes.
3. Hoover F5914900 SteamVac Carpet Cleaner
The Hoover Company was founded in 1908 as a floor care manufacturing business. Its head office is located in Glenwillow, Ohio.
It develops easy to use and reliable cleaning products that can be safely used to clean anything from floor to ceiling. The Hoover Company deals in floor cleaners, vacuuming appliances, full-size canister, and deep cleaners.
The Hoover SteamVac Carpet Cleaner with Clean Surge utilizes the advanced spin scrub technology to make your carpets free of dirt, grime, and stains. Its primary features are listed below.
Our Rating: (4.2 / 5)
- The steam carpet cleaner measures 29.5 x 14.2 x 19.5 inches. It weighs around 20 pounds.
- A powerful 12-amp motor ensures you get clean carpets and floors.
- The Spin Scrub technology provides multi-directional brushes to clean carpet fibers from all possible sides.
- Three speed options, including off, low, and high, are provided for brushroll control.
- Cleaning brushes can be removed, cleaned, and rinsed easily.
- An 8-inch hose helps you reach difficult areas quickly.
- The heated drying feature speeds up drying time to give you dry carpets and floors.
- A hand tool allows you to clean congested areas easily.
- Dirty water and cleaning solutions stay separate from each other in two easy to fill tanks.
- Includes a powerful detergent.
4. Steamfast SF-370WH Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner
The first product of Steamfast was a garment steamer that was released in 1999. It offers a wide array of beneficial steam products to help you utilize the power of steam to clean your home and surroundings. Its products are not only affordable, but also offer the best features.
The Steamfast SF-370WH Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner is a powerful cleaning solution for individuals who are looking to clean their living environment naturally and efficiently. The main features of this versatile product are listed below.
Our Rating: (4.1 / 5)
- The steam cleaner measures 15.4 x 9.5 x 12 inches and weighs 8.4 pounds.
- It can be used to remove deep-rooted and tough stains, dust, dirt, and other pollutants.
- It is designed to heat ordinary water to more than 200-degree Fahrenheit.
- It comes with a useful mop attachment that can be used for all kinds of sealed floors.
- The steam cleaner provides steam duration of 45 minutes.
- It includes a large water tank with the capacity of 45 oz.
- It includes 15 beneficial accessories.
- Jet nozzle can be used to direct the steam flow from the steam nozzle.
- Corner tool is provided to help you reach difficult spaces, such as crevices and corners.
- Use the scrub tool to scrub tough scruffs from different surfaces.
5. McCulloch MC1375 Canister Steam System
McCulloch Motors Corporation offers a vast variety of garden accessories and products, such as trimmers, lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, garden tractors, chain saws, and others.
The company was founded in 1943 by Robert McCulloch. Since its inception, McCulloch has been revolutionizing the industry with its innovative and powerful machines and equipment.
The McCulloch MC1375 Canister Steam System is a multi-purpose machine that you can safely use to clean and mop any type of flooring surfaces naturally and efficiently. Its basic features are discussed below.
Our Rating: (4 / 5)
- The steam cleaner measures 15.6 x 12.1 x 10.5 inches and weighs around 10.8 pounds.
- It is the ultimate cleaning machine for almost all types of flooring surfaces, grills and furniture, and fixtures.
- It can heat ordinary water to more than 200-degree Fahrenheit.
- The steam cleaner comes with 20 useful accessories.
- A flexible steam control system allows you to receive a continuous steam flow.
- It provides steam duration of 90 minutes.
- A floor mop is attached to clean varied flooring surfaces.
- An accessory net is included to help you store useful accessories.
- It includes versatile utility brushes and scrub pads that can remove deep-rooted grime, dirt, and other pollutants.
- It is equipped with a large water tank having the capacity of 48 oz.
6. Oreck Steam-It Steam Mop, Steam100LRH
Oreck Corporation is the brainchild of David Irving Oreck, an American lecturer, entrepreneur, and business salesman. The company was established in 1963.
It manufactures and offers a vast range of cleaning products, including steam mops, air purifiers, floor machines, and vacuums. These products are widely used in both homes and hotels in the United States, Canada, and many parts of Europe.
The Oreck Steam-it All Purpose Steamwand is a versatile steam cleaning machine that can clean anything from windows to floors. Have a look at its major features.
Our Rating: (3.8 / 5)
- The steam cleaning device weighs approximately 8 pounds.
- The steam cleaner takes less than a minute to heat up.
- It can clean kitchens, bathroom fixtures, windows, and varied flooring surfaces.
- A special vapor chamber enables you to clean and sanitize above the floor without worrying about spills.
- A lightweight and slim utility tool can replace the primary mop head to clean above the floor.
