Vapor Steam Cleaners Comparing Features

Why do some Steam Cleaners cost more than others?

Our Comparison Chart of our different models, we still have a varied  line of vapor steam cleaners anywhere on the Internet, and we continually add more information on them, some of you are understandably getting a little confused. Now we have a comparison chart where you can compare prices and critical steam cleaner features at a glance.

Compare Vapor Steam Cleaners

Why do some vapor steam cleaners cost more than others?

It’s a question we get all the time and here is why:

1. Steam temperature – can actually be very different temperatures depending on the unit. Water becomes steam to 212°F but that’s not the best temperature for cleaning and it will leave cleaned surfaces wet. Quality residential units heat steam between 240 and 295 degrees. Hotter steam means a huge increase in cleaning effectiveness. What’s more necessary is to start with a much higher temperature than you would think you might need,  because the steam temperature goes down as steam travels toward the applicator.
2. Stainless Steel Boilers – the best machines have boilers made out of stainless steel which heat up faster, and do not rust.
3. Safety Caps – cheap machines have no safety caps when refilling water.
4. Continuous Water Refill – is actually more important than you might think. If you have a continuous refill machine there isn’t any waiting for the machine to cool down and then heat up when you refill it, this can be a 20+ minute wait. It also means that the machine is lighter as you are not lugging around all that water.
5. Water Tank Size – tank capacity is important because I know first hand, small water tanks can drive you completely crazy when you have to refill them every 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Pressure Regulation – having the ability to regulate the steam outflow with pressure is important. Some cleaning can require a finer more concentrated jet of steam. This can be important when you want to avoid the splattering of dirt particulates all over the place.
7. Temperature Regulation – ability to regulate the steam temperature, some fabrics and surfaces require a cooler temperature.
8. Warranty – warranty length on boiler and other parts. It is usually 3 years on a good residential machine and 5 years on a commercial machine.
9. Good handle – handle for easy lifting on stairs.
10. Vacuum style wheels or castors – allowing for easy maneuverability.
11. Accessories and attachments – included for general and specialized cleaning tasks. It’s also great to have optional accessories available to help with more specialized tasks. Size of the cleaning brushes is also  important The better machines have bigger sized tools which allow for the cleaning to be done faster.
12. Included quality cleaning towels – whether they can be attached and removed easily makes a difference. The better machines have easy clips to attach the toweling covers.
13. Number of steam outlets – there are greater number of steam outlets and larger orifices in more expensive machines. And my personal favorite? The Ladybug steam cleaners are great.