A steam cleaner helps you get rid of dirt, dust, and grime from the surface of a car’s exterior. But most car owners are also concerned about cleaning the car interior. The question arises is it helpful in cleaning a car’s interior as well? And the answer is yes!
The steam cleaner can easily reach the areas that a traditional vacuum cleaner cannot reach, such as between the seats, under the dashboard, in the glove box, and in the trunk of a car. They can even clean the engine of a car. So if you are searching for the quickest way to clean the interior of your car then a steam cleaner can be your best bet. The best steam cleaners for cars are capable of removing stains, the toughest messes, and killing germs.
We have compiled a list of the best steam cleaners for cars to clean car interiors after deep research of 120 hours and testation by our team members. Also, check out our recommendations for the best carpet steam cleaners and the best steam cleaners for upholstery.
10 Best Steam Cleaners for Cars Interior and Exterior
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
Our Top Choice
| 1. McCulloch MC 1375 |
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 | 2. Rug Doctor |
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 | 3. Dupray Neat |
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 | 4.PurSteam Cleaner |
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 | 5. Bissell Big Green |
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 | 6. Little Green |
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 | 7. Wagner Spraytech |
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 | 8. BISSELL SpotClean |
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 | 9. Steamfast SF-370 |
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 | 10. COSTWAY Steamer |
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1. McCulloch MC1375 – Best Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner
What’s in the box
- Canister Steam Cleaner
- 16.5″ Extension Wand
- Large Mop Head
- Jet and Angled Nozzle
- Scrapper, Triangle,Bristle, Brass, and Nylon Brush
- Round Brush & Round Scrub Pad
- Microfiber Mop Pad & Scrubbing Mop Pad,
- Storage Bag
- Accessory Net and Fill Cup
The McCulloch MC 1375 holds a large tank capacity with no or a minimum number of refills to do any difficult task with its controllable 4-bar pressure steam flow.
The support of a 10-foot steam hose and 18-foot power cord makes it possible to clean inaccessible areas. A 48-ounce reservoir takes 12 minutes to get the device started with a steam pressure of 58 PSI.
Our Findings
This multi-purpose steam cleaner is excellent for purifying and mopping to get rid of grease, stains, molds, and microbes using any artificial detergents. It heated up faster than advertised which we felt good!
It has attachable tools that not only enhance its performance but also present the user with several options to choose from. Perfect for grills, wheels, and interiors. All you have to do is to attach the useful accessory for the specific purpose.
In some cases, the steam pressure does not perform well to eradicate the dirty sticky grease and grime.
- Large tank capacity
- 18 ft long power cord
- Kills 99% of germs and bacteria
- Cleans the surfaces without chemicals
- Takes time to heat up
2. Rug Doctor – Best Portable Steam Cleaner
What’s in the box
- Carpet Cleaning Machine
- Hose
- Cord
- Attachment
- Two Water Tanks
- Solution
Rug Doctor 93390 is a cute little device that needs less space to store due to its compact body. This handheld dual-action steam cleaner is designed for perfect spot removal. This machine has twice the suction power as your standard devices.
Everyone loves kids and pets, but the mess created by them in the car is difficult to handle. Therefore, Rug Doctor Pet Psc is the best solution to the problem. Its silicon-based bristles help remove embedded dirt, food particles, dust, pet hair, and odor efficiently.
Our Findings
This mini handheld steam cleaner plays a massive role in car detailing and cleaning couches.
All you have to do is to follow simple instructions to start cleaning. Lift the tank straight from the unit, unscrew, pull the tube, add hot tap water up to the clean watermark and then add rug doctor cleaning solution up to the soap line. Now insert the tube and tighten the screw to put back the tank in position firmly. Now you’re ready to go!
Its robust suction power and vibrating brushes in the middle work great in digging out the dirt particles from deeper inside the carpeting.
The solution will pump out from the jet nozzle at the back and then its magical brushes do the rest.
