When you are working toward a chemical-free home, it’s fairly simple to look after day-to-day tasks without using harsh products. A pile of good microfiber fabrics, an all-purpose natural cleaning spray and a jar each of white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are all you need to keep the home tidy.
However there are occasions when a quick routine cleaning just won’t do — the flu is going around, and you just hosted a play with a dozen toddlers mouthing your child’s toys, for example; or you are hosting Thanksgiving, and your carpeting hasn’t had a suitable cleaning since annually. What do you do then? If you want the sanitizing effect and deep-cleaning power of a more powerful product, minus the chemical hassle, look to the latest harvest of steam cleaners to get the task finished.
Steam Cleaners for Just About Everything
Moving far beyond carpeting, these hardworking steam cleaners can look after tile and wood floors, bathroom grout, kids’ toys, upholstery and even clothing. Some steam cleaners available on the market (including those leased from home improvement centers) do call to get a chemical cleaning formula to be utilised in conjunction with water, so it is important when shopping to look for descriptions such as “chemical free” or “cleans with water”
This listing is really a great starting place, because none of the products featured here use chemicals of any kind. You’ll also find steam cleaning tips to get your home sparkle obviously.
West Chin Architects & Interior Designers
Temperature makes all the difference. Traditional carpeting cleaners are often known as steam cleaners, even though they really use warm water and carpet shampoo, not steam, to wet the floor — removing dirt although not killing germs.
High-temperature and “vapor” steam cleaners (like all the products featured here) get warm enough to kill dust mites, viruses, bacteria and mould. Be wary of products that do not record the temperature of the steam produced — it should be at least 140 degrees to kill dust mites and at least 160 degrees to kill bacteria and viruses.
FRONTGATE
EnviroMate 2-in-1 Steam Cleaner and Vacuum – $1,599
Best suited to: Carpet, upholstery and hard surfaces.
Chemical-free steam cleaners meant for rugs are surprisingly hard to find — this one from EnviroMate is pricey, but it doubles as a vacuum with an allergen-busting HEPA filter, and also can steam clean your hard floors with it, also.
Spring to get this if you have lots of carpeting in your house and need the ease of steam cleaning at a minute’s notice, or if a member of the household has bad allergies — that one works at a temperature high enough to kill dust mites.
Amazon
Haan FS20 Plus Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer With Deluxe Sanitizing Tray – $189.99
Best suited to: Sealed hard floors (linoleum, sealed wood and tile). An attachment is included for carpets.
If your house has hardwood floors or tile, then count yourself blessed — most of the steam cleaners meant for hard surfaces carry a much lower price tag compared to carpet-cleaning models. This steam cleaner out of Haan sanitizes hard floors, killing dust mites, germs and bacteria with strong 212-degree steam heating.
Chioco Design
Evaluation carefully on sensitive surfaces. Due to the high temperatures, steam cleaners can’t be used on all surfaces. The majority of the time, sealed hardwood is nice and unfinished wood and porous tile aren’t — but read the directions to inspect the recommendations to your device. To be on the safe side, begin by using your steam cleaner onto a little, out-of-the-way area, such as the floor under your bed or an inside corner of your drapes.
CID, Courtney Blanton Interiors
Clean all over the home with a handheld steam cleaner. The attractiveness of some of those newest hand-held vacuum cleaner is the simplicity with which they can tackle chores that would otherwise need to be sent out. Drapes can be steam cleaned right where they hang , and pillow covers, upholstery and clothes can all be easily refreshed.
HAAN USA
AllPro Portable Hand Held Steam Cleaner – $59.95
Best suited to: Tough surfaces in kitchens and bathrooms. It has attachments for upholstery, household fabrics and clothing.
This flexible little steam cleaner from Haan can be used just about anywhere — ideal if you don’t have a lot of carpeting (an upright or canister vacuum cleaner could be better for this) but want to deep clean tough surfaces and textiles.
Chioco Design
Ways to get the most from your steam cleaner:
Vacuum rugs equally before and after steam cleaning — the steam cleaner will bring profound dirt to the surface but won’t completely remove it.Use only distilled water to fill the reservoir on your steam cleaner, unless the directions say otherwise. Tap water includes residue that could damage the system and void warranties.Some steam cleaners get quite popular during the cleaning process. To be on the safe side, maneuver the machine only by the handle.