Top 10 Best Steam Cleaners for Cars 2024

1. McCulloch MC1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner

Design & Performance

The McCulloch MC1275 is a pressurized steam cleaner that doesn’t need any chemicals. More importantly, it comes with 18 accessories. Attachment includes nozzles and scrub pads suited to use on large surfaces. There are brushes for removing grease and grime too.

The steam cleaner is well suited for use on various car surfaces like leather, fabric, rubber, and glass. You can use the machine additionally on most types of floors, counters, windows, and appliances. The cleaner heats up as quickly as in 8 minutes. You can expect a steam that can last up to 45 minutes. The steam is continuous, which means you don’t have to keep on pressing the steam button.

The steam cleaner has a rather powerful jet nozzle to dislodge dirt and dust. The machine has a large water tank that can hold up to 48 ounces of water. This steam cleaner is powerful and is perfect for chemical-free cleaning. The downsides are quite minor. Don’t expect this steam cleaner to work quietly. It can be quite loud.

Another downside though is that the attachments are not designed particularly for autos. So when cleaning sensitive painted surfaces, car owners should take care. You can fill this steam cleaner with regular tap water. The machine will heat up the water to over 200 degrees, which is hot enough to kill the most common types of bacteria and germs.

Overall, this is a great car steam cleaner that delivers a pressurized steam. The multi-use steamer is good for the many types of surfaces on cars. Plus, the steam cleaner is backed by a 1-year guarantee.

2. Wagner 0282014 915 On-demand Steam Cleaner

Design & Performance

This Wagner steam cleaner offers what’s call “on demand” steam control. That means you can get a continuous steam without pushing on a button. Steam control is literally at your fingertips. Keep in mind that this is a pressurized steam cleaner. It even comes with a wallpaper plate to remove old wallpaper. Removing hard-set stains is super easy.

Car owners should be aware that this steam cleaner is designed to use on large surface areas. It’s great if you have big seats. The machine comes with a flexible and versatile hose that’s eight feet long. It’s excellent for getting the steam into nooks and corners of the vehicle. The cleaner includes extension tubes and other accessories to improve work efficiency. As a result, steamer is near perfect for chemical-free disinfecting.

The steam cleaner is non-toxic and doesn’t leave any residue behind. You can use it on car glass without worry too. Unlike most steam cleaners, this one works on car tires as well. When the car is cleaned, you can use this to clean your garage too. So the steamer offers two modes of cleaning. There’s the continuous steam option for tough jobs. There’s also an intermittent steam option for quick cleaning, which is suitable for deep cleaning of surfaces. The host of accessories it comes with makes it possible to clean varied surfaces.

While this steam cleaner is highly versatile, don’t expect it to be a miracle machine. It will clean some surfaces well but others only moderately. One big issue is the power cord of the machine. The cable is quite short and may require an extension cord to use with the wall outlet.

3. Steamfast SF-370WH Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner

Design & Performance

This 1500W steam cleaner is quite powerful. It delivers a pressurized steam at 120V. You can easily use this machine to deep clean the seats, upholstery, and the carpeting of the car. The steamer is designed to sanitize many different types of surfaces. It comes with attachments to clean surfaces like glass and leather too. The Steamfast heats water to over 200 Fahrenheit degrees. It has a large water tank that can hold about 45 ouches of water. You can expect a continuous steam to last 45 minutes.

It also has an on-demand steam mode that delivers bursts of steam. This machine has a steam lock so you don’t have to hold down on the steam button. The set comes with 15 accessories. You will get jet nozzles, nylon brushes, corner tools, scrubber pads, and a squeegee among many other attachments. Two extension wands are included too.

Most of the attachments overall work well. However, the squeegee is particularly fragile. Don’t expect the attachments to last as long as the steam cleaner itself. This steam cleaner works great because even if the steam gets really hot, the handle hose doesn’t do the same. The handle may get warm, but not too hot enough to burn skin. It heats up quickly and doesn’t require too many refills to clean the whole car. The work is efficient, but be aware of grease.

