Comparison Karcher SC 2 vs Karcher SC 1020

Steam cleaners include compact models, which include handheld steam cleaners and steam mops, as well as full-fledged household for home and professional steam cleaners for offices and cleaning companies. More about each:

– Household. Devices designed for everyday use: steaming clothes, cleaning curtains, carpets, furniture, etc. It is this type that you should pay attention to if you are looking for a steam cleaner for regular use within the same apartment/house (or other tasks of a similar scale ). Most household models are similar in appearance and dimensions to ordinary vacuum cleaners.

– Professional. The most advanced type of modern steam cleaners. Professional models are distinguished primarily by high power and productivity, as well as a long operating time on a single refill. We emphasize that for domestic use such equipment is unnecessarily expensive and large; but for significant volumes of work – such as professional cleaning of large rooms – professional steam cleaners are simply irreplaceable.

– Handheld steam cleaner. Lightweight and compact steam cleaners that are held entirely in the hands during operation. Outwardly, they resemble electric kettles or manual garden sprayers. The power and productivity of such devices is small, they are intended mainly for small volume and relatively simp...le tasks.

– Steam mop. The basis of the design of the steam mop is a specific bar: a tank and a steam generator are installed on it, a working nozzle is attached to the bottom, and a handle to control the device is attached to the top. In terms of purpose, such models are similar to conventional mops, they are used mainly for cleaning on the floor; one of the key differences is that the steam device can be used not only for smooth surfaces, but also for carpets.

– Steam mop with portable. Devices that combine the capabilities of a steam mop and a portable steam cleaner. For more information about these varieties, see above, and their combination is as follows: a portable steam cleaner, which has a tank, a steam generator and a handle control in one common housing, is complemented by a bar, when installed, the device turns into a mop. The main advantage of such models is versatility; however, some of them are equipped not only with a bar, but also with a flexible hose, which further expands the possibilities of application.

In addition to the main unit of any steam cleaner, in which the actual conversion of water into steam takes place, steam cleaners are equipped with a different number of nozzles and accessories for various tasks. Among them, there are a floor nozzle, a carpet nozzle, a textile nozzle, a spot nozzle, an angle nozzle, a flat nozzle, a round brush, a brush, a tile grout brush, a fabric nozzle, a a window nozzle, a window squeegee, a flexible hose, an iron, an ironing board. A few words about them:

– Floor nozzle. Nozzle for cleaning floors – mostly smooth, without a special coverage (tiles, stone, etc.). It is used in combination with a bar or hose like a vacuum cleaner; the shape usually also resembles the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner. The design usually provides a brush to remove dirt, and the set may include a cloth, when installed, such a device turns into a fabric nozzle (see below).

- Nozzle for carpets. Wide nozzles for refreshing carpets,...textile paths, carpeted floors and other surfaces of similar texture. Their use allows you to restore the elasticity of carpet fibers under the influence of steam. Attachments of this type are in addition to floor nozzles, their frame allows you to effectively glide on carpets.

- Nozzle for textiles. A narrow elongated nozzle with many pinholes in a row for steam to escape. It is used to refresh clothes, smooth out light wrinkles, eliminate odors. Can be used to process clothes on hangers, curtains or curtains. Often, the design of the nozzle for textiles includes a special device for removing lint.

– Spot nozzle. A long and narrow nozzle with a very small outlet that produces a fine, directional steam jet. Designed mainly for work in small areas and in cramped conditions: for example, with a spot nozzle, you can effectively treat individual spots on the surface of a stove or angles between tiled walls. For more convenient and effective removal of dirt, the nozzle can be equipped with its own round brush.

– Angle nozzle. A nozzle used mainly for working in hard-to-reach places. In terms of capabilities, it is similar to the spot nozzle described above, however, the nozzle itself in such devices is bent at an angle relative to the nozzle itself (hence the name). This shape allows to easily reach where more traditional nozzles cannot reach – for example, to clean the space under the rim of the toilet.

- Flat nozzle. Nozzle in the form of a scraper with a narrow elongated nozzle to release steam. Used to remove stubborn dirt from flat surfaces. The power of steam softens them, and dried dirt is easily removed with the tip of a scraper.

– Round brush. A type of brush used in traditional steam cleaners (other than garment steamers) to clean floors and other surfaces. Usually, such a brush has a small size and is intended for cramped conditions and small spaces where a full-sized floor nozzle is not possible or does not make sense to use. In particular, it is convenient to clean the seams between tiles with such a device.

— Brush. A distinctive feature of such nozzles for steam cleaners is the presence of a characteristic bristle. The brushes are supposed to be used for working with floor coverings, plumbing, tiles, etc. First, the dirt on the surfaces is softened with steam, then it is easier to wipe them off with a brush. There are brushes with different lengths and stiffness of the pile. Nozzles with soft bristles are designed for cleaning sensitive surfaces to avoid scratches, with hard bristles for processing unpretentious materials.

