Steam cleaners: What they sold me?

The test went all over the apartment

Now begins what is perhaps the most interesting part: testing the appliance in operation.

I have a mini-model Clatronic DR 2930, universal with a pressure of 3.5 bar. I turn it on, I add water I take boiling water not to wait , I hear the rumbling like an electric kettle and the steam appears 30-40 seconds later.

The steam jet is powerful, it hisses when I use the narrow nozzle, and it makes a noise like a welder when I use the brush nozzle.

My appliance has a number of advantages, among which is the consistency of the steam. Up to the last portion, the steam goes under the same strong pressure as with a full tank. Another plus is the long cord, enough within one room…

So, my mini-model rumbled like an electric kettle, and the steam hissed…

Well, you’re steaming!

I start checking out the steamer in the kitchen. Test one – grease on metal surface. In front of you is the kettle, which I purposely didn’t wash for a few days. I put a brush on the nozzle of the steamer and start cleaning.

My appliance makes so much noise that I just swallow, but the dirt doesn’t go away. After agonizing for a while, I decide that I need a clean kettle anyway, I apply the cleaner to it.

After about 5-10 minutes I notice the steamed surface shines from the gel, the non-steamed surface looks worse. The steamed surface was no longer needed to be cleaned – just rinsed off. But I still wanted to see how the dirt would come off elsewhere. I direct the steam jet there – it comes off, but it’s worse! And it is noticeable that there is no such gloss and shine.

After 5-10 minutes I noticed a shiny kettle in the kitchen

Plaque is not an easy thing to get

The next test is lime scale you’ve probably seen how cleverly the steamer removes it in commercials .

Before you a saucer from under a flower pot. I Dollars half of it with dishwashing liquid. You can immediately see where it’s been, it’s the only place where the stain has suffered, and the overall result is unsatisfactory.

Of course I can, and lime a liter of water and finish off this plaque, but I find it easier to soak a saucer in gel, and after an hour, rinsing it, get a clean one.

Maybe we can steam the saucer some other time?

The steam blows the rust off?

Now the rust. This ceramic figurine serves as a holder for the plants, I wipe one stain with the gel and not the other. Again, the difference is obvious: on the porous ceramic surface, the rust has come off only where the gel hit, and it is pale in the rest.

I go on to the kitchen stove, where some porridge escaped onto the cooking top in the morning. I go over the stain from the top and leave it to soak a little. I now pile up the dirt with the narrow nozzle and collect it with a paper towel. The work took no more than a minute.

Along the way I notice a greasy spot on the cast iron plate. I always struggle with these grids for a long time: soaking them in hot water with baking soda, then brushing them, but it’s hard to get them all clean again.

To my surprise this old stain is really coming off!

But the steamer failed on the bread machine. The device, not cleaned immediately, stood for a couple of weeks, or even more – greasy drops on the lid and walls washed only after the application of gel, then I long collected moisture and dirt with a napkin. In short, it’s too much trouble, and I’ve spent as much time and effort as if I had a normal rag in my hands.

The kitties took a steam bath with great pleasure. But they were washed later…

Batteries are asking for a steam room

The next test was the screen on the radiator, where the grid was covered with a layer of dust. In normal conditions, a long fiddling with not the best result is guaranteed. I put on the wide nozzle and steamed the whole surface to make it go faster.

Now I change the nozzle, take a brush, dip it in a soapy solution dish detergent plus water and press the button. The dirt is removed like magic!

The dirt comes down, so I have to work from above, and I have to use the microfiber to pick up the moisture. For one canvas, I spent about 15 minutes in a room where the air is different, it takes 5 .

Of course there are imperfections, but I think if I’m in the mood, removing them will be much easier.

The radiators wash up quickly, but the floor with a puddle – not so much

It pleased me when I worked on the door

At last I decide to check whether steam is able to wash grout seams between the tiles. Once-white cement looks duller under a layer of dust and other nastiness. After the procedure and drying, it turns out: the steam cope, seams whitened, but treated with a special agent cleaned more evenly and better.

I decide to look in the bathroom right away. Here the problem is more complicated: the seams are not so much clogged as the plaque from cigarette smoke. But I couldn’t do it right the first time. I apply toilet detergent to the seams with chlorine, some of the steamer, some of it is not – the difference is almost invisible.

I move into the room and the dust catches my attention. I treat furniture with steam through a wide nozzle and pick up moisture with a microfiber – it looks clean. I did not notice the lack of static and the resulting slower accumulation of dust. The dust returns at the same time as the rest of the furniture, which has not yet seen the delights of steam.

Stains on the wallpaper with steam come off very quickly not all, of course . The laminate flooring was cleaned with the steam and at the same time with just a cloth with powder – the result was identical, and in addition with my steamer-crumb to “steam” the floor is not very convenient.

The steamer pleased me when working on the door: really “advertising” efficiency – a jet of steam, plus a microfiber – and my door hasn’t looked so fresh and clean in a long time!

I tried to freshen up the leaves. The instructions for my appliance do not provide for such activities, but in other manuals have seen. Perhaps because of the lack of nozzle the effect is more than modest: for me a simple sprinkler is better, and to use it is not afraid of burning the leaves and your hands.

Windows and glass – the result is good, but in quality and time it is not much different from the usual wash spraying and scraping, then wiping with a microfiber , and you have to work with the steamer, but after that the glass should still wipe dry.

Now the textiles. The lampshade, for starters: it got a little dusty and stained, with stains and “out of the blue” stains. I rinse it with water, apply a thin layer of laundry gel directly on the surface and steam it with the wide nozzle. After drying, you can see especially on the background of the second lampshade : the fabric became lighter and cleaner, the streaks are gone, but the stains remain, although faded.

