Things that Steam it Gone Cannot Fix

I am a firm believer in realistic expectations. As long as my customers have a good idea of what this machine can and can’t do, I expect to have 100% Satisfied customers. Currently, the rate is at about 95%-99%. I have only had one somewhat disappointed customer and her concern was addressed in the post titled, “Addressing Some Customer Concerns: Rug Doctor vs Steam It Gone”. I have had one or two customers since who have said that maybe they expected something to happen and it didn’t but even they were generally very impressed with what the machine was able to do.

So here are some things that one should be aware may not come out with the use of the Steam it Gone, dry-steam cleaner:

1) sun damage: Sun damage is not a stain. It is when the sun bleaches the dyes and does damage to the fabric from constant exposure to the powerful rays of the sun.

2) ink stains: Just yesterday a customer told me she tried it on an ink stain on her upholstered chair and it didn’t work and made it a bit worse, spreading the ink a bit but not removing it. Ink is not going to come out without chemicals. And the chemicals that take out ink usually also will remove dye from the treated area causing discoloration. Rubbing alcohol is worth a try but take precaution to test it on a portion of the fabric that does not show. Here is an about.com article that talks about how to get out ink stains.

3) stains that have been set over time: this is tricky. Sometimes they come out and sometimes they don’t. I recently had a customer rave about my service because she was able to remove dog vomit from last year on a white, all natural fiber carpet. She said there was no sign of the offending stain. Her husband could not praise the machine more. What she did not know is that the natural fibers that her carpet was made of was probably wool and therefore already had oils that protected the fibers from stain. So yes, it was a success and removing stains from wool, especially wool that has not been cleaned with chemicals that strip it of it’s natural oils is easier than removing stains from cotton or other fibers that are known for soaking up other oils and liquids very well. If you have an old stain, it’s hit or miss and researching to find the right method is your best bet. Heat will set the stain so if it doesn’t come out with the steaming, it is less likely to come out in the future.

4) wear and tear: what some people consider to be a stain may actually be wear and tear. I bring up the bachelor pad again in this example. The spot directly in front of their couch, was dirty and matted down and smelled of feet. I guarantee this place was never vacuumed in the 2.5 years that these boys were living here. I tried my best to clean that spot and we even used cleaning products that worked miracles on other stains and it did nothing.

People need to understand that the steam cleaner cannot turn back time or make carpet fibers that have been beaten to death and abused go back to it’s original state. I was able to lighten the stain because I worked at it for 20 minutes and was able to clean as deeply as the fibers of the carpet would let me however, the fibers were so matted and tangled and unraveled, they were woven together again, protecting the stain from my efforts.

Please be realistic. Yes, this product cleans carpets and does a great job. I have had multiple rave reviews about how great this machine is on cleaning carpet. But the steam cleaner cannot bring back the dead, and that goes for dead carpets too.

5) Venetian and other blinds: I have had a report that on the cotton/paper honeycomb blinds, this machine was not able to take out years of dirt and oils. I have considered testing that theory on my own but in general blinds are very fragile and you should consult the maker of the blinds for recommendations on how best to clean them.

Though I have yet to hear if anyone has tried this product on venetian blinds, the thought of blinds melting from extreme heat makes me very nervous. There are some quick instructions from the manufacturer of the Ladybug that says steam from a 6″ distance and wipe with a dry cloth. But to me that is as much work as just using a damp cloth to begin with. The heated steam would help loosen oils if there are a great deal accumulated, such as blinds hung in the kitchen however, for office blinds, I would consider the risk of damage before embarking on this task.

6) Dirty-Moldy Caulk: The steam cleaner is amazing on grout but it will melt your caulk right off. So if you have moldy caulk and want to replace it with fresh caulk, then great! But if you thought you could use the steam to freshen the existing caulk, guess again.  A customer let me know that for them it was no biggie because they just went and got a $5 tube of caulk and replaced what melted off. But if that sort of handy work is beyond your scope, better stay clear of the caulk.

If I encounter other things that will not do so well, I will add them to this page. Good luck with your dry-steam cleaning project and be sure to let me know how it worked out for you.