You Can’t Skip These Best Car Steam Cleaner (2023 Updated)

You may find your car becomes dirty rapidly if you drive frequently. Fortunately, the best car steam cleaner can make short of the most challenging cleaning tasks. As a bonus, it can also help fix headliners sagging!

However, it’s frustrating to identify quality steam cleaners from the pool of overhyped units nowadays. Yet, worry not – Driverevolve‘s detailed reviews below will lead you in the right direction while searching for the best products.

Products	Specs	Best For
McCulloch Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner	Brand: McCULLOCH Wattage: 1500 watts Item Weight: 12 Pounds Item Dimensions: 13 x 12.6 inches	Best Overall
PurSteam Handheld Steam Cleaner	Brand: PurSteam World’s Best Steamers Wattage: 1000 watts Item Weight: 5.17 pounds Item Dimensions: 11.65 x 10.24 x 7.8 inches	Best Hand-held
Bissell SteamShot	Brand: Bissell Wattage: 1000 watts Item Weight: 3.8 pounds Item Dimensions: 5 x 9.5 x 8.5 inches	Most Portable
Wagner AutoRight Steam Machine	Brand: Wagner Spraytech Wattage: 1500 watts Item Weight: ‎9.75 pounds Item Dimensions: 17.25 x 12.1 x 10.1 inches	Best Warranty
Light ‘N’ Easy 7688ANB-2 Steam Mop	Brand: LIGHT ‘N’ EASY Wattage: 1150 Watt Item Weight: 10.53 pounds Item Dimensions: 28 x 12 x 7 inches	Best High-Pressure

5 Best Car Steam Cleaners In 2023 

McCulloch Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner – The Best Overall

This auto steam cleaner is among the most effective on the market for eliminating stubborn marks and returning your vehicle to a like-new condition due to the high volume of steam it produces. 

It takes about 8 mins to heat up to maximum setting and can withstand 1,500 watts of steam. We also noticed that it continuously discharges steam, allowing you to target problem areas easily.

With 48 ounces of water capacity, you’ll have enough steam to clean for about 45 mins. That’s more than enough to ensure a thorough cleaning all over the car. 

Its exceptional portability is another of our favorite features. It has a sturdy design and big wheels of an excellent caliber that allow it to move along with ease. 

The product’s extended power cord is an additional benefit. A longer wire eliminates the necessity of a further extension when working with different car parts. Indeed, it has a 15-foot power cable, long enough to access the wall outlet while still lending you ample room to work. It comes with 18 additional accessories, such as brooms and dustpans.

You could also use this steam cleaner to fix sagging headliners. The glue that holds your headliners to the car’s roof can be revitalized with a quick steaming. The headliners can be safely reattached to the ceiling after a while when the adhesive is revived.

The McCulloch can be very loud in confined areas, so it’s best to safeguard your hearing if you plan on using it in certain conditions. There have been reports from some customers that the plastic is poorly manufactured and breaks down after only a few applications. 

Pros:

• Water capacity is up to 48 ounces.
• Superior-grade, extra-large wheelset.
• Very portable.
• 18 accessories available.
• Powerful and continuous steam.

Cons:

• Might be noisy.

PurSteam Handheld Steam Cleaner – The Best Hand-Held 

Cleaning inside a car might be troublesome, especially with hard-to-reach areas like under the brake pads. If you overlook such regions and leave them dirty, a few irritating consequences might arrive (for example, dirty brake pads might cause squeaking noises while driving).

This is among the best auto steam cleaners for people who require additional portability in their vehicles. There won’t be any clumsy stretches of tubing to interrupt your cleanup. 

Because of its compact design, you won’t waste time or energy lugging around a bulkier steam mop. This handheld steam cleaner for upholstery measures a mere 12×10 inches and a little over 5 pounds, giving it extra portability.

PurSteam assures us that this steam engine can produce constant pressure and power despite its small size. It’s a small yet powerful steam cleaner that can yield up to 30% more steam than competing products.

In addition, there are 9 attachments included to facilitate your cleaning efforts. One of these features is a movable nozzle that can get into small areas, move around, and even over obstacles. 

It only takes about three to four minutes to reach its full heating capacity, according to the manufacturer’s specifications, which, if true, is quite impressive.

However, in reality, it might need a little more time than advertised to achieve its maximum, effective temperature. A few customers also said that the heat dissipates quickly, so you might have to wait for it to reheat.

Pros:

• High mobility.
• Lightweight yet powerful, with 30% more steam generated.
• 9 useful accessories.

Cons:

• Take some time to warm up.
• Can’t maintain heat for very long.

Bissell SteamShot – The Most Portable

This is the most portable car steam cleaner on the list. Although Bissell produces 14 distinct types of steam cleaners, the compact Model 39N7A SteamShot, with its 1,000 watts of power, is exceptionally favorable. 

It has a reservoir capacity of 200ml/7.4oz and generates steam at 66 PSI; however, the highest temperature it can reach is just 120°F/49°C, which is insufficient for sanitizing purposes.

However, on the bright side, this means the device won’t damage anything inside the car. Compared to high-pressure devices operating at high temperatures, this one is also much less dangerous to have on hand.

This SteamShot steam cleaner includes 8 attachments, one of which is an angled concentrator, ideal for cleaning narrow crevices in an automobile. There are also 3 upholstery pieces of equipment available to use. 

The length of the cables, while not the longest available, is still a practical 20 feet. In contrast to what is stated on Amazon, an extra glass squeegee is available within this unit on the Bissell website.

