The technology for using steam to clean households has been up and coming in recent years.
Designers and manufacturers continuously innovate and create reliable steam machines that can help speed up cleaning time while efficiently removing unwanted substances.
Unlike many cleaning equipment with complicated controls and safety measures, this device is relatively simple. Anyone can operate one with ease.
Check out these tips and hacks and learn how to use a steam cleaner in no time.
How to Use a Steam Cleaner
Steam cleaners from different brands offer varying options for ease of use, portability, heating time, water capacity, and steam pressure and temperature output.
Before purchasing, check out which specs are more important for you so that you can make the best out of your brand-new device.
Whichever make or model you end up owning, these are the essential steps on how to steam clean:
Step 1: Fill With Water
A steam cleaner uses a water tank, and these tanks come in different capacities.
Steam cleaning time is dependent on the amount of water you put into the tank, so fill it up accordingly.
Step 2: Assemble Appropriate Attachments
Every kit also varies in the types of included attachments for versatile cleaning operations.
Assemble the device, and be sure to attach your pre-selected cleaning attachment before making some steam.
This procedure will keep you from burning your skin when attaching the cleaning accessory while the steam is on.
Step 3: Plug into Power
High-powered steam cleaners usually come with a three-prong power plug, so plug it into a grounded power outlet.
This step will ensure that any power surges in your device go back to the grounding system, as well as that you are safe from electric shocks.
As you might already know, electricity and water (or steam in this case) do not mix well.
Step 4: Wait for the Steam
While some devices have LED light indicators to tell you that the steam is ready, other devices come with a pressure gauge.
This tells you how much pressure has built up within the system.
Step 5: Blast Away
Depending on your chosen unit, a steam cleaner uses a switch, a knob, or a finger trigger to let you release the steam.
Some have steam pressure adjustment controls and child safety locks as added features.
Step 6: Refill and Repeat
Each steam cleaning unit has a unique operation before each refill.
Some have longer continuous operation time and larger tank capacities than others.
Others may even require either a cooling time or a pressure relief in the tank before each refill.
Better quality devices with two-tank systems allow water refilling during operation.
Strictly follow the refill, drainage, and rinsing instructions of your specific unit to prolong its life to a maximum.
What Can You Do With a Steam Cleaner?
Once you learn how to steam clean, you can sterilize, sanitize, or disinfect a wide array of surfaces. Remember you are going to need to wipe up after the steamer, it is not a vacuum.
The following list outlines every possibility of cleaning your home using this handy device:
1. Degrease and Sterilize the Kitchen
The kitchen always gets a handful of dirt and stains, and it welcomes an influx of microorganisms and pests.
You can use your steam cleaner to degrease your stove or oven.
The steam will quickly soften up any hardened residue that has been left there for some time.
You can also break down buildup stuck in the bottom of your dishwasher using the pressure from your steam cleaner.
Granite Countertops shine like new with a disinfecting steam clean.
2. Sanitize Bathroom and Fixtures
Like the kitchen, the bathroom is also a breeding ground for germs and bacteria.
Keep these at bay by simply disinfecting tile and fixture surfaces using the steam and heat from your device.
Soap and chemicals can build up on your drains, and mold and mildew can accumulate on your tile surface and grout.
A handy steam cleaner with a brush attachment can help you get rid of all of these. (Just remember to keep a set of tools just for the bathroom)
3. Clear Up Clogged Drains
The kitchen and the bathroom have several drains that can clog up over time.
As an alternative to declogging with chemicals, use your steam cleaner to soften up and efficiently break down the buildup that’s clogging your drains.
4. Keep the Luster on Floors
You can keep your floors shiny and clean with your steam cleaner’s mop attachment.
Although ordinary mops can do the same job, a steam cleaner adds an extra layer of protection for you and your family by removing all contaminants and harmful germs.
5. Disinfect Kids’ Toys
Kids like to crawl and pick up objects from the floor.
In addition to disinfecting your floors, you can use your steam cleaner to sterilize your kids’ toys.
The trick here is to keep your disinfecting accessories separate from your bathroom and kitchen cleaning attachments.
6. Bring Back the Brand-New Look on Glass
Your steam cleaner may not come with a squeegee attachment, but you can still use it to clean your window panes and mirrors.
Get a clean microfiber towel and wipe along the surface after applying some steam.
7. Clean Fabrics and Textiles
Some fabrics and textiles cannot fit in your washing machine, and the best way to clean them is by disinfection using a steam cleaner.
Sofas, mattresses, heavy carpets, and car seats can lose much (if not all) of their dirt, odors, and insects if you clean them with a steam cleaner.
8. Clean Hard-to-Reach and Irregular Surfaces
Finally, many places in your home may be hard to reach and clean when using a simple brush.
The extra pressure coming from your steam cleaner can help soften up the dirt accumulated in these places over time.
Use your steam cleaner to remove debris and dirt from the sliding tracks of your drawers, cabinets, doors, and windows.
You can also do this with the tools and other equipment in your garage.
Where you might get wounded from trying to clean sharp objects with your bare hands, a steam cleaner can do a better job of removing grease, hardened rust, and gunk.
Just remember to wipe off any moisture left on metal objects as this would further allow rust buildup.
What Can You Not Clean With a Steam Cleaner?
Once you know how to use steam cleaners, you should be aware that any amount of moisture from them can ruin paper, cardboard, wood, and paint.
Wallpaper and cardboard-lined soundproofing can lose all integrity when subjected to steam. And unsealed wood can warp under the same conditions.
Paint can also break down under extreme heat and pressure.
Using a steam cleaner on wallpaper and paint is actually an effective way of removing the surface material for replacement.
Also, be careful with some antiques. Old breakables can weaken under extreme heat and eventually crack.
Is Steam Cleaning Really Effective?
Steam cleaning is very effective if you have a very efficient device that has the right attachments.
The high heat from steam can indeed kill microorganisms that are very difficult for the naked eye to see.
But an effective steam cleaner uses enough pressure to soften up any hardened materials sticking onto surfaces.
The real question is, does your device have enough heat to kill germs?
And do you have the correct attachments to remove hardened dirt, gunk, and debris effectively?
Conclusion: How Do You Use a Steam Machine?
Learning how to use a steam cleaner can open up so much time for you and your family to spend together.
Using a steam cleaner is a quick and easy way to complete all your household tasks without using other equipment and cleaning chemicals.
First and foremost, keep it safe. A steam machine uses hot steam that can cause skin injuries if handled inappropriately.
Be careful about which direction you are pointing your steam nozzle, and wear protective gear at all times during operation.
Materials like wood, paper, laminate flooring, and paint do not play well with extreme heat and moisture, so use a different cleaning method.
Regularly check your steam machine for water levels during operation to avoid breakage and any untoward accidents.
All of these constitute enough knowledge on how to use steam cleaners.