Got Asthma Or Allergies?

Steam Floor Cleaners Can Help

When you have allergies or asthma, housecleaning can be more than just a chore…it can be a health hazard. Not only do you stir up all the dust and allergens you need to avoid, but the chemicals in common household cleaning products can trigger a flare. Well, you can take the worry out of floor cleaning with steam floor cleaners.

Steam floor cleaners use water and a microfiber cloth to clean and disinfect your floors. You fill the tank with regular water, and the machine heats it into steam and releases it under pressure. It’s the pressure and the heat of the steam that makes them so good at cleaning dirt and debris from your floors, without spreading it around like so many mops do. The microfiber cloth traps all the dirt.

They are usually light and easy to use, and there has been some evidence that they can kill dust mites…good news for those of us with allergies! There are many different models available and all of them perform pretty much the same way, but there are certain features that will make your life easier and that are worth looking for.

First, make sure the unit is light enough to use. It shouldn’t weigh much more than your regular old mop, and should glide along the floors easily. You want a long enough cord so that you can move around the room, and if you have a bad back, look for models with strain-reducing handle design.

Also, look at how fast it heats the water. Some models, like the Bissell, heat the water fully in less than a minute. There should be an indicator light somewhere on the unit that tells you when the water has reached the correct temperature.

A model that allows you to refill the water tank without having to wait for the water to cool down will also save you a ton of time. If you have large areas to clean, it’s a real pain to run out of water when you’re halfway through, and then have to wait to refill. If you can top it up as you go, it’s much easier.

Also make sure the cleaning head can et into hard to reach places, like around your toilet and under your cabinets. If you want to use it on other surfaces, look for attachments.

Where they really shine is on food messes. If you have kids, you know they often drip and drop food all over the floor and not tell you…and then you find a hard, sticky mess later (usually by stepping in it). Steam floor cleaners are hot enough to melt goopy messes and wipe them away, with no scrubbing or scraping required.

Even if your floors look clean, they may not be! When you first use a steam floor cleaner, you’ll be surprised at how much dirt they pick up from seemingly clean floors. If you have asthma or allergies, a steam floor cleaner can remove much more than a traditional mop and keep your home cleaner, and your breathing easier.