Advantages of steam cleaners
All motorists know that cleaning the interior is a long and troublesome task. First, you need to thoroughly vacuum the chairs, then wash the rugs. The final step is to wet clean the control panel with a sponge. A steam cleaner that is suitable for a car can significantly speed up this process, reducing the cost of human effort. This device allows you to replace several devices at once. In addition, the quality of surface treatment is more effective compared to other methods.
The operating principle is quite simple. Under high pressure, a steam jet emerges from the pipe of the device. It is able to penetrate hard-to-reach places and thoroughly clean the surface. But special conical nozzles allow you to remove all dirt from cracks and corners.
A special advantage of the device is the ability to work using dry steam. This method of processing will not harm the skin or wet it. This means you don’t have to wait for the interior to dry completely. It is worth replacing that a hot stream of steam destroys all bacteria and dust mites. They can get into both the filling and the upholstery fabrics of the chairs. The destruction of these harmful insects is especially important for families with children.
A steam cleaner for a car can operate in various modes. If the device is equipped with a vacuum cleaner function, the car interior can be easily cleaned of mechanical debris. At the same time, large, strong contaminants are removed very quickly. Stubborn stains on surfaces can then be removed. The interior can be treated with steam. You can wash rugs and panels in the same way. But the chairs can be thoroughly cleaned using the deep cleaning function.
So, the advantages of using a steam cleaner for a car:
- quick cleaning;
- convenient use;
- requires minimal effort;
- environmentally friendly, because no chemicals are used;
- disinfection of all surfaces;
- high efficiency;
- can be used for cleaning various surfaces that are not susceptible to high temperatures.
Advantages of using a steam generator
Steam dry cleaning of car interiors has a considerable number of advantages:
- the use of a steam generator allows you to reduce labor costs and time for cleaning surfaces from contamination by at least half;
- this is a much more convenient way to clean the interior; it takes no more than 5 minutes to heat the water to the steaming temperature;
- Such devices are universal, they can be used for cleaning an apartment, and for cleaning clothes and other things;
- if the surface does not have old stains, the use of household chemicals is not required;
- when using disinfectants, you can get rid of not only dirt and stains, but also harmful bacteria and microbes, for which steam is a deadly substance;
- when using a steam generator, it is not a problem to clean the most difficult and hidden areas of the cabin (corners, areas under the seats and under the dashboard);
- steam generator treatment eliminates unpleasant odors.
Design Features
The design of each steam cleaner should consist of 3 basic elements:
- heating element;
- water tank or steam boiler;
- hose for supplying steam or a special spout nozzle.
These main elements carry out the main operation of the device: water is heated, turned into steam and discharged outside.
Liquid heating can occur in 2 ways:
- From the reservoir, the liquid enters the heating element and turns into steam, which is subsequently directed to the outlet nozzle.
- Directly in the boiler, the liquid turns into a gaseous state, and this is where pressure accumulates. In this case, the steam is supplied under high pressure and is characterized by high temperature.
All steam cleaners can be divided into floor-mounted and hand-held.
What surfaces can you use steam equipment to clean?
Professional steam generators used in car services are considered the most versatile devices. When used correctly in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations, they can clean most types of surfaces without causing damage to them from exposure to high-temperature steam.
Ceiling and floor
If you think that the ceiling of a car is the cleanest place in the cabin, then you are deeply mistaken. This is where the greatest amount of dirt, stains and dust is often found. Cleaning algorithm:
- the ceiling is treated under a pressure of about 6 bar;
- a special cleaning agent is first applied to the upholstery for a few minutes;
- Let's move on to the actual steam treatment of the ceiling. You can use a household vacuum cleaner, which can handle most types of stains and dirt.
Handheld steam cleaners
This device is characterized by its small size, which also affects the capacity of the tank.
Advantages:
- compact size;
- fast heating;
- ideal for use in confined spaces;
- profitable price.
The disadvantages include:
- short operating time – up to 30 minutes;
- Models with tanks larger than 1 liter are difficult to hold in your hands.
A hand-held steam cleaner is a cleaning assistant that will help you cope with complex stains.
Floor steam cleaner
At first glance, these steam cleaners look like small vacuum cleaners. They have the same body shape on wheels and a hose with a nozzle through which steam is supplied. The water tank is located in the floor compartment, which means it makes working with the device much easier.
The advantages of this model include:
- multifunctionality;
- good steam supply power;
- continuous operation for 1.5-2 hours;
- requires a minimum of effort.
