Improving Pest Control with Steam Cleaning

Pest control can feel like a losing battle at times.  Routine pest control, such as monthly visits, is not only costly but they fill your home or business with chemicals.  Chemicals that you and your family or coworkers all breathe in or touch.  While pest control chemicals have their place, more and more people are looking for effective ways to eliminate pests without the use of dangerous and harmful chemicals, especially in their living spaces.  Steam is an effective multi-purpose cleaning solution but it can be used for more than cleaning, it can be used as an effective tool in your pest control and elimination arsenal.  We have all heard about dreaded bed bugs.  They sound terrifying and disgusting but many of us cannot imagine it happening to us. If bed bugs do happen to you, they are not only upsetting but can be very hard to get rid of.  This is because chemical cleaners are not always effective at getting rid of them.  Bed bugs are resilient but steam cleaning is their kryptonite.

If chemicals cannot kill bed bugs and certain other insects, how exactly is steam going to do it?  Steam is, after all, only water that has been heated to a high temperature.  The University of Minnesota explains how steam effectively kills and stops bed bugs in their tracks, “Steamers work by delivering lethal temperatures to where bed bugs may be hiding. Steam is very effective when bed bugs are on the surface of items and can be effective up to 3/4″ into fabric surfaces. In cracks and crevices, steam will kill bed bugs up to 2-3/8” into a gap. Use an infrared thermometer to monitor the surface temperature of the area being treated. To effectively kill bed bugs the surface temperature should be at least 160-180°F immediately after the steam brush has passed.”  The reason steam is so effective at not only killing bed bugs but eliminating them going forward is that steam kills bed bugs and their eggs on contact.  This means that steam cleaners that you can find at a big box store are probably not going to be sufficient.  To get a steam cleaner that can effectively clean, sanitize and eliminate pests you need to purchase a commercial steam cleaner such as the Vapamore steam cleaner.  Only specialized commercial steam cleaners will heat to the temperatures necessary and come with the appropriate tools to safely and effectively eliminate pests such as bed bugs.

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Why Steam is the Best Degreaser

Whether you work with cars in a mechanic shop, food in a kitchen, on a boat, with heavy machinery or much more, you have seen your fair share of grease.  Working with big machinery or appliances means not only enjoying all that they have to offer but also maintaining them so that they can function properly.  Grease may be inevitable but that does not mean that it has to be a dirty eyesore or create problems.  Cleaning grease has long been the source of much frustration because of how difficult it can be to remove it.  It seems like no amount of chemicals or scrubbing will get the job done right.  And, the chemicals introduced to the machinery or appliances may cause more problems than they solve so they are usually not the ideal choice for cleaning grease.  So, what is best way to clean grease and allow machinery or appliances to not only look nice but run more effectively?  Steam!

How does steam effectively and efficiently remove grease from both large and small machinery and appliances?  Water is heated in the steam cleaner, typically to temperatures above 250 degrees Fahrenheit, and then the steam is propelled through a nozzle that can clean grease better than any other alternative.  Steam can penetrate even porous surfaces to help get in deep for better cleaning and lift grease off of just about anything.  Whether grease is on the exterior of machinery or appliances, or is stuck in gears, on hoses, in difficult to reach places or more, grease can get in there and get the job done.  Just because a piece of machinery or an appliance is large does not mean it does not have a lot of very small parts.  Steam can handle the largest of projects and the smallest of projects with the same level of effectiveness. Utilizing steam instead of chemical filled cleaning products is a much more environmentally friendly and safe way to clean degrease.  Additionally, chemical filled cleaners can sometimes strip finishes and paints off of machinery or appliances such as cars, boats and more.  To keep your machinery and appliances looking their best, use steam for cleaning which is safe for paint finishes.  While steam degreases it also sanitizes so if you are working with equipment used to prepare or cook food in any way it will not only remove that unsightly grease but make it safe for food preparation.  Steam cleaning truly is the ideal way to clean all machinery and appliances because it sanitizes and removes grease better than any chemical cleaning product available.

