Sanitizing with steam cleaners | Best steam disinfection machine for commercial and personal use

fact check policy
Updated on:

April 25, 2023

Steam sanitizer machine for home and office | Steam sanitizing and disinfection

Cleaning your car can be a tedious job. Vacuuming the floor and wiping the surfaces won't kill the bacteria. However, a steam cleaner is a way more proficient form of a chemical free cleaning, that does not use excess water. Steam cleaners are multi purpose and the included accessories can be applied for variety of surfaces to make the deep cleaning easier. Steam is strong enough for deep cleaning without using any chemicals. While cleaning, you are also disinfecting the area you are working on. This environmentally friendly machine is the perfect solution for a safe and efficient cleaning. It can fix problem areas like grime, to stubborn smells, and even applied for extermination of bugs. This simple technology is able to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria and viruses without spending money on expensive and hazardous chemicals. All you need to do to achieve a clean and disinfectant home is just your regular tap water. In this article, we will dive down to see what properties the best steam cleaners posses, where you can use steam and how, and the benefits of switching to steam cleaning.

Table of Contents (Show)

Table of Contents (Hide)

1 How does steam cleaning work?

Steam is water that has been heated at such high temperature that it turns into vapor. Steam cleaners release that vapor due to high pressure. Heat opens up surface pores allowing to easily deep clean all types of material. The high pressure added with high heat lets steam dissolve the toughest dirt while also disinfecting the surface you are steaming. You can always adjust the pressure depending on the type of surface you are cleaning. Low pressure is ultimately better for exterminating bedbugs since it doesn't push them in deeper into the fabric. On the other hand, high pressure settings are best for harder jobs like degreasing.

2 Where can steam cleaners be used?

Steam cleaners are able to clean most surfaces. From hard floors to small crevices in your car, our multipurpose steam cleaner is powerful enough to deep clean variety of places. The combination of high pressure levels and heat is able to battle stubborn stains while also disinfecting the area you are cleaning. Variable steam settings, like dry steam or wet steam, can be picked for different cleaning performance. With different attachments, like nylon brushes, you can reach the smallest places. If you need to clean larger surfaces or hard to reach places, the extension tubes would assist you in that.

In your car:

car cleaning with steam

Steam cleaners are great for tidying up your car. It is a much faster way to clean and disinfect your vehicle in around 30 minutes. The long hose and thin tip of the steam gun makes it easy to reach small crevices in the car. Steam is safe to use on surfaces like leather, plastic parts of the car, the AC, handles, and much more. The power of steam is strong enough to take off the toughest stains like spills, vomit, or mold. Steam is also useful in exterminating roaches. You can find more information on how to use steam for extermination in this article. It is easy to clean a large surface area with steam, so it can also be used for removing dirt on the exterior of your vehicle.

In your home:

toilet steam cleaning

Handheld steam cleaners are perfect for a home use. Light weight steamers, like Ivation All in One Household Steam Cleaner, are portable and don't require a big storage space. The mop attachment is ideal for cleaning floors and other attachments, like the nylon brush, is able to reach the smallest spots in your home. If you have pets, it is perfect to use on furniture like couches that attract pet smells. Also, the disinfecting properties of a steamer are very useful in a home with small children to get rid of enveloped viruses for a safe play. Steam cleaners are multi purpose and can be applied for variety of places in your home.

In your office:

sanitizing doctor office with steam cleaner

If you are a business owner, having a steam cleaner will ultimately elevate your business. Between business hours, you can use it to clean and disinfect the surfaces of your working area for a safe environment for your clients. It is perfect to clean the windows of your office, as well as dining room area. Cleaning with a steamer is fast and easy and the included accessories can be applied to make the process even simpler for your task.

Learn more about best vacuum steam cleaners

3 Why you should sanitize with steam cleaners

Of all sterilization methods, the saturated steam with high temperature and pressure is the most dependable. Steam sterilization is free of harsh chemicals but does the job of sanitizing better than other disinfectants. Steam cleaning is a fast way to deep clean various surfaces. The compact design of the Fortador Volt Mini steam cleaner is sure to leave your floor clean and bacteria free. The cleaning power of the steam pressure is unbeatable compared to a regular mop. In addition, steam contains less that 5% of water which makes drying time very fast. This makes steam cleaning ideal for furniture, carpets, mattress, and more.

