Why You Should Be Using A Steam Cleaner On Your Dingy Upholstery

Look at the upholstery throughout your home, and you may see signs of life, such as darkened areas from the pets who bring the outside in or strange orange marks, most likely from children with snack-covered fingertips. Even if your home is well-maintained, chances are good your upholstery doesn't look like it did when you bought it. That could mean it's time to clean it, and for many, steam cleaning is one of the best ways to do so.

What is steam cleaning? According to Legacy Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning, it's the use of a cleaner that produces steam or a type of dry vapor. This vapor is unique in that it doesn't saturate your furniture with water but instead helps to pull the dirt up and off the material using a minimal amount of moisture. Though not all machines are meant for upholstery, purchasing a steam cleaner with attachments could help you bring new life back to your furniture.

One of the primary reasons to select steam cleaning for your upholstery is that it's designed not to only remove the ground-in dirt and grime but also to sanitize surfaces. According to Ben's Cleaner Sales, Inc., these systems produce steam that's so hot, at around 212 degrees Fahrenheit, that it sanitizes the surface while cleaning it. That means it helps to kill as much as 99.9% of bacteria on those surfaces. Not all steam cleaners reach that temperature, however, which means you should pay close attention to the equipment you decide to purchase.

In addition to this, steam cleaning can pull up most types of materials, including mold growth residue, pollutants trapped right below the surface, and even odors. It may be able to pull out stains and dust mites as well. If you're looking for a way to clean these surfaces in an effective manner to help them look new, you can appreciate just how deeply steamers can clean.

Though it is possible to use cleaning products in some steam cleaners (be sure to check with the manufacturer first), you don't have to do so. A chemical-free clean is possible because of the high temperature. According to Fortador, you can confidently leave the chemicals behind that may otherwise produce health problems, such as headaches, asthma reactions, or throat irritation.

Without the use of chemicals, steam cleaning is an environmentally friendly way of cleaning the upholstery in your home. It doesn't damage the environment, there's no worry about toxins getting into the groundwater supply, and it helps keep you from tossing out furniture too soon. Your dingy furniture may look nearly brand new instead. Also notable, steam cleaners don't use much water (which is why they don't saturate your fabrics), and that means you're reducing your use of this precious natural resource, too.