Modern housewives are in a constant duel for cleanliness in the house, while wanting to save as much time and effort as possible. Therefore, here all means are good. The rhythm of life today and poor ecology have an impact on human life. If earlier it was possible to clean with a broom or a conventional vacuum cleaner, now they are not always able to cope with dirt and dust, the level of which has increased significantly. Manufacturers of household appliances are thinking about how to help clean the house, and produce vacuum cleaners equipped with more and more new features to best meet the requirements of customers.
What functions should have a modern vacuum cleaner
Allergy is a real scourge of our time; almost every inhabitant of the planet suffers from it. Given the fact that particles that can cause allergies mainly spread with dust, home appliance developers are increasingly focusing on developing an apparatus that can neutralize allergens in the room. It is also important that in addition to thorough cleaning, a good machine should not allow the collection of garbage, even the smallest, to be thrown back.
Over the years of development and design of the ideal model of a vacuum cleaner that can cope with any kind of pollution on any surfaces, manufacturers, in conditions of strong competition, have come to an effective system for cleaning not only surfaces, but also air. There are filters of varying complexity, and are aimed at dry or wet cleaning. The latter, in turn, is carried out in several ways: ordinary or washing, separator vacuum cleaner, or steam cleaning using a steam cleaner.
Such cleaning methods have entered everyday life thanks to the engineering ideas of developers who have worked hard to make a person’s house clean, where they will not be exposed to substances that enter the house with dust.
But, if such cleaning methods, as dry and wet, became familiar to the population, then steam cleaning until recently was considered purely professional and was used as a last resort. Equipment with a steam generator, cleaning was carried out by special services, since the steam vacuum cleaner was considered to be purely professional equipment, the design was also quite cumbersome for permanent home use. After a while, the equipment was adapted for domestic use, now these devices are used by an increasing number of people.
Steam cleaners and how they work
The amount of dust and harmful microorganisms in the modern world is such that often ordinary helpers with bags will not be able to do such work. They are no longer so powerful, and the bag is not able to hold small particles, which means that they will inevitably return to their place, continuing to increase their number. The appearance of steam assistants in everyday life, it became much easier for housewives to keep the house in perfect cleanliness, and with the help of special nozzles, where the use of a conventional vacuum cleaner was not possible.
But steam cleaners have their drawbacks. The principle of operation of the apparatus is as follows: the steam heats up to a rather high temperature, and this can lead to damage to some materials. Therefore, using steam cleaning, you should be careful with the surface of natural fibers, since steam can damage the products to such an extent that they will not be recoverable.Also, directing the steam flow to the contaminated surface, all microbes and harmful particles instantly rise up, inevitably getting into the respiratory tract, which in the future can adversely affect health.
It is also worth paying attention to the fact that some unscrupulous companies use filters from the HEPA cleaning system, convincing them of the environmental friendliness of their product. It would seem that the catch is that these are the same filters with a fine cleaning system, like any other analogues. But there is still a difference. This filter simply crushes the dust, as a result of which, only a small part of it settles on the filter, the rest is returned back to the apartment. Also, dirt that has settled on the surface of the filter in the wet state is a source of the spread of bacteria, mold or fungus; all this multiplies very quickly in high humidity environments. Also, a vacuum cleaner with such a filter can become a source of unpleasant odors. As a solution to the problem, you can often change the filter to a new one, but at a rather high price, is it worth buying such a vacuum cleaner? Well, the very presence of a filter reduces the suction power, which also does not play a plus for a vacuum cleaner.
How to choose a steam cleaner
Thinking about a steam cleaner, you need to weigh all the positive and negative sides of the device before buying it. To begin with, it will not be bad to study all the functions that a vacuum cleaner with a steam nozzle has and choose the most suitable model for a steam vacuum cleaner.
You should not follow the versatility of technology, even if it seems that it was created by a genius who knows everything about cleanliness. You need to responsibly approach the choice and not buy the first favorite model on emotions. If only because it is an expensive purchase, and of course, no one wants that later acquired innovation, designed to fight dust, would itself gather dust in the corner. Therefore, it is worth soberly evaluating the pros and cons of the product, and only then make an informed choice.
The number of nozzles offered in the kit will immediately make it clear which cleaning methods will be available with this device. But, in the event that any nozzle is missing, any brush can be purchased additionally.
It is important to understand for what purpose a steam cleaner is purchased. Thus, for cleaning fabric products, an oval-shaped brush with a short hard pile is perfect. A narrow, oblong brush framed by a long bristle is suitable for cleaning a large room. A round nozzle is designed to clean places that dust is particularly fond of, such as corners or baseboards. A small narrow brush will easily fall into any slot. And with hair or hair special turbo brush.
A good vacuum cleaner with steam cleaning function has manual adjustment of the steam supply. There should be at least five positions of the thermostat. This is the optimal amount.
You also need to focus on what filtration the vacuum cleaner is equipped with:
- Cloth filter. The advantage of such a filter is its reusable use, which will significantly save on its replacement. The negative side of this filtration method is that when cleaning such a filter from contaminants, most of the harmful particles will fall back into the medium, and a poorly dried filter will be an excellent place for mold growth.
- Paper filter. It can be used once, which is not very economical, since each time you will need to purchase a new filter for cleaning. But in environmental friendliness it is not inferior.
But it is worth remembering that both filtration systems do not conceal the main problem of steam vacuum cleaners - the emission of a small amount of dust at the outlet and poor suction power.
therefore you need to pay special attention to the power of the vacuum cleanerso as not to fall for a weak model. The size of the water tank determines how long the cleaning can take without interruption to replenish the tank.
The Karcher steam cleaner is very popular among buyers, this brand has long established itself in the market as a quality and reliable product, it is not surprising that it is preferred. Initially, the company focused on professional cleaning, but eventually adapted its production for individuals. This steam cleaner copes well with the tasks, to clean especially difficult places, you can add detergent. If you just want to add a pleasant smell to your home, you can add flavorings.
You can also find out which is better. steam cleaner or washing vacuum cleaner, following the link.
Vacuum cleaner: pros and cons
Steam cleaning is definitely a useful and effective thing. But it is worth remembering, as mentioned earlier, this method is not suitable for any coating. The steam generator can be used to clean the bathroom, sink, household appliances in the kitchen, such as a stove, oven, microwave and others. Steam will well clean the nickel-plated surface from plaque, for example, a mixer in the bathroom. Such a vacuum cleaner does not care about almost any stubborn or dried spots.
But, again, not every surface can withstand the test of hot steam, under its influence, tiles and natural stones can be destroyed. About carpets with natural pile already mentioned above.
Do not forget that sediment in the form of scale also accumulates in the water tanks of vacuum cleaners. As a rule, a special brush for cleaning comes with the device; do not neglect it.
A significant obstacle to buying such a miracle helper home may be its cost, as well as its sufficiently large dimensions and weight, which is not very convenient for domestic use, especially in an apartment where every centimeter counts for gold and does not want to occupy such a large space. You also need to be prepared for the fact that steam cleaner requires expensive spare parts and consumables, which will repeatedly hit the wallet. In the event of a serious breakdown, the repair will also come out in a rather large amount. In a word, when deciding to purchase a steam vacuum cleaner, it is important to think thoroughly, weigh the pros and cons, and then decide whether this thing is needed on the farm.