4 Benefits of Steam cleaners

4.1 High pressure

The powerful steam allows to remove even the toughest dirt on any surfaces. Combination of high heat and high pressure battles with spills, grease, and other hard to clean materials. You can adjust the pressure depending on the surface your are cleaning and the job your trying to achieve.

4.2 Steam kills tiny bugs and mites

The combination of high heat and high pressure is able to kill bugs and other insects. Using a steamer on low pressure mode will kill the bugs without pushing them in deeper into the fabric. If you used a strong chemical for extermination of the bugs, steam is useful to clean the surface where those harsh chemicals were applied.

4.3 Destroys up to 99.99% of germs

sanitizing with steam

Steam cleaning is one of the easiest ways to efficiently disinfect any areas. When steam penetrates surface pores, it removes tiny elements like viruses and germs with hot vapor molecules. Applying steam for at least three minutes is sufficient enough to destroy most viruses.

4.4 Variety of attachments

Different attachment make it easy to apply a steam cleaner for various jobs. Steam mop is useful for floors, while extraction gun is perfect for cloth materials. Extraction gun is perfect for eliminating dust buildup in carpets, hardwood and other highly pollutant materials.

4.5 Free of harsh chemicals

You will never have to be worried about damaging your car seats or sealed hard floors with a steamer in your hand. The steam is powerful enough to clean surfaces without using any chemicals. You will save money with a steamer since the only cleaning agent you need for cleaning is water. In addition, this makes steam cleaners safe to use around kids and pets. No chemical use illuminates allergic reactions, headaches, and skin irritation.

4.6 Effectively cleans stains, grease, and mold

oven cleaning with steam cleaner

The multipurpose steam cleaner is perfect for any area that needs deep cleaning. Even the hardest bacteria like mold is easily removed with steam. Applying a little bit of pressure and heat on those areas will loosen it up and allow it to easily be removed.

4.7 Environmentally friendly

Steam cleaners do not require a lot of water and are free of harsh chemicals that negatively impact the environment. The fumes from steam cleaners are not harmful. The only thing you need to deep clean your home, car, or office is just some water.

4.8 Water usage with steam cleaners

One of many benefits of a steam cleaner is their low water usage. Depending on the size of a water tank, an average of 40 gallons is required to deep clean a one floor house. The exact amount of water differs on the type of steamer you have, so it is best to use a measuring cup to figure out the amount. Floor cleaning in a big house will obviously require a bigger water tank and more water to clean the whole surface. But deep cleaning with steam requires much less water than trying to disinfect with a regular mop. All you need is tap water to leave your house spotless and disinfected.

4.9 Versatile

A steam cleaner can be used in different places like your home, car, office, and more. From disinfecting, to removing tints on your car, the appliances for such cleaning machine is unlimited. You can clean things like: cabinets, bathrooms, upholstery, carpets, mirrors, stoves, rugs, windows, and much more.

5 On what surfaces can the steam cleaners be used?

chair steam cleaning

Steam cleaning is safe to use on almost all surfaces. From hard surfaces like floors, countertops, windows to car seats, couches, and rugs, steam would not damage any of these places. Its cleaning power is strong enough to kill the viruses while not damaging any material. Steam mops are especially good for floors of all kinds.

Also, steam is safe to use on vehicles as well as electronic ones like Tesla. Since steam is just vapor, the cleaning with it is waterless, so using it on the interior of a car is completely safe. With steam you can achieve a full detail look with disinfection without damaging the interior. Steam is also safe to use for removal of tints without leaving scratches on the windows of your car. From metal to plastic parts of a vehicle, steam can clean it all.

floor steam cleaning

The list of the materials you should not use steam on is fairly short. Walls that were painted with a water-based paint might start peeling if steam is used on them. Porous surfaces like cord, bamboo, and cardboard would also get damaged under steam. You should also watch out for unsealed surfaces such as natural stone or concrete. Delicate pieces such as silks, thin plastics, and velour parts also wouldn't work with steam.

