It would be an exaggeration to say that every home needs a steam cleaner but it is true that every home can benefit from one. It’ll give you your life back as a great quality steam cleaner will cut time off your regular cleaning schedule and also reduce the effort needed to scrub up tough stains. Of course, it can’t clean everything you own but it is a lot more versatile than other types of household cleaners.
Types of Steam Cleaners
There is quite a range of different types of steam cleaner on the market. There are small, handheld ones that are ideal for cleaning out the car for example. There are also standard models which are about the size of a vacuum cleaner, specialist models just for cleaning carpets and popular new development – the steam mop. Below we’re taking a closer look at the standard style of a steam cleaner and the things you need to keep in mind when buying one.
Affordability
Power and performance will be key to the price of any steam cleaner. The price will also be affected by the number of different accessories that are provided with the cleaner and also the quality of the brand. Additional accessories give the cleaner further functionality and therefore you would expect an increased price. Price is also sometimes affected by water tank capacity so if you require a particularly large tank, you can expect to pay more. Once you’ve researched keep a figure in mind as the top end of your budget and don’t exceed it.
Portability
You need to think about the space you have to store your cleaner and where you hope to use it. If it’s for smaller jobs such as the kitchen counters, bathroom grouting and cooker then you could consider a handheld model, especially as a standard one may be hard to get up the stairs. Most models are now wheeled which means you should have no difficulty getting them around the lower floor of your home with ease.
Don’t Expect the World
Steam cleaners are very trendy at the moment and are receiving rave reviews. This doesn’t make them infallible however and there are still some jobs they can’t clean. It will be able to clean the majority of your wooden or laminate floors without difficulty, including sticky patches and hard-to-remove stains. Models with additional functionality may be designed to clean off all your bathroom tiles too or could even be used outside on the driveway. There is sometimes the need to finish off the job of a steam cleaner by hand, where excess steam is left.
The benefits of steam cleaners far outweigh the negatives and this is without even mentioning their main plus point – hygiene. Your home is bound to be significantly more hygienic when you’re using hot steam to clean it and therefore remove all risk of germs and bacteria. Finding the model that’s right for you is dependent on your home’s needs and the level of cleanliness you expect.
Jason Gladstone is a home furnishings writer from Rotherham. He specialises in kitchenalia and regularly reviews branded steam cleaner and kitchen cleaning products.