IN HOME DRY VAPOUR CLEANING
The use of dry vapor steam, under the right circumstances, and when properly applied, can be an effective technique to safely clean your delicate fabric window treatments.
Steam Vapour Cleaning
The low moisture steam vapour we apply can reach temperatures of 250°F- 300°F or more and contains only 5-6% moisture so your window treatments never get wet but rather only become the slightest bit damp and will dry in minutes.
The dry vapour steam application efficiently transfers heat to the fabric. The heat in combination with Hepa filtered vacuuming both kills and removes dust mites and their dropping which are the cause of dust allergies. The heat also disinfects by killing bacteria and mould spores that are embedded in the fabric
Onsite dry steam vapour is a great cleaning option and is one of several methods we offer to meet your specific needs. Depending on the fabric and how soiled and stained your drapery, sheers and shades are we may recommend hand dry cleaning or wet cleaning at our shop instead.
Profession In Craft
Companies that often advertise as “steam cleaners” are actually rug and carpet cleaning specialists NOT fabric window treatment cleaning specialists
Rug and carpet cleaning companies employ what is professionally known as a hot water extraction method and don’t use dry vapour steam in their cleaning process. The condensation from the hot water is arguably why the term “steam cleaning” came to be associated with what in reality is hot water cleaning.
When is steam cleaning not really steam cleaning?
The use of dry vapour steam, under the right circumstances, and when properly applied, can be a very effective step in safely cleaning delicate fabric window treatments. Low moisture steam, that some professional steam boilers produce, can reach temperatures of 250°F- 300°F or more. This very hot dry steam, containing only 5-6% moisture, does not saturate the fabric but rather instantly kills dust mites and disinfects by killing bacteria and mould spores that are embedded in the fabric.
Dry Vapor Steam vs Hot Water Extraction
The use of dry vapour steam, under the right circumstances, and when properly applied, can be a very effective step in safely cleaning delicate fabric window treatments. Low moisture steam, that some professional steam boilers produce, can reach temperatures of 250°F- 300°F or more.
This very hot dry steam, containing only 5-6% moisture, does not saturate the fabric but rather instantly kills dust mites and disinfects by killing bacteria and mould spores that are embedded in the fabric. Steam dryness is very important because it has a direct effect on the total amount of transferable energy contained within the steam which affects heating efficiency and quality. The drier the steam the more efficiently it transfers the heat that kills the dust mites and disinfects the fabric.
Killing the dust mites is only half the battle. What must be done as a next step is to use a specially outfitted Hepa filtered vacuum to remove the allergens. This critical step will remove both the old dust mite droppings and dust mite remains that actually cause people’s allergic reactions.
This non-chemical cleaning process penetrates deeply and safely into the fabric to kill and remove any dust mites that took up residence in drapery, sheers or other fabric window treatments such as Roman shades.
Under the right circumstances, a non-chemical dry vapor process can do a great job removing soils and allergens, however, it is imperative to know when a fabric is so soiled that it must be hand dry cleaned back at our workroom. If you live in Manhattan you know it is a sooty place. If you have waited several years to maintain your window treatments you may need to have the fabric’s hand dry cleaned to remove the soot buildup that is simply part of life in London!