[dmirtle]

We are looking for a robust dry steam cleaner for use on catering equipment. Can anyone recommend a machine or has one for sale?

[bengiles]

i use a domestic polti machine!  the top of the range machine about £300 on ebay, work fantastic dont cost the earth.

ben

[Duplex_UK]

You have an IM

Because we sell dry steam machines we will not openly advertise  models on here so these are general comments.

For deep cleaning in a kitchen or cleaning catering equipment a machine with chemical injection makes the job much quicker and easier for tackling the "hidden" areas such as canopies etc, which get saturated with grease. The steam used in conjunction with a degreaser saves time.

You must never put any chemical in the steam boiler, machines with chemical injection have a separate tank and when required chemical is injected into the steam line. You don't always have to use the chemical facility of course and most day to day routines are fine without it.

About 80% of machines we sell into big kitchens have the chemical injection version though.

[Happyeater]

Im looking at the Osprey models too, we have a requirement for a steam cleaner with vacuum and a chemical solution. Mainly for tiled toilet walls and kitchens.

[Mike_Boxall]

sorry - it saves me rewriting it all!

Hi Dave

There have been several topics that covered steam cleaners and some highly recommend them and others don't. Those that recommend them appreciate that you get what you pay for:
Small hand held steam guns like those below are great for detailing work that is any area that is difficult to get to with cloths and scourers. They are good for cleaning round fixtures and fittings, grouting, and general detail work. Although they only hold a small amount of water (enough for say 15mins continuous work) they are quick and easy to set-up and can be used within 20 seconds of plugging in. Every contract cleaner should have one because, for the cost, they make it easier to pay attention to detail.
They cost between £50 and £100 (ours is currently £79.20) but avoid the really cheap ones as you have to 'pump' the trigger to get the steam out!
If you have a look at our site here: http://www.express-cleaning-supplies.co.uk/shopbask/it140003.htm theres more info as well as a video of the machine in use.



The mid range machines, say £100 - £500, dont do a great deal more and this is the range that people get  dissapointed with becuase they expect them do so much more. They tend to be oversold and claim to be able to clean anything and everything. In reality, they only hold more water and can therefore be used for longer periods of time. You do get better and more consistent control of the volume of steam but this doesn't really allow you to tackle more types of work. Becuase they dont have any form of extraction system the only way they can recover large volumes of dirt is by using them with terry towelling cloths which is not particularly efficient in a commercial environment. They wouldn't be much better on the shower doors or on top of the kitchen units - you'd just end up with a sticky mess.

Once you get into the £600+ plus range then these are the machines with some form of vacuum extraction that allow you to effectively clean large areas of floors and walls. The top end stainless steel machines £1800+ are the ones that would really make a difference in commercial kitchens where you regularly had to deep clean areas. These machines also allow you to add chemicals - despite what people tell you steam doesn't do everything and there are times when chemicals make a big difference.
This is the model we sell to contractors (at £2700) who do regular deep cleans:


More info here:
http://www.express-cleaning-supplies.co.uk/shopbask/it140015.htm

So the answer is yes they do work and are worth having so long as you appreciate that, as with anything, you get what you pay for!

Any more questions please ask.

Regards

Mike

by the way, there's also another topic running in the carpet cleaning section that talk about steam cleaners for carpets: http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=carpetequipment;action=display;num=1072120410