Looking for a way to naturally disinfect everything from your home to your car? Discover the best steam cleaner to get the job done.
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The 7 Best Steam Cleaner Picks of 2025, According to Cleaning Experts
Updated on Oct. 07, 2024
A steam cleaner offers a powerful solution for deep cleaning and sanitizing your home. Unlike mopping or conventional carpet cleaners that rely on cold water or harsh chemicals, steam cleaners use high heat to effectively disinfect surfaces. According to Kathy Cohoon, owner of Two Maids, “The steam’s heat can kill bacteria, dissolve dirt, sanitize carpets and more with little dry time.”
Whether you’re tackling tough stains, refreshing carpets, or sanitizing kitchen and bathroom surfaces, a quality steam cleaner can make all the difference. We’ve researched and reviewed top-rated steam cleaners that are versatile enough to handle everything from floors to upholstery, and even your car interior. Get ready for a spic-and-span space with our top picks for the best steam cleaners on the market.
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Best overall steam cleaner
Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe Steam Mop
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get the best steam cleaner, a sentiment Mary Farrell, the home & appliances writer for Consumer Reports, confirms. “The Bissell PowerFresh Deluxe is a great buy,” she says about the steam mop combo. “It performed well in our tests at cleaning ceramic tile, and is really convenient and easy to use.”
A detachable SpotBoost Brush helps tackle difficult, stuck-on messes with ease, and the included measuring cup makes refilling the water tank a snap. In just 30 seconds, this steam cleaner is warmed up and ready to use. This is a purchase you can feel good about because a portion of the proceeds goes to Bissell’s homeless pets foundation.
Other perks? It is equipped with a 25-foot cord, two types of scrubbing pads and has two steam rates (high or low). More than 14,000 Amazon shoppers give the gadget a perfect five-star rating, with many users noting it’s the best steam cleaner for grout, including professional cleaner Kellsie Zapata.
One happy customer, Nicole Denning, agrees. She writes: “So easy to use, cleans amazingly! Maneuvers well in tight/small spaces. Cleans evenly and the pad is nice and thick. Easy to change the pads. Love the scrub brush option! Works great for cleaning grout! The extra-long cord is nice. Great price. Can’t live without this!”
Pros
- Highly rated by professionals and customers
- Reasonably priced
- Ideal for cleaning bathrooms, including tile floor and grout
- Special brush to help with tough, sticky messes
Cons
- For hard surfaces only
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Best budget steam cleaner
PurSteam 10-in-1 Steam Cleaner
The PurSteam 10-in-1 Steam Cleaner is a “simple, effective, steam cleaner at a great price point,” Cohoon says. The under-$70 workhorse, the top-selling steam mop on Amazon, cleans for up to 25 minutes on the lowest heat setting and is safe to use on a variety of surfaces, including hardwood floors, vinyl, tile, marble, ceramic and porcelain.
Another impressive feature? A built-in handheld steamer detaches, Cohoon points out, to tidy upholstery, mirror and glass—or even to get wrinkles out of clothes. The unit comes with multiple attachments, including three brushes, a scrape tool, a window squeegee and an angled nozzle to freshen every inch of your home.
“This device is a great option for all types of flooring, especially my vinyl,” writes Amazon reviewer, Monica Andrea Moreno. “I use it once every week and the floors have acquired a clearer appearance and smell very clean.”
Pros
- A wallet-friendly 10-in-1 cleaner for every type of surface
- Comes with multiple attachments
- Includes three replacement pads
- The cord is 15 feet 9 inches long
- Transforms into a handheld steamer
Cons
- The high setting offers just 12 minutes of clean time
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Best steam cleaner for carpet
Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner
Looking for the best carpet steam cleaner? Cohoon, and thousands of Amazon shoppers, recommend Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner. It lasts for up to 50 minutes of continuous cleaning and comes with 17 accessories to sanitize everything with precision. “The cleaner uses a powerful amount of heat (up to 275 degrees!), which leaves surfaces extra clean,” says Cohoon. “This steam cleaner also heats up in seven minutes and comes with a two-year limited warranty,” she adds.
Zapata says the Dupray is easy to move around since it has wheels, is easy to store and easy to set up and take apart. In addition to cleaning carpet and hard flooring, it works to disinfect grout, kitchen appliances, furniture and mattresses. Some people even use it to remove wallpaper.
