Best steam cleaners for 2020

A steam cleaner is a device with which you can clean and disinfect various surfaces, as well as materials that are resistant to hot steam. With it, wet cleaning of the house or office becomes not only faster, but also more effective than the usual mops and buckets.

There are several types of steam cleaners on the market, which, in turn, differ in price and functionality. Therefore, the editors of the site "bestx.htgetrid.com/en/" have compiled a detailed guide on how to choose a quality device, as well as a rating of the best models for 2020.

Device and principle of operation

The steam cleaner consists of:

• water tank;
• heating element;
• trigger mechanism;
• hose (may not be available in manual versions);
• various attachments, accessories.

The device has a cleaning effect due to the following factors:

• water is a universal solvent;
• high steam temperature - 115-155 Сº;
• mechanical action - using a steam jet in several atmospheres or in combination with nozzles.

Before starting work, you need to pour water into the boiler, then plug the steam cleaner into the mains and wait a few minutes. After the water boils and becomes steam, an overpressure builds up in the tank. When you press the release valve control button, a stream of hot steam comes out into the nozzle or hose, and then into the nozzle and onto the surface to be cleaned.

What is a steam cleaner for?

The steam cleaner is a multifunctional and also environmentally friendly device. The range of its application is wide:

• cleaning surfaces (floor, walls) from tiles, laminate;
• tidying up plumbing;
• removal of grease and dirt in the kitchen - from the stove, washstand, appliances;
• disinfection of upholstered furniture, carpets, car interiors;
• destroys dust mites and bedbugs;
• removes unwanted odors from fabrics;
• some models can purify the air in the room;
• moistening and removing dust from the leaves of domestic plants;
• steaming of curtains, clothes.

The steam cleaner is suitable for asthmatics, young parents, lovers of our smaller brothers, as it allows you to spend less effort on cleaning with great results.

Types of steam cleaners

There are several types of devices, which allows you to choose the optimal model for small cleaning of the house or large-scale cleaning of an office space.

Manual (or compact) steam cleaner - a small device that looks like a kettle or watering can. Sometimes it can be with a small hose. Usually the device weighs a little, within 1-2 kg, which makes it very convenient to use. The time of continuous operation for budget models is 5-7 minutes, for higher quality ones - 15-20 minutes. There are models that can work continuously for more than half an hour. The main disadvantages of this type of device are:

• low power from 600 W to 1600 W;
• small tank volume - up to 0.5 liters.

The handheld steam cleaner is not suitable for daily use or cleaning large areas.

Floor standing steam cleaner - an excellent solution for a large apartment or those cases when you need to clean different surfaces in a large volume every day. It looks like a vacuum cleaner.All characteristics of the floor-standing version are significantly higher than those of the manual one:

• minimum operating time - 25 minutes;
• power from 1100 W to 3000 W;
• tank volume from 0.4 l to 4 l.

2 in 1 device Is a versatile hybrid of a hand-held and floor-standing version. In this case, the manual steam cleaner can be easily separated from the main body.

Criterias of choice

Body material

The device body can be made of:

• plastic;
• aluminum,
• brass;
• multiple materials.

The housing material affects the lifespan of the device.

Plastic enclosures are:

• inexpensive;
• the most common;
• non-separable, which means that they cannot be repaired;
• light.

Brass or aluminum is used in more expensive devices with powerful motors and high requirements for stability. Also, metal cases are usually collapsible, which allows them to be repaired.

Power

Power is essential for any technical equipment. The power of the device depends on how quickly the steam will be supplied, how effective the cleaning will be. The highest quality steam cleaners are considered with a power of more than 1000 watts.

Pressure

Steam pressure indicators for different models vary and range from 2.5 to 6.5 bar. For high-quality cleaning, it is better to give preference to a device with a pressure of 3 or more bar. The pressure depends not only on the power of the device, but also on the length of the hose. The longer it is, the lower the pressure.

Water tank

The volume of the tank directly affects the usability of the steam cleaner. The devices are sold both with small tanks up to 0.5 liters, and with convenient large ones up to 4 liters. The less water is placed in the boiler, the faster it is consumed, and the more often it will have to be refilled during the cleaning process.

The boiler material also matters. Most often, containers are made of steel or aluminum. It is better to prefer aluminum - it has a higher thermal conductivity, which means that the water in such a tank will boil faster. It has also been noticed that less scale forms on aluminum containers.

Steam temperature depends on two parameters - power and volume of the tank. Depending on the device, the water heating time can be from 8 seconds. up to 18 min.

To reduce the heating time of the water in the tank, fill the tank with warm water. Remember that the temperature of the steam in the tank is over 100 ° C, do not direct the steam to open skin.

Hose

The efficiency of the device also depends on the length of the hose. If the device is characterized by low or medium power, then the hose must be short for normal operation. In a long hose, the steam cools down on the way.

Cord

For comfortable movement around the room during cleaning, it is best to choose a model with a long cord, about 4-6 m. Some manufacturers equip their models with automatic winding. The wire stored in this way will last much longer.