Next, the carpet: an attempt to clean it with steam alone was disappointing, the result was zero. Same with light-colored sofa upholstery. Can’t do without chemicals! Dissolve regular powder in water and quickly brush it on the surface. I use the wide nozzle and the brush, but whether the couch is too dirty or the steam is not too strong, the result is mediocre. Perhaps doing 1-2 more treatments and fixing the situation.

Test the steamer on the clothes. I hang white linen pants and a polo shirt on the hanger. Literally two vertical strokes on each item the nozzle is held close to the fabric on one side, then the other and that’s it, done, but, as I said, things are wet.

You can steam it or not – whether it’s clean or not?

The chocolate disappeared quickly, even from the stains

Remains to be tested to see if the steam is able to remove stains. I take a piece of cloth and put on markers of cooking oil, chocolate, tomato juice, mayonnaise, sour cream and leaves. Leaving for half a day. Steam with a whisk attachment.

Chocolate came off quickly and easily, the halo is gone when washing. The tomato juice succumbed to worse, but the stain faded a lot I think a drop of laundry detergent would have been fine . The parsley stain faded, but overall was the most resistant. The rest of the stains have cleared up nicely, they’re almost invisible now.

Parsley left a stain that didn’t want to go away

Summary: Steam actually helps, but not always

Steam makes cleaning easier in general, but on such feats, as in the ads, in my hands it was not capable, in addition, all the same has to tinker including with himself . Assurances that steam will replace household chemicals don’t convince me now, but in alliance they work well. The steamer was a pleasure to work with: the quality and speed of steaming are impressive, perhaps the most flawless function of the device.

Name	Purpose	Power, kW	Volume , l	Steam readiness	Steam power	Pressure, bar	Weight without water , kg	Features	Price, Dollars.
Steam Brush	for clothes	0.8	0.1	n.d.	7 g/min.	n.d.	0.6	is shaped like a brush, 2 nozzles, 1.54 m cord, warranty only 6 months.	1200
Ariete 4103	Steam cleaner	0,9	0,175	2 min.	n.d.	3	2.63	Thermofuse technology, cleaning and textile nozzles, 6m cord	2500
Grand Master GM-H600	for clothes	0,9	0,2	1,5-2 min.	13 g/min.	n.d.	1,1	Is shaped like a thermos with a handle, 2 nozzles, window to control the amount of water	2200
Clatronic DR 2930	steam cleaner	1	0.22	3 min.	n..	a 3.5	2	Portable, 5 m cord, 2 years warranty	1500
Monster EZ2-S SteamJet	steam mop	1,2	0,5	3 min.	14 gpm.	3,5	2,9	disinfecting function spets. with solution, wireless work 5 min., 7.5 m cord, shoulder strap	3000
Ariete 4170	steam cleaner	1,4	0,5	n.d.	h.d.	3.5	n.d.	Wheels, 2 m steam hose, 3.5 m cord	8000
Gorenje SC1800R Ulysess	steam cleaner	1.8	0.8	n.d.	n.d.	5	n.d.	cleaning nozzles, shoulder strap	8500
Karcher SC 1020	steam cleaner	1,5	1,2	7 min.	65 g/min.	3,2	3	wheels, floor nozzle, storage space on the body, 2-year warranty	5000
Karcher SC 2.500C	steam cleaner	1,5	0.5+0.8	n.d.	n.d.	3.2	4.1	castors, the steam pressure regulator on the handle, removable tank, floor cleaning kit, 2 m steam hose, descaler, 2-year warranty	7200
DeLonghi XVT 3000	steam cleaner	1,3	1.5	n.d.	n.d.	4	4.3	castors, cord 8 m	8000
Monster Garment Steamer	for clothes	1,5	1.6	1 min.	35 g/min.	n.d.	4.2	4 steam modes, wheels, rod, coat hanger, cleaning nozzle, 1 m cord	4000
Karcher SC 1402	steam cleaner	1,8	1,6 + 1	n.d.	n.d.	3,5	6,2	castors, refill tank in addition to the boiler , 2 m steam hose, 2-year warranty	16 000
Comfort NV-338	for clothes	1,5	1.7	45 s	20 g/min.	n.d.	5,6	Wheels, rod, hanger	4500
Grand Master GM-J205T	for clothes	1,75	1,7	1 min.	34 g min.	n.d.	5.5	LCD display, 5 steam modes, wheels, rod, hanger	8000
Ariete 4208	steam cleaner	1.6	1.7	n.d.	43 gpm.	4	n.d.	Wheels, 2 m steam hose, 6 m cord, 2-year warranty	13 500
Suboom SP-CT/118T	for clothing	1.6	1.8	n.d.	20 g/min.	n.d.	5.5	Wheels, bar, hanger	5300
Super Jet SJ-20 DJ	for clothes	1.5	2	45 s	25 g/s	n.d.	5.5	Wheels, rod, hanger, warranty only 3 months.	3000
Lelit PG024	steam cleaner	1,4	2	n.d.	n.d.	3,5	4	Wheels, semi-professional, can be connected to an iron	16 300
Vaporetto Eco Pro 3000	Steam cleaner	2	2.9	n.d.	110 gpm.	5	4.9	Portable, can be connected to an iron	37 000
Silter 2036/F	for clothes	1,25 + 0,5	3,5	8 min.	100 g/min.	4	7,95	Wheels, built-in heater in the brush to dry the steam	14 000
Lelit PG018	steam cleaner	2	4	n.d.	n.d.	4,5	9,5	Wheels, semi-professional, wet and dry steam, possibility of connecting an iron	23 000