This steam cleaner can dislodge dirt but it will not completely remove grease and greasy stains. You may have to wipe down the stains before using the steam cleaner on them. Other than that issue, the Steamfast is a great machine for auto cleaning.

4. Bissell SpotClean Auto Portable Cleaner for Carpet & Cars, 7786A

Design & Performance

Not many steam cleaners are designed especially for cars. But this Bissell is made with vehicle cleaning in mind. Note that this steamer is a spot cleaner. It’s great for cleaning particularly dirty areas or spots on the seats or carpets in your car. It’s not suitable for overall cleaning. This steamer does not come with attachments for cleaning car parts like the windows.

Though it’s not as versatile as some of the other steamers on this list, this Bissell is perfect for its intended use. You can use this steamer to permanently remove any hard-set stain from car interiors. The machine is designed with a slim profile, so it fits easily inside smaller vehicle interiors. The water tank is slightly small because the machine is compact. But it’s removable so you can easily carry it out for refilling.

This steamer works using a proprietary “Heatwave” technology. What’s special here is that the tech maintains a constant water pressure throughout the cleaning process. The steamer doesn’t come with loads of accessories like most other machines. However, you will get a crevice tool and a tough stain brush. The crevice tool is great for reaching nooks and corners. The stain brush is great combined with the suction power to remove nasty stains that might have been in your car for years.

Overall, this machine works wonderfully. But do be aware that it is very loud. You might want to invest in ear protection when using this product. Also, some accessories are sold separately for a price. So you may not get everything in one neat package.

5. AutoRight SteamMachine C900054.M

Design & Performance

Finally, a steam cleaner designed just for car cleaning. This machine packs a number of features that car owners can appreciate. The SteamMachine delivers a great pressurized steam that can dislodge dirt and deep stains. The steamer can heat water up to 290 degrees. You can expect to get rid of dust, dirt, grime, and even grease stains with this machine. It’s versatile enough to clean a variety of car parts.

The Steam Machine comes with 11 accessories specifically designed to clean leather seats, cloth seats, vinyl dashboards, windows, and the carpeting of the car. It unfortunately doesn’t clean tires. The machine itself is highly portable and mobile. You can roll it to where the car is. The steam cleaner carriage has built-in storage for all the accessories that come with the product. It even has a built-in handle for transporting.

The 1500W machine is powerful and has a larger boiler tank that can contain 40 ounces of water. The steam can continuously last between 35 to 45 minutes. This steamer is really great for cleaning car carpets. The machine is capable of clearing away stains created by many types of things like salt, mud, and food.

One major advantage of this steam cleaner is that you can find replacement parts easily online. If an accessory breaks, you can buy a replacement, which is an option not available with many other steam cleaners. The steam cleaner comes with a long 8-ft hose to reach those hard-to-reach areas. The machine is backed by a 2-year warranty too.

6. PurSteam Handheld Pressurized Steam Cleaner

Design & Performance

The PurSteam is a lightweight and highly portable machine. It looks like a glue gun and can be moved to any area in the vehicle. It’s perfect for cleaning crevices, inside the glove box, or inside the built-in compartments of the doors. This steamer can go to places regular steamers cannot reach.

Despite its small size, this steam cleaner does elicit a pressurized steam. It’s not as powerful as what you get with larger machines, but it’s still good enough to dislodge grime and grease stains. You can use this steamer to eliminate mold, set stains, and even tiny bugs that may take up residence in your car. There’s no need to use harsh chemicals of any sort.

It’s safe to use on all car interiors. You can even use it on cotton, wool, ceramic, and granite. The steamer heats up quickly in about 3 or 4 minutes. It can reach temperatures up to 212 degrees. The machine comes with 9 accessories that are mostly nozzle types for reaching crevices. You won’t get a squeegee or similar types of accessories.

The attachments come with an extension hose. Overall, this steamer is pretty handy. There are some minor downsides. It’s not pressurized enough to dislodge tough stains. You may need a spot cleaner for those. Also, all the nozzles are rather small so it will take a long time if you are planning on doing an overall clean.

