Tips & Guides

We often wonder if water is the supreme cleaning agent, then why it betrays us when we accidentally spill it on our couch, leaving the ugliest halo shaped water stain.

Won’t cleaning with water worsen the stain then?

Fortunately, we can easily remove water stains by using home-based products.

But why do water leaves these marks when water is the incomparable cleaning agent. Let’s understand the reason behind it.

What Causes Water Stains On Couch?

Two reasons can cause water stains to appear on the couch.

Reason 1: If the water contains impurities or has minerals, then these minerals will leave a residue on the fabric while the water will evaporate. These minerals then react with oxygen and cause rust-colored stains.

Reason 2: Upholstery has fabric finish applied on it; this fabric finish reacts with water to leave water stains.

How to Get Water Stain Out of Couch

With a few DIY hacks or method of steam cleaning couch , you can easily clean every inch of the couch from those appalling watermarks.

Blot it while the Couch is Still Wet

The first thing, however, is to clean the spill immediately. Use a clean cloth to blot while the sofa is still wet. If you don’t do it immediately, the water will seep through the fabric, and the stain will become big and visible.

Don’t Clean Without Reading the Manufacturer’s Instruction First.

It’s the first prerequisite before cleaning your couch. The tag of the couch has cleaning instructions mentioned. It can be found underneath the sofa.

• W – It means you can clean the couch with water-based solvents
• S- Clean with water-free product like dry cleaning solvent
• S/W- It means water and dry cleaning both can be used safely.
• X- It means it should be professionally cleaned or just vacuumed.

Check the Fabric

Different couches have different fabrics, and each fabric’s composition is different.

Using the same method on each fabric might not work. Some can be cleaned with detergents and water; others may require only water or steam for getting stains out of the fabric couch.

The cleaning tag also gives a clear idea of what should and shouldn’t be used.

Start by Vacuuming

Before proceeding to clean the water stain from upholstery, vacuum the surface thoroughly. It will remove all the loose dirt, pet hair, and dust particles. If you skip this step, you will have to deal with the wet dust and dirt that will get stuck on the upholstery fabric.

Note:

• Before using any method, try it on an inconspicuous area of the couch. If it doesn’t damage the fabric, then you can use it on your couch.
• Only use distilled water; the tap water contains water-purifying chemicals added by municipal authorities. These chemicals won’t let your sofa clean completely.

For all Kind of Sofas

Method 1: Using Vinegar and Water

Step 1: Mix distilled water and white vinegar in equal parts.

Step 2: Spray it over your sofa and let it sit for a few minutes.

Step 3: Take a clean cloth and blot it. Do not rub. It will spread the stain.

Step 4: Let it dry. You can use a hairdryer as well. Repeat the procedure if the spot persists.

Method 2: Cleaning Solution and Water

Step 1: Take one tablespoon of cleaning solution or mild dish-washing liquid with 2 cups of water. Mix it.

Step 2: Apply it on the couch. Using a microfiber cloth or a sponge, gently rub it. Begin from the outer edge and work your way towards the center, else it will stain the cleaned area as well.

Step 3: Take a damp clean cloth and wipe the couch.

Step 4: Now, take a dry clean cloth and rub it gently to absorb as much moisture as possible.

Step 5: Let it air dry or use a hairdryer.

Method 3: Steam Cleaning

If the above-mentioned methods do not work, you can use a steam cleaner or handheld steam cleaner to remove water marks from the couch.

Step 1: Fill the water tank of the steam cleaner. Do not overfill, or it will make your couch extra damp.

Step2: Prepare your steam cleaner by attaching all the accessories. Preheat the steam cleaner.

Step 3: Start using a steam cleaner at medium to low heat setting and steam clean your couch.

Step 4: Let it air dry.

Why use Steam cleaner when you can spot clean the water marks?

Your couch is the home of dust, dirt, germs, pet hairs, and whatnot. Sure, you can spot clean the water marks, but why not use a best steam cleaner to give your whole couch a fresh and healthy clean look.

Steam cleaning not only kill the germs but also removes all kinds of stains including water spots. It even freshens up the fabric by removing odors from the couch. In addition to that, you can also use the machine to effectively remove stains from fabric of the car seats.

How to Remove Water or Red Wine Stains from Fabric Sofa

Some couches are made of material that requires special care where vigorous scrubbing or chemicals do not work.

Let’s have a look at a few materials of the couches and discuss its cleaning options.

Water or wine spots from microfiber or any other fabric sofa requires special care. If the water + detergent method doesn’t work, you can use the following method to clean microfiber couches.

Step 1: Put rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and spray it over the couch.

Step 2: Use the sponge or baby wipes to rub the stain.

Step 3: Take a clean cloth, dab and blot until all the moisture is absorbed.

Step 4: Let it dry

Removing Stains from Leather or Suede

Step 1: Take denatured alcohol and use a damp cloth to test it on an inconspicuous area.

Step 2: If it doesn’t discolor or damage, use it on the stain and gently rub it.

Step 3: Use a clean cloth to wipe it.

Step 4: Air-dry the sofa. Heat drying can damage the leather.

Wrapping Up!

Water stains can leave your couch look unappealing. But if you take some necessary actions sparing few minutes of your life to remove the water stains, you can get rid of these marks. We have tried to cover some of the tips in the hope that you may enjoy your family time on a clean couch again.

If you are on a stage where you are searching for the best steam cleaner for home use. Along with other factors for choosing the right steam cleaner, do consider one more important factor; the maximum temperature a steamer can achieve.

Why am I saying this?

Because the hotter the steam, the more efficiently a steam cleaner will remove dirt, stains, grease, and grimes and make the surface spotless.

Moreover, the powerful steam will also eliminate all the harmful viruses, bacteria, and allergen particles that can’t be killed with traditional cleaning methods.

Steam Cleaner Temperature Comparison

The steam capacity of every steam cleaner is different. We have created a steam cleaner temperature comparison chart that will help you select a steamer with powerful steam.

