How to choose a steam generator for your home?

Not every Russian family has a steam generator in their household. This device is necessary in order to keep the house clean and tidy without the use of chemicals. Such devices are not cheap, therefore, before deciding to purchase them, you need to get acquainted in more detail with the technical and operational features of steam generators and the rating of the most popular models.

We will talk about all this in our article.

Household appliances, emitting hot steam under high pressure, perform several important functions at once:

• looking;
• disinfect horizontal and vertical surfaces;
• effectively remove stains and dirt;
• cleaning plumbing fixtures;
• destroy fungi, mold and other pathogenic microorganisms.

This device has many advantages. So, the main advantages of the steam generator when ironing clothes include:

• the ability to minimize direct contact of the ironing surface with the cloth - this allows you to completely eliminate the risk of damage to the cloth;
• using a steam cleaner, you can most effectively process hard-to-reach places that cannot be processed with a simple iron - places near beads, as well as buttons and other accessories;
• processing of steam cleaners completely eliminates the formation of creases and unaesthetic marks;
• under the influence of steam, the material recovers very quickly.

The main advantages of the product when cleaning home premises include:

• the ability to effectively treat surfaces for which exposure to chemical cleaning agents is unacceptable;
• rapid destruction of mold, fungi, as well as dust mites, earthen fleas and bedbugs - heated steam can even kill microorganisms;
• performance of work in inaccessible areas.

Regardless of the specifics of the work performed, the steam generator has another important advantage - time saving. The device is suitable for those who love cleanliness in their home, but do not have enough free time to maintain it.

In appliance stores you can find a wide variety of devices equipped with a steam generation option.

This is a whole complex used for the care of textiles. The set includes an ironing board with a special coating, as well as an iron equipped with a cistern, in which steam is generated.

This technique is indispensable for general cleaning of premises. The device resembles a long-handled mop, includes directly the work surface, as well as a steam generator. Thanks to this technique, you can effectively clean any surface (textile, plastic, stone or wood). But, it is not suitable for ironing linen - it will not be possible to get rid of folds on clothes with it.

In terms of its functional characteristics, a steam cleaner with a steaming function differs significantly from steam stations.

Additionally, it allows you to clean vertical surfaces, while being compact, often available in mini format.

When buying any household appliances, people first of all pay attention to the manufacturer. Most consumers prefer products from well-known brands that have established themselves as manufacturers of high-quality and durable products, even despite the fact that their prices are too high. The most popular brands that produce steam generators include Bosch, Tefal, Philips, Rowenta as well as Braun and Vitek.

However, if you do not have the opportunity to spend large sums on the purchase of a steam generator, but at the same time you are not ready to iron a mountain of linen with an iron every day, you can opt for the products of less famous companies. For example, Russian-made MIE steam generators, as well as equipment from Polti and Lelit companies, are much cheaper, but their products are in no way inferior in terms of their technical and operational parameters to their more eminent counterparts.

The most purchased steam generator models for home use are Tefal GV 6733 and Philips GC 8651... These products belong to the middle price category, however, they have a rather impressive set of functions and user characteristics.

The French brand steam generator has the following characteristics:

• maximum power - 2.2 kW;
• steam pressure - 5.2 bar;
• steam supply rate - 100 g / m;
• steam boost for use on vertical surfaces - 270 g / m;
• the volume of the boiler is 1.5 liters.

Automatic descaling and automatic shutdown are provided.

The main characteristics of this steam system are just as impressive:

• maximum power - 2.4 kW;
• steam pressure - 6.2 bar;
• steam supply intensity - 120 g / m;
• steam boost - 330 g / m;
• tank volume - 2.5 liters.

The performance of this steam cleaner is slightly higher than that of the previous one, and the difference in cost is almost imperceptible.

Before choosing a particular model of a steam generator for your home, it is necessary to determine the important parameters of the product.

• Power. This is one of the most important characteristics of the device, on which its efficiency and cost directly depend. If you need a steam generator exclusively for steaming summer dresses, then you can limit yourself to the minimum power parameters in the range of 800-1000 W. If your tasks include the maximum use of all the useful functions of the device, including cleaning the house, then you should choose models with a power of 2.5-3.1 kW, in this case you will not have to worry that in conditions of intensive use the device will not cope with the load ...
• Steam supply... Another important point: the pressure in any steam generator varies in the range of 2-6 bar, while the higher it is, the better the supply of hot steam will be. Almost all devices have an intensity indicator, it shows the production of steam per unit of time. For high-quality models, this indicator varies from 90 to 140 g / m2 in standard use, and with a maximum steam supply - from 95 to 260 g / m2. In addition, it will not be at all superfluous the possibility of not only horizontal, but also vertical feeding.
• Heating time. On average, heating the steam generator takes 2-10 minutes, the best option would be models in which heating takes place in 3 minutes.
• Tank volume. Any steam cleaner synthesizes steam from water, so it is obvious that the larger the container, the longer the steam generator will work without interruption for adding liquid and waiting for reheating. A volume of 0.4 liters is enough for rare use in a small apartment. If you intend to turn on the equipment in the multifunctional device mode, smooth a lot of things and clean surfaces, then it is better to choose a product with a 2200 ml reservoir.