7. McCulloch MC1385 Deluxe Canister Steam System

Design & Performance

This steamer is perfect for quick and efficient auto cleaning. The machine is large, but it takes only about 12 minutes to heat up. Once heated, this steamer can deliver up to 120 minutes of continuous steam. You can use this machine to sanitize a wide variety of surfaces inside the car.

The steamer delivers water at 4 bars of pressure, which is about 58 psi. The pressure is strong enough to literally push off dirt and grime stuck onto surfaces. This steamer is perfect for chemical-free deep cleaning. This heavy-duty machine comes with a whopping 23 accessories to clean as you like. The accessories make the reach of the machine very versatile.

What’s more, the machine offers variable steam control. You can dial the exact type of steam you want using the controls. The machine includes an extra-long 18-feet long power cord as well. It’s very convenient when cleaning the car outside. This steamer works faster than most machines. You won’t have to spray and wipe. Thanks to the high pressure, one steam vapor is enough to loosen up grime for quick removal.

You can expect to use this machine to clean greasy stains in the car. It will clean up oily door jams and dashboards too. As for the downsides, this steam cleaner is quite expensive. But it’s worth the money for the car wash-like detailing you can get. The attachments don’t have storage. You will have to find small bags for the smaller parts.

8. Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner

Design & Performance

The Dupray Neat is a multipurpose steam cleaner. It’s designed to clean a wide variety of surfaces, including car interiors. You can use this to clean hard surfaces, leather or fabric seats, consoles, and door jams of the car. It can clean even the engines. This steam cleaner disinfects and removes stains too. It’s not as effective as spot cleaners, but you can expect it to remove everyday stains.

You can use this steam cleaner to clean car carpets as well. However, it may not work as effectively on the rubber mats as the fabric. This machine really generates a lot of steam. The powerful steam can reach up to 275 degrees. The cleaner comes with a large capacity water tank that can hold up to 54 ounces of water, which can deliver a continuous steam for up to 50 minutes.

Though the water tank is large, heat up time is quick. This machine will heat up in about 7 minutes. You can use regular tap water for the machine. The superheated steam generates is low moisture. The machine is very lightweight and highly portable. It has a long 16 inch cord that you can drag out of the garage.

The steam cleaner is ETL certified in US and Canada. It’s certified to generate up to 50 psi of steam at 1500W. The machine comes with some attachments. However, it doesn’t come with crevice tools or similar extensions to reach narrow areas inside the car.

All in all, this is an effective general purpose steam cleaner for detailing car interiors. It may not work on all parts, but you can easily steam clean the car parts that easily gets dirty.

9. Hoover Spotless Portable FH11300PC Spot Cleaner

Design & Performance

One of the biggest advantages this steam cleaner offers is the lightweight and portable design. You can easily carry it near or into the car for cleaning. It’s mainly designed to clean carpets and upholstery. You can use the machine to disinfect and de-stain car seats and floor mats. It works well on both leather and fabric seats.

The steam cleaner has two tanks. The dual tanks system separated clean water from dirty, so there will be no dirty water seeping out from under the machine. The steam cleaner comes with a self-cleaning hose as well that will flushes out dirt and grime after each session. This steamer sprays and scrubs off dirt in a manner highly suited for cleaning deep stains on seats and floor mats.

The head of the hose is detachable as most people prefer. You can completely get the nozzle clean, just in case something gets stuck in there. The machine delivers good suction power too. However, suction will be reduced when you use extended attachments. The attachments don’t come with gaskets to maintain the suction power throughout.

While the steamer works near perfectly, there’s a big downside. The water tank is rather small. You will have to run out for refills several times during a cleaning sessions. Also, you won’t be able to clean parts like the dashboard. You can expect a very thorough cleaning of seats and floor mats. Other than some minor downsides, this steam cleaner is well worth investing in.

