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Use these if you want a true deep clean, without the use of bleach or chemicals.

Brandon Pleshek, a cleaning expert and educator, said that steam cleaning uses heat instead of chemicals to break down grease, grime, and buildup. The steam, according to Pleshek, can reach into tiny pores and cracks that traditional wiping sometimes misses, making it great for things like grout, shower tracks, and textured surfaces. 

“I like to explain it this way: traditional cleaning is like wiping dirt off the surface, while steam helps loosen what is stuck underneath, so it is easier to remove,” Pleshek said. “It can also help sanitize surfaces because of the high temperature, which is a nice bonus, especially in bathrooms and kitchens.”

And because steam cleaning is intended to work without the use of cleaning solutions or bleach, it can be applied to other areas of your home that you may not have thought of, like refreshing all your soft and not-as-easily cleaned surfaces.

“Steam can help loosen stains in carpet or upholstery because the heat breaks down what’s trapped in the fibers. It [also] works well for refreshing fabrics and lifting surface stains,” said Ashley Dixon, a home and cleaning expert and content creator. 

Depending on which appliance you use, steam cleaning can even help smooth wrinkled curtains without removing them from the rod, and can be applied to difficult areas like around fixtures where cloths or sponges don’t always reach, Dixon said. 

Like anything, steam cleaning has its limitations and, in some cases, should be used as a preliminary step to your cleaning process to make things easier.

“I always like to say steam is a tool, not a magic wand. It works best when you still pair it with good technique, like wiping after steaming and using clean microfiber towels,” Pleshek said.

Lori Williamson, lifestyle and cleaning expert of Now It’s Clean, said that if there’s visible dirt or debris, like crumbs or buildup, it’s better to remove that first before going in with steam.

“Also, not every surface is suited for steam cleaning. I wouldn’t use it on hardwood, laminate, or engineered wood floors, because over time the heat and moisture can damage the finish or cause warping,” Williamson said.

You can start using the power of steam to clean your home with several easily acquired appliances, such as steam mops, hand-held tools or a combination of the two. Find out which ones the above professional cleaners use for their own tasks and what might be a good fit for your needs in the list ahead. 

The experts consulted for this story do not necessarily endorse the products ahead unless otherwise noted.

Dixon said she prefers versatile handheld steam cleaners with multiple attachments instead of single-purpose tools like steam mops. She said that a variety of attachments make it easy to move from the kitchen to the bathroom to the laundry room without switching machines

"I’d rather have one machine that can clean grout, shower doors, stove tops, window tracks, and upholstery than several different tools for each job," she said.

Based on her preferences, we chose to include the McCulloch handheld steamer, which currently has 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon, across over 44,000 ratings. Among the 11 different attachments, there's a jet nozzle with a scraper tip for concentrated steam power, as well as a triangle brush for getting into corners and various detail brushes for getting into grout and along moldings, plus a 34-inch extension hose for reaching higher up areas. With a six-ounce direct-fill tank that promises to heat up to 200 degrees in under three minutes, the McCulloch promises up to 10 minutes of uninterrupted steam cleaning before you need to refill. 

(You can also shop the model with the full-size mop attachment down below).

We selected another handheld steamer that's priced the lowest out of all the options on this list and the most diminutive. Rated 4.2 out of 5 stars on Amazon, across 9,700+ ratings, this steamer offers 1050 watts of pressurized power and reaches temperatures of up to 230 degrees in as little as eight minutes. It comes with 12 attachments, such as a wide flat head for smoothing and refreshing pillows and couches, four targeted scrubber tools for grout and a concentrated nozzle for harder jobs.

Get it from Amazon for $49.99 (also available in orange).

Both Williamson and Pleshek recommended the Dupray Neat, a powerful and versatile steam cleaner that reaches temperatures of up to 275 degrees and has a large tank capacity that allows for up to 50 minutes of continuous cleaning.

"When I first started seeing it all over social media, I will be honest, I was a little skeptical. But after testing it myself, it really lives up to the hype. I love how versatile it is," said Pleshek, who also called the Dupray a "stand-out" among the many steam cleaners he has tried over the years.

According to Pleshek, he likes that this cleaner comes with so many attachments (17 to be exact, though you can get models that offer up to 40), and that you can really use it to clean just about anywhere in your home. 

The Dupray comes with a wheeled receptacle so you can drag it along while you mop floors, reach countertops and back splashes, or even use it for outside tasks like cleaning outdoor furniture. This model comes with everything from microfiber mop pads to crout brushes that fit into tiny corners.

According to Williamson, the Bissell Powersteamer 3-in-1 mop is a versatile tool that you can use on floors, grout, and a variety of other surfaces, and the different attachments let you get into more detailed areas. In fact, it's the only one on our list that functions the closest to a lightweight stick vacuum that detaches to become only a handheld component. 

Accompanied by 25 different attachments and accessories, this tool starts off as a traditional swivel-head steam mop and transforms into Bissell's PowerShot steam cleaner, which can be used to blast away the toughest caked-on grime and messes, inside and out. 

"I’m also a fan of Shark floor steam cleaners. If you’re just looking to clean your floors, they’re easy to use, not fussy, and they get the job done," Williamson said, leading us to select this popular Shark steam mop that uses not just the sanitizing power of steam but two rotating scrub pads to lift away grime from hardwood floors, tiles and other sealed surfaces. It offers three cleaning modes to deliver up to a whopping 150 scrubs per minute, while steam temperatures reach 59 degrees. 

Pleshek said that when it comes to stain removal, a true steam cleaner does not extract dirt or stains like a carpet extractor or spotter machine does. It can help loosen stains, but you usually still need a way to remove the moisture and a way to treat the stains with a stain remover, if necessary, according to Pleshek. 

"I typically recommend using a proper spot cleaning machine like the Shark StainStriker instead because it sprays, agitates, and extracts," he said, "That three-step process is really what removes the stain instead of just loosening it. Steam can also help loosen sticky residue or old buildup before using a proper carpet or upholstery cleaner." 

Featuring several brush attachments, this portable and powerful cleaner can scrub away messes and suck them away with this one versatile tool that even works on deeply embedded stains or spills from soft surfaces. 

Similar to the less-outfitted version of the McCulloch steam cleaner listed above, this powerful and total-clean tool has an impressive 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon, across over 44,000 ratings. But this one — which we chose — includes a 64-ounce tank that wheels along and promises a generous 120 minutes of run-time per fill and a 7-foot steam hose to reach even farther than all of the other options on this list. Promising 58 PSI of pressurized power, the McCulloch comes with 23 attachments, like a mop head with various mop pads and scrubbers, plus grout tools, bristle brushes, an angled nozzle for window tracks or fixtures, and a squeegee for windows.