If you’re the kind of person who loves to learn the stories behind how we got to where we are today, then you’re going to enjoy our little look back to where the steam cleaner first came from. So, let’s see when a mop and bucket failed to cut it, and how steam became the ultimate cleaning solution…
Steam cleaning is 150 years old
That’s right. It might seem relatively new to our 21st century households, but actually, the idea of steam cleaning is a century and a half old. Initially, it was used mainly within railways, ships and truck engines to remove tricky substances like oil and grease from machinery. Then, in the 1960s, boiler manufacturers in Italy began using it for their manufacturing machinery too. It was almost another 30 years before the steam cleaning method caught on across the rest of Europe and began being used to clean, sanitise and disinfect surfaces, particularly in high risk areas, such as hospitals. And when the method really took off in the late 90s, cleaning experts referred to it as the ‘steam revolution’.
Bacteria blasting made it popular
It’s easy to see why steam cleaning was embraced so eagerly by industries that prioritise the highest standards of sanitation. Food production, hospitals, education, hospitality and leisure environments were keen to kill microorganisms in the most effective way possible, which is exactly what steam cleaning does. And as more became aware of these bacteria busting benefits, it was soon introduced into households too.
As the technology grew so did its uses. Steam cleaning became a new way to keep the entire home super clean and sanitised, and was hailed the best method for getting rid of bed bugs, too. So, in 2006, the very first H2O mop was launched.
A brief history of H2O
By the early 2000s, steam cleaning was gaining popularity among the general public. The team at Thane didn’t want to create just another steam mop though, they wanted to create one that worked better and harder than the others. Which is why they spend a year refining and perfecting the design until they had a revolutionary product that their customers would love thanks to its ease of use and remarkable ability to clean and sanitise. Two years later, we’d shipped over 550,000 units. And while we were proud of its success, for us it was just the beginning.
Our philosophy is to never settle for a one-off product. But to have the passion to turn a great product into an entire selection for our customers to choose from. And so, we looked at how to make our mops smaller and even more portable, turbocharged and even more powerful. We innovated ways to eliminate harsh chemicals in cleaning, and we developed an entire line of green accessories. If we could think of something our customers might want, we tried everything we could to make it happen! Today, the H2O is synonymous with green steam cleaning in more than 80 countries.
The beauty and benefits of just adding water
The truth is, to do their job, many cleaning products and even some steam cleaners out there, need harsh chemicals to kill the bacteria in your home. Which is why the idea of just using water can take a bit of persuading. But in reality, steam cleaning, using only water, not only is just as effective in killing up to 99% of bacteria (such as Salmonella, e-coli, listeria and influenza) but it prevents toxic and harmful chemicals coming into contact with members of your family, too. On top of that, it’s much a much friendlier way to clean as you’re limiting the toxins you’re releasing into the environment. And if that wasn’t enough, using tap water is an awful lot cheaper than restocking on those pricey cleaning products every month!
The idea of just adding water is actually what made our H2O® X5 steam cleaner famous. The 5-in-1 steamer transforms easily from a floor cleaner to a hand-held steamer, window cleaner, carpet steamer or garment steamer! Then there’s our H2O HD steam cleaner, designed to make cleaning quicker and easier than ever, allowing you to sanitise your entire home using just one machine.
And we can’t forget the H2O e3™ Cleaning System. Name anything in your home that needs cleaning, and thanks to its nine-piece cleaning system, we guarantee you can clean it. But what’s really smart about the H2O e3™ Cleaning System is the Activator. Add regular tap water and ordinary table salt and the Activator turns it into a super cleaning, sanitising, deodorising solution called electrolysed S-Water™. It works by emitting low levels of electricity, breaking apart water and salt molecules to form two new oxidants. One is a powerful cleaner that cuts through grease and grime, while the other is a powerful sanitiser and deodoriser. Like we said earlier, we have a passion to keep innovating!
The future’s looking green
By now, we hope you’ll agree that steam really is the best way to clean. As more of us become ever conscious of our environmental impact and ever more careful when it comes to protecting ourselves and families from unnecessary exposure to harsh and toxic chemicals, we think that green cleaning will be the future. And we can’t wait to lead the way!