10. Haitral HT-KS2713Y Multi-Purpose Steam Cleaner

Design & Performance

This handheld steamer is great for carrying inside the car. Because it doesn’t have a large carriage, you can use it anywhere in the car interior. This steam cleaner delivers a continuous stream of high-pressure steam. It doesn’t drip even though the machine is small. You can use this steam cleaner to clean car seats, floor mats, and windows.

The steam doesn’t require any chemicals to remove stains. And you can expect the steam you get with this machine to be even and spread out. You can ideally to clean a large area without using a bigger nozzle. The heating is automatically controlled for safety reasons. The water tank cap has a safety too, to prevent users from removing the cap when the water is still hot and pressurized.

The machine comes with 9 accessories including an extended nozzle, a bent nozzle, and a spray cup. The various nozzles are perfect for getting into nooks and crannies of the car interior. This steam cleaner can remove grime and grease from car interiors. It will remove residue like soap scum from glass.

The biggest downside is the size of the water tank. The handheld machine comes with a small water tank that requires constant refills. You can only use the steamer for about 10 minutes on a full tank. Also, the 9-ft cord could be longer. It may require extension cords when cleaning your car.

Guide to Buying the Best Steam Cleaners for Cars

Buying a car steam cleaner can be a challenge. Therefore, here are several tips to help you choose the best product:

Watch Out for the Size of the Water Tank

Most people would prefer to have a steam cleaner that works fast. That means cleaning ideally everything with just one fill. The size of the water tank determines how long you can continuously clean with a steamer. The larger the water tank, the longer a single fill would last. You can expect a steam cleaner to continuously work for up to an hour. Longer than this may cause the handle to get hot and unsafe.

When buying a smaller steam cleaner, such as a handheld one, be aware that the water tanks may require several refills during a cleaning session.

Car Steam Cleaners versus Multipurpose Steam Cleaners

You don’t need to specifically look for a car steam cleaner to disinfect your vehicle. In fact, auto steam cleaners can be quite hard to find. You are most likely to find multipurpose or handheld steam cleaners for sale.

What you really need to look for when buying a steam cleaner is what type of surfaces it can clean. In cars, you will need to need surfaces such as fabric, leather, plastic, glass, and vinyl. As long as the steam cleaner can safely disinfect these surfaces, then you are looking at a good product. Even household steam cleaners are fine as long as you can comfortably and safely clean inside a car. Some attachments make even household steamers suitable for auto detailing.

How to Choose Accessories

Aim to buy a steam cleaner that comes with a host of accessories. Rather than the number of the accessories, pay attention to the function. Look for accessories included that has crevice tools and squeegees for window cleaning. The interior of a car has many nooks and crannies, so there should be tools to clean all of those areas.

Make sure the accessories advertised are actually included in the package. Some accessories for steam cleaners are sold separately.

Choosing between Handheld and Full-Size Steam Cleaners

It’s easy to browse a full-sized steam cleaner right away. These machines pack more power, have larger water tanks, and comes with many accessories. However, you may also benefit from a handheld steam cleaner. Compared to full-size steamers, handheld steam cleaners are easy to maneuver and carry around.

These machines are also cheaper. The biggest downside is the size of the water tank. A handheld steam cleaner may require refill every 10 to 20 minutes. You can decide whether you want a full-size steam cleaner or a handheld one depending on your needs. If you have the money, you can buy both and keep the handheld one for specific cleaning tasks.

Know the Steam Temperature and Pressure

The hotter the steam is, more likely it is to disinfect surfaces. Some users may not want superbly hot machines either. The heat of the steam determines which surfaces it is suited to clean. Therefore, buyers should be aware how hot the steam gets before investing in a steam cleaner.

In addition to the water temperature, you should also watch out for the water pressure. This determines how well the machine can clean. Higher the water pressure, the easier it would be for the cleaner to dislodge stains. Otherwise, you may need to separately scrub and wipe deep set stains.

Warranty

Look for a warranty when you buy steam cleaners. You should buy one that comes with at least a year’s guarantee. The guarantee will make it easier to return a defective product. Remember that the warranty must come from the manufacturer, and not the seller.

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