It can be a daunting task when cleaning around the home, sometimes you just need a little more oomph to get rid of tough stains. Enter the steam cleaners, handy devices that can help you with your spring cleaning. An incredibly useful tool to have, many steam cleaners come with a bunch of different features and attachments, which seem somewhat daunting at first glance. Here we'll explain what's what and show you our top-rated models.
Which steam cleaner is suited for you?
The first thing to get to grips with is that there are a few different types of steam cleaners to suit different roles. Firstly, you have the steam mop, which is specifically designed for cleaning floors. While limited in use, steam mops are brilliant for sorting out your hard flooring, while some can be used to help get rid of stains on carpets too. These can either be upright or cylinder based for easy moving around.
A combined steam mop is often your best bet for cleaning versatility. This is a steam mop with a detachable handheld device that can be used to clean on a smaller scale, such as kitchen and bathroom tiles for instance. Combined steam mops are usually the most expensive type of steam cleaner but do allow for flexible cleaning throughout the home.
Finally, we have the handheld steam cleaners. Unlike their bigger siblings, handheld steam cleaners aren’t for the big cleaning jobs around the home, but for smaller tasks such as cleaning the shower or inside the oven they’re ideal. Handheld steam cleaners are typically lighter and their smaller size makes them easier to store.
Ease of use is what we’re looking for in a steam cleaner. As hot steam is projected, it should lift stains pretty easily and save you from hours of scrubbing - and saves you money on expensive cleaning products too. Water tank capacity is also something you should be looking out for, along with heat-up time and steaming time.
Safety should always be taken into consideration when making your purchase. Does the steam cleaner itself get very hot during use? Can you open the storage tank when the water is hot? Is there a warning light to let you know it’s turned on and hot? We look at all of these factors as well.
Best Steam cleaners 2016
Karcher SC1 Premium Steam Stick - The perfect all rounder that can tackle any cleaning situation
The Karcher SC1 Steam Stick is a small and versatile combined steam cleaner with a wide range of accessories included in the box. That means it’s able to handle pretty much any cleaning scenario you throw at it. The steam cleaner function is excellent and able to reach particularly tricky locations, with noticeable results in just a few seconds.
It held its own against other dedicated steam mops when cleaning hard floors and even got better results than some much more expensive models. While the heat up time is long, the water tank is on the small side and the device is a little heavy during extended use. However, the sheer convenience of the SC1 Steam Stick outweigh the almost insignificant negatives. The handy and versatile Karcher SC1 Steam Stick is our top pick for anyone wanting a flexible, well-constructed device to help around the home. Read our full Karcher SC1 Steam Stick review for more details.
Dimensions (HxWxD): 321x127x186, Weight: 1.6Kg, Maximum reach: 6.2m, Water tank capacity: 0.2 litres, Warranty: Two years RTB.
Vileda Steam Mop - A basic steam mop that does the job well
The Vileda Steam Mop doesn’t reinvent the steam cleaning wheel, but it excels at what it does best. A stripped down and back to basics floor cleaner, the Vileda Steam Mop is a great choice for anyone overwhelmed by all the sometimes unnecessary features included with many steam cleaners.
The lack of any serious safety features is a bit of a worry though, as you can access the hot water tank easily and it gets pretty hot during use. Beating more expensive steam cleaners at their own game, the Vileda cleans incredibly well and is very easy to use. For those wanting something simple and foolproof, the Vileda Steam Mop is the steam cleaner for you. Don’t expect it do everything, but what it does do (clean floors) it does exceptionally well. Read our full Vileda Steam Mop review for more details.
Dimensions: 1300x300x200, Weight: 2.5Kg, Maximum reach: 6.3m, Water tank capacity: 0.4 litres, Warranty: Two years RTB.
Vax Steam Fresh Power Plus - The big daddy of steam cleaners
The Vax Steam Fresh Power Plus is a great multifunctional steam cleaner, unfortunately let down by a few flaws. While hard floor and carpet cleaning is great, especially with the use of the handy detergent setting, it struggled to get rid of some difficult to clean grime on wall surfaces when using the detached handheld.
With every feature under the sun, the Vax is the Swiss army knife steam cleaners, throwing everything it can at getting rid of dirt. A great choice for someone who wants a cleaner to do absolutely anything, even things you'd never have thought were possible. There are definitely some cheaper and better alternatives out there, but if you’re willing to fork out for a premium steam cleaner you won’t be completely disappointed. Read our full Vax Steam Fresh Power Plus review for more details.
Dimensions (HxWxD): 1100x300x220, Weight: 3.4Kg, Maximum reach: 9.1m, Water tank capacity: 0.3 litres, Warranty: Two year RTB.