Best Upholstery Steam Cleaner
Your "Quick Kill" for germs and viruses

The Best Upholstery Steam Cleaner: QUICK FACTS

• Choosing the "right" type of steam cleaner will enable you to go from the best upholstery steam cleaner into a germ killing, disinfecting, "clean anything" kind of machine!
  
• Steam vapor cleaners kill most viruses, bacteria, and germs through heated water delivered in the form of vapor (each vapor steamer varies in the level of heated vapor it delivers)
• Because of the high-heat produced by steam cleaners, they can deliver what is called a "Quick Kill" or "Rapid Kill" to bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens
• Any chemical used to clean/disinfect/deodorize will require some level of dwell time to be effective (this means the chosen chemical will have to remain wet on the surface being treated for a specified length of time, based on the specific type of disinfecting you are attempting to accomplish)

Chances are high that most of you reading this have never heard of "Quick Kill" or "Rapid Kill".

Sounds provocative and almost scary! (only scary if you are a germ, virus, or bacteria)

I too had never heard these terms prior to this latest outbreak the world is currently experiencing. The latest version of what has been labeled as Coronavirus. (Cornona viruses are named due to their appearance under a microscope resembling a corona or "halo")

Now these two terms will likely make their way into mainstream talk as the current strain of this Coronavirus (CoVid-19: This is a mixture of Coronavirus Disease 2019)  has its way with our world population.

Vapor steam cleaners and their unique germ-killing benefits will become increasingly popular as society becomes more vigilant in germ warfare,  but will also make these two terms commonplace in society's "new normal".

Darren's Note: (Since this is a website about the broad subject of detailing, which is not generalizing, I will add this asterisk: Rapid Kill, and Quick Kill is not the same as going on record and claiming instant kill. Any topic of life can be dissected into endless grey areas and be debated. But nonetheless, high-heated vapor does have the ability to perform death to these unwanted pathogens quicker, and more rapidly than traditional chemical disinfectants that indeed require longer dwell times)

The need to clean has always been a part of everyday life. But now the need to disinfect and sanitize is bringing new meaning to everyday life as our global community deals with disease and death this virus is ushering in.

But not everything is ALL good or ALL bad. Everything will have both wanted  and unwanted ripple effects.

This uninvited virus will also cause most of us to become far more aware and vigilant in our fight against dirt in general, but our war against germs and pathogens of all kinds.

Best Upholstery Steam Cleaner:
Germ warfare through water

Vapor steamers have been popular in the professional detailing community for a long time. Vapor steamers are used within the auto detailing community as effective and efficient ways to clean many materials and many surfaces.

If you have seen the many types of steam cleaners available, chances are you remained unaware of their germ killing benefits and simply thought of them as effective cleaning tools.

"The most significant benefit of a vapor steam cleaner is its ability to turn normal water into a very effective cleaning and disinfecting chemical"

Most people generally think of some type of chemical product when attempting to sanitize and disinfect. Steam cleaners operate on basic water that is super-heated.

And when I say "chemical", I simply mean a chemical in the form of liquid. When most of us think of chemical disinfectants, germicides, sanitizers, we are most familiar with these products in the form of a liquid chemical.

But imagine super-heating water (between 200-315 degrees based on the machine) delivered in the form of vapor steam to become a germ, bacteria, and virus killing "chemical" that is as Eco-friendly as you will ever get.

"Green cleaning at a whole different level"

No more harmful, caustic, or damaging chemicals you are likely using to clean and disinfect your house and car with. Now you have the ability to use basic water as a "Green" method of cleaning and disinfecting most surfaces and most materials.

Best Upholstery Steam Cleaner:
Life's a jungle; act accordingly!

These vapor steam cleaners are now becoming more popular than ever. This unique ability to turn simple water into a germ killing liquid will only make these machines more popular than ever as more and more people learn the unique benefits of super-heated water delivered in the form of vapor.

Dirt happens. And dirt happens everywhere. None of us are immune to dirt, and dirt collects everywhere.

And dirt is just the obvious. What also happens is germs, and viruses, and bacteria. And these unwanted microscopic "creatures" exist in endless forms and versions despite our inability to see them.