- A spot brush allows you to clean grout marks on wall tiles and floors.
- A nozzle brush can direct steam flow to clean tight spots, crevices, or rims.
- A 25-foot cord gives you easy access to difficult places.
- The steam cleaner is a portable and quiet machine.
- It includes 2 bonnets and 2 microfiber towels.
7. HAAN SS-22A Multiforce Plus
HAAN Corporation was founded by Romi Haan, a young Korean entrepreneur, mother, and housewife. The company launched its first product in the US markets in 2007.
HAAN Corporation develops products that enable homemakers to complete their everyday chores easily and efficiently. The company has a team of talented and expert product designers and engineers who work hard to manufacture simple, versatile, and beneficial cleaning products.
The HAAN SS-22A Multiforce Plus is a great solution for people looking for effortless and chemical-free cleaning. Some of the best features of this product are discussed below.
Our Rating: (3.7 / 5)
- The steam cleaner measures 9.8 x 10.3 x 47.2 inches.
- It follows a simple and quick working mechanism.
- The advanced CR-Motion technology makes it the perfect machine to clean, buff, mop, sanitize, and scrub diverse surfaces.
- Use this best steam cleaner for any surface, such as tile, hard wood, or laminate. Clean your walkways, patios, and decks with HAAN SS-22A Multiforce Plus.
- An attachable scrub brush allows you to remove grime and stains on deck boards, tiles, and cement patios.
- Two buffing cloths are provided with the steam cleaner to help you restore the shine of your flooring surfaces.
- Variable steam system enables you to direct the steam where it is required.
Steam Cleaner Buying Guide
How Much Should I Be Looking To Pay?
Prices vary depending on the type of steam cleaner you go for. Below is a rough guide on what you can expect to pay:
- Steam Mop – $30 to $100
- Handheld Steam Cleaner – $30 to $100
- Cylinder Steam Cleaner (multi purpose) – $70 to $400
We have also found (but this is not always the case) that the better steam cleaners tend to be the one’s at the higher price range of each category. However, this is not always the case as there are some great cheaper options out there as well.
What Accessories Are There?
Several steam cleaners are capable of doing more than one job – some of them turn into vacuum cleaners with water-based filters, while others have attachments which are able to power a steam generator iron.
Typically, attachments enable you to tackle many other cleaning jobs around the house, which includes window cleaning, clothes steaming and even cleaning your car wheels. Keep and eye out for:
- Cleaning Pads
- Upholstery Tool
- Squeegee
- Scrubbing Pad
- Scrubbing Brushes
What Should I Look For When Choosing A Steam Cleaners?
The amount of water the steamer can hold (capacity), the amount of time it takes the steamer to heat-up and the steaming time are 3 of the main things many customers look for.
The heat-up time relates to the amount of time it takes the steam cleaner to reach the point in which it will be able to start generating steam. Obviously this will depend on how big the water container is and the capacity of the machine. Several steam mops are ready to use in twenty seconds while others take more than a minute before they are ready to use.
The steaming time is the amount of time you are able to continuously use the steamer for before it needs refilling. The small water container on hand-held steamers means they can only work for short periods before you have to refill them again. With some steam mops you can steam anywhere from 10 minutes to nearly an hour before you need to refill the water tank.
Cylinder steam cleaners come with a myriad of accessories to overcome a variety of jobs – however, not all are fit for all jobs, for example a few cylinder steam cleaners are unsuitable to clean upholstery while others advise they ought not to be used in ovens. Therefore before you purchase, ensure that the accessories are suited to the jobs you require them for.
Are Steam Cleaners Beneficial To Allergy Affected People?
Best Steam Cleaner Reviews have not been able to test how effective steam cleaners are at removing dust mites and reducing other allergens. These tests however have been carried out by the British Allergy Foundation and give their endorsement where ever you see their ‘Seal of Approval’
Whenever you see a steam cleaner with the British Allergy Foundation logo on it, you have the confidence the steam cleaner has been scientifically tested to show it’s effective at reducing/removing allergens from the environment of allergy and asthma sufferers or the products have significantly reduced allergen/chemical content. The testing is completed by an independent laboratory to standards that were created for the Seal of Approval by leading allergy experts, especially to benefit the people with allergy, asthma, sensitivity and intolerance.
Exactly Where To Begin When Choosing A Steam Cleaner?
We have tested a number of different hand-held steam cleaners, steam mops and cylinder steam cleaners to decide on Best Buy models in a number of different categories.
We have done all the leg work and testing for you so grab yourself a cup of tea, sit back and relax and check out our Best Buy reviews to find out which steam cleaner is right for you!