Dirty house got you steamed? The trick to cleaning with steam

(BPT) – Did you ever wonder how people cleaned their homes before the invention of commercial cleaning products? Good old-fashioned hot water and elbow grease did the trick long before mops, vacuums and buckets of cleaning products became a staple in American homes. Today, you can still harness the power of hot water in the form of steam to quickly, easily and effectively tackle home cleaning chores of all kinds.

Cleaning with steam offers many advantages. It’s effective, easy, fast and allows you to clean surfaces while reducing the amount of chemicals you use in your home. Here are four ways you can harness the power of steam to clean your home from top to bottom.

* No matter how careful you are, it always seems like something splatters in the microwave and gets baked on before you find it. Removing built-up food spatters inside the microwave is easy. Simply fill a small glass bowl with hot water and lemon juice, set it in the center of the microwave oven and turn the oven on high for five to 10 minutes. The water will turn to steam and loosen the caked on grime, making it easier to wipe away. Plus, the lemon leaves the microwave smelling fresh.

* Dirt can build up on hard surfaces like floors and countertops, plus those surfaces can harbor germs. Steam is a great way to clean hard surfaces and sanitize floors Steam cleaners are now lighter and more versatile than ever, with options like the When used as directed, steam can eliminate 99.9 percent of germs and bacteria using only water and the washable pad for a natural clean.

* Appliance manufacturers have gotten on board with steam cleaning, and you can now find many dishwashers and washing machines that offer steam settings. Steam helps remove impacted food from dishes and tough soil from laundry, and also serves to sanitize everyday items. You can also find clothes dryers that have a steam setting to help reduce or remove wrinkles from clothing. The dryers work on dry clothing, so you can loosen wrinkles between washes.

* Even if your oven doesn’t have a self-cleaning setting, you can use steam to clean it effectively and without the use of harsh oven-cleaning chemicals. Start by removing the sliding oven racks, and then wipe out any loose soil or debris from the oven. Replace the bottom rack. Fill a metal baking dish with a mixture of water and white vinegar (about 1/2 cup). Set the oven to 350 degrees, turn it on and let the water sit until it steams and bubbles mostly away. Switch off the oven and carefully spray the walls with more water/vinegar mixture – be careful, because the oven will be hot. Close the door and let the oven sit to cool for at least 30 minutes, then wipe down the interior.

Steam can be a versatile tool to clean and freshen your home from top to bottom. To learn more about steam cleaners, visit www.bissell.com.