Repair Guide

All About Steam Cleaners

In this blog we are going to discuss steam cleaners, sometimes called steamers. I will answer questions about how they work and touch on why cleaning with steam is friendlier for the environment and a great idea if you have children or pets at home. There are some step by step guides on what you can steam clean and how. There are also some nifty attachments and accessories you can buy for you steam cleaner to make other jobs around the home easier.



How Do They Work?

Its quite straight forward really, muck dirt and grime have sticky adhesive qualities that allow them to lodge onto all types of surfaces, whether it be a kitchen top or bathroom tiles. The extreme heat of steam melts away the adhesive and the dampness of the steam dilutes the adhesive. Then a simple wipe with a terry cloth is all that is required to say goodbye once and for all to that grime once and for all.

• Normal household water is poured into the main units container which uses a heating element to boil the water, this is done in a pressurised area which creates steam.
• The hot steam is transferred through a hose or nozzle these have a cleaning cleaning tool attached like a brush or cloth and you can clean your chosen surface.
• The cleaner is able to continue to produce steam until your water supply has run out, depending on the size of your water storage container will depend on the amount of cleaning time you have for one fill.

Why Steam Cleaners?

Cleaning methods we are used to, the more conventional types often using chemicals are usually limited to cleaning the surface only. On the other hand steam penetrates into the tiny microscopic gaps in the surface, invisible to the naked eye, steam vapour is able to clean in between these gaps removing even the most stubborn dirt and grime particles this leaves germs and bacteria with no place to hide. Taking all this into consideration means that steam cleaning is very efficient and hygienic and there is less need for elbow grease.

Is Steam Cleaning Good for the Environment?

This is an easy question to answer! Simply put you are not using any chemicals to clean, just plain simple water. Many household chemicals claim to be safe, but would you drink them! The combination of high temperatures and the power of steam by itself is enough to remove dirt that has been there for years, negating the need for household cleaning agents.

There is the added bonus of of steam cleaning is the price, just one litre of normal household tap water will produce up to 1700 litres of steam, the will do up to thirty minutes of cleaning. electricity usage is also low as you are only using power to heat up the water.

There is of course the initial outlay of a steam cleaner to consider, a good steam cleaner from Karcher or Nilfisk will cost upwards of £100. Models like the Karcher SC 1.020 are Karchers entry level machines but still come with plenty of attachments


Cleaning Tough Grease.

Stainless steel kitchen surfaces and extractor fan hoods are very popular and look at their best without layers of grime and grease on them. In these cases you can very easily achieve incredibly clean results with a hand tool and cloth. Just use the hand tool on your steam cleaner

 If the grease layer has been around for some time, it may be difficult to remove even with constant scrubbing. Using normal tap water and the power of steam along with a covering cloth should lift the grime and leave a sparkling finish.  For a streak free result, polish the cleaned surface with the micro-fibre towel.


Cleaning Bathroom/ Kitchen Tiles & Grout.

When you are cleaning grouting in your bathroom, kitchen or anywhere in the house use the small pencil jet nozzle attachment, along with the round head bristle nozzle, these can come with plastic or brass bristles.

Direct steaming and a small amount of agitation will usually dislodge even stubborn stains like mould of old soap residue. when you have finished steaming rub the surface dry with a towel. If you are cleaning silicone grout reduce your steaming time in order to preserve the integrity of the material.


Cleaning Wood/ Laminate Floors.

Many people now have wooden or laminate floors in their home, they are certainly easier to keep clean and are less likely to try dust and dirt than a carpet. With a steam cleaner you can do away with the mop and chemicals.Cleaning hard flooring using a steam cleaning floor tool and floor cloths.

Any moisture left on the floors dry s very quickly leaving no streaks, some steams come with a built in mop head to make to job even easier. Just be sure that no puddles form by over steaming the same area.


Steaming Fabric.

Steam is a great way to drop the creases from fabrics you may not want to iron, like curtains and suits.

You can use either the hand nozzle (no pencil attachment) or some steamers like Karcher ones have an additional textile care nozzle which makes freshening up fabric and upholstery painless. Steaming cleaning clothing and fabric will also remove bad odours. This is a technique used by clothing shops to ensure their product looks good in store


Steam Cleaning Windows.

If you are cleaning you windows with a steamer for the first time, you will need to perform a deep clean. Steam off the whole surface with the hand nozzle and steam cloth, and then with dry with a towel. If its cold outside stand around 5cm back from the window when performing the deep clean. The next thing to do it steam the glass surface with the window nozzle attachment and remove any excess water with the rubber lip of the window tool by moving it up and down. After you have done this for the first time subsequent cleans will be easier. Just repeat the second step without the deep clean. Dry with a towel in order to prevent streaks from forming.

If you need spares or accessories for your Karcher or Nilfisk steam cleaner visit Spares Giant. We can help with cloths, nozzles, pipes and accessories like the wallpaper stripper attachment.