"Out of sight, out of mind"

Out of sight does not mean they are out of here.

These endless pathogens may be out of sight, and have been mostly out of mind, but they still remain present.

And by "there", I really mean everywhere. Every surface, every environment, every situation represents an opportunity for dirt and these unwanted invaders to collect and grow.

Best Upholstery Steam Cleaner:
Many names, many choices, many opinions

Finding the best upholstery steam cleaner as an alternative to clean your upholstery in your home or car is a subject that can get complex very quickly!

Any search on the Internet is going to deliver up many options in the way of the countless types of machines that use heated water in the form of vapor to clean with.

The difficulty will be in matching the right machine with you and the demands of your world. Like everything else in life; nothing is created equally!

Steam Cleaner Quick Facts:

• Steam cleaners come in endless configurations (handheld steam cleaner, upright floor steamer, rolling steam cleaner, etc.)
• Steam cleaners all use basic water that is heated to produce vapor that cleans and disinfects (most specifically, distilled water as the recommended form of water)
• Steam cleaners heat water at different rates and to different temperatures (every machine is different and every machine will heat the water to different degrees)
• Since water is the "chemical" used to clean, these vapor steam cleaners can be used on any material or surface that is water safe/water tight (the key factor is the temperature, as not all materials can withstand the same heat levels)
• Not every steam cleaner clearly (or even at all) states the temperature of steam vapor the machine actually produces
  
• The most important thing to know is that the basic rule of steam cleaners is the heat temperature itself: the higher the heat produced, the more effective the machine will be at BOTH cleaning and disinfecting
• Cleaning is different than disinfecting, and different than deodorizing (cleaning is generally accepted as the removal of unwanted dirt, grime, grease and any other foreign matter.  Disinfecting is the killing of germs, pathogens, bacteria, and viruses. Deodorizing is the removal or the killing of unwanted odors)

"What is the real reason you want a steam cleaner, and what do you think an upholstery steam cleaner is?"

One thing I have learned in life is that I often don't have enough knowledge to even ask the right questions. If we follow this backwards, this means there are many times I am unsure as to what search terms to use in order to get to what I think I am after.

Best Upholstery Steam Cleaner:
What to clean. How to clean. Where to clean.

That's a lot of things to consider: the what, how, and where.

But unless you factor in all these variables (which are not all the variables...just keep reading), you will make a less-than-informed decision which only invites frustration and disappointment behind your ill-informed decision.

Many people confuse a true steam cleaner with what is generally called a carpet cleaning machine. The more technical term being a carpet extractor (the term extractor is often used due to the "suction" capabilities of most carpet cleaning machines). Just because it is called a carpet extractor doesn't automatically make it mean the best upholstery steam cleaner.

"A carpet cleaner is not a steam cleaner"

So when people go in search of the best upholstery steam cleaner I can assume they want the the ability to clean the upholstery in their home and/or car.

Which in the most simplistic terms means you are really looking for clean upholstery, not really the best upholstery steam cleaner. You simply accept that a home steam cleaner is simply a means to your end goal...

...clean upholstery in your car or home!

But there are many ways to clean anything. Every technique with its accompanying chemicals and tools will have trade-off's. You trade one benefit, in exchange for another benefit you consider more "beneficial".

Clean upholstery is the end goal. Finding the best machine and the best technique to realize this end goal is the real tricky part.

Finding the winning balance requires you to have enough knowledge and understanding in order to find that winning balance.

Steam Cleaners vs. Carpet Cleaners
What is the difference

I have spent hours of research into an area I already understand as a professional detailer. The more research I do the more I can empathize with people who go in search of the best way to clean upholstery.

And the more research I do, the more aggravating it becomes due to an overwhelming amount of information combined with a limited ability to verify accuracy of ANYTHING you see and read on the Internet.

But with that said....

Chances are you are not asking the right questions because you don't have enough knowledge or experience to ask the right questions. The inability to ask the right questions determines your ability to get what your really want.