- Lightweight Easy to move around
- Dual tank capacity for dirty and clean water
- Biobased formula with pro-enzymatic action
- The cord and hose wrap at the back
- Small cord length
- Sounds louder at night
3. Dupray Neat – Best Steam Cleaner for Automobiles
What’s in the box
- Rectangular Floor Tool
- Microfiber Pads
- Window Tool and Extension Tubes
- Microfiber Cloth
- Triangular Tool Microfiber Bonnet
- Nylon and Brass Brush
The Dupray Neat is amongst those giant devices that somehow can do it all. This steam cleaning machine is designed to be multi-purpose for home use.
This is equipped with a retractable handle and rolling wheels, which makes its transport and portability easier. You can use tap water, and the system takes about 7 minutes to heat up 1600ml of capacity. The easy-to-reach 6’6’’ steam hose emits 135oC high-pressure steam.
Our Findings
Along with a deep clean, it sanitizes and gets rids of all those dirty pests and microbes. You can use it for your car interiors, household items, kitchen appliances, tiles, and grouts.
What we love is ETL Certified, and the steam cleaner is deemed safe for consumer use.
The company claims its run time is 50 mins but it’s actually not. It works for about 35 mins without any breaks. And the main thing that is disappointing is its scrubbing power which is not good as its competitor.
- Non-toxic cleaning for all surfaces
- Continues run time for 50 mins
- 18 solid accessories and attachments
- Steam lock for continuous steaming
- Integrated cord wrap under the device
- Needs 20 mins of a break to refill
- Long usage turn handle and hose hot
4. PurSteam – Best Handheld Steam Cleaner
What’s in the box
- PS-581X Handheld Steam Cleaner
- Water Measuring Cup & Funnel
- Extension Hose
- Nylon Brush, Ironing Brush & Cloth Attachments
- Bent Nozzle & Straight Nozzle Attachments
- Window Squeegee Attachment
- User Manual
Pursteam is one of the best hand-held steam cleaners. It eliminates all the stubborn stains from tiles and grout, wooden floors, and appliances. It comes with a 9-piece accessory kit; the ultra-fast streaming device easily gets in the nooks and corners of your room and appliances.
Its portability, along with an approximately 10-foot power cord, makes this device worthwhile among its competitors.
Our Findings
This handy device needs some pre-heating to increase power and efficiency. It takes about 3-4 minutes to reach the maximum temperature to complete the task immediately. Hot pressurized steam helps remove spots, degrease ovens or grills, and kill bed bugs, and molds.
The best part is, that this little gadget works excellently to wash a car. It takes a few minutes to get a car interior neat and clean, rather than putting a lot of effort and time into scrubbing the car.
- Sanitizes, cleans, and freshens up the surface
- Safe and multi-purpose cleaning f
- Lightweight and portable
- Economical
- Needs refill for big room
- Short power cord, but it’s not a big problem
5. Bissell Big Green – Best Carpet Cleaner
What’s in the box
- Carpet cleaner
- 9′ Hoss
- 6 tough stain tool
- Pro-max formula
It has a big tank capacity that can hold 1.75 gallons of water and doesn’t need a refill for cleaning a big room. The presence of a dual water tank quickly gets the job done.
Our Findings
Its extra-large dirt lifter power brush works outstanding in removing dirt and pet messes embedded in the carpet. It performs best on both short pile to long pile carpeting just by releasing water when moving forward and sucking it back along with the dirt when pushing back the machine.
There is no water indicator but its large size tank is fair enough to clean a big room.
The unit is way too big to sit on a step in order to reach, even sideways. Also, it takes up a LOT of storage space.
- Extra-long power brush for deep cleaning
- Two separated tanks, for clean and dirty water
- Professional deep cleaning formula for stains
- 5-year limited warranty
- Its expensive, but works great
- A bit big and heavy, difficult to lift
6. Bissell Little – Best Small Steam Cleaner
What’s in the box
- Trial size formula
- Hydro rinse self-cleaning tool
- 3 tough stain tool
Next on the list is Bissell little green carpet cleaner. This portable spot cleaner handles all stubborn stains and spots with the help of its powerful suction.