- Tile grout brush. Specialized nozzles for effective cleaning of grime between tile joints. As a rule, they are a point nozzle, on both sides of which bristles are located. Due to the combination of high temperature and mechanical friction, even deeply embedded dirt is removed from the tile spaces.

— Window nozzle. Nozzle for washing windows with hot steam. Steam is supplied to the glass directly through such a device – this is how window nozzles differ from the squeegees described below. Otherwise, these two types of accessories are very similar in principle of operation: in both a special scraper is used to remove dirt from the glass. Also note that in some steam cleaners, the feature of a window nozzle is performed by another type of accessory (for example, a nozzle for textiles), on which a squeegee is installed; at the same time, if desired, the squeegee can be used separately.

– Window squeegee. Scraper for cleaning windows, used separately from the appliance: first, the glass is treated with hot steam, and then the moisture, together with the softened dirt, is manually collected with a squeegee. This procedure is somewhat more complicated than using the window nozzle described above, and also somewhat less effective; therefore, this type of accessory is rarely found in modern steam cleaners. And in some models, the window squeegee can be used both as a hand tool and as an adapter that turns another type of nozzle into a glass washer.

- Flexible hose. A flexible extension hose is attached to the outlet nozzle of the steam cleaner to allow operation in hard to reach places that are difficult to reach without the use of accessories. The flexible hose helps to direct the steam in the right direction and reach the most remote areas in any corner of the house. Other suitable specialized nozzles can be installed on the end of the hose. The presence of a flexible hose is indicated for portable models and steam mops, where it is supplied as an option. In household steam cleaners, the hose is an integral part of the standard equipment of the device.

– Iron. A classic iron connected to a steam cleaner with a hose. Such equipment actually turns the device into a steam generator for ironing; and models equipped with an ironing board are often comparable in functionality to full-fledged ironing systems.

– Ironing board. The classic ironing board is a horizontal surface used for ironing fabrics. Allows you to turn the steam cleaner into a system not only for the house cleaning but also for linen ironing.

Modern steam cleaners may come with items and accessories other than those described above. For example, steam vacuum cleaners (see above) can be equipped with "vacuum cleaner" nozzles – dust and crevice nozzles; and in more traditional models, you can find special nozzles for carpets.

The steam flow provided by the steam cleaner. For models with power and/or humidity controls, this item indicates the maximum possible value.

When choosing according to this indicator, note that the performance characterizes only the amount of water steam produced by the device per minute. The intensity of the impact of this steam on the treated surface/product can be different, first of all, it depends on the working pressure. Therefore, only devices with similar pressure indicators can be directly compared by this indicator. In such comparisons, it is worth assuming that high performance allows to cope with larger volumes of work faster, but requires more powerful heaters and capacious tanks – which, in turn, affects the dimensions, weight and price of the entire steam cleaner.

Heating time until steam is generated. The duration of the heating process directly depends on the power of the device and the volume of the water tank.

Note that the actual heating time may be less than the claimed one. For example, if the main tank is not filled full, and the design does not provide an additional tank for cold water. For a full guarantee, you should still focus on the value directly stated in the characteristics.

A regulator that changes the power of the steam coming from the device, in other words, it overall speed and flow rate. Do not confuse this function with humidity control: the change in power is carried out mainly by changing the operating pressure, while the humidity may remain unchanged (and vice versa).

Steam cleaners with steam regulation can be easily adjusted to the specifics of the situation, selecting the optimal mode depending on the tasks and materials. For example, to remove old dirt, maximum intensity of impact may be required, and for regular cleaning such exposure will be unnecessary.

A protective system that turns off the device if the heater (or other part of the design) reaches a critical temperature. This can happen, in particular, due to lack of water in the tank or due to a failure of the control electronics. Overheat protection allows to avoid such situations with their unpleasant consequences – from a device breakdown to a fire.

A special compartment for storing nozzles and other accessories, usually located directly in the body of the steam cleaner.

Note that most often the nozzle compartment is designed for accessories of a relatively small size. However, even such a device greatly simplifies the storage and transportation of the device: for additional items you do not have to look for a separate package.

The length of the power cord with which the steam cleaner is connected to the mains. The longer the power cord- the farther from the outlet the device can operate, the more freedom of movement the user has. On the other hand, an unnecessarily long power cord can create difficulties both during operation and in storage/transportation. And when working away from the outlet, you can use an extension cord. Therefore, even in units designed for large areas (such as steam mops - see "Type"), the length of the power cord rarely exceeds 5 - 6 m.