Critical Details: Lets Talk Steam Cleaners

I can do an entire interior with now two refills, IMO that's not bad.
The McCulloch is a beast for the price
 
CCC4me said:
My next unit, 185 psi!:
Vapor Steam Cleaners, Electric Steam Cleaners, & Propane Steam Cleaners, Commercial Steam Cleaners, Industrial Steam Cleaners, High Pressure Steam Cleaners, Steam Cleaners from THERMA-KLEEN™
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I have the therma kleen 1.5 and love it. it does a great job cleaning leather and getting stains out of the carpet. during the winter months I use it on the exterior of my car and it does a decent job. the staff there is friendly and great to work with. I was using the tornador before I got the steamer and thought it was perfect. but the steamer just seems like it does a better job and there is no over spray mess.
 
I have a the vx5000 and i must say its worth its weight in gold here at my shop . Saves my guys tons of time with sticky messes in cup holders and carpets. Also great when someone doesn't quite get all the gunk out of the crevices on the exterior. Works phenomenal on leather and vinyl seats, no more spray ,scrub , wipe , over and over again.

The only thing i dont like is that i have had to replace the cap on it every 6-8 months since i bought it two years ago. Also it does suck having to refill it and wait for it to re pressurize during a detail wich is usaully right at the end of the cleaning process. If mine broke today though i wouldnt hesitate to buy a new one.
 
I will be removing windshield tint as part of a interior detail this weekend and i am thinking of purchasing a cheap steamer just for this job. I found a Conair one for 19.95 at Walmart. Thoughts? The tint is only an 8 inch wide (going down), windshield length tint. Not a full window.

Thanks!
 
CriticalDetails said:
This video is from my most detail using my steam cleaner.

How To Clean Upholstery: Hot Water Extraction - Critical Details Premium Automotive Detailing - YouTube
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I bought a Daimer 300CS a few weeks ago. I'm still getting used to it. The shop I worked out before never used steam and I wanted to make it apart of my detailing regiment. Any advice you can give on using steam? I heard not to use it on vinyl as it can gray the material or use around electronics. I really think we should have a steam cleaning thread discussing all the different uses and techniques!
 
04Golf said:
I bought a Daimer 300CS a few weeks ago. I'm still getting used to it. The shop I worked out before never used steam and I wanted to make it apart of my detailing regiment. Any advice you can give on using steam? I heard not to use it on vinyl as it can gray the material or use around electronics. I really think we should have a steam cleaning thread discussing all the different uses and techniques!
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You may run into an issue on vehicles that use vinyl to cover up the hard plastic interior surfaces. I am talking about the material that is always pealing off of MK4 Volkswagen interiors if you aren't familiar with it. Another moisture sensitive area is the headliner. I try to steam clean the headliner in sections allowing one area to cool/dry before adding more heat/moisture. If you get encounter a stubborn spot on the headliner don't keep working on it until the stain is fully remove. After you use the steam cleaner for a while you will start to learn what it can and can't safely remove. It isn't worth removing a stain 100% if it's going to compromise the headliners adhesive.

I am always careful around electronics and will spray steam into a microfiber towel before wiping down the radio/navigation part of the dash. Just like how you would spray APC into a microfiber towel when cleaning sensitive areas.

Always keep the steam cleaner moving like you would a rotary buffer. Too much heat in one area is a recipe for disaster. When you are using the concentrator nozzle be sure to have the tip pointed away from you or sensitive materials when pressing/releasing the trigger. Extremely hot condensation builds up in the hose and will instantly burn you if you aren't careful. I have been using my steam cleaner for three years and still burn myself once in a while when releasing the trigger.

The only thing that I don't use my steam cleaner for is cleaning exterior paint.
 
CriticalDetails said:
You may run into an issue on vehicles that use vinyl to cover up the hard plastic interior surfaces. I am talking about the material that is always pealing off of MK4 Volkswagen interiors if you aren't familiar with it. Another moisture sensitive area is the headliner. I try to steam clean the headliner in sections allowing one area to cool/dry before adding more heat/moisture. If you get encounter a stubborn spot on the headliner don't keep working on it until the stain is fully remove. After you use the steam cleaner for a while you will start to learn what it can and can't safely remove. It isn't worth removing a stain 100% if it's going to compromise the headliners adhesive.