6 Which steam cleaner is right for you?

The market is abundant with different steam cleaners. At different price points you get different results. Some things you can look at while choosing a steamer is size, cost, and power.

1.1 Size

compact steam cleaner

If you are looking to get the best steam cleaner for your home, you might need a compact size that can easily be used in your house and in your vehicle. Take a look at this handheld steamer PurSteam Garment Steamer. For commercial purposes, you will need to get a steam cleaner that has large water tanks, strong cleaning power, and extension tubes that can provide a range of services aside from just steaming.

6.2 Cost

Depending on your budget, there is a steam cleaner for you on the market. The best steam cleaners are not always the ones that are more expensive. For home use, steam cleaners start at a $100. You can find a more budget steam cleaner on the market that will work just as good as the more expensive ones. Obviously, the steam production won't be as strong as a commercial cleaner, but the steam temperature and pressure will kill more viruses than your regular mop. Variety of mop attachments can help you clean all parts of your home.

Commercial steam cleaners start at $1,000. Their price varies depending on the extra attachments you are looking to get. The Fortador PRO Max also comes with a steam extractor the can also be used as a vacuum cleaner.

6.3 Power

The average power of a home steamer is 58 psi, or pounds per square inch. This psi is strong enough to clean hard floors, remove dirt, and get rid of bacteria. Commercial steam cleaners are much more powerful and have a psi of 250. Their strong power allows to clean the toughest surfaces like grime and stains on cloth, like car seats or rugs. Powerful commercial steamers are perfect for jobs like carwash, disinfecting firm, and more. In addition, cleaning with steam is much faster than with a regular mop due to the power that high heat and high pressure steam possesses.

6.4 Different attachments for cleaning with steam

Accessories for steam cleaner sanitizer

Most steam cleaners have a variety of included accessories that makes cleaning much easier. The powerful steam is already sufficient enough to leave your surfaces spotless, but additional attachments can elevate your cleaning experience drastically. For example, steam mops are very useful of sealed floors, wooden floors, concrete floors, and much more. They are able to pick up dirt very easily and leave your floors shinning.

The chemical free cleaning is perfectly safe for any type of flooring in your house. To find best steam mop for your home, you should first find out what floors you have and go from there, since some attachment might benefit a certain surface more than the other. Steam mops are sure to leave your house with clean floors and disinfected surface.

For other surfaces, like rugs and couches, and extraction gun is a perfect cleaning tool to get rid of stubborn stains and smells. Steam combined with a power of an extraction gun makes deep cleaning of stubborn materials like cloth ver easy. For spot cleaning or hard to reach surfaces, a regular steam gun is perfect. The chemical free aspect of steam cleaners is what makes it so easy to use on various surfaces and with different attachments.

7 How to use steam to clean and kill bacteria:

For the steam to be able to kill viruses and bacteria it needs to be hot enough. The ideal steam temperature should be between 175 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit. A constant contact for at least three minutes with hot enough steam is able to kill 99% of bacteria.

To clean countertops and such surfaces, use steam cleaner's brush attachment with a dry cloth. First, apply the steam and then use the dry cloth to wipe any residue that is left on the counter. Repeat it a couple of times to make sure you got all the affected areas.

To make floors shine, using a mop attachment will give you the best results. It is perfect for bathroom tiles as well as sealed hard wood floors. The floors of your home will be left shinning and disinfected.

You can also use steam on kitchen appliances. To clean a stove top, first remove the metal grades and any food debris with a rag. After, use a steam cleaner with a nozzle or brush attachment to get rid of any hard to remove gunk that is stuck to the surface. Repeat applying the steam to the affected area until all the dirt is lifted off. Use a clean cloth to wipe away any residue left behind.

Using steam to clean carpets might be one of the easiest ways to clean such a tough surface. Using extraction gun with steam, you can brush the carpet from different angles to get the optimal clean. The heat from steam will also clean any bacteria stuck in the carpet follicles. This method of cleaning can also be applied for furniture like couches.