The disadvantages include:
- high cost;
- you need to allocate a specific storage space.
Features of choice
Today, manufacturers offer a wide selection of products that differ from each other in design, technical and functional characteristics. To choose a high-quality device for cleaning the car interior, you need to consider the following features:
- device size and weight;
- availability of a set of additional attachments;
- steam pressure and power;
- steam tank volume.
Most domestic car enthusiasts know that cleaning the interior requires attention, effort and patience. After all, there is limited space inside the cabin. Therefore, the device must be light and compact.
When choosing a device, you need to pay attention to the technical parameters, especially the steam pressure, and therefore the power. The quality of cleaning of different surfaces depends on this. Experts recommend choosing a device with a power of 1600 W for cleaning the interior. In this case, the pressure should be within 4 bar.
Choose a device with adjustable steam supply. By controlling the steam jet, the car owner can determine the required method of exposure to various surfaces. This function is necessary, because the interior has various coatings, each of which has its own processing characteristics.
The volume of the tank is very important. After all, the operating time of the device depends on it. You will have to add water to the small container several times to thoroughly clean the interior. Please note that 1 liter of water is enough for approximately 30 minutes of continuous operation of the steam cleaner.
It is advisable that the device comes with attachments of different shapes and configurations. They will allow you to quickly and effectively clean different surfaces. Remember, it is recommended to use a conical nozzle to clean hard-to-reach areas.
This article will help you find out how to choose the right vacuum cleaner with a steam cleaner.
Choosing a device for the car
There are many steam generators for cars on the modern market. In order for the device to be useful, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:
- Volume. If there is a need to clean a large vehicle, you should opt for a large water container. To wash a light car, a volume of about 2.8 liters is required;
Power. A stronger installed heating element allows water to boil faster and turn into steam.
Power affects pressure. At low power, a small amount of steam will be produced. For a light car, 2000 W is enough;- Humidity. If you have humidity control, you can choose the most optimal cleaning mode for the car body, trunk, and interior;
- Apparatus material . The best option would be an aluminum product. Since this coating heats up quickly, it resists scale;
- Pressure. It is better to choose a device with a working pressure of 6 to 8 bar. Otherwise, it will be difficult to remove old stains and dirt;
- The presence of nozzles of different configurations allows you to clean even hard-to-reach places;
- Regulating the type of steam . For example, with dry steam you can treat a car seat without getting it wet.
For home use, it is better to choose a compact, lightweight steam generator; this will make it easier to use and will allow you to treat the interior in the garage.
You can get by with a household appliance. Typically, professional models are used for car wash services.
Car interior cleaning sequence
The car interior needs regular cleaning. First, you need to thoroughly vacuum the interior. This removes all large pieces of debris. Then the upholstery is treated with a steam cleaner.
All chairs need to be steam treated. Removing stains is easy. After steam treatment, this area should be wiped with a microfiber cloth. If the stains are persistent, they are treated again.
Afterwards, you need to change the nozzle and carefully treat the corners and crevices between the seats. Afterwards the rugs are thoroughly washed. Well, then the car panels are processed. Please note that each cleaning zone requires the use of different attachments.
Before treating surfaces, you must turn off all electronics in the machine. This way you will prevent the possibility of equipment breakdown.
Finally, be sure to clean the trunk, grilles, wheels, etc. After treating chrome surfaces, they must be wiped with a cloth.
Step-by-step instructions for cleaning the car interior
Experts give the following step-by-step recommendation for cleaning a car with steam:
- First of all, you need to clean the car of debris.
- Vacuum the interior.
- Cleaning starts from the ceiling, blowing out even small amounts of dirt, dissolving it. For this purpose it is better to use dry steam. If after the first time it was not possible to remove the contamination, the procedure can be repeated. Ceiling cleaning should be done with the utmost care. Because it contains adhesive which may loosen and cause the ceiling to sag.
Next, the rear shelf is cleaned.- The seat can be cleaned with detergent. After removing the foam, you should go through the device again.
- The ventilation hole in which dust from the street accumulates is cleaned.
- To dry the interior faster, you can open the car doors or leave the heater on.
- The cleaning ends with the floor, plastic surfaces, and rugs.
- After steam treatment, the floor with rugs must be cleaned using a washing vacuum cleaner.
- Next, the dirt is removed from the trunk.
A standard steam cleaning of a car takes at least 5 hours. After which drying is required, which takes 2 hours.
