At home, you can use steam to clean and sanitize just about anything. But did you know that you can also use regular clothes steamer for cleaning stains and grease on other surfaces? Aside from carpets and kitchen tops, here are surprising things you can clean with a steamer.
4 Surprising Things You Can Clean With A Steamer
You might say that it is easier to straighten clothes with portable handheld steam cleaners, yet you can also use them to clean your exercise equipment, your oven, rubber shoes, and even get rid of bubblegum at home.
Image by Steve Buissinne
Because steam is powerful in a way that it can break down dirt buildup, stains, and even grease, it is also important that you check your device for proper use. So going back, what unexpected things can you clean with regular clothes steamer at home?
Exercise Equipment
One of the advantages of having your own exercise equipment at home is that you’re sure that it’s getting its regular dose of cleaning. There are many solutions and methods for killing bacteria on gym equipment. One way is through steam cleaning.
When you exercise, you sweat not only on your clothes but on your equipment, too. One way to clean your rubber mats, jump rope, and other workout tools are by giving it a blast of steam. In the same way, you sanitize them if you set the steamer to 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bubblegum
There are many ways you can remove bubblegum on any surface but often, it is most difficult on fabric. While you can use a cleaning solution and other home remedies to get rid of the stubborn stain, sometimes, you do not get rid of it all completely.
Using steam to remove bubblegum on carpets, clothes, and other fabric is an effective way that leaves no visible residue.
Things you need:
- steamer with flat nozzle (or use a spatula)
- citrus gel
- paper towel
To do this, simply connect the flat nozzle to your steamer and blast steam directly on the gum for a few seconds. This should soften the gum and make it easier to remove. As you blast steam, gently scrape off the gum until it disconnects from the fabric. Wipe with a paper towel.
Apply some citrus gel on the area and blast steam once more with additional scraping. Doing this should remove all the gum residue. Wipe with a paper towel after.
Oven Grease and Stains
The oven is one of those kitchen appliances that could get really dirty. Grease is also common out of food spills. In fact, if you delay cleaning, a bad odor may also start to develop, which would make cleaning even more difficult.
If you don’t want it to be one of the things to include in your next kitchen remodeling project, then you can be creative and use the clothes steamer to deep-clean the oven.
With steam being so powerful in loosening stubborn dirt, you can quickly get rid of heavy food stains and grease. However, while it loosens dirt effectively, it will not make it vanish completely unless you use a cloth to wipe clean the residue.
Rubber Shoes
You can bring back the aesthetic appeal of your running shoes and get rid of the foul smell at the same time by steam-cleaning it. Using dry steam (or hot steam), it will also take less time to dry your shoes than when cleaning with soap and water.
Conclusion
Your regular clothes steamer does more than just straightening wrinkles on the fabric. You can use it as a tool to clean even those things that you won’t expect it could handle. Aside from the oven, you can also use it to clean gum stains, your rubber shoes, and exercise equipment.
