Steam Cleaners – A Scunci or Shark Steam Cleaner
Purchasing a steam cleaner is an important decision, and not a simple one! Before researching steam cleaners, first make sure you know what you are looking for – a carpet "steam cleaner," or a vapor steam cleaner – distinctly different machines!
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Carpet Steam Cleaners vs. Vapor Steam Cleaners
Carpet steam cleaners, an effective appliance for cleaning carpets, are discussed on another page in this website – in fact, the term "steam cleaner" as it applies to deep-cleaning carpets is a misnomer. Appliances with that name tag are really water-extractors, a carpet deep-cleaning machine that usually uses very hot water and a cleaning solution to clean carpet from the backing to the top of the fibers, pulling the dirty water back into the machine – thus "extracting" the liquid from the carpet. Hoover SteamVacs, Bissell, Eureka/Electrolux and Oreck are all brands of popular carpet deep-cleaners thats are also called steam cleaners, even though they neither produce nor rely on steam to do the job of carpet deep-cleaning.
Traditional vapor steam cleaners are not extractors. They are most effective for cleaning and sanitizing hard surfaces like floors and walls, and soft surfaces like curtains and mattresses. A vapor steam cleaner will also surface clean carpeting, but cannot be effectively used to deep-clean carpet. In the context of this discussion, steam cleaners will refer to vapor steam cleaner for surface sanitizing. There is no suction or recovery tank, and they require the use of a cloth to pick up the loosened dirt.
Ideal for eliminating allergens in the home, particularly dust mites and animal dander, vapor steam cleaners are often recommended as a solution to ease the symptoms of allergy sufferers.
Choosing a vapor steam cleaner
Why is one steam cleaner more expensive than another? Which features should you look for? How can you judge the quality of a vapor cleaning system? And, most importantly, how do you know which system is right for you?
Researching vapor steam cleaning websites, and allergy-related websites will answer many of those questions, and probably raise a few more. As you look online, in appliance stores, watch TV infomercials and check consumer guides, you'll find that a wide range of vapor steam cleaners for a wide range of uses are available.
Names synonymous with convenient hand-held steamers are Scunci and the Euro Pro/Shark models. These are less expensive than other brands, in part because of their limitations as to continuous fill capacity and material of steam vessel (aluminum vs. stainless steel boiler). For light steaming jobs of short duration, like getting the wrinkles out of a suit or freshening drapes, these are affordable choices.
But determining which vapor cleaning system is right for you begins with understanding the differences between the types of steam cleaners available on the market today.
Most steam cleaners from reputable manufacturers do a good job of cleaning, and nearly all offer some type of warranty. Steam cleaners also come with a range of features, but don't be swayed by bells and whistles. There are only a few features that really make a difference.
As with anything, you get what you pay for. A quality steam cleaning system features extremely high temperature water vapor, a boiler capacity of at least 2 liters, a full complement of accessories, a safety cap for refilling, and a manufacturer's warranty of at least one year (at least five years on the boiler).
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