I am always careful around electronics and will spray steam into a microfiber towel before wiping down the radio/navigation part of the dash. Just like how you would spray APC into a microfiber towel when cleaning sensitive areas.

Always keep the steam cleaner moving like you would a rotary buffer. Too much heat in one area is a recipe for disaster. When you are using the concentrator nozzle be sure to have the tip pointed away from you or sensitive materials when pressing/releasing the trigger. Extremely hot condensation builds up in the hose and will instantly burn you if you aren't careful. I have been using my steam cleaner for three years and still burn myself once in a while when releasing the trigger.

The only thing that I don't use my steam cleaner for is cleaning exterior paint.
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Thanks :dblthumb2: I know exactly what your are talking about regarding the vw interior. I have an Mk4 and the plastic has been peeling for years (this is before I had steam). Everyone I know with a vw has the same peeling issue as well. I picked up Renny Doyle's video about steamers. It helped to get an idea of the different uses for steam.
 
04Golf said:
Thanks :dblthumb2: I know exactly what your are talking about regarding the vw interior. I have an Mk4 and the plastic has been peeling for years (this is before I had steam). Everyone I know with a vw has the same peeling issue as well. I picked up Renny Doyle's video about steamers. It helped to get an idea of the different uses for steam.
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Two of my favorite uses for steam are cleaning cup holders and door jambs.

I like to squirt a few sprays of Optimum Power Clean diluted 6/1 into the cup holder and cover it with a microfiber towel. Then insert the steam concentrator nozzle into the cup holder and melt away all the built up grime. The microfiber towel helps keep the heat in to quickly dissolve any coffee residue or melted candy. In addition the towel keeps the cup holders unwanted contents from being blasted to other parts of the vehicle and making an even bigger mess.

For door jambs I like to liberally apply Optimum Power Clean diluted 3/1 and let dwell for a minute or two. Then use the steam cleaner on max pressure to remove any dirt and debris. If the door jamb is greasy it is a good idea to put a microfiber towel below the hinges to prevent making a bigger mess. There is nothing worse than having to polish the rocker panels because the door jamb sludge stained them.
 
CriticalDetails said:
Two of my favorite uses for steam are cleaning cup holders and door jambs.

I like to squirt a few sprays of Optimum Power Clean diluted 6/1 into the cup holder and cover it with a microfiber towel. Then insert the steam concentrator nozzle into the cup holder and melt away all the built up grime. The microfiber towel helps keep the heat in to quickly dissolve any coffee residue or melted candy. In addition the towel keeps the cup holders unwanted contents from being blasted to other parts of the vehicle and making an even bigger mess.

For door jambs I like to liberally apply Optimum Power Clean diluted 3/1 and let dwell for a minute or two. Then use the steam cleaner on max pressure to remove any dirt and debris. If the door jamb is greasy it is a good idea to put a microfiber towel below the hinges to prevent making a bigger mess. There is nothing worse than having to polish the rocker panels because the door jamb sludge stained them.
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Thanks for the info. do you use the steamer on engine details?
 
I picked up 2 bottles of this at walgreens. I read somewhere on this forum people using CLR to clean their steamers. Anyone know how to use this?

 
04Golf said:
I picked up 2 bottles of this at walgreens. I read somewhere on this forum people using CLR to clean their steamers. Anyone know how to use this?

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Using CLR to clean your steam cleaner is new information to me. What kind of water are you using in your steam cleaner?

I only run distilled water through my steamer and extractor to help prevent mineral build up. I flush the steam cleaner ever 20 or so hours with one gallon of distilled water and black stuff always drains out the boiler. I could only imagine the amount of build up that would come out of the boiler if a person used tap water.

I can tell when it's time to flush my steam cleaner because it makes a popping noise during the first 20 or so seconds of start up. I imagine that the noise is the mineral deposits popping off of the heating element. The first few times I use the steam cleaner after flushing the boiler the popping noise is nonexistent.
 
