The Most Powerful Handheld Steam Cleaners for Treating Stains and Hard-to-Reach Spots
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Steam is an excellent, natural, and chemical-free way to clean around the house, and it’s pretty impressive just how powerful it can be. But how exactly do you go about using it at home? Enter the best handheld steam cleaners.
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Hot, pressurized steam can often knock out stains that chemicals can’t, in upholstery, floors, grills, cars, patios, carpets, even grout between tiles. Stains are just the beginning though, as the best handheld steam cleaners have a bunch of other helpful and healthy uses around the house, like killing mold, mites, and bedbugs, and breaking down grease and grime. Looking to invest in your own handheld and portable steam cleaner? Here’s what you should know.
Handheld Steam Cleaner Buying Guide
From their measurements to their runtime, here are the features you need to consider when choosing your handheld steam cleaner.
Heating: Steam is created when water rapidly evaporates at its boiling point. So whichever unit you choose, it’ll need to heat up the water you filled it with in a reasonable amount of time. You shouldn’t need a long time for these to heat up, but they vary greatly, some in as little as 30 seconds with others stretching to five minutes. Many also have a safety lock in place, shutting down at the first sign of danger or potential injury. You’ll also want to wait a few minutes for it to cool down before you refill an empty tank back up.
Measurements: Because you’ll use this all around the house, make sure it’s not too heavy and uncomfortable to carry around, and has a long enough cord that’ll always reach to an outlet near you – around 10-20 feet.
For some, you’ll eventually have to refill them or empty their water tanks, depending on the model. This is where a bigger tank becomes important. If you’ve got a small apartment where you can most likely clean the whole place in one go, tank size may not matter as much. But if you’re doing all the floors, carpets, kitchen and bathrooms, go for a bigger tank, upwards of 10 ounces. A tank with 350ml of water, for example, can last about 10 minutes giving a high-pressurized spray.
Accessories: Just like a vacuum, these will come with lots of extra parts and attachments, and you’ll get the most out of your steam cleaner by learning how and when to use them correctly. An extension hose with a bendable nozzle is great for getting into tight awkward spaces, and a scraper/squeegee lets you muscle the remaining loose crud off the surface to wipe it away forever.
What Are the Best Handheld Steam Cleaners?
After testing and researching the best handheld steam cleaners, these are our top picks from brands including Black+Decker, Bissell, and more.
1. Black + Decker Steam Mop Cleaning System with 6-Attachments
Black+Decker’s steam mop is the best we tried when cleaning around the house. Start out using it as a handheld unit with the targeted accessory attachment to get into tight cervices, then snap on one of the multiple brushes to scrape off the gunk, and the squeegee to remove it from the surface cleanly.
The steam chamber heats up in a mere 30 seconds, and it’s not just great for grout, but comes with its own designated grout brush too. For floors, snap on the floor extension, and you’ve got yourself a full-sized steam vac with a pivoting head and washable microfiber pad. The steam kills up to 99.9 percent of germs, all without chemicals, and comes with a mesh bag to store the parts in when you’re all finished.
Black+Decker Steam Mop
2. Bissell SteamShot Deluxe Hard Surface Steam Cleaner
The “SteamShot” name sums this up perfectly – this is an ultra-targeted nozzle that gets deep into little cracks and crannies to blast out gunk, and all with zero chemicals or harmful fumes. It provides a powerful 1,000 watts with a 20-foot cord, heats up in 30 seconds, and comes with all the scraping and brushing accessories you need.
Bissell Steam Cleaner
3. Wagner Spraytech AutoRight SteamMachine Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner
If you’re specifically looking for a steamer to clean up all the crud in your car, Wagner’s Autoright is your best bet. This is designed for all types of cars and trucks, reaching into and underneath seats to loosen up food and dirt stains that have been sitting in the fabric for years. Up to 12 accessories come included to really go deep and make your car’s interior like new again, and 1,500 watts provide an ample 45 minutes of cleaning time.
Wagner Steam Cleaner at
4. Comforday Multi-Purpose Handheld Pressurized Steam Cleaner
For a budget-friendly, reliable option, this bright yellow Comforday steam cleaner will get the most essential jobs done around the house. It’s ideal for removing stains from curtains and carpets, tile, and grout, and even for cutting through dirt and grime on all sorts of surfaces. It’s also lightweight at under 3.5 pounds, and comes with nine accessories to boot.
Comforday Steam Cleaner at
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