If possible, choose models with a transparent tank - then you can control the flow of water.

Pay special attention to the sole - the higher the quality of the material from which it is made, the less risk of ruining the surface during processing. The sole can be of several types.

• Aluminum. Such steam generators are inexpensive and heat up quickly, however, after processing, shiny scuffs can remain on the surface, which does not improve the appearance of the product in any way.
• Titanium. Such soles are found in the most expensive steam generators. They heat up rather quickly, do not spoil the surface during steaming, and at the same time they serve for many years. Their only drawback is their large weight and bulkiness of the structure.
• Combined. In this case, the sole has an aluminum base with a Teflon or ceramic coating. These steam generators do not damage the fabric, protect it from the appearance of shine, but the generator itself remains compact and lightweight.
• Lever. If you work with an uncomfortable grip for a long time, you will surely feel tired and even irritated. That is why, when choosing the optimal home appliance, you need to hold it in your hands yourself and listen to your feelings. The handle should lie in the palm of your hand like a glove; if slipping and the slightest discomfort appear, refuse to buy.

The quality of the steam generator's operation depends not only on the power characteristics and weight of the device. It is very important that you can comfortably and quickly steam clothes hung on hangers, as well as vertically placed textiles. That is why it is necessary to measure the length of communications in advance. A hose that is too short creates a significant inconvenience during use.

Pay attention to the toe of the sole - it must be narrow enough, otherwise you simply will not be able to process hard-to-reach areas on clothes. There must be steam holes in the bow; without them, smoothing will not give any result. Keep in mind - the more holes there are for steam, the more intense it will be released, respectively, the steaming process will be faster and more efficient.

As you know, steam generators are by no means cheap, so I want to buy a truly multifunctional device. When buying a home model, pay special attention to the availability of some additional options:

• the possibility of splashing water - it will be needed to process those materials that deteriorate from hot steam;
• anti-drip system - protects things from getting wet;
• the automatic shutdown system is an important function that turns off the unit if it is not used for more than 30 seconds in a horizontal position and for more than 15 minutes in a vertical position.

Auto power off improves the safety of using the equipment, and in addition, prevents excessive power consumption.

If the steam generator has all these functions, then it will be quite convenient and comfortable to work with it.

If it is heavily soiled, use the steam boost function, thus you can achieve fast disinfection and cleaning of horizontal and vertical surfaces.

Carpets should be cleaned by using a steam generator and vacuum cleaner together. In this case, water is poured into the container of the steam cleaner with the addition of a cleaning agent and passed with a nozzle over a fleecy surface. This processing is performed several times - this will allow you to achieve maximum efficiency.

After steam cleaning, vacuum the surface over the surface to remove any cleaning agent residue. Similarly, you can clean upholstered furniture - this will quickly remove stains, get rid of dust mites, bedbugs, fleas and other pathogenic microorganisms, and disinfect surfaces.

To clean the tiles, use special nozzles, and after surface treatment, the remnants of the product are removed with a dry napkin. In order to wash the windows, you will also need a nozzle - in this case, use a special device in the form of a nozzle.

Exposure to hotter steam can damage the surface.

To clean the split system, you need a fairly powerful steam generator with high steam supply parameters. The pressure steam treatment effectively removes dust and germs from the interior of the air conditioner.

Customer reviews on the use of steam generators at home are generally positive. These devices represent versatile tools that make ironing and cleaning more efficient and take longer to work.

The steam cleaner is indispensable in the homes of people prone to allergies and pathologies of the respiratory system. The use of household chemicals for them is fraught with very dangerous health consequences, and steam treatment allows you to get rid of dirt and pathogenic microorganisms without corrosive cleaning agents.

On sale you can find many different models - voluminous and portable, mono and multifunctional, expensive and budget. This makes it possible for each customer to purchase the optimal model of the steam generator based on the characteristics of operation, personal preferences and budgetary possibilities.

All about steam cleaners can be found in the video below.