I noticed that you have a Daimer 300CS as well. I copied the followed information from the Daimer website. Not all steamers have this technology and could be why Daimer gave the ok on using tap water vs distilled water.

"Boiler Scale Reduction: Unique, patented scale reduction technology. A continuously vibrating mechanism is featured to help prevent mineral and scale buildup and maintain maximum pressure and temperature."

I would just flush the steam cleaner with a gallon of water and see what comes out the drain plug. Place a paper towel underneath the hole so you can spot the black scale easier and see how much comes out. I have had my Daimer 300CS for a little over three years and have used it for hundreds of hours. The only thing I do is flush the boiler with water every few weeks.

I don't know if I would use the CLR yet since your steam cleaner is still relatively new and covered under warranty. I am looking into buying a distilled water machine in the future. I spent roughly $100 on distilled water this year for my steamer and extractor.
 
04Golf said:
What do you flush your steamer with?

Not sure if this is the exact thread I was reading but there are some members discussing CLR

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/72322-how-descale-steam-cleaner.html
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Interesting thread I will have to do some more research when I get a chance. The VX5000 is a single tank steamer that doesn't have a pump like the CS300. I would imagine that the CLR is fine for use in our steam cleaner's pump as long as you flush it out with water afterwards.

When I do flush the boiler only a few specks of black come out the drain plug. That is why I put down a paper towel so that I can compare the mineral build up from flush to flush. If you simply drained the boiler onto the garage floor you would have a hard time telling what actually came out of the boiler.
 
Thanks for information. I have only had my machine for a few weeks now. I have only used it a handful of times. I read the manual and it did say it could use tap but I think I'll use distilled water from now own. I'll pick up a bunch of gallons at once to save on the trips. The steamer wouldn't use that much distilled water but my Mytee extractor seems like it would over time.

I just went down and emptied the bottom drain. There was still some water inside. Should I be emptying the steamer after each use from the bottom drain. I thought I read in the manual to drain it from the top opening and use the bottom drain for flushing the system. I have to re-read the manual. Water was clear. So to clean the system just let distilled water sit in it for a few hours?

I'm not sure if that is the same thread I was reading but I knew I had come across a few threads of member discussing using CLR to clean out the calcium. But I can't seem to find those threads when searching.
 
04Golf said:
Thanks for information. I have only had my machine for a few weeks now. I have only used it a handful of times. I read the manual and it did say it could use tap but I think I'll use distilled water from now own. I'll pick up a bunch of gallons at once to save on the trips. The steamer wouldn't use that much distilled water but my Mytee extractor seems like it would over time.

I just went down and emptied the bottom drain. There was still some water inside. Should I be emptying the steamer after each use from the bottom drain. I thought I read in the manual to drain it from the top opening and use the bottom drain for flushing the system. I have to re-read the manual. Water was clear. So to clean the system just let distilled water sit in it for a few hours?

I'm not sure if that is the same thread I was reading but I knew I had come across a few threads of member discussing using CLR to clean out the calcium. But I can't seem to find those threads when searching.
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Open the boiler drain plug when the machine is cool and then turn on the power button. It is important to leave the heater button off and continue to fill the water reservoir while the pump flushes the boiler. I typically drain and fill the water reservoir two times when I flush the boiler.

I use a gallon or two of distilled water per detail in the steam cleaner and the extractor requires three to five gallons of water. I want to eventually buy a distilled water machine and significantly cut my water expense.
 
Thanks for great information:dblthumb2:

Is calcium in all water? I know the water here is not hard but not sure if that matters
 
04Golf said:
Thanks for great information:dblthumb2:

Is calcium in all water? I know the water here is not hard but not sure if that matters
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You're welcome. I believe that Calcium is in all tap water and the concentration of Calcium varies by geographic location.
 
I bought my McCulloch steamer a couple of years ago and works really good for my needs, I don't mind if I have to fill the tank 3-4 times per interior detail, it gets the job done all the same.

I'm sure a higher grade model is better if you have 3-4 cars to do per day.
Great post btw:dblthumb2:
 
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