How to clean a car interior with steam

How a steam generator works, types of devices

A steam cleaner is a device capable of generating steam emitted under a certain pressure. It consists of a water container, a heating element, a telescopic pipe and a set of nozzles.

Under the influence of high temperature, the working fluid (it is advisable to use distilled water, which does not form scale on the walls) is converted into steam, which, under pressure, passes through a tube into the nozzle and is sprayed.

Equipment for car dry cleaning with steam is divided into household, professional and industrial.

Industrial steam generators offer excellent performance, but they are massive and expensive. If you do not plan to use the device daily, you can go with simpler options. When choosing, you need to pay attention to the following characteristics:

volume of the filling tank. If you are the owner of a large-capacity truck, the liquid container must be appropriate;
the power of the heating element - the greater it is, the faster the water turns into steam and the greater the pressure obtained at the outlet;
the ability to adjust the steam humidity level - this determines what types of surfaces you can clean;
container material. From the point of view of scale formation, aluminum steam cleaners will be the most resistant; they also have high thermal conductivity, and the water will heat up faster;
operating pressure. For car washing, the minimum required level is 6-8 bar. At lower values, it is unlikely that it will be possible to clean off old dirt and stains;
the presence of additional functions that ensure safer and more comfortable use of the device (for example, a safety valve).

Why wash the engine

There is nothing complicated about washing a car with your own hands. Many car owners clean their car outside and inside. You just need to choose a good car shampoo for hand washing. But not everyone takes on the engine compartment. At most, the motorist will wipe the surfaces with a dry cloth. But this is not enough.

The engine is washed to prevent negative consequences from contamination. They may be as follows:

Disadvantages of the method

It is worth focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of such a procedure.

This will let you know how good steam is at cleaning the engine compartment. Or it is better to give preference to an alternative method.

There are 3 main ways to wash a car engine.

Traditional method. It involves manual, professional washing or visiting a self-service car wash to carry out the appropriate manipulations. But here water is used, which is extremely dangerous and undesirable for the engine;
Method based on chemical reagents. Using chemicals without protection and experience working with it is extremely dangerous for the motorist himself. Yes, and other components may suffer due to aggressive components;
Use of steam. The safest and most preferred option.

There are several weighty arguments in favor of this method, in addition to the fact that it is the safest for the motor itself.

But there are also some disadvantages. Let's start with them.

The main disadvantage is the high cost. Car services offer such services, but the price tags are impressive due to the use of expensive equipment, as well as the peculiarities of the procedure itself.

Current benefits

If these shortcomings are not significant for you, then you should pay attention to the strengths.

As for the advantages, they are:

Steam does an excellent job of breaking down fat, oil, resin and other types of contaminants, including regular dust;
Steam can penetrate into the most inaccessible places;
Processing requires a minimum of time;
In terms of energy consumption (effort expended), this is the simplest type of self-wash;
Steam does not necessarily require the use of additional chemicals;
The only equipment needed is a steam generator;
Steam cleaning can be done anywhere since you are not pouring liters of water on the ground;
After cleaning, no dirt or puddles form under the car.

As you can see, the advantages are more than significant. With special equipment and careful handling, you can achieve excellent results in a matter of minutes.

What surfaces can you use steam equipment to clean?

Professional steam generators used in car services are considered the most versatile devices. When used correctly in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations, they can clean most types of surfaces without causing damage to them from exposure to high-temperature steam.

Ceiling and floor

If you think that the ceiling of a car is the cleanest place in the cabin, then you are deeply mistaken. This is where the greatest amount of dirt, stains and dust is often found. Cleaning algorithm:

the ceiling is treated under a pressure of about 6 bar;
a special cleaning agent is first applied to the upholstery for a few minutes;
Let's move on to the actual steam treatment of the ceiling. You can use a household vacuum cleaner, which can handle most types of stains and dirt.

If there is a rug made of fleecy material on the floor, an electric vacuum cleaner will not be able to clean such a surface. In such difficult cases, special steam generators of the “Tornado” type are used, for which a long ingrowth is not a hindrance. But such a unit should only be used for cleaning the floor.

