Cleaning up after pets is no easy chore. But most heavy-duty cleaning solutions contain a lot of chemicals that aren’t the best option for the surfaces that your pets frequent. The Steamfast SF-370WH Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner uses steam to keep your cleaning routine chemical-free. Learn more about the best surfaces that we cleaned (and those that didn’t work as well) with this portable home appliance.
Performance: Great on hard surfaces
A chemical-free clean is hard to find, but the Steamfast SF-370WH unit heats water from the 45-ounce tank to create up to 45 minutes of steam. If you are sensitive to chemical cleaners or their odors, a steam cleaner is a great option for your home. It’s also a nice addition to a green cleaning routine. We have a cat and small children in our home. We are always looking for effective cleaning methods that do not add harsh chemicals on our floors, where they spend so much of their time. If you are prone to allergies, a steam cleaner is an appliance that you will want handy. We first used the mop head and washable blue pads to clean our bathroom’s tile floors. We loved that the steam cleaned and sanitized without needing any solutions that would make the small room smell like chemicals. The grout in our bathroom is sealed, but the manual notes that you should still test the steam on a small amount of your floor before tackling the entire surface to make sure that it doesn’t damage the grout. The same attachment can also be used on sealed wood floors and synthetic flooring. After we steam cleaned, it didn’t take more than 30 minutes for the floor to dry. We ran the bathroom fan to reduce humidity. Depending on your room’s airflow, you may want to add a portable fan to aid drying and keep room moisture down. The Steamfast SF-370WH Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner comes with 15 attachments, which make it great for almost any surface. Unfortunately, the attachments don’t work well on carpet and upholstery, two of the hardest areas to clean for pet owners. As we cleaned, we kept wishing that one of the tools would work well on our carpets. Instead, we had to turn to a different handheld cleaning appliance. If you are a pet owner or parent of small children (we are both), the lack of utility on carpets and upholstery may be enough to make you choose a different appliance. Our favorite attachment was the squeegee to use on windows. Deep cleaning windows is both a chore and hard to achieve without harsh chemicals. The steam from the Steamfast SF-370WH made our windows sparkle like new. We even used it on windows that had not been cleaned in a few months and had more build-up on them. Normal window cleaners were not enough, but the steam made a noticeable difference in their look. We did have to use paper towels to wipe off condensation from the steam, but we were happy to take this extra step for clean windows. Other attachments include the mop head (with two microfiber pads), a jet nozzle, scrub tool, corner tool (with scrub pad and sponge pad), and two nylon utility brushes. A brass utility brush works wonders for baked-on grime on outdoor grills. We had avoided this chore (and using the grill) for months. But the chemical-free approach using the Steamfast and its brass utility brush attachment made it easy. The Steamfast SF-370WH also comes with a measuring cup to make it easy to fill the reservoir with the correct amount of water. We learned you have to pour in the water slowly, as the curvature of the unit itself makes it likely that any spills will run right onto the floor and make a mess.
Design: Large with little storage
The 45-ounce tank is great for cleaning, but it makes it larger overall as a portable cleaner. It’s easy enough to use and move within a room, but it is cumbersome to carry when the tank is full. It was better to carry it flat with two hands as we moved it since the water did leak a little bit from the opening when we shifted it. The attachments have to be stored separately, so make sure that you have extra room. There are a lot of pieces and we ended up storing them in a box in our laundry room. Our favorite attachments were the squeegee and corner tool. We used the mop head and blue pads most often. All we had to do was snap on the mop head (and extension rods to make it easier to use) and press on the blue pads. Once we were done, the blue microfiber pads went straight into our washer, which is convenient, since we store the Steamfast SF-370WH unit right there.
Setup Process: Just fill and go
One of the best features of the Steamfast SF-370WH Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner is that it does not use a chemical cleaning solution to work its magic. This is better for our home, less expensive, and also makes setup a breeze. All we had to do was open the valve and fill it with water from our kitchen sink. We turned the unit on and it heated in about six minutes. To use it, It needs to be plugged in. It comes with a 15-foot cord. We used it around our living room and dining room without needing to unplug it. If you plan to work on multiple rooms, you will likely need to change outlets. The handle has a button that releases steam when you press it or you can use a “continuous steam” option. We found that the press button was much easier to use since we could control the steam. We used the wand with the two extension rods to reach higher windows in our home, and when we used it as a steam mop. They were easy to snap on and remove when we needed different attachments. A big drawback is you have too many options for attachments. It can take a while to figure out the right tool you need when you need it. To fix this, it’s best to have a box to store them all and label the parts to reduce your setup time.
Price: Great price and no extra cost
Cleaning appliances often come with hidden costs, such as extra cleaning solution or additional attachments. But the Steamfast SF-370WH Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner comes with everything that you need. All you need is water from the faucet. This makes it a really simple purchase; there are no hidden extras. It does come with a one year warranty for workmanship defects, so if you have any problems, the company will cover the cost of a replacement. It is also one of the more budget-friendly handheld surface cleaners that we have tested. It retails a little over $100 and given how many surfaces it works on, it is money well spent. We have a lot of tile and hardwood in our home, which are the surfaces the Steamfast SF-370WH cleans best. However, if you have a lot of carpet or fabric upholstery, you might need to purchase an additional or different cleaning unit. While the Steamfast has a lot of attachments, none of them work well on carpet or fabrics. When it comes to purchasing a steam cleaner, the surfaces you plan to clean should factor into your purchase plans.
Competition: Tools for all cleaning needs
Bissell Spotbot Pet: If you need something specifically designed for carpet and upholstery, the Bissell Spotbot Pet was our favorite for this purpose. It can clean automatically, by setting it down on the spot. It has a deep clean or normal setting, and it has a handheld hose with one of its scrubbing attachments if you choose to use it manually. It only has a couple of attachments and doesn’t perform as well on tile, wood, or windows. If all you plan to clean is carpets and fabric, the Spotbot Pet is the more suitable appliance. Steamfast SF-210 Everyday Handheld Steam Cleaner: If you don’t have the space for the larger Steamfast SF-370WH but still want chemical-free steam cleaning, consider the compact Steamfast SF-210 Everyday Handheld Steam Cleaner. It has six attachments and provides eight minutes of continuous steam, making it perfect for smaller cleaning needs. At around $60, it’s also a great value for its cleaning power. This little cleaning machine is great for so many surfaces and so affordable that it’s a great addition to any home cleaning routine. Make sure you have the extra space to store the unit and its many attachments.
