Being bit by the clean home bug and looking for a hygienic method, steam cleaning did fall into my RADAR. I have with me the Prestige Dynamo Steam cleaner, but does steam cleaning actually work. Let’s find out.
Steam being really hot, 100 degrees+ to be exact has the tendency to kill bacteria and viruses and other microorganisms. Steam is also effective against mould and small insects like mites.
Steam can also be used to sterilize and disinfect your house.
These are the items in the box,
This is an extension rod, we get two.
This is the tile and window cleaning brush.
This one is the floor brush, and these clips here are to attach a mop.
Here’s the included mop.
Measuring mug and funnel.
And here’s the Prestige Dynamo.
Looks really nice, similar to how a vacuum cleaner would.
We have a warranty card and instruction manual too.
The steam cleaner uses a 15 amp plug, I had to use a converter wherever I didn’t have a big plug point.
This is the steam nozzle, connected via a flexible tube to the main unit.
We have a safety switch when not using the nozzle, so that kids don’t activate it by mistake. When using the cleaner just flip the switch and start using.
The front section of the main unit looks like it contains all the smaller attachments. A nice place to store them all.
We have a small nozzle,
a medium swivel nozzle for the bigger fittings,
a big round brush,
a small round brush and a directional nozzle.
All these fittings have a place in the front section, making carrying them around easier.
Here’s the main unit, it looks really nice.
We have Prestige clean home marked on the front and also the side.
On the handle we have the power switch and the indicator lamps.
Here’s the spout we fill the water through.
Wheels allow you to roll the unit around where required.
Let’s set it up and get it ready to clean.
Unscrew the cap for the water reservoir.
Fill the water into the cleaner using the provided mug and funnel. Max capacity of the tank is 1500 ml.
Close the cap tightly and we’re ready to turn the unit on.
Once on the lamps on the front light up, one red and the other orange. Red indicates the cleaner is on and orange indicates it’s building up pressure.
Once the orange light stops glowing the pressure has built up within the system. It takes approximately 12 minutes for the pressure to build up within the unit.
This is the nozzle where we can attach the brushes and accessories provided. Once the pressure is built up, pressing and holding down the trigger releases the steam.
The safety lock switch is used to lock the trigger so that kids don’t get injured by accidental presses. Still it is recommended to keep away from kids as the nozzle does get really hot.
Lets try out the biggest brush in the set, this is the floor brush. These holes are from where we have steam flow out. This is the towel clip, where we can attach the provided towel while cleaning the floors.
This one needs the big nozzle, just push the brush onto it and then attach the nozzle to the handle. Done.
Now we can use the floor brush to mop the floor, it can be used with or without the towel.
The nozzle swivels allowing it to reach most corners.
Adding the mop is quite easy, just open the clips and done.
There is a lot of water that comes out of the nozzle, so the towel helps. We can use it to mop up the water after a round of steam cleaning to get rid of all the dirt.
The next attachment is the window cleaning brush. The steam comes out of the holes in the center and the squeegee end is used to clean the water off.
This is useful for your windows and also any glass surface like your crockery shelf. But be careful as the cleaner also gives out water, no electronics should be around.
I even cleaned the door of my refrigerator using the window attachment.
My favourite of the attachments has been the brushes, mainly the big round brush. It allows easy access to the cleaning area and also the steam is concentrated to a small section making it more effective on the dirt.
I’ve used it on the kitchen tiles and it managed to dislodge the dirt mainly oil off the tiles. One wipe and it’s clean.
We also used it on the stove, and it managed to clean the dirt off.
Do note for stubborn dirt, it will take multiple passes and longer so this is not a magic cleaner, but does help to a limit.
Cleaning the chimney was also easy, just let the steam seep in and it manages to clean up.
The extension tubes allow for easy cleaning of the out of reach areas, no need for a ladder, just add the extensions and now everything is within reach.
I found the small brushes to be the most effective against stubborn dust.
It can also be used to clean sinks, and fittings.
If your tiles have a rough texture or have ridges within, the steam cleaner helps clean them too.
The angled nozzle allows to reach even more awkward locations to be cleaned.
Very happy with the cleaning on the kitchen tiles, maid has not been cleaning for around a year. The dirt is coming off quite easily.
You can see the difference in all the areas.
Floors, the stubborn stains do need a bit of coaxing, but they do get cleaned.
Once the area is cleaned you will need to wipe the area as it fills with water.
Steam cleaning helps get rid of microorganisms generally not visible, so we are disinfecting while cleaning without any chemicals.
Handle is heavy, hands will hurt after some cleaning as we need to hold down the trigger.
The trigger is very hard and digs into your hands.
Lots of water is generated, so be careful near electrical points and electronic items.
I used some duct tape and plastic cover to protect the electrical outlet from water while cleaning the tiles above.
The unit is quite noisy, but if you want to clean you need to accept the noise.
I found that the smaller attachments make more noise than the bigger brush.
Do not open the cap to the tank while it is pressurized and you will not be able to also as it has a safety valve. But it is dangerous to open while pressurized as steam will hurt.
Overall, the unit is easy to use and does help with the cleaning to an extent. Don’t expect years old dirt to vanish in one try, they will need more coaxing. Sanitizing the house while cleaning is an added advantage and without chemicals is a big plus.
