Industrial environments are among the most difficult to clean. As a company that offers industrial cleaning services, we know first-hand what a challenge industrial dirt, grime, and grease pose to cleaning crews. It is a good thing crews have access to tools like steam cleaning.
Speaking of steam cleaning, it is a curious beast. Did you know that steam cleaning doesn’t normally utilize steam at all? If you’d like to know more, keep reading. This post will explain how steam cleaning works and why it is so useful in industrial environments.
The Basics of Steam Cleaning
An industrial cleaning provider might offer to steam clean a given space using a specialized machine that has been designed for tough jobs. Steam cleaning gets its name from what appears to be the process through which it works. But in reality, steam is rarely involved.
Instead, a steam cleaner heats water to a temperature just below boiling. But water that hasn’t reached boiling point isn’t converted to steam. So what actually happens? The extremely hot water is applied to a surface under low pressure. The combination of high temperature and low pressure creates the appearance of steam when no steam actually exists.
How It Cleans
Steam cleaning works by loosening and dissolving dirt and grime. It starts with the water itself. As nature’s best solvent, water can do a lot of good when it’s hot. The hot water from a steam cleaner gets underneath dirt and grime to loosen it. Meanwhile, pressure helps the water loosen things up.
When the hot water makes contact with grease and dirt, the contaminants immediately start dissolving. The more water applied, the more the grime and dirt is washed away. In some cases, an industrial cleaning crew might add a mild cleaner to the hot water for maximum effect.
Its Usefulness in Industrial Environments
Understanding how steam cleaning works should make clear why it is so useful in industrial environments. Between chemicals, grease, and all sorts of contaminants, industrial spaces can be difficult to clean. Steam cleaning is especially attractive because:
- It Cleans Deeply – Hot water does a particularly good job at penetrating porous surfaces, allowing it to reach into cracks and crevices. The result is a deeper clean.
- It Is Chemical-Free – Although mild cleaning solutions can be utilized with steam cleaning, doing so usually isn’t necessary. The hot water and pressure are normally enough to tackle a job without the addition of chemical cleaners.
- It Is Versatile – Steam cleaners are versatile enough to be used on a variety of surfaces and equipment. Steam cleaning is effective on production lines, machinery, and even ventilation systems.
- It Sanitizes – Because the water is heated to just below boiling point, it is hot enough to sanitize surface is. Steam cleaning is good when bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens are a concern.
- It Cuts Grease and Oil – Extremely hot water can cut through and remove grease and oil deposits without needing additional chemicals.
The icing on the cake is that steam cleaning is very efficient. Hot water under pressure easily spreads out and cleans areas that are otherwise hard to reach. And because cleaning chemicals, brushes, and applicators are not necessary, cleaning is faster and less labor intense. Industrial cleaning crews save time and money.
If you are looking at industrial spaces you find difficult to clean, steam cleaning might be the ticket to a cleaner space. Steam cleaning has been around for a long time. Industrial cleaning crews love it because it is efficient, effective, and thorough. Consider steam cleaning for your industrial space.