Carpet Cleaning Machines: Quick Facts

• These machines generally come in two versions: upright (think of an upright vacuum cleaner) or hand held (think of a small, portable machine)
• Uprights are for cleaning larger, open areas of your house or car (think of wide, open areas of your house floor, or the the floor mats of your car. Specific abilities without much versatility in their ability to clean other things in your car or house, as well as being constrained to open areas due to the size of uprights)

• Uprights typically have more power in the form suction (while most people prefer more power to less power, suction power is important, but not as important as your overall cleaning strategy and technique)
• Uprights also generally have larger cleaning solution tanks for cleaning larger areas between necessary refills
  
• Hand held carpet cleaners (compact or spot cleaners) are small versions of uprights 
• Small versions also mean a smaller list of features and smaller attachments: smaller solution tanks, smaller cleaning heads/attachments, smaller amounts of power, etc.
• Compact carpet cleaners were developed as simpler ways of spot cleaning smaller areas 
• Compact carpet cleaners can clean smaller areas due to smaller cleaning head attachments
• Compact carpet cleaners are easier to carry and maneuver (imagine trying to pull a full-size upright carpet cleaner out of your closet, carrying it upstairs, maneuvering around or behind furniture, trying to shampoo the inside of your car upholstery, cleaning up a random spot of dirt, or any other tight area of your world)
• Carpet cleaners rely on chemical cleaners, lots of water, and suction to clean with (when I say "lots of", this is relative to vapor steam cleaners that rely on limited amounts of heated vaporized water)
• Most people consider carpet cleaners as the more effective way of cleaning carpeting, car upholstery, or household furniture upholstery (I am of the opinion that carpet cleaners are more useful than they are effective, and certainly come with their trade-off's when compared to upholstery steam cleaners)
  

Steam Cleaners: Quick Facts

• Steamers come in two (2) basic configurations: floor steam cleaners and general steam cleaners
• Floor steam cleaners are upright steamers designed to clean the floors only (Think of a compact, upright electric hard floor or "stick" vacuum)
• Steamers use water ONLY as the cleaner (this is different than traditional carpet cleaners that rely on chemicals, water, and suction to clean)
• Steamers convert basic water, through the process of heating the water, into high-heat, vapor steam
• Steamers are the most Eco-friendly way to clean, disinfect, and deodorize all at once
• Steamers start with tepid water and heat the water until it can be converted to steam
• Steamers use less water in the cleaning process when compared to traditional carpet cleaning machines
• Steamers typically range in operating steam temperatures from 200-315 degrees (each machine varies, and some manufacturers do not display how hot the water or steam actually is)
• Heat is a natural killer of germs, bacteria, and viruses (cold temperatures as a rule, only inhibit the growth of most bacteria and virus, but do not destroy or kill them. Even more extreme cold temperatures generally only make bacteria and viruses go dormant. Once temperatures rise, the bacteria and viruses come "back to life")
  
• Steam cleaners are typically used for two reasons: heat in the form of steam, and less water in the form of steam (super-heated vapor steam is an effective way to deliver "heat", and vapor steam uses less water to perform this cleaning/disinfecting/deodorizing)

Vapor Steam Cleaners:
Cleaning. Disinfecting. Deodorizing.

Before you can finally decide what is the best upholstery steam cleaner to clean your car upholstery or home upholstery with, you need to first consider what your intentions are for even buying a steam cleaning in the first place.

Seriously!

Do you really just want to clean something, or do you want to also disinfect and deodorize?

While any version of a steam cleaner will automatically do all three, each machine or type of machine will perform these tasks differently, with varying results, determined ultimately based on the two most critical factors:

• How hot will the vapor steamer produce steam?
• The configuration of the vapor steamer?

Now that you understand that the temperature is the most important factor to consider, you then need to consider the "delivery system" of this heated vapor. (this is a funny way of saying that steam cleaners come in various versions. Each designed to handle either very specific cleaning and disinfecting needs, or a broad range of cleaning and disinfecting duties)

Steam Cleaners:
What are you trying to clean

Regardless of the exact type of home steam cleaner you decide upon, these vapor steamers are incredibly versatile. It's just that some steamers are more versatile than others.

