Steam cleaner is indispensable in cases where you need to quickly and efficiently clean the room, not only from dust and dirt, but also from bacteria, allergens and other microorganisms. Initially, such devices were created for medical institutions. But today they are no less popular among Russian consumers, since they greatly facilitate the cleaning process, allowing you to quickly and effortlessly clean almost any surface from all kinds of pollution.
Main selection criteria
Types of steam cleaners
When choosing a steam cleaner for your home, you should pay attention to both the functionality and technical specifications. On sale you can find three types of steam cleaners, each of which has its own characteristics.
- Hand held- have the compact sizes, are convenient in use and storage. They are available due to low cost and can easily handle hard-to-reach places. The only drawback of a handheld steam cleaner is their weight. Two kilogram device will be difficult to hold for a long time in their hands. Therefore, a portable steam cleaner should be chosen only if the cleaning will be short and only from time to time.
- Compact - are the golden mean between the vacuum cleaner and the hand-held device. They have a long hose and a reservoir that can be on the shoulder or stand on the floor during cleaning. Compact models are suitable in cases where regular cleaning and disinfection is required. When choosing such steam cleaners, you should pay attention to the length of the hose and cable: the longer they are, the better. Complete with such devices, as a rule, nozzles are supplied for washing various surfaces.
- Vacuum cleaners- used for professional cleaning. Steam cleaners, vacuum cleaners are powerful, efficient and expensive. Many people combine the functions of washing, as well as cleaning with hot and cold steam. Due to the high cost, the acquisition of such a model is not always rational, but for adherents of perfect cleanliness in the house - it is fully justified.
Boiler capacity and heating
- Direct flow - water is heated as it is released. Interior - steam is generated directly in the boiler. In this case, the jet power and steam temperature will be much higher.
- Internal steam generator can be made of steel or aluminum. Aluminum boilers are preferable because they heat up faster and are less prone to the formation of scale.
- Steam boiler capacity in manual steam cleaners can be 0.175-2.5 liters. Floor models may have a 5-liter volume. At the same time, the operating time will depend on the amount of water poured into the tank. For example, a liter tank is enough for 20-30 minutes.
Vapor pressure
Another important characteristic that you should pay attention to when choosing a steam cleaner is steam pressure. As a rule, this indicator varies within 2-6 bar. With a vapor pressure of less than 3 bar, the device will not cope well with its work. It should be borne in mind that in the technical specifications, manufacturers indicate the maximum pressure inside the boiler.
What else to pay attention
Power
The power of compact and hand-held devices, as a rule, is 700-1600 W, and floor-standing 1300-2300 W. And the higher this figure, the faster steam will be generated. Experts do not recommend to purchase devices with a capacity of less than 1000 W, because they are not able to effectively clean the surface from contamination.
The power regulator is a very convenient function with which you can reduce pressure or switch to the dry steam function. But the power control is not present in every model, so it is important to clarify its presence in advance.
Water heating time
The rate of water heating depends on the volume of the steam generator and power. Depending on these indicators, the heating process can take from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. To speed up the heat a little bit, you can use boiled hot water. In this case, the water will turn into steam much faster, and there will be much less problems with scale.
Steam temperature
The optimum steam temperature for steam cleaners ranges from 140 ° C. This allows you to effectively clean any surface without spoiling them. But if a steam cleaner is required primarily to kill pathogens, models should be selected that have a higher steam temperature.
Protection
Well, if the steam cleaner is equipped with a child protection function, a steam lock and a safety valve.
Most Popular Manufacturers
- Among Russian buyers, steam cleaners of such brands as are most popular: Karcher, Ariete, Clatronic, Polti, Philips and Thomas.
- Products under brands are much less popular in Russia Maxwell, Hilton and Saturn.
- Firms Magio, Orion, Vinis and Dex in the Russian market they cannot reach any significant figures at all. However, this does not mean that their products are completely worthless.
Photo: s5.kaercher-media.com
Useful tips
- It is important to pay special attention to the length of the cord. Popular manufacturers do not save on this and supply their models with cords, the length of which is from 4 to 6 meters. In cheaper steam cleaners, even problems may arise. But such a seemingly minor detail can be a real problem, especially if you need to clean the ceiling or the eaves.
- No less important is the length of the working hose through which steam is supplied. If the device is low-power and the hose is too long, the steam will cool down even before it reaches the cleaning nozzle.
- You should not completely trust advertising and think that a steam cleaner can cope with any pollution. For example, a steam cleaner is not effective in combating fatty deposits on the stove and in the oven.
Otherwise, a steam cleaner is a necessary device that can easily clean and disinfect virtually any surface in a house. If you buy it, you will definitely not regret it.