Nozzles

Steam cleaner attachments come in different shapes and textures, allowing you to clean on a variety of surfaces and materials. Let's look at a couple of examples.

For example, brush heads are needed to remove dirt on tiles or plumbing in the bathroom. It is with their help that you can remove scale, rust streaks, whitish splashes. By selecting brushes with different hardness, you can achieve perfect cleanliness. The brushes cannot be used to clean plastic or wood.

Where brushes cannot cope, a nozzle attachment will come to the rescue. This attachment can remove dirt from any hard-to-reach places of tile joints, in various crevices and joints, behind batteries.

There is an interesting and convenient, but not common, spray nozzle. It can be used to remove dirt from plant leaves. It is worth using the accessory carefully, not bringing the spray too close to the plant, otherwise the leaves will get burned.

The main mistakes when choosing

• Low power of the device.
• Inconvenient steam generator in operation. Convenience is our everything! No short cords, slippery handles, hard-pressing buttons. This is working with hot steam - everything should be extremely comfortable and safe.
• And once again about safety. You should not take the device if it loosens, creaks and crumbles, but it costs a thousand less.It seems that this is an obvious advice, but it is better not to take anything from the store than to succumb to the persuasion of the seller and go home with an unsafe purchase.

Top steam cleaner manufacturers

Thinking about which company is better to purchase a home assistant, we rely not only on the desired characteristics of the device - functions, appearance, price. It is important for us to know who and how does the thing, and also for a long time after that it works. Based on numerous reviews from users of technology, we offer you a list of manufacturers that have proven themselves on the positive side:

• Bort;
• Clatronic;
• KARCHER;
• Kitfort;
• MIE;
• Rovus.

Rating of quality steam cleaners for 2020

We offer you an overview of the highest quality and most popular models of steam cleaners. The overview is divided into three parts and includes all types of devices. Each rating model comes with a description, plus pros and cons.

Floor standing

KARCHER SC 5 EasyFix

Stylish, powerful (2200 W) model, capable of delivering 150 g / min of steam under a pressure of 4.2 bar, will help clean any surfaces in the kitchen or bathroom - tiles, extractor hoods, stove, shower, mirrors.

Average price: 23,400 rubles.

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Kitfort KT-933

A mid-range model with a power of 1500 W, capable of delivering 31 g / min of steam at a pressure of 4 bar. The volume of the tank is enough for cleaning a two-three-room apartment, and an extensive set of accessories will allow you to clean any surface, refresh the upholstery on furniture or tidy up the car interior.

Average price: 10899 rub.

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Bort BDR-2500-RR

Powerful (2200 W) budget model, delivering 45 g / min of steam at a pressure of 4 bar. It will cope well with wet floor cleaning, disinfection of upholstered furniture. There is a horizontal steaming function.

Average price: 5504 rubles.

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Manual

KARCHER SC 1 EasyFix

The compact 1200 W device copes with any dirt in the bathroom or kitchen - it perfectly cleans tile joints, removes grease splashes.

Average price: 4709 rubles.

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Kitfort KT-918

Inexpensive device with a power of 1000 W, which produces steam at a pressure of 3 bar. There is a horizontal steaming function.

Average price: 2447 rub.

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MIE Forever Clean

A 1200 W device that treats dirty surfaces with steam at a pressure of 4 bar. It is possible to use a detergent, which allows you to quickly remove old and stubborn stains, multi-layer dirt.

Average price: 3190 rubles.

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2 in 1 devices

Kitfort KT-1003

The popular 1500W model features light weight and ergonomic design.

Average price: 4690 rubles.

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Clatronic DR 3539

Universal steam cleaner with a power of 1500 W. Suitable for quick cleaning in an apartment or small office.

Average price: 3570 rubles.

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Rovus 7688

The steam cleaner with a sleek design and a power of 1650 W is characterized by a smart, safe design. The device can be used to remove dirt from any steam-resistant surface. A point nozzle will help you get to the smallest crevices, and a special nozzle for window cleaning will remove dust and streaks from the glass.

Average price: 7990 rubles.

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Steam Cleaner Care

Like any other water heating device, steam cleaners accumulate lime deposits on the boiler walls during operation. Excess limescale can lead to unstable operation of the device, for example, "spitting" with pieces of scale or hot water, streaks of rust, sometimes it ends up breaking. You can reduce scale formation as follows:

• pour warm water;
• use filtered, distilled water or a mixture of tap water with distilled water in a ratio of 3: 2;
• apply softeners.

Conclusion

How much does a reliable steam cleaner cost? Prices for household steam cleaners in stores range from 645 rubles to 78,840 rubles. High-quality models can be found starting from 2200 rubles.

Steam cleaners are not only of different shapes, but can also differ significantly in functionality. The design and engine features will show how convenient, efficient and functional the device will be. And the arsenal of nozzles - how widely it can be used.

If you have experience using one of the devices described in this rating, or you know a more interesting and functional model, share your impressions in the comments.