Some steam cleaners also come with a window attachment witch is useful windows as well as mirrors. All you have to do is glide the attachment against the window and watch as all the dust and finger smudges disappear. If you don't have a window attachment included accessories that come with a steamer, you can simply use a regular steam attachment while simultaneously wiping the surface with a cloth made for windows.

Check our selection of best ozone machines for odor removal.

8 Best steamer sanitizer for home and office cleaning

Steam disinfection machine Fortador Volt Mini

If you want to start a cleaning business that concentrates on smaller jobs like homes, apartment buildings, offices and the like, or personal use in you home or office, the Volt Mini is a great machine for that purpose. Like the other Fortador offerings, the Volt Mini gives you the ability to clean and sanitize many different types of surfaces, including carpeting and upholstery, tile, laminate and other types of flooring, counters, tables, chairs and many other types of hard and soft surfaces, thanks to the versatile attachments that come with the unit. Buyers will even get a small selection of microfiber cloths that come with the accessory package. The commercial portable steamer Volt Mini is particularly good for cleaning carpets and upholstery, thanks to its brushes and similar attachments.

The Volt Mini is quiet, too, so your operator can easily clean while your customers go about their work. It’s super lightweight at 16.5 lbs., so anyone can operate and transport it, especially when equipped with the dolly that lets you roll the unit from one area to the next. Your residential and small office commercial customers will love how powerfully this steamer cleans and sanitizes their premises. Its small size allows operators to easily clean tight spots where bigger machines may not be able to go.‍

One of the Volt Mini's best features is that it's made of the same high-strength steel that you'll find in other Fortador steam washing and cleaning machines. The boiler takes only five minutes to heat, which is much faster than other units of similar size, and holds 0.6 gallons of water. Once the unit is ready, it produces steam at 338 degrees Fahrenheit, at a pressure of 101.5 psi. Operators can add detergent attachment to the steam bun if needed for tough cleaning jobs. While it isn't as powerful as our other Fortador units, the Volt Mini is simply the best commercial grade steam cleaner in its class. It's also great for homeowners who want a heavy-duty steamer to disinfect and clean kitchen appliances thoroughly, but at the same time, don't want to or may not be strong enough to move a machine that weighs 100 pounds. The Volt Mini provides the best of many worlds-heavy-duty steam cleaning and lightweight transportability.

Pros:

Easy to use, store and transport

Inox 304 Stainless Steel Boiler

1650 watt heating element

Fortador quality construction, long power cord

Higher pressure than steam cleaners of similar size

Comes with a variety of tools for different applications, including steam mop

Dry steam mode or Hot water injection, Detergent fogger for sanitizing included

Exclusive Fortador support provided with purchase

Free shipping‍

Cons:

Doesn't have sufficient steam pressure for heavy-duty industrial jobs, so it's unsuitable for professional car detailing and similar high-pressure industrial applications

Tough jobs may take a long time because of low pressure compare to diesel powered units

Only one person at a time can operate the machine

9 Conclusion

This environmentally friendly machine is a perfect way to clean almost any areas of your concern. While saving money on expensive chemicals that contain dangerous toxins, you are just using tap water to get better clean than any chemical will. Steamers are versatile and are applied for cleaning windows to destroying odors.

About the Authors

Kristina Tretyakova
Distinguished as a South Florida Top-10 student in 2021. Studying Marketing and Business Administration at FIU. Proficient in daily operations and skilled in cleaning, auto detailing and copywriting.
Sabrina Tretyakova
In the world of cleanliness and hygiene, Sabrina Tretyakova stands as a beacon of expertise and dedication. As an ISSA-certified cleaning technician, Sabrina brings a wealth of knowledge and three years of unwavering commitment to her profession. Having served a staggering 1,200 clients

Learn More

From Sprays to Steamers: Exploring the Best Sanitizing Equipment for Home, Business, and Beyond

VIEW MORE     >

Five ways how to clean road signs from stickers and graffiti | How to clean a street sign

VIEW MORE     >

Chem Dry vs Steam Cleaning: Which Method is Best for Carpet Stains?

VIEW MORE     >

MORE  >
Contact Us
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
This is some text inside of a div block.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.