Commercial Steam Cleaner VS Residential Steam Cleaner

Commercial and residential steam cleaners are both designed for the same specific purpose: stain and germ-free surface. The difference lies in its temperature, size, accessories, and power of steam. Home-based steam cleaners are best suited for small areas in and around the house, as they are built lightweight and cost-effective.

Whereas the commercial steam cleaner can be used in business. It helps to clean high traffic and large areas with less time and intense heat. It produces 90% of dry steam vapor for rapid cleaning and sanitizes inanimate objects and surfaces with no residue.

Conclusion

Steam cleaners with high temperature are the best steam cleaner on the market. They comes with diverse variety of accessories, attachments, and other specification that are safe to be used on variety of surfaces.

Apart from cleaning, Its hot and pressurized steam kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria’s that could be anywhere in your home.

Steam cleaning is a way of trading harsh chemicals with steam to deep clean your surfaces.

It is used to banish stains from upholstery, carpets, grout lines, and bathrooms, and emulsifies grease on the stovetop. It has endless uses of cleaning, including sanitizing and killing germs and deadly bacteria.

However, many people wonder where does the dirt go when you steam clean?

Does it evaporate into thin air?

Does it just spread here and there or absorbs in the carpet once again?

Where Does the Dirt Go When You Steam Clean?

The dirt doesn’t simply disappear into thin air. Instead, the steam from steam cleaner loosens the bonding that adheres dirt to surfaces. It is what steam does – loosens the dirt, and the work of the steam ends here.

Now, the dirt can be removed from the surface in any of the three ways. It depends on the type of vacuum cleaner or attachment you are using.

1. Dirt is absorbed into the microfiber cloth or removable towel that is attached with a mop head.
2. If you are not using a microfiber pad attachment, it will leave residue behind. After that, this dirty water needs to be wiped down.
3. Some steam cleaners suck the moisture and dirt with high-pressure back into the dirty water reservoir. Then, the dirty water can be flushed.

The dirt removal depends on what kind of steam cleaner and accessories you are using, and type of surface you are cleaning.

Steam Cleaners with a Microfiber Pad Attachment

Some steam cleaners have a microfiber pad attachment that absorbs the dirt into it. This attachment is commonly found in steam mops.

You need to change it more often and keep an extra pad at hand if the first cloth gets dirty. You can also attach any towel or rag for cleaning.

Some handheld cleaners and upholstery cleaners also come with microfiber cloth attachments that absorb the dirt.

Where Does The Dirt Go if You Are Not Using Microfiber Cloth?

You may need to use detailed brushes, stainless scrubber, jet nozzles, or any other cleaning accessory, depending on our activity.

These accessories are for various purposes such as steam cleaning tiles and grout, eliminating grease from kitchen appliances, and cleaning sanitary fixtures, etc.

The steam from the steam cleaner melts the dirt from the surface and leaves the dirty water. This dirty water needs to be wiped from the cleaning cloth or microfiber cloth manually.

Where Does The Dirt Go When You Clean the Carpet With a Steam Cleaner?

We use a different type of steam or carpet cleaners while cleaning the carpet because you can’t remove the dirt by simply steam cleaning the carpet with a microfiber pad attachment.

To extract the dirt effectively, a different method is used that is called a hot water extractor. The term steam cleaning is also used for the hot extraction method; in actuality, it works on a different principle.

The main difference between them is the temperature. Steam cleaners use high temperature to turn water into steam. This steam enters into the pores of the surfaces and weakens the dirt, and melts the grime. It is how steam cleaners work.

In hot water extraction, the temperature is not as high as turning it into steam. And the method begins by spraying a cleaning solution on the carpet. After that, it is agitated by a counter-rotating brush (CRB). The brush type is chosen according to the material of the carpet.

This hot water or cleaning solution is then applied to the soiled carpet. The hot water loosens the grime, and then a powerful vacuum extracts the dirt.

The dirty water is then accumulated into a reservoir. You will notice the full line indicating that it’s time to empty the reservoir which you can flush into a toilet or sink.

Vapor Steam Cleaner or Dry Steam Cleaner

The type of steam cleaning that doesn’t leave behind lots of water except condensation is called vapor steam cleaner. It delivers dry vapor. Here, dry simply means that the steam ratio is significantly higher than water. For example: 95% vapor and only 5% water.

And what happens to the dirt when you are using a dry steam cleaner?

The answer is simple: you wipe it down, and it’s fairly easy as it doesn’t leave a lot of moisture behind.

Now, let’s understand the scientific logic behind it.

The steam in dry steam cleaner depends on the pressure of steam coming out of the nozzle. The higher the pressure, the more volume of steam will be released. Once this high-pressured steam hits the surface, it will create condensation, and you will see the water molecules or dampness on the surface.

If you want a dry surface or less condensation/dampness, you can lower the pressure that is being released from the nozzle.

This dry steam clean cleaner removes dirt from the surface, and you can wipe down the dirt and moisture easily.

Another significant benefit of these steam cleaners is that they are highly effective in eliminating microbial contaminants. It also helps in removing the urine odor of your pets in carpets and couches.

According to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) research, dry steam cleaning reduces the level of house dust and mite allergens in carpets.

Conclusion

No matter what type of steam cleaner you use, the manufacturers have carefully thought of ways to extract the dirt from the surface. Depending on the cleaning task, accessories, or steam cleaner type, you will either need to wipe away the dirt and moisture. Or the powerful suctioning process will lift out all the dirty water, which you can later dispose of anywhere.

Ovens can get extremely dirty and grimy. Pizza’s cheese can ooze out, oil splashes make the oven greasy, or the food drippings can build-up and become hard to remove.

Soon this build-up food residue burns and changes into a hard black crust. The burnt-on grease and grime may cause smoke, odor and decrease the life of the oven.

That’s why removing grime from oven is essential. Ages ago, ovens could only be cleaned by scrubbing out the accumulated grease that is considered one of the toughest chores.

To simplify the oven cleaning procedure, General Electric, in 1963, introduced the self-cleaning oven range. However, owing to the harsh nature and dangers of self-cleaning ovens, new steam cleaning ovens were introduced.