 

The majority of materials and surfaces in your car, home, and garage will be made with materials considered water-safe materials. Which means cleaning with water will not cause damage (the temperature of the water will be the more critical factor to consider)

And because ordinary water is converted into a chemical-free form of cleaning agent, there are literally endless uses people use these steam cleaners to clean and disinfect:

• Cleaning floors (ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, hardwood, vinyl, LVF, etc.)
  
• Cleaning upholstery (both car upholstery and home furniture upholstery)
• Carpeting (both within your car and your home)
• Tile flooring of all kinds (ceramic, stone, vinyl, porcelain, etc.)
• Tile grout
• Jewelry
  
• Bathroom fixtures of all kinds
• barbecues
• Stoves/ovens
• Etc., etc., etc.

There simply isn't an area of your home, office, garage, or car that cannot be cleaned and disinfected through the use of a top rated steam cleaner of some kind.

Safe for the material being cleaned, safe for you doing the cleaning, safe for the environment, safe for your home, safe for your family, safe for your pets.

Did I mention safe?

The only caveat is the heat. The actual temperature of your chosen version of the best upholstery steam cleaner, and the upholstery or material you are using the heat on.

Best Upholstery Steam Cleaner:
Carpet extractor or Steamer

Since this page is labeled as the best upholstery steam cleaner, chances are you want to clean the upholstery in your home and/or car. Most of my ongoing readers know that this is a website dealing most specifically about cars and auto detailing, but there is massive overlap between cars in general and your house.

The same materials that exist on the exterior and interior of your car is much of the same materials you will find in your home.

Really what I am doing here is expanding your mind even further into thinking past your initial strategy of cleaning upholstery, into the endless other "things" in your home, car, or garage you may also want to clean.

Simply put; we are talking about versatility.

Vapor Steam Cleaners:
What Would Darren Do (WWDD)

So often I am asked by the endless people that reach out and contact me to simply tell them what to do...at least when it comes to anything to do with cleaning or detailing cars, homes, garages, ad infinitum!

"Darren, just tell me what would you do!"

And for this reason I will start with what I consider the winning balance to my choice as not only the best upholstery steam cleaner, but the best steam cleaner period.

I start out based on two (2) specific points:

• The temperature of the vapor created (the higher the temp, the more cleaning and disinfecting abilities of the steam cleaner)
  
• The versatility of the machine (how many materials, components, areas do I want the ability to clean, or clean within)
  

These two (2) key points are factored upon my foundational understanding of steam cleaners in general, and the unique benefits these vapor steamers deliver:

• Chemical-free cleaning
• The ability to perform a Rapid Kill through high-heat water vapor (any chemical used to disinfect will require a specif c "dwell" time for complete kill. This means the chemical must remain wet on the surface or material being treated for a length of time. This is the unique benefit of high-heat water vapor; the ability to perform that rapid kill)
• Cleaning using less water than traditional cleaning machines, devices, or methods (steam cleaners still produce plenty of water that must be mopped up, but less water than other methods)

Top Rated Home Steam Cleaners:
Versatile. Compact. Affordable.

Dupray Steam Cleaner

• All the winning features and benefits of any home steam cleaner
• Affordable
• Compact
• Excellent Amazon ratings
• Higher operating temps
• One of the steamers I consider as the best upholstery steam cleaner

McCulloch Steam Cleaner

• All the winning features and benefits of any home steam cleaner
• Affordable
• Compact
• Higher than normal ratings on Amazon
• A winning balance of features and cost
• Could be your winning balance as the best upholstery steam cleaner
  

PURE

• All the winning features of other home steam cleaners
• Can be used to clean car or home upholstery
• Could very well be your definition of the best upholstery steam cleaner
• Higher than normal ratings on Amazon
• Affordable

Darren's Note: Most people live life on a budget. I know I do. Budget or not budget, we all want the biggest bang for our buck.

Unless you are one of the few individuals (and I have met many of these type of people) who go level 10 on everything they buy simply because they have the money to do it, these two machines represent what I call the winning combination for most people:

• Total versatility (clean anything, anywhere with the many attachments and accessories)
• True vapor steam cleaners (unlike carpet cleaning machines, these only use high-heat vapor steam water to clean, disinfect, deodorize)
• Perfect for home use (this means little to high usage, but based on home applications as compared to commercial applications)
• Affordable (commercial steam cleaners will be 4-10x more expensive than these machines)
  

Unlike dedicated carpet cleaning machines, or dedicated floor only steam cleaners, these machines can accomplish everything that any of the other types of steam cleaners or carpet cleaners can do, but simply do it differently, with less water, and through the use of super-heated water delivered in the form of vapor.