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Better Grout Cleaning with Steam

Owning a home or business with tile flooring is great because tile is incredibly durable and easy to clean.  But, with tile comes grout.  And grout gets dirty very easily.  Once it does get dirty there are few good cleaning options aside from getting down on the ground with a grout brush and cleaning solution, using some elbow grease, and scrubbing.  But, if you are working with an area that is bigger than ten square feet you will start to feel all that scrubbing pretty quickly.  If the idea of scrubbing for hours and even days on end to get your grout nice and clean again does not appeal to you, do not worry, you are not stuck with dark and dirty grout forever.  Steam cleaning grout is a safe and exceptionally effective cleaning option and will have you quickly abandoning those old store bought grout cleaning solutions and brushes.

When it comes to caring for the floors in your home you want to choose the most effective but also the most safe option.  After all, this is the floor your family and pets walk on, play on, crawl on and more.  If those floors are covered in chemical-filled cleaners from scrubbing your grout then you are putting your loved ones at risk.  If you run a business, the sheer amount of grout cleaner you probably need to purchase for such a large area is reason enough to abandon the prospect.  Pitch those old chemical-laden grout cleaners and switch toa  steam cleaner because all that will be necessary is water and heat.  The steam cleaner will heat the water to a high temperature until it produces a sanitizing vapor.  The vapor is then propelled through a nozzle that focuses the steam right where you want it to go.  This is important because grout lines are small and very difficult to clean.  No amount of scrubbing will ever truly get grout clean because it is porous and dirt settles deep into the crevices of grout.  The only way to truly get all of that dirt out of such a porous material is with steam.  The steam penetrates the porous material and safely lifts dirt out of the grout.  Rather than degrading your tilea nd grout over time with intense scrubbing, steam gently lifts dirt out of grout which means that your grout and tile will look much better for much longer.  And the benefits go beyond simply removing dirt and giving grout a clean appearance.  The steam is heated to such a high degree that it actually disinfects and sanitizes the surface it touches.  This means that tiny microbes of bacteria that find their homes in grout will be removed as well.  This means your home or office will be a much more clean, healthy and safe place to be, all because of steam grout cleaning.

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Steam Cleaning Your HVAC System

You breathe in and breathe out and probably give very little thought to the air you are breathing in your home.    It is there, and as long as there is no bad odor or other obvious problems you assume it is safe to breath.  But, has your HVAC system ever been cleaned?  Is the home old or new?  Has there ever been any renovation done in the home?  There are many factors that can lead to an accumulation of dirt, debris, moisture and more in your HVAC system.  And, when those things accumulate, and your HVAC system circulates air into your home, you then end up breathing in all of those things.  If you or a family member has asthma or allergies, the problem is amplified even more.  For this reason, the best thing you can do for your home’s air quality and the health of your home’s inhabitants is to clean your HVAC system with a steam cleaner.

We are probably all familiar with steam cleaners and how they can be used in the home but most of us have probably never thought about using them on our HVAC system.  When you think about how much dust accumulates on a table if left undusted for any length of time, you can see why there is probably a significant accumulation of dirt in your HVAC system.  An HVAC system is filled with dark, cool ductwork that provides an ideal environment for mold and bacteria growth.  If you have ever noticed an odd smell when your air conditioner turns on you may actually be smelling mold growing your HVAC system.  If you are smelling it, that means you are breathing it in and so is the rest of your family or guests.  To better improve your health, and the health of your family it is important to ensure that your HVAC system is properly cleaned so that you are not breathing in contaminates on a regular basis.  Steam cleaning with a vapor steam cleaner will kill mold spores and bacterial growth as well as loosen, lift and remove dirt and debris in your HVAC system.  Once cleaned with a steam cleaner, many homeowners suddenly realize their breathing has eased, asthma triggers have reduced and allergies are no longer plaguing them.  Plus, not only will you enjoy breathing in much more healthy and safe air in your home but you will also likely enjoy lower energy bills.  All of that dust, debris and growth in your air ducts significantly reduces your HVAC system’s energy efficiency by making it more difficult to propel air through your home.  Once steam cleaned, your HVAC system will be able to work more efficiently, lowering energy bills and extending the life of your HVAC system.

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