Vapor steam cleaners or steam vapor systems are cleaning appliances or devices that use

steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...

to quickly dry, clean, and sanitize surfaces. The steam is produced in a

boiler A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central h ...

that heats tap water to high temperatures (240–310F/115–155°C) to produce low-pressure, low moisture (4% to 6% water) water

vapor In physics, a vapor (American English) or vapour (British English and Canadian English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is a substance in the gas phase at a temperature lower than its critic ...

Operation

The steam's ability to clean is based primarily on its heat. The steam is applied to cleanable surfaces via a variety of insulated tools and accessories, releasing contaminants into water suspension, after which they can be removed by wiping or vacuuming.

Advantages

Vapor steam cleaners consume less water compared to carpet cleaners or other cleaning devices, which use hot water instead of steam. They can also remove excess vapor from the air. A vapor steam cleaner can help to remove scents absorbed by materials.

Applications

The low-moisture characteristics of vapor steam cleaners make them suitable for use inside buildings and residences. Vapor steam cleaners are frequently used in

hypoallergenic Hypoallergenic, meaning "below average" or "slightly" allergenic, is a term meaning that something (usually cosmetics, pets, textiles, food, etc.) causes fewer allergic reactions. The term was first used in 1953 in an advertising campaign for cosm ...

environments because they do not require the use of additional cleaning chemicals. Steam has been shown effective in combating

mold A mold () or mould () is one of the structures certain fungus, fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of Spore#Fungi, spores containing Secondary metabolite#Fungal secondary metabolites, fungal seco ...

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...

viruses A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Since Dmitri Ivanovsky's 1 ...

, and other forms of

bio-contamination A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect human health. A bio ...

Manufacturers

There are several manufacturers of vapor steam cleaners, with products ranging from higher-end industrial products to inexpensive consumer models.

Sterilization testing

Vapor steam cleaners are cited as examples of

green cleaning Green cleaning refers to using cleaning methods and products with environmentally friendly ingredients and procedures which are designed to preserve human health and environmental quality. Green cleaning techniques and products avoid the use of pro ...

because of their ability to kill germs and in some cases disinfect without the use of chemical disinfectants. Steam vapor has also been cited as effective in killing

dust mites House dust mites (HDM, or simply dust mites) are various species of acariform mites belonging to the family Pyroglyphidae that are found in association with dust in dwellings. They are known for causing allergies. Biology Species The current ...

in carpet bedding, and upholstery. Additionally, dry steam vapor has shown to be effective in killing bed bugs and their eggs when reaching temperatures of 150–170 degrees. In 2005, the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

tested a steam vapor system in restrooms and reported labor savings and hygienic improvements over previous methods.

References