Bissell’s steamer is a solid pick for amateur home and car use. If you’re looking for a steamer that can tackle more extensive cleanups, one of the more powerful (and highly-priced) products is the way to go.

With nearly 25,000 testimonials, SteamShot’s 80% favorable rating is respectable. Customer care via Amazon has been the primary target of criticism. If any issue or question arises, you should seek support on Bissell’s webpage, where you can get a user handbook and frequently asked questions for the SteamShot.

Pros:

• Its lightweight and more manageable size make it ideal for car cleaning.
• Helpful accessories.
• Budget-friendly.

Cons: 

• Amazon’s customer support is bad.

Wagner AutoRight Steam Machine – Best Warranty

This Wagner is a t steam cleaner designed with automobiles in mind that are functionally similar to the more well-known McCulloch. In addition to producing some of the most widely used paint sprayers for the home, Wagner is also famous for its steam-cleaning products, which come with a generous 2-year warranty.

The 7-piece set of accessories included within the AutoRight Steam Machine is designed to access those hard-to-reach places in your car. Attachments are available for use on both carpeted and rugged areas and for either leather or fabric-covered seats. You might also use it to clean exterior parts of the car such as the lower springs or coilovers.

It boasts a sizable 40-ounce reservoir for an extended 35-minute steam session, but the short 8-foot cable and hoses mean you’ll have to employ the wheels or its built-in foldable grip for portability. It has excellent ratings for steam temperature (290 °F) and pressure (55 PSI).

Although it’s more expensive than a typical portable device, this carpet steam cleaner is still reasonably priced, considering that these tools will be equally effective on home seats. The only problems with this model is its short cable (which limits mobility a bit) and its long preheating time.

Pros:

• Guaranteed for 2 years.
• Highly long-lasting.
• Accessories explicitly designed for automobiles

Cons:

• Short wire length.
• Longer preheating duration.

Light ‘N’ Easy 7688ANB-2 Steam Mop – Best High-Pressure Model

Light ‘N’ Easy offers a 2-in-1 steaming mop with a wired portable device that doubles as a domestic and automotive unit. In addition to the various accompanying accessories, the portable piece also features low, medium, and high settings.

The 230°F heat output of this unit makes it a high-pressure steam cleaner for cars. We advise starting on the lowest mode and working up to the medium if necessary, as the high setting could melt plastic materials and synthetic fibers in your car. The same rules apply if you plan to use it on the car’s exterior and don’t want any car scratches.

A few customers have complained that the plastic brushes on their attachments melt after prolonged usage. Although users can top up the water reservoir at any moment while in use, it’s susceptible to overheating after 15 or 20 mins and turning off automatically. While it could bother some people, we consider this a safety feature.

The 7688ANB-2 has a large water capacity of 11.5 ounces and a 20-foot power cable. Extras entail a cylinder applicator, extension tubing, a jet nozzle, a glass squeegee, reusable ultra-soft cleaning cushions, and a grout cleanup scrub.

Light ‘N’ Easy provides a better refund than its rivals, with a 30-day money-back promise and a 12-month warranty for malfunctions.

Pros: 

• A solid 12-month warranty.
• Super versatile.
• Tons of accompanying add-ons.

Cons:

• Possible early attachment degradation.

What To Look For In A Steam Cleaner? 

Model 

Remember not to purchase a traditional standup steam cleaner since this won’t work in any vehicle unless it has a bypassing nozzle with extensions. However, even in that case, it’s not suitable equipment for the task and might cause a lot of mobility troubles.

Also, think carefully when opting for a hand-held unit. While some lightweight, portable devices are capable of moderate detailing, their efficacy is usually not up to par with canister-styled ones, not to mention that the liquid reservoir and steamer in such devices are usually integrated, suggesting you’re carrying a lot more load and working much slower. 

Power And PSI 

Temperature is the most important factor since the cleaning power of steam originates from high heat, which does more than just cleaning but also kills bacteria.

Higher wattage results in hotter vapors, melting grime more effectively and making cleaning easier. Also, PSI is another significant factor as high pressure helps to blast away stains easier. 

However, note that high temperature and pressure can cause severe damage to materials and are riskier to utilize; thus, pay more attention when using powerful units.

Cord 

While there are battery-operated devices, we are limited to the more potent wired devices due to the high energy consumption of steam cleaners. In the end, that’s the price we pay for powerful and thorough cleaning.

A more extended nozzle and wire mean a broader coverage area, but an extension cable will take you where you want to go. On the other hand, larger and more powerful devices are typically less portable and occupy more room.

Water Capacity 

Search for products with a respectable reservoir capacity and outstanding performance to give you extensive operation time and enable you to complete your tasks without needing to refill during the steam cleaning. This would save you lots of time and energy.

Accessories 

You’ll need the right tools to clean hard-to-reach areas and remove tough marks. How you intend to put your car steamer to work determines the necessary attachments. 

If you want to clean small nooks and corners, a crevice tip is what you need. Meanwhile, for the glasses, you’ll require a squeegee accessory. 

Thus, having many accessories is preferable to not having any at all. Consequently, a model with extra tips and nozzles may be the best if your budget allows it.

FAQs

Wrapping Up 

Cleaning your automobile may be necessary if you possess a lot of stubborn marks on the floorboards or furnishings (or need to get your sagging headliners fixed). This will improve the vehicle’s aesthetics and comfort, and it will also lift its resale price. Due to the high cost of professional auto detailing, you can save money and do the job yourself.

While this is an excellent plan, in theory, you will need the best car steam cleaner to execute it. If you’re in the market for a steam cleaner, it’s essential to consider your specific cleaning requirements, financial constraints, and personal preferences before making a purchase.

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