And if you have been paying attention, this means that what you get with these machines that you do not get with other machines is the real power of true disinfecting capabilities.

Darren's Alert: I have purchased numerous types of steamers, carpet cleaners, and upholstery steam cleaners over the past month (at the time of this writing) and have since noticed that numerous types of these tools that are effective at disinfecting/sanitizing are now out of stock. I can only imagine this is due to the public increasing awareness of germs, viruses, and a more vigilant approach to combating our "new normal" with the advent of the latest virus warfare our world is experiencing.

Top Rated Commercial Steam Cleaners:
Going level 10

Sargent Steam Cleaner

• Top rated commercial steam cleaner
• Excellent reviews
• Long list of accessories and attachments for cleaning anything you can imagine
• The price point jumps dramatically when you sign onto a commercial vapor steam cleaner
• Clean AND disinfect with 298° degrees of heated vapor steam
• Rolling body
  

Vapor Systems Steam Cleaner

• The actual commercial steam cleaner I use professionally for auto detailing (yes; these type of steamers are what I consider the best upholstery steam cleaner if that is your main intention)
• I have had mine about 5 years at the time of this writing (2020) and it keeps on going!
• Long list of accessories makes this machine as versatile as you can get
• Clean AND disinfect with 270° degrees of heated vapor steam
• Rolling body
  

Dupray Steam Cleaner

• Top rated commercial steam cleaner
• Italian made
• One of the highest heat ratings I have seen (316° degrees. Dupray makes another commercial grade steam cleaner that costs almost twice this amount and produces steam to 345°)
• 25 piece accessory kit
• Clean AND disinfect
  
• Rolling body
  

Darren's Note: I love these commercial steam cleaners due to the versatility and even more importantly the disinfecting capabilities through the use of basic water. As can be seen though,  the price point of these commercial steam cleaners is a dramatic jump when compared to the home steam cleaners.

And for that very reason I said in my home steam cleaner review why home steamers are the winning balance for the majority of people.

The trade-off in purchasing a home steam cleaner can be reduced down to the higher temperatures and the greater assortment of accessories/tools that you get with commercial steam cleaners.

Floor Steam Cleaners:
Definitely NOT the best upholstery steam cleaner

I include the following floor steam cleaners mostly to illustrate the many versions of "general" steam cleaners that are available. The following floor steam cleaners are designed for a very specific purpose and therefore are very limited in their versatility as home steam cleaners.

As you can see, it would be hard to label either of the floor steam cleaners as the best upholstery steam cleaner unless you consider your floor as a form of furniture or upholstery.

But with that said, most people and professionals have many tools designed for specific jobs, as well as tools that are more general in nature and can handle many different types of jobs.

If you have switched (my apologies if I have steered you away from your initial search for the best upholstery steam cleaner, into the best floor steam cleaner) you will likely reduce your criteria down to fewer wants/needs when deciding on the winning balance of features, benefits, and cost.

Your list of features in a floor steam cleaner will likely look something like this:

• How light/heavy is the steamer (remember, you will be moving the entire machine around rather than just a steam nozzle head like on a traditional home steamer)
• How long is the power cord
• How long does it require to heat up (or does the machine even heat up tepid water or does the machine require you to fill with pre-heated water)
• Does the head swivel (This makes maneuvering around furniture easier and more user-friendly)
• Water tank capacity
  

Shark Steam Pocket Mop Hard Floor Cleaner with Swivel Steering XL Water Tank (S3501) , 18 Feet Power cord

• Excellent user reviews
• Swivel head
  
• 4.87 lbs.
  
