So you think you know how to use your steam cleaner. It’s pretty easy, right? Just plug in, switch on, fill with water, and get to cleaning. You don’t even need to do any scrubbing for sparkling clean results! But it may surprise you to learn that there are still quite a few mistakes people make when steam cleaning their homes.
Whether you’ve just bought a steam cleaner or have been steam cleaning for years, you could be committing grave errors without even knowing it. Here are 8 mistakes to avoid in the future!
Steam cleaning on humid and cold days
The beauty of a steam cleaner is that surfaces cleaned with steam will dry more quickly… but cold, damp weather is still not the best for drying out your carpets or sofas. It’s better to break out the steam cleaner on a hot, sunny day.
Forgetting water and electrics don’t mix
Take care if you’re using steam to clean your appliances. Steam cleaning your oven door is a great way to get rid of burnt-on grease… but get too much steam inside your oven and you could find yourself in need of a new heating element.
Not vacuuming beforehand
Vacuuming fabrics loosens ground-in dirt, making it easier to remove, and vacuuming flat surfaces keeps your steam mop head cleaner for longer. Here’s an eSpares tip: Vacuum your skirting boards too to stop dust brushing off onto your floors!
Steaming ahead without testing
Don’t forget, steam is hot. If you try to steam clean your synthetic leather sofa or brightly coloured curtains, you could find that steam makes them melt or the colours run - much to your horror! The first time you steam clean a new area in your home, it’s always a good idea to test the effects of steam in a small and inconspicuous area first.
Not moving the furniture
Yes, it’s a bit of a pain to move chairs, lamps, and side tables out of the way before steam cleaning your floors… but it saves stopping and starting the job to manoeuvre around them. Take the time to prepare your room for seamless steam cleaning.
Only cleaning the area of a spill
Unfortunately, there’s no steam cleaning quick fix; cleaning just one patch of your carpet or sofa will leave the areas that haven’t been cleaned looking grubby. Just use spillages as a great excuse to knuckle down for a full deep steam clean of an entire area.
Leaving cleaning product residue
Good steam cleaners kill 99.99% of bacteria (and that’s close enough to 100% for lots of people). If you’re the type who likes to use a cleaning solution too, make sure it’s all removed by the time you’ve finished cleaning or the residue could attract more dirt.
Steam cleaning the wrong surfaces
Don’t steam the following, as they’re not suitable for steam cleaning:
- Delicate fabrics such as silk
- Waxed wood
- Surfaces painted with water-based paint
- Unsealed porous surfaces like limestone or marble
Now that you know the pitfalls to avoid, you can steam clean easily with no hassle! Our final tip is to make sure you’ve got the right steam cleaning accessories based on the jobs you use your appliance for the most - whether that’s a specific steam-cleaning tool or just some new cloths and pads. Trust us, having the right attachments and essentials really does make a world of difference!
Print this article