Due to its small and compact structure, it is easy to store the device wherever you want to. Its strong spray & suction power works on the back and fourth function to remove tough pet stains and lift away all the messes from the surfaces.
Our Findings
Cleaning car carpets and upholstery could be so much fun with this machine! This sucks the grime right out and really satisfying to see how it gets sucked out right before your eyes.
All you need to do is, add the stain-free formula with lukewarm water to fill up the line and attach the water tank back in. And finally, you are ready to go in just a minute.
Once done don’t skip cleaning the blunt-ended power clean attachment. Cleaning its tank is a really difficult job but one must have patience. There will lot of crud that needs to be washed out from the flexible tubing and catch tank.
- Powerful suction power
- Little, compact, easy to lift and store
- Ideally remove spots from carpets and car interiors
- Easy to remove and refill
- Not remove stains effectively, but lighten them
- Difficult to clean dirty reserve water tank
7. Wagner Spraytech – Best for Car Detailing
What’s in the box
- Wallpaper steam plate
- Large cleaning brush and mop pad,
- Window and tile squeegee,
- Fabric steamer,
- Microfiber bonnet, jet nozzle, straight adapter, nylon utility brushes, brass utility brushes, fill funnel, angled adapter, and extension poles
- Window Squeegee
- Floor-Cleaning Brush and Cloth
- Two Extension Tubes
- Measuring Cup and Fill Funnel
Wagner spray tech 915 is an on-demand steam cleaner to use on every square inch of the house to kill germs and molds and remove obstinate stains with the steam power of a 500-watt on-demand power steamer. This won’t ever disappoint you.
The device allows an auto-lock that gives steaming for a continuous amount of time. With smooth-rolling wheels on the system, it is portable and easier to carry with an 8-foot-long steam hose that adds flexibility to this device.
Our Findings
Its Super-hot steam quickly loosens out the dirt and grime, making its removal easier. It is recommended to use distilled water. Attachments are fairly straightforward and easy to use.
The best part is, that it doesn’t require harsh chemicals for removing wallpaper. Powerful enough to blast nicotine and other stubborn stains off from the walls and ceilings of an apartment.
The worst part of this machine is cord is too short to maneuver. For this, you must have an extension with you to clean whatever you want to.
- Works constantly for 45 mins
- Easy wallpaper removal
- Cleans all the surfaces naturally with distilled water
- 11 versatile attachments
- No visible reservoir to check the water level
- Loud in a small space
8. BISSELL Spot Clean – Best for Car Exterior
What’s in the box
- 3 tough stain tool
- Deep stain tool
- Hydro-Rinse Self-cleaning tool
- Pro Oxy spot & stain formula
This Bissell spot clean 2694 helps The device is compact and lightweight, with a modern and classy design. Due to its small size, it requires little space for storage. You can place it under the bed or sink.
With this steam cleaner no need to throw out things like carpet, area rugs, and upholstery. Whether it is the floor surface that needs cleaning or auto detailing, this device can do it all with its heatwave technology. It helps to sustain the water temperature while cleaning operations and eliminate tough stains and spots from the surfaces.
Our Findings
The cords firmly wrap around the steamer, which is one of the fantastic aspects of this machine. Based on two easy-to-remove water tanks, each with a tank capacity of 0.289 gallons, you get plenty of cleaning time at your hand. With pro-oxy cleaning formula and its powerful suction, removes years-old pet stains and urine smell making it look new and fresh.
Its dirt water tank and attachments often leak. Make sure to attach the tools and tank firmly to prevent leakage.
- Heatwave technology
- Permanently removes stubborn stains
- Works for half an hour
- Slow suction power
9. Steamfast SF-370 Canister – Best High-Pressure Steam Cleaner
What’s in the box
- Steam Cleaner
- Jet Nozzle
- 2-Nylon Utility Brushes, Brass Utility Brush
- Scrub Tool
- Squeegee
- Scrub Pad For Corner Tool
- Sponge Pad For Corner Tool
- 2-Extension Wands+Mop Head
- Measuring Cup
- 2-Microfiber Pads
Steamfast SF-370 is a multipurpose heavy-duty steam cleaning machine with the ability to eradicate grease and stains from surfaces. With a flexible 6.5’’ power hose that easily gets into hard-to-reach areas, making a deep and profound cleaning possible.