Steam Clean Vs. Self-Clean Ovens 

How Self-Cleaning Range Work

Self-Cleaning ovens work on the principle of utilizing extremely high temperatures that can go up to almost 930-degree Fahrenheit, which can burn the food residues inside the oven.

I have personally tried self clean method on my ge oven and it works like a magic!

The high heat causes carbonization of the food residue, which turns into ash. You can wipe down the ash after the cleaning cycle is complete and the oven is cooled down.

How to Steam Clean OvenFF

Before talking about how actually steam cleaning works. A question also arises what is steam clean oven?

As compared to self-cleaning ovens, steam cleaning oven ranges are simple, and these also work on the principle of utilizing high-heat to melt the stuck-on residues.

The difference is steam cleaning requires a much lesser temperature 250-degree Fahrenheit approximately.

You simply need to pour 1 cup of water at the bottom of the oven tray and set it to the option of “steam cleaning.” The water will heat up and turn into steam. The hot steam will soften the grease and food residues which can be easily wiped away after the completion of the process.

Tips to Use Self Cleaning Oven

• Check your manufacturer’s instructions before starting the self-cleaning cycle.
• Before starting the self-cleaning cycle, wipe out your oven to clear large bits of food spills. It will reduce the burning odor during the process.
• Ventilate the area properly by opening windows and turn on your ventilation fan, so the fumes and odor can disperse.
• Do not use any oven cleaners; if the interior gets damaged by using it. It won’t be covered by the warranty.
• Take out all the trays and stainless steel racks from the oven as the high heat can damage them.
• It’s always better to be on the safe side and use the self-clean option when kids or pets are not around.
• Some self-cleaning ovens have an auto-lock mechanism that seals the oven when you start the process. If the self-lock mechanism isn’t available, then you should lock the oven manually.
• The most important thing is to allow it to cool down once the auto-cleaning cycle is complete before removing ashes from the oven.
• You can use any cleaning solution to wipe out the ashes.

Tips to Use Steam Cleaning Ovens

• Steam clean stove or oven should be done frequently without waiting for the food spills to get hardened, which will be difficult to remove.
• Do not use any cleaning agent with water during the process as the steam will react with the cleaning agent, and the residue of the cleaning agent may later react with the food and can cause food poisoning.
• Do not start the steam cleaning when the oven is hot.
• Always wipe clean the oven first for removing grease from the oven. But never use any hard scraper to clean stuck-on spills as it can damage the interior enamel coating.
• You can use the stovetop during the steam cleaning process.
• After the steam cleaning cycle is complete. Let it cool down before wiping the moisture from the interior cavity of the oven.
• Steam cleaning might require additional cleaning of any remaining spots and spills if they weren’t cleaned during the process.

How to Steam Clean Oven with a Steam Cleaner

If you do not own an oven with the steam-cleaning function, you can use steam cleaners for deep cleaning stains from oven. It has all the benefits of using the self-steam cleaning option of the oven.

Tips to Use Steam Cleaners

• Vacuum the oven first before starting the cleaning process. Or you can simply clean out all solid residues manually.
• Use a brush attachment for scrubbing the oven’s interior.
• If the oven has grime layers that haven’t been cleaned in ages, you can use any dishwasher liquid. Spray it over and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Wipe it down before starting steam cleaning.

Advantages of Using Steam Cleaners to Clean Oven

• No toxic fumes or odors are emitted during the process, so it’s completely safe to use it around kids.
• It doesn’t use as much heat or energy as self-cleaning ovens.
• It eliminates the dangers that are associated with self-cleaning ovens.
• There is no need to use harsh chemicals. Steam itself is enough to clean the grease and melt the build-on dirt.
• Steam cleaning oven grills are also safe and can be easily done with steam cleaners.
• It reduces the cost of cleaning as steam cleaners can be used for steam cleaning kitchen appliances too. Not just this, you can use steam cleaners to clean tile grout lines and grease on kitchen floors.

Steam Cleaning Vs. Self-Cleaning Ovens – Which is Better?

While both can effectively clean the oven, steam cleaning ovens is less harsh, time, and energy-saving. It doesn’t release toxic fumes and unpleasant burning odors. You can also find oven ranges that have both the options: steam cleaning and self-cleaning. However, if you own an oven that doesn’t feature these options, you can safely use steam cleaners to deep clean your oven.

The primary function of the best steam cleaners for clothes is to provide a neat, tidy, and wrinkle-free look to your dress. But did you know steam cleaning clothes remove odor as well?

Well, let me tell you the best clothes steamers can remove unpleasant smell and also kill germs and bacteria that causes odor in the dress.

Steam cleaning is one of the most cost-effective methods of cleaning clothes. If you have a steamer for clothes, you can use it for steam cleaning couch, curtains, car upholstery, and more.

Does Steaming Clean Clothes and Remove Odor ?

The answer is yes!

Steam cleaning clothes eliminate bad smell and bacteria that cause odor.

No doubt steam cleaning gives you unstained fabric and assists you to get rid of stinky odors. It fends off the growth of molds and mildews that may cause in odors.

There are professional dry cleaners that take special care for your clothes. But unfortunately, they are quite expensive plus takes time (a week or two).

If you want to re-wear clothes anytime soon, then steam cleaner for clothes is the best option to go for. It is affordable and effective.

Steam cleaning is a natural process that cleans clothes with simple tap water. Just pour water in the tank, wait for 10 minutes, and you’re ready to go.

Highly pressurized vapors that come through nozzle remove odors, mold stains, and bacteria that lurk the fabric’s innermost side.

It comes with various attachments that provide ease of cleaning the whole house including fabric, furniture, sanitizes tile and hardwood floors, removes grease and grime from kitchen appliances, and the list goes on.

Types of Odors in Clothes

There are various types of odors that may come out of the clothes. Some of them are mentioned below.

Body Odor/Sweat Odor

Sweaty clothes always smell bad. In clothes, the most unpleasant smell is the underarm smell. Even after laundry, it may exist in the fabric. To get lingering odors out of clothes, make use of the steam cleaner. You can make your clothes smell good by using a steam cleaner.