• 450 ml tank capacity (basically 16 ounces)
  
• 18' power cord
  
• Steam Control: manual

BISSELL PowerFresh Steam Mop, Floor Steamer, Tile Cleaner, and Hard Wood Floor Cleaner, 1940

•  Excellent user reviews
• Swivel head
• 6.2 lbs.
• 473 ml tank capacity (basically 16 ounces)
• 23' power cord
• Steam Control: 3 steam levels
  

Darren's Note: Unlike the traditional steam cleaners above these floor steamers, none of them list the temperature these floor cleaners produce. This would be a classic example of trade-off's.

If your main priority is just as much about killing germs/bacteria/viruses as it is cleaning abilities, then a heat rating is an important factor. (remember as a rule, the higher the heat, the more effective and efficient any steam cleaner or best upholstery steam cleaner will be at both cleaning and disinfecting)

The same holds true with home steam cleaners versus commercial steam cleaners in their ability to produce heated vapor steam , which then translates into a manufacturers willingness to state the true temp of the steam vapor produced.

What you need to remember and consider (not to be overly cynical, but...) is steam in the form of water heated to the point where steam is a resulting by-product, is different than a machine that emits a fine mist of water that is hot, but is just "hot". This is different than true steam from water heated high enough to produce actual steam.

There is a difference. And with these floor steam cleaners you may not have the ability to know or measure this heat and/or steam. With the home steam cleaners (some of them) and the commercial steam cleaners, the heat created is labeled as this is a requirement of use in many commercial/business applications.

Germs, Bacteria, Virus, Pathogens:
What you need to know

In order to help educate you in the specific topic of disinfecting (one of the important things we now know that steam cleaners are effective at doing), we need to start with the general, and work down the worm hole into the more specific or detailed information, so you can become an educated car owner, person, citizen.

We will start with the reason you are likely in search of the best upholstery steam cleaner:

• Cleaning
• Disinfecting
• Deodorizing

Cleaning: The removal of dirt, grime, grease, oil, or any unwanted matter.

Disinfecting: Generally accomplished through the use of chemicals, this generally refers to the killing of germs or pathogens of all kinds. (pathogens can be anything in the form of germs, bacteria, or virus that cause disease)

Deodorizing: The removal of any unwanted odor

Since we are trying to accomplish one or all three of these tasks with the use of heated water in the form of vapor, and do so without the use of chemicals, I will refer to the use of heated water only.

While the use heated water (in the form of steam vapor) to do any one of these tasks would naturally result in performing all these tasks, the effectiveness of each will be determined ultimately on the amount of heat created and the type of cleaning, disinfecting, and deodorizing you are attempting.

Quick Checklist of Killing Viruses and Bacteria:

• Most bacteria and viruses can be killed with heat
• Each type of bacteria and virus is unique and therefore will respond to both heat and cold temperatures differently
• The Internet is a love/hate relationship. You will be presented with endless opinions that will either contradict or support other opinions
• Most bacteria is NOT harmful to you and your body (your stomach and intestines for example have millions of bacteria as part of good health. But some bacteria is harmful and can cause disease)
• Viruses are not ALL bad, but most of them will cause disease in various ways
• Heat in the form of heated water, converted into vapor or steam, has proven to be extremely effective at not just cleaning, but the killing of bacteria and viruses in general. And most steamers will be marketed as having the ability too kill 99.9% of all germs, bacteria, and viruses.

For additional info, you can reference the links below:

At this link you can find the EPA's list of disinfectants for use against SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and CoVid-19  (Corona Virus Disease 2019)

At this link to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) you can read about MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)

Covid-19 refers to the Corona Virus Disease and the 19 referring to the year it originated. Hence Covid-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019). You can read up on the Covid-19 at the CDC site.

Best Upholstery Steam Cleaner Summary

If you have made it this far down best upholstery steam cleaner page; you should now be a much more informed consumer and car owner!

Many car owners and detailers are familiar with steam cleaners in their cleaning abilities whether they want to find the best upholstery steam cleaner for their car or home.

I have found that in today's age of vigilant cleaning and disinfecting to kills germs and viruses, many people remain ignorant of a top rated steam cleaner to turn basic water into a very effective cleaning and killing "chemical"!

I hope you have more interest than ever in choosing a top rated steamer and using it to make your world a cleaner, more germ free environment.

I wish you much success!

Sincerely,

Darren Priest

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