Fabric, velor

Most cars use fabric materials as upholstery. They are cleaned according to the following algorithm:

a cleaning liquid is applied to the fabric (in car dealerships you can purchase a universal product suitable for all types of skins);
After waiting necessary for absorption (the time is indicated in the instructions or on the packaging), we treat the surface with a steam generator. To speed up the drying process of the fabric, the seats are covered with a special cover with a built-in drying function, equipped with electric heating and a heated air ventilation system.

Leather, eco-leather

The sequence of actions for cleaning surfaces made of these materials is exactly the same as in the paragraph above. The difference lies in the use of other detergents (less aggressive) and a more gentle and delicate process of cleaning the car interior with a steam generator.

The fact is that leather, as well as eco-leather, have a thin layer of protective coating, which, under the influence of high temperatures exceeding 100°C, can melt, causing the leather to tighten in this place or, conversely, expand, forming an uneven relief, and in more severe cases, bald spots and even holes may form. If there are microcracks, careless steam treatment will make them more noticeable.

Proper treatment of leather involves using the light mode, holding the handle of the gun at the maximum possible distance from the surface for cleaning.

Plastic surfaces

Plastic, like fabric, also requires regular cleaning to remove dirt. Typically, a steam generator is used for this, the tank of which is filled with water with the addition of detergent. When treating surfaces where steam is undesirable (for example, audio system speakers), the pressure must be reduced to a minimum by increasing the distance from the nozzle along the surface. After this treatment, you can polish the plastic using a special product (can be liquid or in a paste state).

Thus, cleaning the interior with a steam generator allows you to treat almost all types of surfaces. In terms of versatility, this method has no competitors.

Benefits of steam car washing

A professional steam generator for car washes has a number of advantages over traditional equipment:

significantly less water is used, which is not only profitable, but also makes it possible to work in the absence of a sewage system;
due to the high temperature of the steam, significantly less detergents are required to remove contaminants, which significantly reduces the cost of providing the service, as well as the destructive effect on the paintwork;
the body, wheels, interior and engine are cleaned more effectively; after treatment with hot steam, no water streaks remain;
Steam allows you to quickly clean both textile and leather covers. It removes dirt without being absorbed into the fabric, which provides better results. Also, unlike detergents, it removes, rather than masks, unpleasant odors well. A jet of hot dry steam provides excellent disinfection, killing dust mites and other dangerous microorganisms;
The compact device is easy to transport, so we can offer car owners cleaning services for the body, wheels, engine and interior in a place convenient for them.

Many people refuse to use steam generators due to the risk of getting burned by the steam. But if you choose high-quality equipment and follow safety precautions, as with other equipment at a car wash, the units are no more dangerous than ordinary household appliances.

Advantages of using a steam generator

Steam dry cleaning of car interiors has a considerable number of advantages:

the use of a steam generator allows you to reduce labor costs and time for cleaning surfaces from contamination by at least half;
this is a much more convenient way to clean the interior; it takes no more than 5 minutes to heat the water to the steaming temperature;
Such devices are universal, they can be used for cleaning an apartment, and for cleaning clothes and other things;
if the surface does not have old stains, the use of household chemicals is not required;
when using disinfectants, you can get rid of not only dirt and stains, but also harmful bacteria and microbes, for which steam is a deadly substance;
when using a steam generator, it is not a problem to clean the most difficult and hidden areas of the cabin (corners, areas under the seats and under the dashboard);
steam generator treatment eliminates unpleasant odors.

There are few disadvantages to cleaning the car interior with steam: this method cannot be used to treat a glued multi-layer ceiling covering, as well as any other parts glued together. Under the influence of steam, the adhesive properties weaken, and such ceiling material begins to sag.

Dry cleaning the car interior - how to make it shine yourself?

When using a car, its interior is often subject to contamination no less than the body. The most effective way to restore order and beauty is to dry clean the car interior.

Advantages of comprehensive interior dry cleaning

Do-it-yourself dry cleaning of the interior involves general cleaning with cleaning of all surfaces of the interior and removing stains using professional special cleaning products. For proper dry cleaning, compliance with the last condition is mandatory - the use of all sorts of “Vanishes”, “Ariels”, “Stain Removers” is ineffective and too labor-intensive. Using professional chemical compounds allows you to achieve a much better result, and besides, such interior cleaning will cost less.

It is most effective to carry out comprehensive dry cleaning.

