A steam cleaner is a machine that is ideal for tiles, seal floors and other hard surfaces, but its greatest advantage is effective cleaning of soft materials like upholstery and carpets. Its role is to kill all the bacteria, mites, allergens, and fungus that are inside the soft fabric. This is achieved by reaching a temperature of as much as 360ºF that produces steam.
Usually, a low pressure is used to not damage the fabric. This steam penetrates into the dirt and loosens it, after which it is very easy to vacuum it. The steam cleaning machine produces a vapour that contains only 5% of water, which allows quick drying of the carpet after the cleaning procedure. Usually, professional cleaners use also cleaning solutions and detergents that allow them to remove the dirt more effectively. They determine the right kind of detergent based on the fabric, as some cleaning solutions may ruin the fabric.
The steam cleaner also sanitizes and disinfects carpets and upholstery and removes any build-up and stains. It is the best tool that professional carpet and upholstery cleaners use to provide quality services. However, these cleaning professionals use machines of industrial strength that cannot be found offered for renting or sale in the stores. The reason for this is that ordinary people cannot operate these heavy-duty machines, as a special training and knowledge are needed.
What are the main components of the steam cleaner?
- Let’s start with the boiler
This is the place where the water is boiled and turned into steam. This component is made of stainless steel as it is a subject to extreme pressure and heat. Professionals usually use machines which feature boilers with a capacity of 14 l.
- What about the refill tank?
There are some top grade steamers that have a refill tank, which is not pressurized. This gives the operator an opportunity to refill the water tank while the machine is running. If your steam cleaner does not have a refill tank, you will have to depressurize the system first, then add some more water to the boiler and wait again for it to heat, which may take another 20 minutes.
- What is an automatic refill system?
This is an option for a direct water feed that some industrial strength machines have. This system also allows the operator to manually refill the water.
- How do detergent tanks work?
These are the tanks; in which you have to fill the cleaning solution. Some steam cleaners feature handle controls that enable you to control the level of detergent during the cleaning process. Professional machines have detergent tanks that might hold more than 20 l.
- The vacuums
Vacuums are important components in the steam cleaners. Some professional steam cleaners have vacuums that are automatically emptied when a certain level is reached. The residue is transferred to the extraction tanks.
There are steam cleaners that do not have vacuums. In that case, the operator has to use towels to wipe both the residue and excessive moisture.