The janitorial business has expanded rapidly over the last ten years. Residential and commercial cleaning companies are forming everyday and the competition is fierce. Assuring that you continue to remain competitive also means staying current with the hottest cleaning trends. Steam cleaning has become an additional service that many professional cleaning companies have begun adding as an option. The benefits of cleaning with steam are tremendous. Steam cleaning disinfects and provides for a better end cleaning result. Choosing the best possible commercial steam cleaner is crucial when looking to add this additional service. There are many commercial steam cleaners on the market and unless you have more than one machine you want to make sure the quality of the machine you purchase is strong so as to always be available to perform. This article will briefly go over a few key features to consider when choosing a commercial steam cleaner.

1. Boiler Material - The quality of a boiler will determine the longevity of the machine. May steamers are made with aluminum boilers making them lighter. Aluminum though does not tend to last as long as stainless steel. Steamers are heating the water and also leave lime scale material behind that will eat away at aluminum compared to stainless steel. Though stainless steel will be slightly heavier, consider this over aluminum.

1. Boiler Size - The perception is that having a larger boiler will allow more commercial work to be performed. In actuality more production time is wasted the larger the boiler as it takes longer for the water to heat up. The smaller the boilers size the better it is able to maintain pressure and a consistent hotter temperature. For larger commercial jobs consider a Continuous Fill steamer. A 2 qt. boiler will typically heat in seven minutes.
2. Continuous Fill - Continuous fill steamers have a separate reservoir that allows for no downtime. When the reservoir is empty your boiler is still full and heated for performance. You can now refill the reservoir. For single boilers once the boiler is empty you need to refill and wait for the water to heat up again. There are many quality single boilers with 2 qt. tanks that will perform for 2 solid hours, though for more time and consistent heat consider a continuous fill.
3. Pressure - There are jobs that require high pressure, though 90 percent of the work performed will be at a pressure of 58 psi or below. Remember that the heat is cleaning and not the force coming out of the machine. Typically a machine with pressure of 58 psi will have a temperature of 293 and 65 psi has heat of 298.
4. Steam Vs. Vapor - The higher the temperature, the more condensed the water molecules. Vapor steam cleaners have a higher temperature to fight mold and mildew. Typically many vapor steam cleaners leave the surfaces less damp.
5. Accessories and Warranty - Look for a good solid warranty, particularly on the boiler. Consider additional accessories to thoroughly get into all corners and tight spaces if not available.
6. Additional Functionality - There are steam cleaners that also vacuum and extract if doing carpet, upholstery or auto detailing. If this is a service you'll be offering consider this feature.

In conclusion with steam cleaning being a newer service and so many choices available these are some key features that one should consider.