Ask Joyce
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best way to clean a tile shower?
Hard water, soap scum and mold are typically found in showers. Hard water is the most difficult to remove because minerals don't melt. Therefore you need to use an enhancer product along with your steam cleaner. My recommendation is Power Paste or Tub & Tile cleaner. Both are ecologically correct. Power Paste does a good job on light to medium hard water. Tub & Tile is required for heavy build up. Apply either product directly to the surface. Use two extension wands so you can stand comfortably. Use the steam nozzle with the power pad holder and a red or blue pad. Sorry, but this process is a little time consuming. Making things clean always take a lot longer than to keep them clean. Once your shower is sparkling, it's fast and easy to maintain it.
Grime in the tile grout is cleaned with a one inch hard brush. Really heavy soil may require a one inch stainless brush.
Enjoy your sparkling shower!
Joyce
Wow Susie,
A complete answer to this question could fill a book. The advantages to cleaning with steam are endless. Steam cleaning, when compared to chemical cleaning is BETTER, FASTER, EASIER, HEALTHIER AND CHEAPER.
BETTER: Steam leaves absolutely no residue. The residue left on your surfaces by the petroleum based cleaning chemicals actually attracts dirt. The 50 pounds of steam pressure coming through the steam nozzle blats dirt out of every crack and corner. No more tooth brushes, cotton swabs or rags over a butter knife.
EASIER: It's a "power tool" for cleaning. The extension wands let you stand comfortably. No more down on hands and knees or climbing ladders. No more rubber gloves, mops, buckets, smelly chemicals or back breaking, labor intensive drudgery.
FASTER: Steam cleans in a fraction of the time. Clean the refrigerator without removing the food. Push the items to one side, steam and wipe the shelf. Steam cleaning the kitchen floor takes no more time that it does to vacuum it. HEALTHIER: Direct exposure to steam kills germs in two seconds. This is extremely rapid kill rate that cannot be duplicated by chemical disinfectants. Kills mold and mildew on contact. Steam never causes allergies like cleaning chemicals can.
CHEAPER: The projected life of a Sargent Steam is 15 to 20 years. You would have spent anywhere from $8,000.00 to $12,000.00 on cleaning chemicals and services during that period of time versus a $1700.00 investment in your steam cleaner.
Happy steamin' Susie
Joyce
Hard water on windows requires an additive, either Power Paste or Tub & Tile is applied to the window. Do not let either of these products dry on the window. Place steam nozzle, and a hard two inch brush covered with a scrub bud onto extension wands. Scrub the window glass. Follow with window squeegee.
Hope this helps.
Joyce
Question: Once my shower is clean - and I just want to do a once a week cleaning - what is the best way? I have been using the triangular shaped attachement and just steaming the walls, floor etc. Is this enough - does the steam really clean it enough?
Answer: I’ll do anything I can to help you use your steam cleaner to its’ fullest extent. Have you been able to attend our Customer Care Class? This is the very best way to see everything the machine can do for you. The instruction book and the video included with your cleaner are very complete. I can continue to answer your emails and I invite you to call or visit our office for any special help you need. The phone number is 1 800 748 7832 and the address is 3131 East 3300 South, Salt Lake City UT 84109.
Cleaning your shower once a week with the triangular shaped brush should be very sufficient to keep your shower clean. I like to clip a cloth onto the brush when I clean my shower this way. The steam nozzle without a brush can be used to keep the corners clean.
Joyce
Question: I have an all tile floor and the owners before us used your steamer to clean with. Would you please tell what steamer I would need to roll around to so this job? I am not sure what to get in the way of the different steamers. The bulk of the job would be the tile of about 2500 sq. ft. plus odds and ends of smaller areas. Thank you for your time.
Dear Jim,
Thanks for your email. I'll do my best to tell you what you want to know. It would be easier for me if I knew how much you already know about steam cleaners. Our website at www.sargentsteam.com is very complete. You can actually see the Sargent machine in action. None of the department store upright floor cleaners can come close to doing the fine job a Sargent can do on tile floors. Because Sargent Steam's machine heats the water to 290 degree the steam is very dry so it never makes a mess. The small detail brush is marvelous to clean dirty tile grout. Grout needs cleaning less often because heat rises pulling the dirt up and into the cloth. There is never any dirty mop water to settle down into the grout. Our steam cleaner will clean anything in your home It's not just for floors.
It will de grease your oven or clean your live plants as well as do windows, clean your tennis shoes and your golf clubs.
I would love to talk to you on the phone and fully answer any other questions you may have. My cell number is 801 879 5700.
Happy cleaning
Joyce
Question: Hi Joyce, Please help me get started in my steam cleaning business- machines, pricing, etc. Thank you Joyce
Dear Jerry,
There are many, many things to consider when you ask me to help you get started in your steam cleaning business. We presently have many individuals who own our machines and use them exclusively to provide their clients with a superior clean that is absolutely not possible to achieve with chemical cleaning methods. The price of our machines is posted on the shopping cart page of our website. www.sargentsteam.com If you want to discuss discounts for multiple units please call me personally. Sargent Steam number is 801 326 8322 and my cell phone is 801 879 5700. We also have some suggestions as to systems, procedures and policies that will be helpful to you as you start your steam cleaning business. It is my pleasure to aid you in any way I can. Feel free to call or stop by our show room at 3131 East 3300 South Salt Lake City UT 84109.
