The 12 Best Steam Cleaners, According to People Who Really, *Really* Love Them
Spending more time indoors this past year has inspired a lot of us to refresh our homes—and it’s also given us many more opportunities to spill wine, spaghetti sauce or all-natural dye on your furniture and rugs. Thankfully, there’s a steam cleaner for every “oops!” you made while stress-eating or DIYing in 2020, and we’ll prove it. We scoured the reviews (not to mention the steam-cleaning-obsessed underground world of TikTok) to uncover the 12 best steam cleaners for scrubbing away the worst of the past year.
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Our Favorites at a Glance:
- Best Steam Cleaner Under $50: PurSteam Handheld Pressurized Steam Cleaner
- Best Steam Cleaner Under $100: PurSteam Multipurpose Steam Mop Cleaner
- Best Indoor/Outdoor Steam Cleaner: McCulloch Canister Steam Cleaner
- Best Steam Cleaner for Pet Owners: Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner
- Best Steam Cleaner for Families: Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Cleaner Machine
- Best Steam Cleaner for Carpets: Bissell ProHeat 2x Revolution
- Best Steam Cleaner for Hard Floors: Shark Genius Hard Floor Steam Mop
- Best Portable Steam Cleaner: Bissell SpotClean ProHeat Portable Spot and Stain Carpet Cleaner
- Best Steam Cleaner for Wine & Food Stains: Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner
- Best Steam Cleaner for Furniture & Upholstery: Bissell Little Green ProHeat Steam Cleaner
- Best Steam Cleaner for Helping Get Rid of Bed Bugs: McCulloch Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner
- Best Overall Steam Cleaner: Dupray NEAT Steam Cleaner
The Best Steam Cleaners of 2020:
1. PurSteam Handheld Pressurized Steam Cleaner
Best Steam Cleaner Under $50
If you’re looking for an affordable steam cleaner to get into those hard-to-reach places in your home and spot-clean all kinds of surfaces, the PurSteam Handheld Steam Cleaner is calling your name. Not only is it less than $40 with more than 10,000 positive reviews on Amazon, but it comes with a nine-piece accessory set designed to remove grease, grime, mold and stains. Don’t let the lower price and small size fool you though: “This little steamer packs one powerful punch,” one reviewer wrote. “This cleans grout like nobody’s business and is absolutely incredible at removing grease. I also used it to clean kitchen cupboards in preparation of a touchup staining…JUST BUY IT!” Well, if you insist.
2. PurSteam Multipurpose Steam Mop Cleaner
Best Steam Cleaner Under $100
Looking for a steam cleaner that can clean triple the surface area for just about double the price? PurSteam has you covered with that one, too. Their Multipurpose Steam Mop Cleaner is lightweight and easy to maneuver, plus its various accessories make it easy to clean floors, windows, mirrors, glass, furniture, and even—wait for it—clothes.
3. McCulloch Canister Steam Cleaner
Best Indoor/Outdoor Steam Cleaner
Sometimes when you have one project in mind, you buy a solution for that problem specifically. But what if we told you there’s a steam cleaner that can do it all, so spending the extra money would be a worthwhile investment (for the cleanliness of your entire home and sparing you from a closet full of gadgets)? On top of its raving reviews, this heavy-duty cleaner comes with 20 different accessories so you can steam anything your heart desires, indoors and out. It tackles hard floors, showers, and cabinets just as easily as it cleans barbecue grills and patios. Something to keep in mind, though, while this McCulloch can provide steam to loosen stains in your carpet, if you’re looking for a heavier duty carpet cleaner, read on as this one doesn’t have suction technology like the others do.
4. Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner
Best Steam Cleaner for Pet Owners
There’s no denying furry family members make life better, but when they have an accident or slobber all over your favorite rug or irreplaceable carpet, you might start to wonder why you decided to become a pet person instead of a plant person. Thankfully, the Hoover PowerDash Pet Compact Carpet Cleaner is one reviewers swear by to remedy pets’ mishaps. Patty, an Amazon reviewer who runs dog services (like boarding and daycare) from her home, says “it picks up a CRAZY amount of deeply imbedded [stet] debris, dirt, stains, and hair. The difference in how much cleaner my carpet is after using it is OUTSTANDING!” Plus, it’s lightweight, easy-to-store, great for high-traffic locations and small spaces. And if it also works for Roush the Doberman, we’re convinced this is the steam cleaner every pet owner needs.
5. Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Cleaner Machine
Best Steam Cleaner for Families
Of course, if your family members have two legs instead of four, having a steam cleaner to clean up after them is also a necessity. According to the more than 21,500 positive reviews on Amazon for Hoover’s Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Cleaner, this steam cleaner will make being a parent a little less hard on the home (no offense, kids). In case the sale price isn’t enough to make you hit “add to cart,” check out the before and after pictures (spoiler alert: they’re so satisfying).
6. Bissell ProHeat 2x Revolution
Best Steam Cleaner for Carpets
If you’ve ever considered replacing your old carpets because of how dirty they are but didn’t want to spend the money on new flooring, please watch this TikTok video. We had to literally stop ourselves from watching it (another) 50 times because the transformation is that remarkable. In the video, you can watch as the steam cleaner takes a rug covered with milk stains, dirt and dog poo, and makes it look brand new. While that exact model is unfortunately no longer available, more than 7,000 positive Amazon reviews suggest that the Bissell ProHeat 2x Revolution is just as amazing (if not better), even going as far as to say “it’s just like the commercials.”
7. Shark Genius Hard Floor Steam Mop
Best Steam Cleaner for Hard Floors
Yet another best-selling steam cleaner just under $100, the Shark Genius Hard Floor Steam Mop comes with dirt grip pads that are washable, reusable and extra-absorbent to deep clean hard floors, whether yours are sealed wood, ceramic, linoleum, granite or marble. In addition to having dual-sided mop pads that can be flipped when one side gets dirty, this steam cleaner also has touch-free technology that allows you to attach and detach the pads without even having to use your hands. Might seem like a small addition, but the little things are always the gamechangers.
8. Bissell SpotClean ProHeat Portable Spot and Stain Carpet Cleaner
Best Portable Steam Cleaner
Perhaps the most frustrating stains are the ones in tricky places, like carpet-covered stairs or the nooks and crannies of your car. No matter what you’re trying to reach though, the long hose on Bissell’s SpotClean ProHeat portable steam cleaner is ideal for permanently removing deep and tough stains. It even includes tools to help with each (this TikTok video of it is truly impressive). Not to mention the fact that it being portable makes storage more convenient and lugging it around (especially up and down stairs) a breeze.
9. Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner
Best Steam Cleaner for Wine & Food Stains
Wine-ing and dining your way through 2020? Because... same. Naturally, though, when you’re home practically 24/7, accidents happen. But if there’s one thing to be pleasantly surprised by this year, it’s the Rug Doctor Portable Spot Cleaner in action. Seriously, you have to see for yourself. While the steam cleaner model in the video is currently sold out (surprise surprise), the Pet version is just as efficient.
10. Bissell Little Green ProHeat Steam Cleaner
Best Steam Cleaner for Furniture & Upholstery
After witnessing how the Bissell Little Green ProHeat cleans up this family’s favorite white chair, you won’t need any other reason to invest in this steam cleaner. But, in case you don’t feel like watching the video—or need a little more convincing—we’ll break it down. The steam cleaner uses HeatWave Technology to maintain a consistent water temperature so it can easily zap away stains on upholstery, leaving it looking brand new.
11. McCulloch Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner
Best Steam Cleaner for Helping Get Rid of Bed Bugs
If you didn’t come here looking for a steam cleaner to get rid of unwelcome critters in your mattress, feel free to keep scrolling. But if your nights are sleepless because of those tiny pests, this McCulloch Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner might just be a dream come true. While McCulloch doesn’t promote its steam cleaner as a way to get rid of bed bugs, many of its 6,500-plus positive reviews on Amazon include anecdotes about it. “For anyone experiencing hell that is bed bugs, here is your sanity,” one reviewer wrote, adding, “I steam-cleaned every inch of my apartment, every item of clothing, every sock, purse, towel—anything non electronic was steamed. It’s so high-pressure I got the baseboards, the cracks where they were hiding. I can breathe again.” Oh, and it does a pretty killer job of getting rid of stains too.
12. Dupray NEAT Steam Cleaner
Best Overall Steam Cleaner
With its 18-piece accessory kit, the Dupray NEAT Steam Cleaner can remove grime from just about any surface. Truly. In one TikTok video, Supreme Green Cleaner shows how the Dupray steam cleaner helps clean window screens, stoves, floors, countertops and refrigerator handles, and in another one of the same TikToker’s videos, you see it cleaning a light switch and a kitchen sink. If you don’t have a spot or stain in particular that you’re trying to fix, investing in a steam cleaner this versatile is an A+ idea.
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