The Best Portable Steam Cleaner for Furniture

Cleaning out our armchairs and couches can seem like a daunting prospect, one we tackle with budget rentals or expensive professional intervention. Neither of these solutions are bulletproof, though – rentals often lack the power or quality to do a perfect job, while regularly having to rely on hired cleaning services does eventually put strain on the pocket. Like most things, it would be so much more budget-friendly and convenient if we could get the job done ourselves – and we can.

With a good steam cleaning, giving your upholstered furniture a thorough clean is easier than ever, high pressure steam molecules penetrating through all those tight-knit microscopic spaces within the fabric and forcing out even the deepest seated dirt, dust and grime. Spills and stains and the gradual dulling of upholstery with all the dust it accumulates no longer have to be concerns if you have a good steam cleaner to not only rid your furniture of dirt, but also neutralize any allergens or pathogens clinging to the fabric. Get your upholstery looking like new with our picks for the best steam cleaner for furniture.

KEN’S PICK
McCulloch MC1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner

Rugged and versatile, you can use this unit to thoroughly clean out not just your furniture but also countertops, floors, curtains, grout and more, packing a capacity of 48 ounces with a large water tank and a continuous steam blasting capacity of 45 minutes. A workhorse muscling straight to the top of this list, we love the convenience and practicality going into the design of the unit – despite not being a handheld machine, the on-board storage, carry handle and extra-long cord offer users a wide area of access and portability.

With an 8-minute heat up time, the unit features a steam lock switch, so you don’t have to cramp up your fingers repeatedly pressing the trigger for a continuous stream of steam cleaning. The large tank capacity and 45-minute session caps make this the ideal unit for tackling large pieces of furniture without having to frequently stop and refill, which can get frustrating after a while.

The jet nozzle directs a concentrated blast of high pressure steam where it’s needed, to get right into the tightest nooks and crannies and loosen up all the dirt and grime accumulating not just on your furniture, but other surfaces like tile, grout and even to melt away crusted-up grease inside ovens and barbecue grills or give your car a thorough clean-up inside and out. Equipped with over a dozen accessories, this is an all-rounder of a machine you can use to give your whole house a thorough sanitization treatment, without the use of any harmful cleaning solutions packed with commercial toxins. Mop head attachments let you keep your floors squeaky clean, extension wands letting you access those hard to reach places, while other attachments like the squeegee, triangle brush, brass and nylon utility brushes etc. let you adapt the unit for use for steam cleaning a multitude of different surfaces and materials.

KEN’S BUDGET PICK
BISSELL Multi-Purpose Handheld Pressurized Steam Cleaner

A handheld unit under a reasonable price cap, the 20-minute steam blasting capacity of this steam cleaner is rather impressive, especially if you factor in all the different uses it can be put to, including and aside from giving your upholstery a thorough cleaning. Usable both indoors and outdoors, the lightweight unit is incredibly portable – and great for using anywhere from your backyard to your kitchen or living room – while still packing a big punch, capable of heating up and blasting steam of temperatures 250 to 270°F, capable of pulling out even the most stubborn of stains and deep-rooted dirt, melting caked-up grease and loosening dirt packed into grout. While potentially a little small for tackling large pieces of furniture, the unit nonetheless can be used for anything from steam cleaning clothes and upholstery to sealed surfaces like ceramic, laminate, marble, granite and hardwood. Nine complementary accessories include an extended nozzle to get at those hard to reach places, bent spray nozzle, round brush nozzle and fabric steaming tool.

RUNNER-UP
PureClean XL Rolling Steam Cleaner

Another heavy duty entry to the list, this unit packs a capacity of 1.5 liters (roughly 50 ounces), with a continuous steam-blasting capacity of 45 minutes making this great for tackling large pieces of furniture without the hassle of requiring frequent refills. Usable on flooring, countertops, ceramic fixtures, carpets, and, of course, upholstery, the 16-foot long power cord gives you plenty of space to work with, and plenty of flexibility without having to be bogged down to the immediate area around a power-socket. With an approximate heating time of 8 minutes, the unit comes with a bunch of attachments you can switch around to use the unit all around – and outside – your house, for multiple cleaning applications without needing to rely on expensive and oftentimes harmful cleaning solutions. From brass and nylon utility brushes to squeegees, mop heads and scrub pads, you can tackle hardened grease and grime in your oven, floors with dirt trapped in between the tiles, clouded up windows or the dull, dusty fabric of your armchairs, all with the same unit.

RUNNER-UP
Pressurized Handheld Multi-Surface Natural Steam Cleaner with 12 pcs Accessories

A nifty handheld device weighing just a little under 4 pounds, this lightweight and portable unit heats up water into pressurized steam in just 3-5 minutes, to a maximum temperature of 230°F, with a continuous steam emitting range of 8-12 minutes straight. Featuring a 350ml capacity water tank, the unit comes with a range of accessories you can deck up the cleaner with for several uses, from steam cleaning clothes, linen and upholstery to sealed surfaces like countertops, stoves, ovens, grills and ceramic. 360° rotating nozzle heads make for flexible use in awkward nooks and crannies, with 6 different nozzle attachments from a window-cleaning squeegee to a round brush nozzle to a bent spray nozzle making this a highly versatile yet compact unit in application. A downside, though, is the relatively short length of the power cord, at 6.5 feet – though perhaps not suitable for cleaning large pieces of furniture, it still works great for quick jobs such as spot cleaning specific areas of your furniture to tackle stubborn stains.