Mothball Odor

Mothballs are round balls made of chemical named naphthalene that is deadly harmful to humans. These are usually kept in cupboards to keep moth larvae away from the fabric.

However, these balls have an unpleasant smell, and regular washing does not work to get free from this nasty odor. Steam cleaner is the best way to deal with this smell. This one-time cleaning will refresh your clothes.

Food Odor

If you cook food daily, you will be aware that the clothes absorb cooking odors quickly as there are countless home-based methods to get rid of food aroma embedded in clothes. But they do not work for long.

Wait! Do not take stress at all. Steam cleaner for clothes do this for you in a jiffy. Steaming provides you with a gentle, fresh, and safe cleaning.

Pet’s Odor

Our beloved pets in the home can be annoying when they accidentally pee on your dress. It not only leaves a stain but also stinks very bad.

There are many traditional ways to get rid of them, but unfortunately these hacks will leave you with germs, bacteria’s, and pesky smell behind.

You can easily clean them using the best handheld steam cleaners for home use.

Benefits of Steam Clean Clothes

Preserves Clothing for a Long Time

Traditional washing of clothes regularly fade out their color and makes its fiber weak.

This may tear up the fabric, and you won’t be able to wear it again.

Steam cleaner for clothes provides you with the ease of cleaning and purifying and prolongs the garments life and cuts down the laundry expenses.

Get Free of Stains

Even you perform laundry at your best but sometimes left with stubborn spots and stains embedded deep inside the fabric. Throwing away your favorite shirt seems to be an easy solution if you have a lot of buck in your bank account if that is not the case, then using a steam cleaner is best.

Our recommendation is to pre-treat the stains first. Then use a steam cleaner over a particular area. Its high-pressure steam effectively removes marks and spots.

Save’s You Time

A steam cleaner is like a best friend that assists you every day by saving your valuable time.

No matter, you are getting late for some important meeting or planning to visit your loved ones?

This magical machine makes the dress ready to wear again in a very quick time.

Burst Out Wrinkles

Typical ironing method makes you feel exhausted, and sometimes you fail to remove wrinkles from clothes.

Best steam cleaner for clothes delivers powerful and consistent intense steam to remove wrinkles, sanitize, and humidifies clothes.

It makes the process much faster and hassle-free rather than traditional ironing.

Not only that, it is preferable to be used on any kind of fabric including silk, linen, polyester, velvet, satin, and also works amazingly on table covers, drapes, curtains, bedding, and pillows.

No Harsh Chemicals

Harmful chemical like Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLS) and Dioxane is being used in laundry detergents. These chemicals damage the fabric and fade their color. These detergents can cause negative health problems relating to skin allergies.

Steam cleaner for garments reduces the use of toxic agents because it cleans and purifies the clothes through a natural process. You will only be needing normal tap or distilled water.

Lessens Allergens

Maintaining a house or clothes free of allergen particles is difficult. Instead of applying different harsh chemicals to get rid of mold, dust mites and other pollutants, you can use 100% natural and risk-free cleaning method “Steam Cleaning”.

When water reaches its highest boiling point, it becomes strong enough to kill bacteria, odors, and other allergens. Steam cleaning makes day to day, cleaning more easy and efficient.

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Final Words

A steam cleaner is a machine that helps you lift all the dirt, dust , pet dander, and bad smell embedded deep inside the garments and fabrics. Instantly eliminates all the wrinkles, stains, and odors from your favorite attire.

With so much interest in home cleaning, everybody has concerns about eliminating grime, dirt, and hard to remove spots without applying harsh chemicals. People look for natural and chemical-free solutions.

If your preference is to clean and sanitize your home naturally, then steam cleaner is your best bet. It’s a simple, fast, trustworthy and easy solution to get rid of dirt and stains.

Before buying a steam cleaner for your home, it’s essential to acquire knowledge about a machine’s main features. Its tank capacity, running time, accessories, and heat pressure, how it works, etc.

How Hot Do a Steam Cleaners Get

One of the main features of a steam cleaner that determines its power is its ability to produce hot steam. So, you must learn how hot does a steam cleaner get before buying it.

The right place to start your search is to find the accurate pound per square inch (PSI) of the steam cleaner.

The highest boiling temperature means the high pressure of steam.

Domestic steam cleaners heat-up in between 150° and 300° Fahrenheit (66-149° Celsius). Standard steam cleaners heat-up ordinary water in less than 5 mins up to 245° F.

That is strong enough to burst out the stubborn spots and stains on rugs, sofas, car interiors, kills bed bugs, and eliminates 99.9% of viruses in a jiffy.

Note: When the steamer is hot, be careful at that time, as accidental spills may cause burns.

Steam Cleaner Temperature Benefits

Versatility

Versatility is one of the best advantages of steam cleaning. Steam cleaning is an appropriate way to clean area rugs, bathroom, kitchen, upholstery, mirrors, car interior, and every nook and cranny of the house.

There is no need to use harsh chemicals in this process. This technique requires nothing except a simple tap or distilled water that turns into high-pressure steam and make any surface spotless and germs free.

Reduces Cross-Contamination

With traditional cleaning, you won’t be able to reduce or overcome the problem of cross-contamination.

The risk of transferring bacteria and germs from one surface to another while cleaning is a serious problem, especially in this pandemic era of Coronavirus.

Hot and pressurized steam cleaner helps you to subdue the contamination of germs, viruses, and bacteria, and more. Many of the contaminations occur due to moisture on the surface. When all of these contaminants are exposed to hot vapor, they instantly die.

Chemical Free

As we have mentioned above, steam cleaning is a natural process of cleaning. Steaming delivers you a sparkling shine, while applying a chemical can leave you a streaky and grimy look.

Besides this, poisoning ingredients used in the detergents may cause various health problems.

• Skin irritation
• Allergic reactions
• Breathing problem
• Burning of sensations
• Headaches

Control on Allergies

A steam cleaner is also good for allergens as it eliminates dust mites, pollen grains, and other allergy particles with its high-pressure steam that comes through its nozzle.

