Vapor steam cleaning is nothing new, but it has been growing in popularity in recent years. Consumers are looking for ways to save money as well as the environment. By using steam to clean, the need to buy chemicals cleaner is eliminate. A good steam cleaning system can take of all your house cleaning chores.
There are a few different types of steam cleaners. A steam mop is made for hard floors. These are inexpensively priced and do good at what they were designed to do. The hand held types are smaller in size and provide blasts of steam for various cleaning tasks. These sometimes include a hose and some attachments to extend usage. Hand held steamers are typically range in price from $20 – $50 and up. The third type is a steam cleaning system has a wider range of features and uses. These steam cleaners produce steam temperature at about 200-240 and pressure ranging from 40-65 psi and larger capacity boiler tank. Prices vary from about $100 all the way up to $1500.
A steam cleaning system has two main components; the steam component that houses the water boiler. Some come with adjustable pressure controls. A hose attaches to the steamer component through a steam port. Different attachments are connected to the hose, like a floor cleaning attachment, and other attachments are used for different cleaning chores.
A steam cleaning system is comparatively priced higher, as they provide more parts and functionality. Not to mention the recent bed bug epidemic, steam is known to be an effective treatment for the eradication of bed bug infestations.
There are a few things to look for if you are ready to purchase a steam cleaner. First being the boiler material. The less expensive models have boiler tanks made with aluminum, which will corrode over time and render the steam cleaner useless. The better steam cleaners boilers are made of stainless steel, which is corrosion resistant. Also look at the warranty and service is provided. Check if the steam cleaner is ETL or UL listed. This means the product has been lab tested and meet the standards of quality and safety. These are indicated by a logo which is usually located somewhere on the packaging. Look at the variety of the attachment are included as well.