Cleaning with steam is not new. Steam, with its inherent high temperature, and ability to get into cracks, crevices and areas that are hard to reach has long been a valued way of cleaning.

But, unless you worked in a facility that had a steam gun system set up, green cleaning with steam was simply not accessible.

Also, let’s face it. Most people and companies preferred to use chemicals — some highly caustic to do their cleaning.

So, what has changed?

• Dry Steam Vapor. The introduction of dry steam vapor cleaners in the late 80’s from Europe has changed the game completely. Super heated, dry steam vapor, with it’s low moisture content, and high heat, has enabled cleaning in areas where water is not welcome. Do not mistake these high quality steam vapor cleaning machines with the cheaper versions espoused on infomercials and in stores. These machines are not powerful enough to produce dry steam, nor sustain the steam they produce. Also, many of these are single-use, without the attachments that make a vapor steam cleaner a multi-use tool.

• Design. Improvements to the design and construction of steam cleaners have made them portable, and accessible to everyone from home owners seeking to kill bedbugs with steam, to large factories seeking to use industrial steam cleaning equipment to sanitize food packaging equipment.

• Environmental Concerns. An increased focus by consumers and governments has prompted more attention to environmentally sustainable cleaning methods, and green cleaning. Green cleaning using dry steam vapor is a naturally sustainable cleaning method. Why? Simple. No Chemicals. No harmful fumes or residues or by products. Simple sanitary cleaning using only water, as well as significant water and waste water reduction. These are not pressure washers that waste gallons of water per minute.

So, how do they work?

• These dry steam vapor cleaners use a boiler to heat water under pressure from 290 degrees internally up to 390 degrees internally for large industrial units. This allows the steam produced to be very dry, only about 5% moisture.

• The heat of the steam at the point of contact is around 212 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a temperature level that kills pathogenic bacteria as well as bedbugs and their eggs.

• The heat breaks the bond between soil and surface, and available attachments remove even the toughest soils.

• The low moisture of the steam protects upholstery to sensitive control panels, as the steam rapidly evaporates due to the small micron size of the vapor particles.

I have used the new dry vapor cleaners extensively, in both my home, and in business facilities and I am hooked! I think these types of cleaners are not only fantastic at cleaning, but are also environmentally friendly and save on chemical costs!

This site is devoted to green cleaning and showing off all of the possibilities of cleaning with steam, from residential to industrial as well as the available products.