Joyce
Dear Monica,
The answer to your question is YES! The 290 degree steam kills germs in two seconds when the steam is delivered directly to a surface. Posted on our website www.sargentsteam.com is a study conducted by Dr. Robinson, a microbiologist at Brigham Young University. (Click here to ready his study). He states, "This is extremely rapid kill rate that cannot be duplicated by chemical disinfectants."
Thank you for your question.
Joyce
Question: Can a steam cleaner clean hard water stains off windows? Do you use it to clean windows in general?
The answer is YES to both questions. Let’s talk about cleaning windows in general first. A steam cleaned window is crystal clear, streak free and stays clean longer than a window cleaned with chemical cleaners. It’s actually the window cleaning chemical itself that causes the streaks you so valiantly try to polish away.
Place the window squeegee on the end of extension wands. Place the squeegee at the top of the window, turn on the steam. Firmly press the squeegee against the window and slowly pull it to the bottom. Turn off the steam. Wipe the squeegee blade. Repeat this process all across the window. Drape a micro fiber cloth over the window squeegee and wipe away any remaining moisture especially next to the window frame. Your window is now so squeaky clean you can’t make finger prints on it.
Removing Hard Water Stains: Since the steam cannot alone cannot melt the hard water minerals you must use an additive.
Light stains-----pre spray window with Shur Kleen and scrub with white power pad attached to the steam nozzle. Follow with window squeegee.
Medium stains----pre spray with Shur Kleen and scrub with scrub bud place over the hard two inch brush attached to the steam nozzle. (Scrub bud will not scratch the window.) Follow with window squeegee.
Heavy stains-----apply Power Paste with a sponge. Do not allow paste to dry on the window. Scrub with a scrub bud over the hard two inch brush and follow with window squeegee.
Happy window cleaning,
Joyce
Question: What would be the best way to go about steaming and cleaning all the carpets in our home? Will my steamer do as good of a job as hiring a company that has a much higher suction, etc for their equipment? Thank you :)
Dear Alaina,
To steam clean carpets clip a doubled rag onto the rectangular shaped brush and attach it to two or three extension wands. (Choose the number of wands that allows you to stand comfortably straight while you work.) Spray a four foot section of the carpet with Shur Kleen. Run the brush over the carpet as though you were vacuuming it. Stroke the entire four foot section in one direction. Stroke it again in the other direction. (North to South---East to West)
Helpful hint: DO NOT PUSH DOWN as you stroke the brush across the carpet because that causes friction and drag. Using a very light touch is more effective and definitely easier to do.
Yes, steam cleaning will do as good, if not a better job, than the companies that use higher suction. Because steam cleaning introduces very little moisture into the carpet, there is not need for heavy suction. Steam does a much better job of removing problems like pet urine. The other major advantage is steam cleaning leaves no carpet shampoo residue in the carpet. This residue is sticky so carpets get dirty faster after they are shampooed. Steam cleaning an entire house of carpets with steam is, however, time consuming. You should decide if you want to steam one room at a time until you’ve done the whole house or have the carpet cleaners come in one last time. Once your carpets are clean, it is very easy to keep the spots and the high traffic areas under control thus eliminating the need for professional carpet cleaning.
I hope this is helpful and if you have further questions feel free to call me. My cell is 801 879 5700. Personal email is joyce@sgtsteam.com.
Joyce
Dear Madison,
Yes, you can definitely clean a mattress.
Cleaning a stain free mattress is very easy. Simply clip a cloth onto the rectangular shaped brush, add one or two extension wands and stroke back and forth over the mattress. Use a light touch and stroke in both directions (North & South----East & West.) Some stains can be completely removed and others can be considerably lightened. Pre-spray the stain with Shur Kleen and steam using the soft bristled two inch brush. Follow with the cloth covered rectangular shaped brush.
If you need further assistance you may call me on my cell phone. The number is 801 879 5700.
Thanks for your question.
Joyce
Question: I have 30 year old kitchen cabinets which have \"gunk\" on them. I have had them refaced but they are gunky again. Can I clean them with your steamer and will they look much better?
Dear Adrienne,
Yes you can clean the "gunk" off of your kitchen cabinets. Yes, they will look better. By "gunk" I assume you mean the black greasy dirt that accumulates around the handles and the bottom of the cabinet doors.
If this is the case you will need to be careful when removing it with the steam cleaner. Place the soft one inch brush onto the end of your steam nozzle. Open the steam for a few seconds to moisten the bristles. Stroke your brush across a bar of hand soap. Open the steam and scrub the cupboard for no more that 2 - 3 seconds at a time. Wipe cupboard with a cleaning cloth. Repeat this process till the cupboard is clean. NEVER keep scrubbing and applying steam for more than 3 seconds at a time. Over exposure to the steam will soften the varnish on your cabinet doors. Once you make them clean, maintain them by gently applying steam from the steam nozzle held a couple of inches away from the wood and wipe with a microfiber cloth.
Thanks for your question, I hope this helps.
Joyce
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