Steam Cleaning Redefines Restoration Process

If you’ve done any kind of tractor restoration, you’ve used a power washer or the pressure washer at a car wash.

If the tractor had a lot of grease buildup, it’s possible you even used a can of grease remover or oven cleaner to help dissolve the accumulation before power washing. What if there were a better way of handling dirt and grime before, during, and after restoration?

Jim Deardorff, owner of Superior Coatings, a sand blasting and painting business in Chillicothe, Missouri, believes steam cleaning is one option for removing years of dirt and grease buildup and preparing metal surfaces for primer and paint. He even sees steam cleaning as a good solution when cleaning a tractor after a show before putting it back in the shed.

“The normal alternatives have usually been cold-water power washing and hot-water pressure washing,” Deardorff explains. “Cold-water power washing is popular because it is affordable and simple to use. However, cold water requires high pressure (2,500 to 4,000 psi) and chemical detergents to remove visible dirt and grime. The problem with cold-water power washing is that it lacks the physical ability to remove complex chemicals used today.”

Hot-water washing provides several benefits over cold-water washing when the true costs of maintenance are considered, Deardorff says, adding that the, “true costs include all labor, equipment, and supplies, plus the added value of complete and thorough cleaning. Hot-water washing, on the other hand, replaces the high pressure of cold-water washing with the thermodynamic principles of energy where heat and temperature are used to improve cleaning performance. When water is heated, the molecules absorb this energy and collide with soils. This increases their ability to dissolve and dilute contaminants for removal.”

Steam Is a Step Further

However, steam cleaning goes a step further with even more benefits when compared to hot-water washing alone. Water heated in an open container boils at 212°F. But, in the sealed chamber of a steam cleaner, temperatures can be increased to 325°F and still not boil. This is because water can’t boil or produce steam unless it’s allowed to expand. When this water is released from a steam nozzle and comes in contact with normal atmospheric pressure, it instantly expands into millions of tiny water droplets. At this point, water molecules have their highest concentration of cleaning energy.

According to the website for Jenny Products, Inc. — which manufactures a full line of cleaning equipment, including steam cleaners — there is more than higher temperatures involved. It’s a matter of physics. Steam cleaners do not actually make steam in the literal sense of the word. They produce 85% to 90% solid water, and the steam is just a byproduct of creating pressure through heat. When water turns into steam, it expands approximately 1,700 times its original volume. Steamers use this expansion to achieve their cleaning power, whereas pressure washers simply use the pump’s pressure to achieve a similar result.

As a result, it’s much easier to remove all traces of grease, oil, hydraulic fluid, etc. prior to painting a tractor, or even cleaning the unit ahead of time.

Other benefits include:

• Decreasing water usage. Water flow through a steam cleaner is about half that of a hot-water washer.
• Reducing or eliminating the need for chemical detergents.
• Improving normal maintenance repairs and parts replacements.
• Consuming less power. A steam cleaner has a smaller pump and motor since it only needs to produce 100 to 250 psi instead of 2,000 to 4,000 psi like a hot-water washer.
• Degasing gasoline and oil tanks prior to welding or other maintenance work.
• Reducing splatter to the operator and surroundings from steam cleaning and dirty water is therefore more easily contained.
• Not damaging paints, parts, or exposed electronics.

Removes Invisible Contaminants

“In addition to removing visible soiling, industrial steam cleaning has the potential to remove invisible contaminants known as soluble salts,” Deardorff says. “Salts are industrial waste products including chlorides, sulfates, and nitrates and contribute to acid rain pollution. Salts are defined as conductive chemical compounds that dissolve in water to produce corrosion. Soluble salts are a product of vehicle exhaust, power plants, and chemical production.

“Salts are hygroscopic, meaning they absorb moisture from the atmosphere,” he continues. “When soluble salts combine with moisture, they produce carbonic, sulfuric, and nitric acids which damage paints and accelerate corrosion. Consequently, steam cleaning is highly effective for extending the life of applied coatings, whether it’s from the factory or applied by a collector.”

Like anything, there are disadvantages that offset some of the benefits. One is that steam cleaning is a slower process than cold- or hot-water power washing. The steam cleaner uses steam’s expansion to accelerate water droplets, at the boiling point, to a high velocity. The closer the steam cleaner’s nozzle is to the surface to be cleaned, the higher the temperature and velocity of the water/steam mixture, and the more rapid the cleaning action. The temperature of the water/steam mixture drops quickly as the distance between the nozzle and the surface to be cleaned increases.

Hence, it generally takes longer to steam clean an area than it does to power wash it, even though steam removes more grease and dirt.

Steam Cleaners Are Expensive

The other downside is the price of a steam cleaner. While the cost of industrial units can run into several thousand dollars, a smaller unit that produces around 75 to 85 psi can be purchased for around $1,000. Make sure it’s a unit designed for industrial use rather than household cleaning.

As a rule, the higher the psi, the greater the cleaning ability and the more expensive the unit. Some of the most well-known steam cleaner manufacturers or distributors are Jenny; Sioux; Vapor Clean; Northern Tool + Equipment; and Therma-Kleen. A few of the higher-priced units include both steam and hot-water pressure washing capabilities. Many of the more expensive units also come in a choice of electric- or propane- powered versions.

Chances are, if you purchase a steam cleaner, you’ll find a lot more uses for it around your home and shop than just cleaning tractors, especially if you also own farm machinery. A couple manufacturers even claim steam cleaning can remove gum from sidewalks and tables, should you ever encounter that unique problem.