Every once in a while, you may find that your carpet could benefit from a deep clean. The best way to accomplish this task is by using a steam cleaner, but if you don't have one of these in your home, then renting a steam cleaner is the best option.
What Is a Steam Cleaner?
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A steam cleaner is a cleaning tool that uses heat to rid your home of unwanted items such as dirt, germs, and bugs. There are two types of steam cleaners: a cool steam cleaning machine and a dry steam cleaning machine. Both use water to create the steam, but they use it in different ways.
For example, a cool steam cleaning machine has steam that contains more water and the water isn't boiled to create the steam. When it comes to a dry steam cleaning machine, boiled water is used to create the steam, which has less water but is incredibly hot.
Out of the two options, the dry steam cleaner is more effective and efficient. However, not all dry steam cleaning machines are created equal, and some work better than others. Thus, a handheld machine may not be as powerful as an upright machine.
What Can Steam Cleaners Clean?
You may think that steam cleaners are only used on carpets, but they aren't. There are many different surfaces and areas that a steam cleaner can be used on, including ceramic and metal fixtures, windows, tile, toilets, curtains, upholstery, mattresses, mirrors, kitchen appliances, pet beds, kid's toys, grills, and car interiors, among others.
Reasons for Renting a Steam Cleaner
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There are many reasons why renting a steam cleaner is the best option for your cleaning needs. The first might be because you don't steam clean your space often enough to justify the cost of buying a steam cleaner. If you only use this machine once in a while, then renting is more cost effective than buying.
Some other reasons why you might be renting a steam cleaner rather than buying is because you don't have the space to store the machine or you may not be sure which is the best one to buy. Maybe you aren't sure how to use a steam cleaner, but when you rent, they show you how to use that particular machine.
Benefits of Renting a Steam Cleaner
If you don't have your own steam cleaner, then renting one has many benefits. The most obvious is the fact that it will help you deep clean your home and get rid of dirt, grime, bugs, and bacteria. They can also be useful in getting rid of stains.
Renting a steam cleaner can also save you money. Again, if this isn't something you use often, then you don't want to invest in buying one. If it just sits in your closet, this was a waste of your money. On average, you may be able to rent a steam cleaners for as little as $30 per day, while the average cost to buy is about $200.
What You Need to Know When Renting a
Steam Cleaner
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If you find that you need to rent a steam cleaner to do some deep cleaning in your home or apartment, below are the things you'll need to know.
How Long Do You Need the Cleaner for?
Most people only need to rent a steam cleaner for a day. They will often use these to help clean an area when they move out of an apartment or house or to take care of a large mess or spill. However, depending on the size of the house and the number of items you need to clean, it may take you longer than a day to get everything taken care of.
Will You Need to Get Detergent?
When renting a steam cleaner, the rental company will probably recommend that you use a specific cleaner. They may have this available for you when you rent, or you may need to get your own from the store. This is something you'll need to ask when you call to rent the machine, and you'll also need to determine how much it will take to get all your cleaning duties completed.
Is the Steam Cleaner Certified?
Steam cleaners are certified depending on how well they clean carpets. If you are renting a steam cleaner to clean your carpets, you'll want to see if it has been tested by the Carpet and Rug Institute and see what rating it has been given. This will let you know how good of a job it does.
Even if the cleaner isn't certified, this doesn't mean it won't get your items cleaned. It may just mean it hasn't been tested. Having a certification can help you decide which machine is the best one for your cleaning needs.
Is the Cleaner Portable?
You'll be responsible for loading and unloading the machine into your car, so you want to make sure you can handle it. If not, you'll need to consider bringing some help along or finding another machine that is easier to handle.
How Long Will It Take Items to Dry?
Even if the steam cleaner is classified as a dry steam cleaner, it will still make surfaces wet. When renting a steam cleaner, you'll want to ask how long it takes the carpet and other surfaces to dry so you can plan this into your cleaning time. You might also consider adding some fans to the area to help speed up the drying process.
Conclusion
If you don't own a steam cleaner, then renting one is the best way to take care of your deep cleaning needs. They are usually available from a variety of different places, including chain stores such as Wal-Mart or hardware stores. You may also be able to find businesses that specialize in steam cleaner rentals and get a machine from there. Carpet cleaning places or carpet sellers might also have steam cleaners that you can rent.
When renting a machine, you'll need to know how long you'll need it for and whether or not certain detergents are recommended. If they are, make sure to get the right detergent. This will ensure the machine doesn't get damaged and it works efficiently.
Featured image by: Flickr
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