Steam extractor vs hot water extractor?

I have been looking at machines for quite some time now to clean car interiors as well as my stuff within my house. I have come down to:



steam vapor machine (just shoots steam)

hot water extractor (shoots hot water & has very strong vac)

steam extractor (shoots hot steam & has vac)



Any thoughts? I am leaning more towards the steam extractor because of the house cleaning but I just dont know if the hot water extractor would do more for bad stains. It seems like stain removal is done by hand anyhow and the extractor is more of a finishing tool.
 
Are there any particular units that you are considering. That will assist in helping decide.That way they can be compared. As all units are not equal
 
all the units have different uses. I've only used a hot water extractor, but it works by breaking up the dirt/stains with the hot water and also lifts deep down dirt/debris with the water volume injected into the carpet. I just can't see the steam being able to duplicate this.



The steam would be great for surface stains, also for fabrics like auto seats where you don't want to soak the foam underneath, just remove the stain on top.
 
When it comes down to it I need both. I need the hot water extractor for the car and the steam vapor machine for home (pest control). Both are just kind of expensive.



The other thing is I own a condo that was built in 1979 and the amp rating for the condo isnt high enough to run a dual circuit hot water extractor; those suckers draw a TON of power.
 
joed1228 said:
...The other thing is I own a condo that was built in 1979 and the amp rating for the condo isnt high enough to run a dual circuit hot water extractor; those suckers draw a TON of power.



I bet that might be the big make/break factor.



Oh, and note that a good extractor is *VERY* useful around the home too (I just did our front staircase's carpet this Monday).
 
I use a Desiderio and it is great. I have also used a hot water extractor. Overall use, I think steam is the way to go. I would caution buying a Vapor Clean product though. I originally owned a TR5 and had some problems with it. Upgraded to the Desiderio, and even though I love it, I am experiencing problems with it also. And the service is not all that great. To do over again, I would buy a steamer and use a shop vac. There are some good reviews on this website, just search out steamers. Hope this helps.
 
driving impress said:
I use a Desiderio and it is great. I have also used a hot water extractor. Overall use, I think steam is the way to go. I would caution buying a Vapor Clean product though. I originally owned a TR5 and had some problems with it. Upgraded to the Desiderio, and even though I love it, I am experiencing problems with it also. And the service is not all that great. To do over again, I would buy a steamer and use a shop vac. There are some good reviews on this website, just search out steamers. Hope this helps.



What kind of problems are you having with the Desiderio? We're thinking about the Desiderio Plus. Also, Vapor Clean is the manufacturer so the service problems are concerning ~ especially at around $1500. What store or site did you purchase from? Do you think the service problems are product, manufacturer, or vendor related?



You've definitely given me cause for pause here... :nervous:
 
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