Kärcher launches green initiative in the residential arena

Karcher Steam Cleaners were developed to comply with the efforts of governments and environmentalists who needed an ecological, hygienic way to clean.

A steam cleaner works very much like a pressure cooler; water is heated to boiling point in a sealed boiler to produce steam. Conventional cleaning methods sometimes remove dirt only superficially. Hot steam however, penetrates the fine fissures between the dirt and the surface, dislodging even stubborn dirt particles. This saves the environment as expensive cleaning agents become obsolete. Karcher Steam cleaners can be used everywhere, on hard surfaces, in bathrooms, kitchen on glass, mirrors or furniture surfaces, even for ironing or textile care.

"Water in the form of steam is a much more economical way of cleaning; just 1 litre of ordinary tap water produces 1,700 litres of steam. We at Karcher feel that we needed to find a solution for the domestic market to contribute to the efforts of the government and conserve water wherever possible," commented Richard Nouira, managing director, Karcher Middle East

Karcher has launched two very compact and convenient entry-level steam cleaners, which can be easily held by hand: the SC 1002 and SC 1052, which weigh only 3.4 kg each and have a heater output of up to 1300 W and operating pressure of 2.5 bar. They are ideal for cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, hallway and many other areas.

These entry-level models offer a high degree of safety to the user. The new units are equipped with Karcher's patented safety lock which ensures the boiler cannot be opened while under pressure. There is a pressure relief valve to prevent any build-up of excessive pressures.

The steam cleaners are very easy to operate. The boiler (0.8 litre) is filled through the convenient integral funnel and heats the water to 140 °C. At this temperature, bathroom fittings, sinks, mirrors and windows, for example, can be cleaned quickly and thoroughly. Even clothes which have been worn or dusty houseplants can be freshened up by simply spraying them. The surface tension of the steam generated is only half that of tap water and its gaseous form allows it to penetrate even narrow cracks and crevices, which is not possible to achieve with a cleaning cloth. There is no need to use cleaning chemicals.

Both units come standard with accessories for many different applications, i.e. round brush, detail nozzle and hand tool, window wiper as well as a terry brush cover and a sample pack of a biological descaling agent; in addition, the SC 1052 has two extension tubes, a floor tool and a floor cloth for tiles and other hard surfaces.

Karcher steam cleaners comply with all safety standards and have received certification from German and international testing authorities