Buying Advice: Steam Cleaners for Sanitization

One of the main functions of steam cleaners is to sanitize the hard surfaces where disease-causing microorganisms tend to accumulate. Steam cleaners are the preferred choice for sanitization processes, particularly for cleaning homes and commercial buildings.

You can find several different models of steam cleaner equipment on the market, such as vapor steam cleaners, floor steam cleaners, tile and grout steam cleaners, and industrial steam cleaners. However, many of the machines available boast sanitizing feature based on high steam temperatures alone. This is simply not enough to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria present at home or in the workplace. If you want to select a cleaning machine that is best suited for sanitization work, the following details will be helpful for you.

Basic Details of Steam Cleaners

These devices work by injecting dry steam onto surfaces. Dry steam means the water content of the steam is less than five percent. The output temperature and pressure levels of the steam can vary and often the maximum values vary from model to model. Advanced models can produce output temperatures up to 360°F and an output pressure level up to 150 psi.

Higher temperature levels increase the machine’s ability to dissolve hardened deposits and residues. Another essential feature available on the best steam cleaners today is vacuum extraction. Machines boasting this feature can simultaneously extract while dissolving residues for advanced and faster cleaning.

What Are the Options for Killing Microorganisms

If one uses the advanced models of steam cleaners at their maximum temperature (that is, 360°F), a majority of bacteria and fungi would be eliminated. However, there are two problems to this approach. The first is that not all the models can produce such high temperatures. Second, the maximum temperature cannot be applied on certain heat sensitive surfaces. Therefore, even the steam cleaner devices that can produce very high temperatures cannot sanitize all surfaces completely.

The best option is to use steam cleaners equipped with anti-microbial technology. These devices can kill off the microorganisms regardless of the surface or output temperature.

What Is Anti-Microbial Technology?

This is a specially devised technology to eliminate all types of disease causing microorganisms from a surface. Through independent laboratory tests, it has been proven that steam cleaners having anti-bacterial technologies are capable of killing up to 99.99% bacteria, fungi, and other harmful pathogens. It eliminates almost all commonly found microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, listeria, S. aureus, and various other fungi. However, when selecting a steam cleaning machine with anti-microbial technology, it is essential to select those that have been tested by an independent laboratory and are in compliance with EPA regulations.

In short, a customer would do well to select a steam cleaner model that is equipped with an anti-microbial feature. Simply stated, food service facilities, food preparation and processing facilities, hospitals, and other organizations cannot rely on the high temperature of steam alone to kill bacteria. In addition, make sure to select a machine from a reputable supplier, offering the highest temperature and pressure levels along with advanced technologies and high quality components.