It’s strong enough to make allergens harmless on the surfaces like upholstery, pillows, and carpets. Discontinuing the use of toxic chemicals is another way to get allergy relief.

Eliminate Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are flat and small insects that hide in bed, furniture, cracks, and crevices of walls. It’s not an easy task to get rid of these little beasts.

High temperature is the only possible way to kill these nasty bugs.

With the help of a steam cleaner for bed bugs, you can sanitize the surface quickly.

Continuous exposure to a temperature of 160-180°F kills the bed bugs in a short time.

Steam cleaning is a much-needed practice to steam clean and sanitize used furniture.

Tip: You can repeat the process of steaming twice a week to get rid of these tiny insects and their eggs completely.

CHECK OUT
10 Best Steam Cleaners for Bed Bugs

Remove Odors

A steam cleaner is a very powerful and effective tool. Many of the machines come along with enzyme formula that can remove stains and remove pet urine odor.

It penetrates deep inside the dirty surface, eliminates all the mess, and delivers you a neat and tidy environment around the house.

Eco-Friendly

It is an Eco-friendly method of cleaning. It’s hot pressurized steam purify your home’s environment and make it safer for you, your family members, and pets.

Affordable Cleaning

There is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on professional steam cleaning services. Just buy a good steam cleaner unit as per your cleaning requirements. Follow the instructions mentioned in the manual in the right way, and you can achieve the commercial-grade cleaning with better results.

Here is the list of top 10 highly affordable steam cleaners: Best Steam Cleaner Under $100

Final Words

A steam cleaner is a magical cleaning machine that can efficiently clean and sanitized anything without putting in more effort and time. Steaming is a process that is a combo of heat and high pressure. This helps you eradicate all the embedded dirt, spots, and messes without utilizing toxic agents to harm floors and fabrics.

A steam cleaner is a worth investing cleaning appliance. It fulfils all your home cleaning needs; from cleaning tiles and grout to kitchen appliances, car detailing, and steam cleaning fabric.

A true challenge is the selection of the best steam cleaner. You can afford to spend money on a machine that doesn’t meet your cleaning requirements.

A wide variety of steam cleaners available in the market makes decision making a bit difficult because of the lack of knowledge.

To assist you guys in choosing the right steam cleaner, BestBuySteamCleaners brings you a comprehensive guide that explains what to look for while buying the best steam cleaner for home and office.

Types of Steam Cleaners

Before deep-diving into details, it is important for you to learn the type of steam cleaner available in the market. Generally, steam cleaners fall into 4 major categories:

Steam Mops

Steam mops are the popular one among other types. They are the best alternatives to traditional moping styles. It works best on all kinds of floors without using chemicals and other harsh substances. It is light weighted, eco-friendly, and easy to operate.

Keep in mind that these are not build to clean counter, corners, and hard to reach areas. You may need to attach an appropriate tool to perform such an action.

Handheld Steamers

These light and portable devices are specially designed to work in small spaces, beneath areas, tight corners, and different kinds of stuff. They are the most affordable, simple to handle, and easy to secure in any place.

Canister Steam Cleaners

Canister or cylinder steam cleaners are heavy-duty large-sized machines that can perform multipurpose cleaning to a great extent. They have more power and water storage and best for deep cleaning.

Ultimately, give long run time and better performance on different kinds of surfaces. Like other steam cleaners, these are also quite effective sanitizers and kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria.

When it comes to mobility, these expensive machines are not the best ones to select.

Vapor Steam Cleaner

Vapor steam cleaner is considered the best one among the rest of the 3 cleaners. The design and functions are similar to cylinder steam cleaner, except for one feature that makes this device the most distinctive one, i.e. “dry steam”. This mechanism effectively utilizes the high heated steam on the surface and quickly dry it. So, don’t need to worry about any damage that often causes by excess moisture.

Though, these are the most expensive units but works great on all kind of surfaces and comes with multiple attachments.

Steam Cleaner Buying Guide

Here we have listed a few things that you should look for when investing in a good steam cleaner.

Size and Weight

Mobility and storage of a steam cleaner are associated with this vary factor.

The compact and lightweight steam cleaner will be easy to move and store as compared to a heavy-duty model. From a selection of professional to lightweight handheld steam cleaner, there is a wide range of heavy-duty and compact steam cleaning machines.

Obviously, a heavy-duty model of a steam cleaner will have more features and power as compared to a lightweight unit. However, its maneuverability would be a big challenge.

You need to check the size and weight of all units that you have shortlisted for buying and pick the one that you can easily transfer to any corner of the house and keep it out of sight when not in use.

Storage totally depends upon the space you have at your home if you have enough room for a bigger beast to sit then size won’t be a problem for you.

Attachments & Accessories

A good brand of steam cleaner includes a variety of attachments inside the box to enhance the functionality of the product. These attachments allow the user to deep clean different types of surfaces, reach hard and tricky areas, and disinfect different areas of your home.

Some of the common accessories that the company provide with the steam cleaner are:

• Brushes
• Nozzle
• Funnel
• Extension Tube
• Floor Cleaning Head & Pad

Ensure that the steam cleaner you are buying includes all necessary attachments that you will need to clean your home. The use of every attachment has its own advantage, and there is no point in buying a steam cleaner that doesn’t provide you your desired extensions.

Pressure, Temperature & Consistency

Steam temperature, pressure, and consistency are important factors interlinked with each other and need to be considered while choosing the best steam cleaner for home because they play a vital role in cleaning.

A steam cleaner that produces high-temperature pressurized steam at a constant rate can provide deeper cleaning, makes the surface free from stubborn stains, germs, and bacteria. However, a machine producing incredibly hot steam, but the level of pressure is inconsistent, it will be less likely to provide you with a good cleansing of household items.

A steam cleaner with higher temperature and pressure is a bit heavy on the pocket. If you want top-quality cleaning, you have to spend some extra bucks.

