How do you clean your steamer?

[The Driver]

How do you clean your steamer? Do you dissemble? what do run through it to break mineral deposits down?

[512detail]

Can`t you run like distilled vinegar though it or white vinegar or something like that?

I think I read something of that sort in the past. I probably should follow this thread, I`m sure my steamer could use a cleaning and I don`t know exactly how that would be accomplished.

[Accumulator]

Hardly ever I`ve run some CLR through it a few times over the years, but I basically neglect it something awful and so far I`ve gotten away with it. That`s the Daimer 1500C that I keep in the shop; I don`t think I`ve ever done any maintenance at all on the DeLonghi that I use in the house. Heh heh, no...I`m sure not recommending that others neglect theirs that way!

[Accumulator]

I`ve always thought that regular grocery-store vinegar is kinda weak for this sort of thing, hence the CLR.

[512detail]

If using distilled water , what is there to clean out?
Calcium deposits? aren`t those supposed to be distilled out? I`m probably wrong though.

[Stokdgs]

The instructions with my VX5000 say to run some Distilled White Vinegar through it once a year at least..

I only use Distilled Water in it when I use it for work...

That is all I have ever done and 7-8 years later, it still works great...
DanF

[ShaneB]

As long as you only use distilled water it should be fine, but I`ve also read that vinegar should be used once a year.

my guess would be the concern over time could be any dirt or debis that may get into the boiler when filling. I could see some buildup as a result from that

[JSFM35X]

Distilled water is really best and the. There is no cleaning. I have never cleaned mine and it`s fine. I use tap water but I empty it is I`m not using it for a stretch. Truth is I hardly use it. Chemicals are so much faster and I have zero patients.

[512detail]

Distilled water is really best and the. There is no cleaning. I have never cleaned mine and it`s fine. I use tap water but I empty it is I`m not using it for a stretch. Truth is I hardly use it. Chemicals are so much faster and I have zero patients.

if natural look can`t clean it up. I use steam.

Or if they have really nasty stains, I use steam. It`s wonderful what steam will cut through if you ask me and I don`t even have a fancy steamer.

[Stokdgs]

What is best for me about steam -
- Blasts everything out of cup holders that wont come out otherwise..
- Totally cleans out all those tiny spaces that even the best brush cant get to around all Consoles..
- Gets all the rest of the dust and dirt out of any A/C/Heater vent, etc., after you have cleaned it with a long bristle brush..
- Blasts all the leaves, debris, etc, out of the front door bottom hinge area and the area in front of it, better than anything else..
- Removes all the gunk, mold, etc., that is sometimes stuck in the upper trunk jamb and the trunk hinges better than anything
else..
- Gets into that little tiny space under tail light lenses that sometimes gets mold growing in it..
- Removes dirt, stains, etc., and anything else in the deep crevice between the Console and the Seats, and blows anything else
out so you can remove it..
- With a white towel over a triangular brush, gets an incredible amount of body oils out of seat belts better than anything else..
- With the same white towel set up, removes all the dirt out of Headliners faster than anything else..
- Removes that last little bit of dirt, etc., from those places that nothing else can reach better than anything else..
- With or without a white towel over a triangular brush, hard to beat what it does to Leather, Carpets, Mats, Rubber Mats, Cloth
Seats, etc..
- Cuts down on the amount of chemicals used by a significant amount.. I buy way less chemicals and the ones I have last
so much longer.. Distilled water= .89/gallon+ -
Hope my VX5000 lasts forever..
Dan F

[JSFM35X]

What do you use. As long as it gets hit enough it will work.

if natural look can`t clean it up. I use steam.

Or if they have really nasty stains, I use steam. It`s wonderful what steam will cut through if you ask me and I don`t even have a fancy steamer.

[Accumulator]

Gee, I`m not even using distilled water in mine...sometimes deionized but often just (softened/filtered) tap water. One of these days it`ll probably bite me, but hasn`t happened yet and I`ve had these two steamers for years.