Allergy season or not, maintaining a home that's free of pollutants is crucial to keeping your seasonal allergy symptoms under control. However, if you're tempted to reach for your favorite chemical spray cleaner, take a minute to think about what you're adding to your home.
Instead of using harsh and often-toxic chemical solvents to disinfect your home, discover the 100% natural and safer cleaning power of a steam cleaner.
For a quick review, use the links below:
- Why Chemical Cleaners Don't Work
- What is Steam Cleaning?
- Steam Cleaning for Common Allergens
- Steam Cleaning for Dust Mites
- Steam Cleaning for Pet Dander
- Best Steam Cleaners
Why Chemical Cleaners Don't Work
Most people have a collection of chemical cleaners under their sink. These products are chemically engineered to blast away dirt, germs, grit, and grime—or so they say.
- In general, chemicals solvents clean pretty well, but not always as effectively or as easily as their labels claim.
- Harsh chemical cleaners have also been known to cause respiratory distress and severe symptoms among allergy-sufferers.
- Moreover, chemical cleaners are often incapable of completely removing germs and other pathogens from surfaces, even with the recommended 10-minute disinfection.
What is Steam Cleaning?
With all the negative side effects of conventional chemical cleaners, consider a steam cleaner to avoid the unhealthy effects that chemical spray cleaners have on your indoor environment.
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They're cost-effective machines that use only dry vapor steam to create an all-natural cleaner for non-heat sensitive surfaces. - Temperatures as high as 300 degrees F is used to kill 100% of common germs and bacteria strains, while removing dirt and grime.
- Steam cleaners do not use toxic chemical solvents, and they won't aggravate your allergy symptoms or cause respiratory issues.
Along with killing illness-causing germs, steam cleaners can be an important component in maintaining a healthy, allergen-free environment.
Steam Cleaning for Common Allergens
Steam cleaning is a one-stop solution for removing germs, bacteria, viruses, dirt, and mold without introducing new chemical pollutants—and new allergy triggers—into your environment.
In certain cases, allergy-sufferers have weakened immune systems resulting from their body's constant fight to fend off allergens.
This is all the more reason to eliminate as many allergen triggers as possible without introducing new pollutants at the same time. A vapor steam cleaner helps remove these pathogens, so your allergy symptoms remain under control.
Steam Cleaning for Dust Mites
Steam cleaning your home can dramatically reduce dust mite allergy symptoms. Dust mites are microscopic organisms that make their home in mattresses, bedding, upholstery, carpets, and rugs.
These parasitic organisms live off of moisture and our dead skin cells. Needless to say, who wants them in their home? When dust mites feed and produce waste, they become a big threat to allergy-sufferers.
Dust mites are easily kicked up into the air by walking, sweeping, or simply moving around. Dust mite allergy symptoms can include sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, wheezing, coughing, and/or difficulty breathing.
If dust mites are a problem in your home, steam cleaning is a great answer. When you clean mattresses, bedding, upholstery, carpeting, and rugs with a steam cleaner, dry vapor steam penetrates into the fibers of these surfaces, killing dust mites and their eggs, leaving zero moisture behind.
A regular routine of steam cleaning stops new dust mite colonies from forming and ensures you get allergy-free sleep. Read more about dust mites and their effect on your allergies in our article Dust Mites and Allergies.
Steam Cleaning for Pet Dander
Steam cleaners help remove pet dander from carpets, bedding, or furniture. While air purifiers are the best solution for removing airborne pet dander particles, vapor steam cleaners help remove pet dander lingering on your household surfaces.
Moreover, cleaning with steam is safe for you, your home, and your pets, which gives you peace of mind at the end of the day.
For a more in-depth review on cat dander removal, check out our Cat Allergies: What's Fluff and What's Fact or check out Pet Allergies 101:Tips for Cleaner Indoor Air for general pet dander control.
Best Steam Cleaners
Steam cleaners come in a variety of styles:
Steam Mops
Ideal for cleaning hard floors and rugs, steam mops are great solutions for quick sanitizing in kitchens and living rooms. The Steam & Go 8-in-1 All Purpose Steam Cleaner is a popular option for our customers.
Residential Steam Cleaners
We offer a variety of residential steam cleaners that clean floors, kitchens, bathrooms, carpet, and just about anywhere else. Check out models with a lot of accessories, like Ladybug steam cleaners.
Ladybug models are some of the highest-end steam cleaners on the market, with an EPA-certified TANCS system, long warranties, and tons of top-notch features. If you're looking for a more affordable option, consider a residential Vapor Clean steam cleaner.
Commercial Steam Cleaners
If you are looking for a commercial steam cleaner for use in offices, schools, hospitals, and other commercial settings, consider a Ladybug XLT2300 with TANCS or the US Steam Falcon Commercial Steam Cleaner.
Handheld Steamers
Handheld steam cleaners are perfect for quick sanitizing in kitchens (ovens, sinks, counters) and bathrooms (sinks, mirrors, tile). They are affordable, have quick heat-up times, and are safe to use. Many of our steam mops have detachable handheld cleaners built into them, so consider one of those if you want to clean floors and tight spaces.
To learn more tips for choosing the right steam cleaner for you, read our Steam Cleaner Buying Guide.
Investing in a steam cleaner to combat your allergy triggers not only improves your quality of life when it comes to your health, it can help save you money. No longer will you need to maintain a collection of costly chemical cleaners for every task. You'll have one machine to do it all.
Still Have Questions?
Not sure what's best for you? We can take the guesswork out of decision-making. Contact our air treatment experts toll-free at 1-800-934-9194 for a free consultation and product recommendation.