Its multiple ranges of tools and accessories make this machine a perfect device for blasting all the sticky gunk and dirt from the car’s interior and kitchen appliances.
Our Findings
The thing we like the most about this steamer is made of pretty superior quality, quite easy to set up with a good supply of steam for a long time. Handal gets hot most of the time so it’s better to wear gloves to protect yourself from burning.
- 45 mins of cleaning
- Multi-purpose steam cleaner
- 100% chemical-free
- Integrated cord wrap
- Takes too much time to heat up
- Lack accessories bag
10. COSTWAY Multipurpose – Best for Car Engines
What’s in the box
- Steam Cleaner
- 2x Tension Tubes
- Mop Head
- Scrub Pad
- Jet Nozzle, Squeegee, Triangle Brush, Nylon Brush, Brass Brush
- Measuring cup,
- Microfiber Pad
- Water Funnel
Last but not least, Costway steam cleaner comes in the color tone of orange and black. This steam cleaner is a multi-functional device designed to tackle multiple jobs.
As safety comes first, therefore, an over-heating system and an auto shut-off feature are integrated. The device is stated fit and safe for use by the ETL certification. Best of all, it contains an accessories box at the back to hold the attachments.
This lifts up grime from all the cracks that are almost impossible to get cleaned when cleaning kitchens and bathrooms.
Our Findings
This dual tank rolling steam cleaner is perfect for deep cleaning and sanitization of the whole house with a temperature of up to 226 degrees F. Deeply cleans the surface, making it free from dust, germs, molds, and even common bed bugs. 4-bar steam pressure is enough to do it all. Therefore, you don’t require any additional cleaning agents.
The thing we like the most is if there is no water in the tank, the boiler gets hotter than the selected temperature, then it will automatically turn off.
If you have an aching back, this long-handle steam cleaner is the best option for you.
- Hot steam sanitizes surfaces
- No harsh chemicals for cleaning
- 51 ounces of large tank reservoir + hidden accessories box
- Soft pipe: 79.0 provides added maneuverability
- Takes enough time to heat up
How to Pick A Perfect Steam Cleaner for Your Car
Cost
Cost is the first-ever feature that everyone should keep in mind while buying anything. Handheld steam cleaners are less expensive rather than canister steam cleaners. Pick one of them according to your pocket friendly.
Tank Capacity
Reservoir size plays role in steam cleaning. As it is associated with how long it produces steam. Big tank capacity means long running time, no or fewer chances to refill plus heavy to move around.
Portability
The mobility of the cleaning devices is the most important factor. To disinfect every stiff and hard-to-reach area handheld steam cleaner is the best choice to go with.
Steam Pressure
To deep clean and disinfect all surfaces steam pressure must take into consideration. As it is one of the most crucial features. High steam pressure means highly effective to perform tasks whether it’s cars or grout cleaning and killing bed bugs or dust mites.
Tools and Accessories
While making a final decision don’t forget to look for accessories. There are different attachments for performing different tasks. They help you to get rid of stressful cleaning.
Right Tool for the Right Job
Finally, yet importantly, every steam cleaner has its own distinct specifications. Steaming machines perform different tasks in different ways according to requirements. So, before choosing one, make it clear for what purpose you’re purchasing this. Do your complete research before buying to avoid future disappointments.
2 Major Types of Commercial Steam Cleaners for Cars
Handheld Steam Cleaner
A handheld steam cleaner as the name suggests is handy and easy to move in and around the house. It is very useful for removing stubborn stains from tiles and grout, killing germs and bacteria, de-grease kitchen appliances, removing spots from upholstery & furniture, and is best for cleaning the car interior and exterior.
Handhelds take less time to get ready to steam rather than other industrial steamers. It’s an ideal choice for a small but difficult task.