The multi-use device boasts more than 13,000 five-star ratings, including one from Jerson Esteban who writes: “This little block is a monster at cleaning. It literally works on everything. Walls, leather couches, windows, doors, you name it. I also have sensitive skin and eczema so it’s really nice not dealing with chemicals. Also saving us money on harsh cleaning products. 100/10 would recommend.”
Pros
- Kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses from carpet
- Also works on hard flooring
- Comes with a 17-piece accessory kit
- Lightweight
Cons
- It isn’t cordless
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Best compact steam cleaner
Shark Steam Pocket Mop
The Shark Steam Pocket Mop stows away effortlessly alongside your mop, broom and vacuum-mop combo. The swivel head can flip over to use more of the same cleaning pad to get the job done. This compact choice includes the steam mop, two washable microfiber pads, a filling flask, a quick-release swivel cord wrap and a rectangle mop head. Plus, the 18-foot power cord lets you move freely from room to room.
Grace Reynolds, the founder of Handmaid Professional Cleaning Service, says this pocket mop is great for lifting grease, grime and hard water and Amazon reviewers agree.
“I first mopped all of my floors the regular way. I wanted to see if this steam cleaner would pick up more dirt,” writes verified purchaser Cheryl Grace. “Well, it did! Both sides of the mop pad showed dirt. My floors are spotless and it’s fast!”
Pros
- Has a non-bulky design
- Large mop head for large surfaces
- Quick-dry
- Affordable price point
Cons
- Attachments sold separately
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Best steam cleaner for bathrooms and kitchens
Bissell Steam Shot
Only July 18, 2024, Bissell released a recall notice for this product, citing defects that can cause burns. If you own the Steam Shot, stop using it immediately and contact Bissell for a credit or refund. We’ll update this piece when Bissell resolves the issue.
Cohoon selects the Bissell Steam Shot as the best handheld steam cleaner for cleaning the bathroom and kitchen. The lightweight pick weighs less than four pounds and heats up in just 30 seconds. For such a small device, it boasts a lot of “cleaning power” she says, noting it lasts for 10 or 12 minutes at a time.
It comes with various multi-surface tools, all designed to penetrate inside cracks and crevices. It removes dirt and grime from a variety of surfaces, including small appliances, faucets, grout and even stuffed animals. Satisfied shoppers use it for everything from removing old paint and tape residue to cleaning wood floors.
One happy customer writes, “This Bissell may be little, but it can handle big jobs. I’ve lived in my house for two years and have been wanting new kitchen flooring because it looks so dingy. Not anymore. I used the Steam Shot on the floor and it is looking like new.”
Pros
- Handheld steamer ideal for cleaning bathrooms and kitchens
- Multiple attachments to penetrate inside small and hard-to-reach spaces
- Lightweight and portable
- Safe to use around kids and pets
Cons
- Not large enough to clean bigger surfaces, like an entire carpeted floor or area rug
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Best portable steam cleaner
Wagner Spraytech AutoRight
If you’re looking to buy the best portable steam cleaner, choose the top-selling Wagner Spraytech model on Amazon. This versatile cleaning tool is designed to clean cars, including seat upholstery and cup holders as well as other surfaces inside your home.
The compact cleaner easily moves around on wheels and features an eight-foot steam hose, allowing you to reach all those hard-to-access areas. Additionally, it includes 12 accessories, such as a crevice tool, straight adaptor, jet nozzle and various brushes.
“This steam cleaner has revolutionized how I keep my home free from bacteria and germs,” writes five-star reviewer Hector Molina. “The slim design of the mop makes it effortless to maneuver around furniture and other hard-to-reach places. What I appreciate most about this steam cleaner is that it does not require harsh chemicals, making it an eco-friendly option. It’s well worth the investment; your floors and surfaces will look and feel refreshed after using it.”
Pros
- Built-in carrying handle makes transport easy
- Rolls around on wheels
- Preheats in nine minutes and provides 40 minutes of steam
- Self-contained storage holds the included accessories
- Designed to clean automobiles but also works for household cleaning
Cons
- Wallpaper removal tool sold separately
- Better for smaller jobs, not necessarily floors
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Best steam cleaner for upholstery
Dupray Tosca Commercial Steam Cleaner
