Our mothers and grandmothers called them ” Spring cleanings. ” And one of the Sundays in the second half of March was the right moment to turn the house upside down and put in place all those thorough cleanings to make the house bright and prepare it for the summer.
Now habits have changed, but the need to keep away dirt and dust is equally valid, indeed. They are for the whole year! Fortunately, technology has done and continues to run its course and helps us to limit our efforts.
Steam Cleaner: How do you clean?
Using steam as a cleaning element has two important advantages. The first is economical and ecological savings: the uselessness of detergents leads to a reduction in spending and respect for the environment.
The second is the greater cleaning: the temperature of the steam melts the dirt that can then be easily removed, and thanks to its pressure, you can even get in the narrowest places, unthinkable with manual cleaning.
Here is precisely the plus that steam can give to all those who buy a product: to remove dirt, grease, and mites are not used with detergents or other chemical detergents, but the cleaning and sanitizing power of steam is used.
Why does steam have a great cleaning force? The secret lies in the fact that the 120°C that the latter reaches have a degreasing force far superior to normal chemical products, and also the ” dry ” steam produced by these machines not only eliminates bacteria, germs, mites, fungi, and pollen but leave the house clean and quickly dry.
Water transformed into steam is also the best solution when there is a child in the house. The little ones can be particularly sensitive to chemicals, while steam cleaning has no contraindications for them.
Steam Cleaner: the models
But let’s analyze the types of machines. The steam cleaner models are divided into 4 categories:
- Handheld Steam Cleaner
- Steam Mops
- Cylinder Steam Cleaner
- Vapor Steam Cleaner
Handheld Steam Cleaner
They are the entry-level product and, in some ways, even the most practical and logical one. These are small portable steam generators, with reduced power but with great maneuverability that allows their use in small, inaccessible areas. Excellent, for example: to clean the joints and the most hidden corners of the shower, oven or hob.
Steam Mops
They try to combine the advantages of the classic steam cleaner with the modern requirements for reduced dimensions and maneuverability. The operation was partially successful and today represents a successful product, ideal for cleaning and sanitizing floors, although with less power and power than the classic machine.
Cylinder Steam Cleaner – Classic steamer
Here is the ” true ” steam, unique and original, as well as the first machine for steam cleaning. It consists of a boiler with wheels and a lance; the appearance and use are very similar to that of a trolley-mounted vacuum cleaner (aspira-all bin). The range is really wide and has over a dozen models, all apparently similar but with significant differences that it is good to know before proceeding with the purchase.
Vapor Steam Cleaner
The vapor steam cleaner combines the action of steam with that of a powerful vacuum cleaner, thus offering an integrated solution for cleaning floors and sofas. How does it work? In practice, the use of a vacuum cleaner with water filter is combined with that of a Vaporetto: one can thus clean any type of surface with a single pass. The perplexities about this appliance are many. The machine is indeed heavy, especially in use.
The preparation phase is not immediate (especially the emptying of dirty water), and it is unthinkable to use it for a quick suction to the floor. The operation then requires a certain familiarity, thanks to the many combinations of programs and functions, not entirely intuitive. The high cost, moreover, makes it a household appliance definitely not for everyone.
Steam Cleaner: should you buy it?
How many people do you know who own a ” steam cleaner “? Surely many, as we are sure, most of them keep it closed in the closet and almost never use it.
It is the classic appliance that suffers what we call ” ice cream maker “, or is used once or twice as soon as purchased, and then forgotten in a corner of the house, although it would be useful. If you plan to buy a steam cleaner, think first, then, how to clean your home, and if you are ready to change some habit. Steam cleaning is indeed a good thing but must get into habits.
In the end, is it better to buy a steam cleaner? For the reasons explained above, our advice is still to try, but focusing on the smaller and more manageable models, without the integrated suction function, to be used periodically for thorough cleaning of the floor.
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