The Capacity of the Water Tank

If you have ever used a steam iron, you will be aware it produces steam as long as there is water in its reservoir, and the same goes for steam cleaners.

Steam mops and handheld steam cleaners have smaller tanks. They heat up very quickly but require frequent re-filling of water in the middle of the work. Contrary to that, steam cleaner with larger tanks takes longer to heat up, but they last longer. You can smoothly perform medium to large scale cleaning work in a single go.

The choice is totally yours, and you can select the one that perfectly fits your cleaning requirements.

Noise Levels

Almost every cleaning device makes a noise, and the same goes for steam cleaners. The noise produced by a steam cleaning machine depends upon its size, the bigger the size, the louder it will be. If noise is one of your primary concerns, then a portable, handheld, a compact steam cleaner is a right choice for you. But still, you should expect a little bit of noise as it is a machine after all.

An ear plug can also be used to protect your ears from the loud noise of steam cleaners.

Budget Friendliness

A variety of factors, such as brand name, type of steam cleaner, features, attachments, etc. determine the price of a steam cleaner. If you want to buy a steaming machine at a reasonable price, we recommend you to go for handheld steam cleaners or steam mops.

You will also find some budget-friendly steam cleaners that have received a lot of appreciation from the users. Actually, it all depends upon the kind of work you are planning to take from the machine and frequency of usage.

If you are planning to use the machine frequently and without compromising over cleaning quality, we suggest invest some extra money to get a good one instead of saving a few bucks. Doing so will save you from spending your hard-earned money on other cleaning products and will benefit you in the long run.

Installation & Usability

These are the factors that most of the people ignore because there primary focus is on the feature and price of a steam cleaner due to which sometimes they end up in buying a wrong item for themselves.

Heavy-duty steam cleaners are usually difficult to install and use but they are efficient in providing deep cleaning. On the other hand, lightweight steam cleaners are easy to set up and use.

If you think you don’t have extra energy to push heavy items without harming yourself, it will be good to go for a small, highly portable steam cleaner.

Durability

You might be thinking about how you can judge a product’s durability without using it, right?

Here is a little trick, go to the product page, and open customer reviews. Read some positive reviews as well as negative ones; this will help you find out how much durable the steam cleaner is.

Final Words

Generally, steam cleaners are versatile machines that perform triple-action simultaneously, such as cleaning, disinfection, and protection. The right steam cleaner is neither the most expensive one nor the most powerful, but the most suitable and perfect machine is the only that accurately fulfil someone’s needs, demands and gives desired results. Before buying any steamer, you should know exactly what you are looking for and how much you can afford.

Ahh! Those cozy nights curling up on the comfortable couch chilling, Netflixing and eating food!

But that calming sensation of the couch diminishes soon when our out of control kids and rambunctious animals’ spring around everywhere, leaving dirt prints on the sofa.

The food spills, dirt, dander, pet hairs, and mysterious spots of our upholstery eventually make us conscious in front of guests.

Some people then choose to blanket the whole sofa with covers to hide the stains. People also try different types of couch cleaning hacks that don’t work and results in leaving it all smudgy and stained.

One of the smartest ways to get rid of dirt, stains, and odor is to clean a couch with a steam cleaner. It works best when it comes to removing tough stains and eliminating pet urine smell.

How to Clean a Couch with a Steam Cleaner? [Best Guide]

Here’s a step by step guide to clean the couch and give it a fresh look.

Choosing the Right Steam Cleaner

The right tool can work wonders, whereas the wrong gadget can adversely affect your upholstery. Steam cleaners are of various types like: handheld cloth steam cleaners, upholstery, or vapor steam cleaner.

A good handheld steam cleaner is light-weight and effective because it can reach the crevices and corners of the couch.

Upholstery cleaners have special attachments specifically designed for cleaning sofa and couch.

Vapor steam cleaner dries out the surface instantly. Choose the best handheld steam cleaners for couch according to your needs. Just avoid the bulky carpet cleaners that do not have attachments to clean the sofa without damaging the fabric.

Check Cleaning Instructions

• Check the sofa tag for cleaning instructions. It may have any of the tags below.
• X: It means you can’t use water or steam. Just vacuum the sofa.
• W: It means you use steam or water to clean.
• S: Only solvent-based special cleaners are allowed.
• W/S: Both steam/water and solvent-based chemicals are safe to use.

Vacuum First

Before starting steam cleaning, remove all the loose dirt by vacuuming the couch and cushions properly. It will remove all pet’s hairs, dander, and dust particles.

The skinny shape of the crevice tool gets into the small corners of soft furnishings. And it cleans the debris and dust that was piled up from months or years of negligence.

Stain Cleaning

Some stubborn stains are better to be treated before steam cleaning so the dirt can loosen up.

You can use one of the following methods for removing stains from the couch. 

1. Spray rubbing alcohol over the stain and use a soft-bristled brush to rub the stain. Make sure to use the brush only if the fabric allows it.
2. Mix dishwashing liquid and water. Use a sponge or microfiber to apply the mixture to the stain. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes, so the stain loosens from the fiber of the fabric.
   Then use a dampened microfiber cloth to rub the stain gently to remove it. After that, use a clean and dry microfiber cloth, and blot the stain again without rubbing.
3. You can also use commercial upholstery cleaner to treat the stain.
4. Do not use harsh chemicals on microfiber couch, as harsh chemicals don’t go well with microfiber.
5. Treat the stains according to its nature. For example, to remove nail polish from the couch use a non-acetone polish remover on it. And gently blot it with a cotton ball till the nail polish mark disappears.
6. Similarly, sprinkle talcum powder to absorb oil stain before cleaning it with soapy water.

Treat the Fabric

• To get the best results from steam cleaning, treat the whole fabric with an upholstery shampoo. But before doing that, check the tag for W or W/S; only then you can shampoo it.
• Put a small amount of shampoo on a white cloth and apply it to the inconspicuous area first. If the color bleeds, don’t use the shampoo. If the color doesn’t bleed, then it’s safe to use the shampoo over the couch.
• Spray the shampoo on the sofa and let it absorb in the fabric. Use a gentle brush to scrub the grime. Use an absorbent cloth to dry out the excess moisture.

