Last Updated: Apr 2024 Best Handheld Steam Cleaners 2024
There are many household jobs that are tough, jobs like cleaning bathroom tiles, cookers, stains in carpets, upholstery, curtains, even windows. Steam cleaners make all of these jobs so much easier. However many steam cleaners are heavy and hard to handle, that’s where handheld steam cleaners come into their own.
There are steam mops for example that are great for cleaning floors, but not much good for other cleaning jobs. Upright steam cleaners have many more applications, but again these are large and not easy to use for smaller jobs.
This is where the handheld steam cleaner comes into its own. Relatively light, with smaller attachments that are perfect for cleaning many places. Like cooker tops, tile grouting, kitchen surfaces, even windows.
Best Selling Handheld Steam Cleaners
- FAST HEATING & POWERFUL CLEANING -- The steam cleaner heats up quickly in 3 minutes. High temperature and high pressure steam will help you remove stubborn oil and dirt.
- SAFE & CHEMICAL FREE -- Contains no chemicals, no harmful fumes or residue. PS: A safety lock and a protective cover are included on the handle for added safety.
- ★Nine free accessories to adapt cleaner to every situation: Stairs, carpet, clothing, car interior and rims, etc. Gets into hard to reach areas.This is a great handheld steam cleaner.
- ★Multi-surface use: Our steam cleaner can work on every surface including laminate, hardwood, fabric, upholstery, ceramic, linoleum, glass, marble and granite.
- Multi-purpose steam cleaner.
- Tackles tough dirt and messes without harsh chemicals.
- 🏆【Powerful High-Temperature Steam】: The KOITAT Steam Cleaner harnesses the incredible power of high-temperature steam, reaching an impressive 221°F (105°C), to effortlessly combat stubborn oil, dust, and stains. Experienc
- 💎【Chemical-Free & Safe Cleaning】: Our handheld steam cleaner proudly boasts a 100% chemical-free cleaning solution, ensuring no harmful fumes or residue. With a built-in safety lock on the handle and a safety cap, we prioritize your well-being and provide you with peace of mind. Safely clean around children and pets without any worries!
- ❤️【Powerful Hot Steam and Fast Cleaning】The 1050W steam cleaner heats up quickly in 3-5 minutes and emits pressurised powerful hot steam 230℉ for powerful cleaning, cleaning even the toughest dirt and stains spotlessly, with a 12oz 350ML water capacity for more sustainable cleaning and faster cleaning efficiency.
- ❤️【Lightweight and Easy to Use】The handheld steam cleaner's weight and convenient handheld design make it easy to carry and move from room to room.The 9.8ft power cord allows you to achieve a wide cleaning area, making it easy to clean hard-to-reach places.
What Are The Benefits Of Handheld Steam Cleaners?
As stated above, handheld steam cleaners are great for small jobs. Including those difficult to reach areas like where the seat is connected to the toilet.
Not Just Clean
Handheld steam cleaners don’t just clean, the heat produced also sanitises the surfaces ensuring a deep clean that a cloth and detergent can’t guarantee. Suitable for areas that are hard to reach like the porcelain ware in bathrooms, taps, sink overflows, bath plugholes etc…
Easy To Use
As handheld steam cleaners are relatively light, they can be held in one hand. This gives easy access to awkward to reach places, plus in amongst the attachments there is usually a long nozzle which allows even easier access to harder to reach places.
A Useful Range Of Attachments
Most handheld steam cleaners come with a range of useful attachments including, a long nozzle, a brush, and many other useful items.
Convenient For Storage
As handheld steam cleaners are relatively small they are ideal for storing away easily in cupboards without taking up too much space.
Reasonably Priced
Upright steam cleaners are much larger and therefore cost much more too. Handheld steam cleaners are very reasonably priced by comparison.
Cheap To Run
Apart from the initial cost of purchase and the small amount of electricity needed to run the steamer, there are no other costs involved. No need to buy any detergents or cleaning fluids and no other parts or chemicals to buy either.
Hygienic And Prevent Allergies
High pressure steam kills dust mites and bacteria which means far less germs and no dust allergies too.
Child And Pet friendly
Apart from steam, which is composed of water, there are no other chemicals used in a steamer. Making it perfectly safe for use in a household with pets and children. No detergents that could cause skin allergies or worse.
Versatile Cleaning Tool
The handheld steamer can be used for so many different cleaning applications around the home. More than any other tool we can think of, including household chores like cleaning in the kitchen, bathroom, upholstery and carpet stains, even grease in the garage.
Easy On The Environment
With no chemicals but H2O (water), steamers are environmentally friendly too. All that is used to clean away dirt, grease and grime is steam. Plus the heat gets rid of germs too.
Handheld or portable steam cleaners can make a huge difference to the cleaning regime in your house. From cleaning windows, removing grease, getting rid of limescale, removing stains, and banishing harmful bacteria and germs. However don’t expect to clean a whole carpet, and remember that there is a limit to the length of time a full water tank will last.
Once you’ve considered all of the above we’re sure that you’ll get great satisfaction from a handheld steam cleaner.
As you can see there are many advantages to owning a handheld steam cleaner, lightweight, compact, sterile, easy to use, easy to store, and relatively cheaply priced. That said it’s not all roses, there are some disadvantages compared to an upright steamer.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Handheld Steam Cleaners?
