Fighting viruses with water steam: Professional steam cleaners and steam vacuum cleaners

Professional steam cleaners and steam vacuum cleaners are proven machines for disinfection cleaning. In order to ensure adequate hygiene and to combat harmful germs or viruses, they are an effective and time-saving cleaning solution due to the high cleaning temperature.

Cleaning with a Kärcher steam cleaner

Hygienic and thorough cleaning with professional steam cleaners and vacuum cleaners

Viruses such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus or the norovirus may remain infectious for a very long time on hard surfaces such as metal, stone, wood, ceramic, plastic or paper if they are not deactivated. The viruses can be deactivated by high temperatures, among other things, for example with the use of steam cleaners.

When cleaning walls, floors or furniture, germs, bacteria and viruses can be effectively fought with professional steam cleaners. In this application, the steam emerges from the nozzle in very fine droplets and, depending on the type of appliance, at a maximum temperature of 100 °C and a maximum pressure of 3 to 4 bar. The acceleration is about 170 km/h. Therefore, the steam reaches all cracks or rubber folds where brushes or cloths can hardly reach. In this way, hard-to-reach areas can be cleaned hygienically and thoroughly.

In order to combat viruses effectively, the nozzle must be guided over the surface. Before use, other dirt should be removed from the surface. Furthermore, the correct cleaning speed (30cm/s) at the maximum steam stage must be ensured.

Kärcher steam cleaner in commercial kitchens

Virus deactivation with high temperatures

Professional steam cleaner for cleaning hotel rooms

When used properly, the machines effectively eliminate, in addition to enveloped ** viruses such as coronavirus, influenza viruses or HI viruses, also up to 99.99 %* of non-enveloped adeno-, rota- and noroviruses on contaminated surfaces.

An independent laboratory confirms the disinfectant effect and the machines are classified as "limited virucidal PLUS" in accordance with the effective range defined by the Robert Koch Institute. This designation applies to products that can deactivate all enveloped viruses as well as the non-enveloped adeno-, rota- and noroviruses. The effectiveness thus covers the viruses that are particularly often responsible for hospital outbreaks.

Not only in times of corona can steam cleaners/steam vacuum cleaners thus ensure the necessary hygiene in the food industry, hotels, supermarkets, care homes, hospitals, offices and public facilities – completely without the use of any chemicals.

 

* As per EN 16615, PVC surface, test machines SG 4/4 and SGV 6/5 (SGV 8/5 by analogy), test germ: MVA, murines norovirus, adenovirus (except hepatitis B), under low organic strain.

** With selective cleaning, i.e. with a steaming duration of 30 seconds at the maximum steam stage with direct contact with the surface being cleaned, 99.999 % of the enveloped viruses, such as coronavirus or influenza viruses (except the hepatitis B virus) can be eliminated on smooth, hard surfaces (test germ: modified vaccinia virus Ankara). **When cleaning at a cleaning speed of 30 cm/s at the maximum steam stage and with direct contact with the surface to be cleaned, 99.99 % of all common household bacteria on smooth, hard household surfaces are killed (test germ: Enterococcus hirae).


Highly effective even without chemicals

Steam cleaners need only electricity and water. As they work without chemical cleaning agents, their use does not harm the respiratory tract of the users. At the same time, potential allergic reactions or changes to the material surface being treated caused by cleaning agent residues are prevented.

Use of professional steam cleaner in supermarket
Cleaning with a Kärcher steam cleaner

Steam cleaners

Hygienic, cost-saving and environmentally friendly: Professional steam cleaners clean all hard surfaces without the use of chemical cleaning agents.

 

 

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Cleaning with a Kärcher steam vacuum cleaner

Steam vacuum cleaner

Professional steam vacuum cleaners are suitable for the effective cleaning of all hard surfaces. With the appropriate accessories, a targeted cleaning is possible. They also offer the possibility of using chemicals for pre-treatment in the case of heavy soiling and to take up the dirt liquor again via a suck-back system. To remove dirt residues, they also have their own rinsing programs for the suction hose and pipe.

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