Advantages:
- Less expensive
- Best for small tasks
- No space issue, easy to store
- Portable and user-friendly
Disadvantages:
- Small water tank, not for big tasks
Canister Steam Cleaner
Canister steam cleaner is also named vapor steam cleaner. It’s quite bigger than the handheld steamer, because of its large tank capacity. This advantageous feature also makes this machine heavy to lift and move.
Apart from this, it needs no refills and works for a longer time to eliminate and sanitize stubborn stains from the surface.
The best part is canister holds the features of both a mop and a handheld steam cleaner.
Advantages:
- Big water reservoir for a huge task
- Long-running time with no refills
- High pressure kills 99.9% of germs
- Versatile accessories & attachments
Disadvantages:
- Expensive than other competitors
- Difficult to manage and store
Advantages of Using Steam Cleaner for Car
Cost Saving
Cleaning a car is necessary as cleaning a house. If you ignore doing so, a thick layer of grime took place on different parts. And then times come when you have to replace them by spending hundreds of dollars. But steam cleaning a car not only saves your pocket but also increases the resale value of the vehicle.
Multi-Purpose
As already mentioned in the article, a steam cleaner is not only to clean a car but is also useful to disinfect floors, clean grout, and eliminate stubborn grease and grime from the kitchen.
User-Friendly
The best part is it’s easy to use and carry. Just fill the water tank, plug it in, and be ready to go in 3-5 mins.
Chemical-Free
The best factor is steam cleaning doesn’t require any harsh chemicals to clean or disinfect. All you need is to use distilled or regular tap water to produce hot and powerful steam.
Benefits of Steam Cleaning for Car Interior
Eliminates Odors
Steam cleaner eradicates pets stains and urine odor from car seats and carpets. And make sure that dirty spots will never come back after drying.
Disinfect and Freshen
Steam cleaning is one of the well-known methods to clean and purify. It helps to sanitize the whole surface of the car in no time and keeps the environment fresh and healthy. All you need is to get the desired machine for the desired purpose of cleaning.
Hard-to-Reach Areas
Every steam cleaner comes with lots of premium quality tools and accessories that are useful to clean every hard-to-tackle area inside the car.
Immediate Dry
Once you are done with steam cleaning, the best part is it makes it dry and able to sit in a car within half an hour.
Benefits of Steam Cleaning for Car Exterior
Removes Dirt
Quickly remove all the dust and dirt without any effort from the exterior part of the car.
No Residues
Steam cleaning of floors, carpets, furniture, and a car helps to clean and purify all the minor but harmful moisture that is left behind.
Streaking Free
It prevents cars’ front and window glass from streaking and makes them look new.
Easy and Quick Cleaning
Steam cleaning is a simple and quick way of purifying the car’s exterior. It helps to get the jobs done within a few minutes.
Is Steam Cleaning Good for Cars?
A steam cleaner is a device that works great in eliminating dirt, dust, and microbes hidden inside the car. Moreover, it disinfects the car without the use of toxic agents, with no adverse effects, plus adequate for both car’s exterior and interior.
How Does A Steam Cleaner Work?
All you need to do is just pour some water into the tank plug it in and it is ready to go in just 5-6 mins. The heating system inside the tank raises the water temperature to produce steam. It comes out through steam tubes.
How Long Does it Take to Steam Clean A Car?
The time to steam clean a car depends on the task you want to perform. If you want to clean the full car interior, it takes approximately an hour or two. Bear in mind the fact that if it is too messy then it will be the longest-running duty to perform.
Does Steam Clean Damage Car Paint?
While steaming a car exterior, it is appropriate to steam from a distance of 5-10 inches to prevent the surface from damaging.
Bottom Line!
Shortlisting a steam cleaner, like other electrical appliances, is tricky work. Knowing the technical terms, and differentiating what the device offers and what you require is also difficult. Therefore, I’ve tried to cover all the vital and the most basic points in this article.
With the top 10 best steam cleaners for cars covered, it’s time to wrap up this article. I hope you had a good time reading it. As always, do share your critical analysis and constructive feedback in the comments down below. Don’t shy away from voicing your opinions and, of course, your questions and queries. You may mail them to me, and soon I’ll get back to you.
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