It will not only get rid of dirt, but will also provide more thorough cleaning by removing dust deeply penetrated into the pores and vents, which will get rid of stubborn stains and the sudden appearance of debris after just a few hours of travel, and will also allow you to refresh and renew the interior surfaces. Self-service comprehensive dry cleaning includes:

dry cleaning of the entire interior using a vacuum cleaner;
washing rugs;
wet cleaning;
wiping glass;
dry cleaning of the car interior using appropriate products for each type of upholstery or coating;
applying special reagents to places where contaminants have not been removed, followed by wiping with absorbent wipes;
drying interior surfaces;
cleaning and subsequent polishing of plastic surfaces of the car interior;
the use of conditioners and aerosols that give coatings a new look and protect them.

By the way, dry cleaning can be done not only for passenger cars, but also for trucks. For them, this is even more important, since the condition of the interior directly affects the health of drivers who are constantly in it. The interior of trucks is cleaned with special care. Comprehensive dry cleaning of a truck allows you to completely transform the interior - it becomes bright, even very “ancient” stains are removed, the colors return to their original brightness, and unpleasant odors disappear.

Do-it-yourself dry cleaning of the interior

To perform dry cleaning you will need:

Sprayer (trigger).
Microfiber applicator.
Microfiber cloth. You will need 5–7 pieces (depending on the size of the interior and the rags themselves).
Brushes - of different hardness, high quality (to avoid shedding, it is better with natural bristles). For rugs - harder, for upholstery and leather - softer.

When it comes to chemicals, many people prefer the American professional Meguiar's (often used in dry cleaners). The concentrated composition of All Purpose Cleaner, which is a universal product and is suitable for almost everything, has also proven itself well.

After completing the previous steps of comprehensive interior cleaning with your own hands, we proceed to dry cleaning. It must be done in the following order:

ceiling;
plastic panels;
seats;
doors;
floor.

We dilute the concentrate with water 1:4 when the contamination is severe, 1:10 if it is not severe. Using this product you can clean the ceiling, seats, floors and rugs. For glass you need something else.

Cleaning technology:

Apply the solution to a surface area of 50 cm2 using a trigger as shown in the video. We wait 30 seconds. Use a brush of the required hardness. We first check the brush in an inconspicuous area to make sure that it will not harm the surface. This rule also applies to unfamiliar, untested chemicals.
Wipe the surface with microfiber. If the dirt or stain is not completely cleaned off or does not come off at all, the procedure must be repeated or the chemicals must be given more time. If necessary, change the rags.
Let the surface dry. There is no need to wash off the chemicals - a microfiber cloth will absorb the cleaning agent along with the dirt. If, after heavy contamination, stains or stains from chemicals remain, then spray water on the surface with a trigger, then wipe it dry with a clean cloth.
For leather interiors we use air conditioning. We apply it with our own hands in a thin, even layer using a microfiber applicator as shown in the video. Before doing this, the applicator must be blotted in a container with conditioner for leather surfaces. Let the coating soak in for 5-10 minutes. After that we remove the excess. This should be done in a circular motion using a microfiber cloth.
We apply a protective coating to plastic surfaces. This should be done in the same way as for the skin.
If necessary, we wipe the inside of the glass with our own hands. We use regular household chemicals or purchase professional ones.

Do-it-yourself dry cleaning of the interior with steam

For this you will need a steam generator. Dry cleaning begins from the ceiling. After steam treatment, the interior surface becomes soft. After this, we apply special chemical compounds to the cleaned area (at first only for 5 minutes). We treat the ceiling with steam again, thereby improving the chemical reaction. If the dirt remains, we apply the chemical again, but for a longer time. We repeat the steam procedure. Next we use a vacuum cleaner. It removes all dust, dirt and chemicals, cleaning the ceiling to its original condition. This procedure must be carried out very carefully, otherwise some of the chemistry may remain in the coating and continue to react with its material, which will deteriorate as a result.

We carry out this procedure with doors, racks and panels. Other products are applied to the chairs - intended for treating leather upholstery or velor. The use of “foreign” compounds intended for processing other coatings can lead to damage to the interior. You should also be careful with the time of use of chemicals - if you overexpose the reagent, the cleaning substance can become strongly embedded in the material being treated. In this case, there is also a high probability of subsequent damage to the interior. Finally, they clean the floor with steam using the technology described above.

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