Prepare the Steam Cleaner

• Fill the reservoir with distilled water. Don’t overfill. Else it will release more moisture on the couch and drench it in water.
• Also, don’t add too much cleaning solution. Use the correct ratio of cleaning agent and water to avoid soaking your sofa with soapy water.
• Read the instructions to check the pre-heat time for your steam.
• Attach the hose and the right accessories according to the make and model of your steam cleaner.
• Plug it in the socket and get ready to start steam cleaning.
• Use a low to medium heat setting to steam clean a microfiber couch because high heat and harsh chemicals break down the fabric over time.

Clean Cushions First

• Start steam cleaning the cushions one by one.
• Squeeze the trigger of the cleaner to spray the cleaning solution first. It will dampen the cushion.
• Now move over the opening part of the machine to suction up the area.
• Steam clean only one side of the cushion at a time. Let that side dry first before moving on to the other side.

Steam from the Dirtiest to the Cleanest

After cushions, steam the dirtiest area of the couch first. It may be the corners of the armrest or the seat of the sofa. Then, move on to steam the relatively clean parts.

Start steam cleaning in small sections. Steam cleaners are designed to remove water stains, ingrained dirt, and it also removes pet urine smell from the couch.

Dry Your Couch

• Leave your couch to dry in the air. Open the windows, fan, or use the blow dryer to speed up the process.
• Do not put cushions on the damp couch. Moreover, do not use the couch for usual activities until it’s absolutely dry.
• Also, dry the cushions from both sides by turning it over.

Remove Remaining Stains

Some of the toughest stains need to be cleaned again. If, after drying, you still see some spots, use the above-mentioned method to treat those. You can use the steamer on that particularly troubled area once more to make it sparkly clean.

Benefits of Steam Cleaning a Couch

Let’s look at why steam cleaning is the best method to remove stains, dirt, cat urine smell, and other odors from the couch.

Restore Original Freshness

Over time, the dirt piles up on the couch, and the fabric of the upholstery fades, making its look a bit dull. Steam cleaning pulls out all the dirt and helps in restoring its original day one look.

Chemical Free Solution

Steam cleaning only uses water that turns into steam which easily melt dirt and grime. It saves you and your couch’s fabric from harsh chemicals.

Prolong Your Couch’s Life

Properly cleaned and maintained soft furnishing don’t need replacement soon enough. Steam cleaning ensures the long life of the couch by powerful yet gentle cleansing.

Kills Germs and Bacteria

Our couches harbor and breed the noxious bacteria and germs. Steam cleaning has proven to kill 99.9% of germs along with exterminating mold and mildew. It protects your beloved family from harmful pathogens and from getting ill.

Moreover, steam cleaning kills bed bugs, their eggs and prevent their further infestation. Besides that, it relieves you from seeing the undesirable blood streaks of the bed bugs and inhaling their stinking odor.

Time-Saving and Cost-Effective Method

Other cleaning methods take almost double the time, whereas steam cleaning at home is the quickest way, and it also reduces the cleaning cost.

Final Words

The dirty filthy stains rips out the beauty of your soft furnishings. Proper maintenance at frequent intervals can save you from further expense of buying a new couch. Steam cleaning has made the procedure easy and quick without any need to call professional couch cleaners. It helps restore the originality of your couch so you can enjoy family time or entertain guests without having to hide the ugliness of the couch.

Nowadays, hardwood floors are more popular compared to any other flooring type. Whether your house is old or, new wooden floors provide an eternal pattern.

This may also add value, timeless style, and organic beauty to your house. A well maintained wooden floor may last for decades.

One type of wooden floors is an engineered hardwood floor which is made up of multiple layers of wood. The top layer is made up of solid wood, while the other layers include different materials like plywood.

Some of the other distinguishing factors that make engineered hardwood floor more famous than other floorings are durability, versatility, and sustainability.

Every phase of life comes with new messes, and the same goes for this floor too when it comes to cleaning.

No need to worry about!

All you have to do is make your habit of regular cleaning, and that’s all. In spite of this, cleaning of engineered hardwood floor is a sensitive issue among home-owners.

There are numerous methods to clean and disinfect floors, and among them, a steam mop is the best way to get rid of germs and viruses. It delivers a neat and tidy surface with the help of its hot and pressurized steam.

Can You Use a Steam Mop on Engineered Hardwood Floors?

Variety of top quality steam cleaners and steam mops are available for this purpose. Some of them claim that they are mostly made for cleaning hardwood floors.

The fact is, hardwood is an absorbent material. If exposed to water, steam gets in through the cracks and crevices. And it may plump up and cause damages like porous and growth of mold.

However, the engineered floor can withstand humid conditions with little contractions and expansion. As we stated earlier, it is designed with extra layers of plywood for stability and support. That’s why it’s famous for the bathroom and kitchen.

Before diving-in to clean the wooden floor, you must take care of the following things:

• Before using a steam mop on floors, check your floor type, whether it is sealed or unsealed hardwood flooring. If it is unsealed, then hot and pressurized steam can deface the surface.
• Using excessive water or steam may damage a wood floor. Don’t forget to check the steam intensity level while cleaning, because high-level steam can decrease the floor luster.

Best Way to Clean Engineered Hardwood Floor

An engineered hardwood floor can handle more moisture than a solid hardwood floor, but it’s a fact surplus use of water can damage it.

So, the best way to clean an engineered wooden floor is to use a machine that can wipe out the entire water residue. Some steam mop comes with the drying feature that soaks up the water that is left behind.

Recommendation: For high traffic areas use a steam mop once a week, rather than daily. Or twice a month for low traffic places.

Commercial Products

You can also buy commercial cleaning products that are specially made for cleaning engineered wood floors. It’s recommended not to use tile and grout, laminate, and other cleaning products on engineered wooden floor.

Damp Mop

Damp mopping is the way followed by experts to clean hardwood floors. Steam cleaning is the most effective method of day to day cleaning. Make sure that your mop is not drenched with water, and it should be slightly wet.