For doing small cleaning jobs, handheld steam cleaners are perfect. However, they do have limitations.
Too Small For Large Jobs
Being small they produce a concentrated pressurised steam flow. Whilst this is perfect for small stains, it would not be entirely suitable for a whole carpet for instance.
Less Water Storage
The water tank is also smaller which means less steam between fills, coupled with the fact the unit has to cool down sufficiently before refilling means some larger jobs take longer.
Less Choice
Currently there are only a few companies manufacturing handheld steam cleaners which means less choice when purchasing. Whereas the uprights are much more plentiful and have a larger range of choice.
Another point worth considering is that these small, lightweight, handhelds are designed primarily for small cleaning jobs. Don’t expect to use one for say, a whole carpet or 3 piece suit. They are ideal for cleaning small stains, removing grease and dirt deposits, but not the whole floor.
As with all things mechanical, it’s all about the right tool for the right job. If you have a big cleaning job, then you’ll be better off with an upright steamer.
But for smaller jobs a handheld steam cleaner is perfect for the job.
Handheld Steam Cleaner Buying Guide
There are many things to consider before buying a steam cleaner, below are the main points to think about before you make your mind up. It’s worth bearing in mind that although relatively cheap, price is definitely not the main consideration, quality and functionality are much more important.
Water Reservoir Capacity
Compared to full size upright steamers, handheld steam cleaners have a small water reservoir. The larger the water capacity, the longer the steam cleaner can be used between refilling.The differences may be small, but they make a big difference when your cleaning.
Time Taken To Heat Up
Again this is well worth considering before buying, as it can mean the difference between buying a handheld unit that you will use regularly, opposed to one that takes up unnecessary cupboard space. Most units heat up pretty fast but those seconds do make a difference in the long run.
What Attachments Come With The Model
Most of the better handhelds come with a range of attachments, some more than others. These include extension hose for getting into awkward spaces, brushes for dirt and grime, scrubbing pads designed for greasy ovens, bent nozzle for getting into nooks and crannies and an attachment for cleaning windows.
Remember not all machines have all these attachments so it’s best to check what is supplied before purchase.
How Powerful Is The Machine
The bottom line is, the more powerful the jet of steam is, the easier it will get through dirt, grease and grime. For tough jobs you will need a model with a powerful steam jet from a focused nozzle.
Is Brand Important
As with most products, it’s best to buy from an established company with a good reputation. Of course this isn’t a guarantee of quality, but you’re much more likely to get a reliable product from a well known brand. One with many years experience in the manufacturing of household appliances.
The better known brands that make handheld steamers include Hoover, Bissell, Tefal, Quest, MLMLANT, Beldray, Kleeneze, Comfroday, and more. There are others but remember to do your research before purchasing.
Price
With handheld steam cleaners price is not the be all and end all, and just because it costs the most doesn’t mean it will automatically be the best. However as a rough guide, prices for handheld steam cleaners range between £20-£50 depending on make, model and specifications.
It’s always worth remembering that the unit that suits your needs is very much dependent on your requirements, what you want to clean etc… If you primarily want to clean greasy cookers then a more powerful, easy to direct steam stream is what you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is really down to what you plan to use it for. There are numerous models by many manufacturers, all with different features. The best handheld steam cleaner for you might have a larger water reservoir, or a certain attachment, our advice is to do your research of each model, with a clear idea what you need it for.
Handheld steam cleaners are excellent for doing small jobs around the home. Like cleaning the kitchen, bathroom tiles, ovens etc.
Handheld steam cleaners are used for cleaning dirt and grime that is stuck fast to kitchens bathrooms or even for removing stains from upholstery and carpets.
If used correctly, handheld steam cleaners are effective at killing bed bugs at all stages of their development.
To kill bed bugs , they need to be exposed to steam for a minimum of 15-20 minutes, with a temperature of between 110-120 degrees F (43-48C) Steam cleaners can reach steam temperatures of 300F (148C) which will kill bed bugs and their offspring including eggs, almost immediately.
Usually bacteria and viruses will be killed within 3 minutes using steam cleaning. The higher the temperature, the more effective it will be.
There have been reports of steam cleaners removing grout, but this is almost always where the grout was already damaged. Used on intact grout, steam cleaning will remove stains and scale but not damage the grout.
In the sense that steam removes dirt, grime, viruses, bacteria, mites and bed bugs the answer is yes steam is a disinfectant.
Some models allow the use of disinfectant but caution should be taken. Some disinfectants can give off noxious gases when heated. Also as the steam is a disinfectant anyway, there is no need to add it to the steam cleaner.
Using a steam cleaner to clean windows is the fastest, safest way to clean windows without the use of harmful chemicals. Safe for pets and children and capable of removing grease, oil, dirt and fingerprints from glass.
Yes using a nozzle attachment and a brush, steam cleaners will quickly clean uPVC frames and windows effectively.
Considering that after the initial outlay, there is no further costs involved, and the fact that steam cleaners effectively remove grease, grime, dirt, and bacteria and viruses the answer is yes steam cleaners are worth it.
Using a handheld steam cleaner will not only clean away dirt, limescale and grime, but will also kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria without using any harmful chemicals at all.
Hard water stains are caused by limescale which builds up in the tap water and collects on shower doors etc. Steam cleaning effectively removes hard water stains quickly and efficiently without using chemicals.
