Is a Steam Cleaner as Useful as the Internet Claims?

Is a Steam Cleaner as Useful as the Internet Claims?

Our esteemed editor-in-chief slacked me one day saying that many of her friends swear that a steam cleaner is the best cleaning tool. They claim that the steamer will clean basically everything — floors, walls, appliances, mattresses, toilets, windows — the list goes on and on.

Naturally, I felt the need — nay, obligation — to test out these claims. So I bought a reasonably priced model (just $40), read some safety information, and set out to determine whether the steam cleaner is the all-in-one cleaning saviour we’ve been praying for.

Before getting started, I learned not to use the steamer on any unsealed surfaces like wood plank floors or porous stone. I don’t have any of those surfaces in my apartment, but it is a rental and I would like my full security deposit back, so I erred on the side of caution. Also the claim of sanitizing walls seemed dubious; my research suggested the steamer would be great for removing old wallpaper, but could also remove the paint from your walls — so I avoided that test as well.

I tested several surfaces with the steam cleaner: my mattress, oven, backsplash, baseboard, toilet, grout, and a shirt. I had expected just one quick blast of steam to instantly brighten every surface, but this was not the case. Some surfaces were allegedly “sanitised” by the steam, but I couldn’t visually see them get any cleaner. On some surfaces, the effect seemed about the same as wiping them down with a damp cloth. But some tests — specifically the backsplash and the grout — were truly revolutionary: After just a few seconds of steaming, these surfaces shined line new, without the use of chemicals.

To see the full test, and learn a few more tips about proper use and attachments, check out the video below.


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

Here are the cheapest plans available for Australia’s most popular NBN speed tier.

At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

Comments


Leave a Reply