Note: Never apply the cleaners directly on the floor, it’s recommended to use a damp mop or rag for this purpose.

Dry Microfiber Mop

Dirt and debris are more visible on the engineered wood floor as compared to other floors. For this purpose, use a vacuum cleaner or dry microfiber pad to pick up all the dirt and dust from the floor.

Tips for Cleaning Engineered Hardwood Floor

1. Clean up all dirt and debris with soft bristle broom OR use a vacuum that is without rotating bristle bar
2. Use Microfiber dry mop to ensure that you’ve spotless surface
3. Make use of traditional mop that is slightly wet
4. Don’t forget to place doormats at the entrance of every high traffic areas
5. Don’t use cleaning products without recommendation. Make sure what type of flooring you have, then buy a liquid cleaner
6. Protect from dents and dog scratches on wood floor
7. Never use harsh chemicals like ammonia
8. Protect your beautiful engineered hardwood floor from exposure of Ultraviolet Light. It can fade, crack, and degrade the flooring material.

Conclusion

Engineered hardwood floors consider a long-term investment. Every type of flooring needs care and regular cleaning to look great for long. Use the recommended devices and products to clean and sanitize your Engineered Hardwood Floor. Make sure to read and follow the instructions thoroughly. Make certain, not to use a steam cleaner or extremely wet mop on the floor. It will damage your floor

Whether you have just upgraded your flooring or shifted to a new home that has lustrous laminate flooring, you want to keep it looking fresh like it was on day one. But kids and pets run around the house, and you can imagine the mess they create.

There starts the search for the ways to clean your laminate floors. Although you may be tempted to use steam cleaners or steam mops to lift off the dirt, stains, and blast all germs, it’s not recommended to use steam cleaner or mop.

Can You Use a Steam Cleaner on Laminate Floors?

NO! Steam can damage the core and make laminated floor swell or bend.

Before going further, let’s first understand what laminate flooring is and how does steam damage the laminate floors.

Construction of Laminate Floors

Laminate floors are comprised of four layers pressed together with high pressure, binding chemicals, and heat. The lower layer has a wooden base; the top layer (wear layer) is a transparent layer that protects the floor from stains and scratches. The middle layers are made of high-density fiberboard material.

The construction is susceptible to heat and moisture. Although it can bear occasional spills, long-standing water can seep through the seals, and the floor can swell and warp.

How Does Steam Damages The Laminate Flooring?

Steam cleaners release high-temperature steam with pressure. So, it’s suitable for tough stains and germs. But, when the high pressure steam hit the laminate surface, it reaches the inner layers of laminate floors through the seams by weakening the sealant.

The vapor then cools down and turns into liquid. This moisture loosens the binding chemical that was holding the inner layers together. It results in laminate flooring to swell, warp, or bend. It’s how steam cleaner damages laminate floor.

Moreover, water-damaged laminate flooring can’t be fixed; it can only be replaced. So, the steam should be avoided to clean the laminate floors.

Water-Resistant Protective Coating

With water-resistant laminate flooring material hitting the market, it has become popular among people for flooring. But does it make it suitable for steam cleaning? The answer is “yes” and “no”.  Let me tell you how.

If your floor’s protective coating is intact, only then you can use steam on a low heat setting and by quickly wiping off the moisture. However, only use it once in a while for deep cleaning purposes.

But over the period, the floor loses its HydroSeal and shine by wear and tear. With such floors, you can’t use steam mops ever for cleaning. The glossy shine and the protective coating also fade and discolors by frequent use of steam.

Effect on Warranty

Laminate manufacturing companies do not cover the damage resulting from improper cleaning methods and exposure to heat and water. If you do not want to lose your floor’s warranty, adhering to the manufacturer’s cleaning guidelines is the best option.

How to Clean Laminate Floors

Laminate floors are easy to maintain if you adopt a few cleaning habits. Here we are mentioning a few tips to make your laminate floor as clean as new.

Vacuum and Dry Mop

Use a vacuum or dry mop to wipe off the dirt and debris. Make a habit of vacuuming daily. Do not use abrasive tools, rotating brush, or beater bars.

Wet Spills

Wipe off the spills as soon as possible. Spills will damage the top wear layer, so it’s best to blot it straight away.

Tough Stains

Similarly, all the stains and spots should be cleaned immediately; else, it will be difficult to clean the spots.

For oil spots, you can use acetone on a clean cloth to wipe them off. Wax or chewing gum should be scraped off gently after icing it.

For unknown spots – use one part rubbing alcohol, three parts water, and a few drops of all-purpose cleaner. Damp your cloth with the solution, clean it gently, and wipe the surface with a dry cloth.

Spray Mop

You can use spray mops to deep clean laminate floors and restore their original shine.

1. For this, fill the spray bottle with half a cup of rubbing alcohol, one tablespoon of dish soap, or cleaning liquid that can be used on laminate floors, and fill the rest of the bottle with the distilled water.
2. You can also use water and vinegar solution. But do not use too much vinegar, as it is acidic, and too much acid can make the floor lose its shine.
3. Move the mop in the direction of the grain and squirt the liquid as you go. The mop will dry the water immediately.
4. It’s better to turn on the fan or open the windows, so the floor dries quickly.

What about Smudges and Streaks?

There can be many reasons to have smudges and streaks. If the floor is too dirty, streaks will appear. The trick is to mop again with a clean cloth until you see the sparkly clean surface. Always use a clean mopping pad. If the floor isn’t drying quickly, it can also leave a mark on the laminate surface. Moreover, the overuse of cleaning solution will result in sticky floors and leave smudges.

Conclusion

Laminate floors resemble hardwood flooring, and they are an economical and attractive floor covering option. In addition to that, they are scratch-resistant and durable if maintained properly. Steam cleaning is not appropriate for cleaning the laminate floors. But if you still chose to clean the water-resistant floors with steam, take proper precautions. Even the water-resistant floors should also be treated carefully with a low heat setting.