Stanley Steemer started as a carpet cleaning company back in 1947 and now is the leading company in the cleaning industry. Does Stanley Steemer Use Steam?
Stanley Steemer uses a method known as hot water extraction for cleaning carpets and other household items. This technique uses hot water and other cleaning agents to get rid of the dirt and germs on a carpet. The hot steam released from the hot water is the reason why many refer to this as a steam cleaning method.
About Stanley Steemer
Founded in 1947, the company was started by James Bates as a one-man carpet company. He started by investing over $1000 in the business. He then purchased a car and used that to go door-to-door to help people clean. The car was tainted yellow, which has now become the signature car pattern of the company. They are now popularly known for their bright yellow cars with the black Stanley Steemer logo on them.
The company was named by the founder, James Bates himself. It is said that he had a great liking for the car, Stanley Steamer, which was a steam car. He then took the same name except adding an extra ‘e’ instead of an ‘a’ in Steamer. Consequently, the company is now called Stanley Steemer.
The business has flourished in around 49 of the 50 states of the USA and is a well-known name in the cleaning industry. An average American must have seen at least one Stanley Steemer car parked in the neighborhood, or at a house net door, or even at one’s place. Apart from house cleaning, the company also provides this facility for libraries, stores, etc, depending on their size and requirements. The Flordia location of the company also donated their services for free for the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach as they were restarting after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company is still mainly owned and run by the family and children of James Bates. It has been leading the cleaning service industry for 70 years now. And they have expanded their services from just carpet cleaning to disinfecting of the house, air duct and vents cleaning, tile and flooring cleaning, hard word furnishing and cleaning, etc.
Stanley Steemer has also received the certificate of recognition of Asthama and Allergy Friendly, by the Allergy Standards Limited. They give out these certifications after sampling the product or the service through a standardized test to check if they cause any allergy reaction.
Hot Water Extraction
Hot water extraction is a popular method used in deep cleaning surfaces and carpets. What it does is, mixes water with the cleaning agents in the machine itself and then produces a heat of somewhere between 50 degrees Celsius to 120 degrees celsius, this helps to kill the germs. In this process, due to the high temperature of the water, some steam is released by the machine which has led to a lot of people confusing this process with steam cleaning or steam extraction method of cleaning.
The machines used for this system are usually attached to a car or a van so they are moveable and can provide door to door service to the customers. There are smaller, mobile versions of this machine as well, but the larger ones attached to a van or a truck are highly recommended because they provide higher water flow and power for the cleaning process. They are powered by fuel and electricity, which generates the heat and send out the water flow.
The process first begins with preconditioning the carpet. The materials used for this differs upon the material of the item you are cleaning, as they all require different kinds of cleaning agents. Synthetic materials use solutions high in alkaline, wools use mild acidic solutions, etc. These are evenly sprayed or applied upon the carpet and then the process of deep cleaning with the machine takes place.
The machine has a long rubber pipe attached to it. This pipe is then attached to a plastic cleaning tool, known as the wand, which evenly distributes the pressure of water on the surface it is applied to. The water in the machine is mixed with a cleaning and disinfectant agent if necessary. Then, it is sprayed upon the surface to remove all the dirt, dust, the pre-conditioner used, and any other harmful residue that is present on the surface.
Difference Between Hot Water Extraction and Steam Extraction
Hot water extraction is the method which is liked most by researchers as there are various claims that this method helps in getting rid of the most amount of germs as compared to the various other methods.
However, people often mistake this for steam extraction or steam claiming method, which is a whole different style of cleaning that uses direct steam to clean surfaces. This, however, is not commonly used by professionals as it does not deep clean the material and instead just cleans the surface. So while it may look like the item is clean, but the germs and bacteria could still be alive under the plain surface.
Conclusion
To sum it up, Stanley Steemer does not use the steam cleaning method, it instead uses the hot water extraction method which may seem similar, but it is more effective as compared to the other. They promise to provide the best of the services and do end up living up to it through the methods they use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is steam cleaning?
It is a method of cleaning that uses steam created by water and chemicals mixed in it to clean something.
How to know if a cleaning method is steam cleaning or hot water extraction?
The best way to know this is by directly asking your cleaning provider about the method they are using.
How to book a Stanley Steemer cleaning service?
You can book a cleaning service for your own house or office by visiting their official website, stanleysteemer.com.