The Game-Changing Cleaning Tool I Use to Fight All Types of Grime — From Couch Messes to Dirty Floors

As someone who shares their living spaces with others — three small children, an 80-pound puppy, and a husband to be exact — both space and cleanliness are in short supply in my home. That’s why I’ve struggled to find cleaning solutions that will not only get the job done but also save me time and space. That is, until now.

I discovered the Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner and instantly fell in love with it. I adored its compact size and collection of accessories. I drooled over the hose extenders that allow the cleaning heads to reach more than six feet away from the base because who among us hasn’t maxed out their cleaning capabilities thanks to short extension cords?

Setup was quick and required a few steps, like filling up the reservoir, powering on the unit, and waiting for it to heat up before use. Naturally, I tested it out on my kitchen grout first. If you’re anything like me you’ve found yourself mesmerized while watching a video (or two) of a handy homeowner using a power washer on a long-neglected area. Using the steam cleaner on my kitchen grout was a lot like that but more exciting because it was blasting away the filth that had built up inside my home. 

I used one of the attachments specifically designed for tackling grout — a small plastic circle with hard metal bristles that help get at that ground in grime — and slowly sloughed off years of buildup. The exposed area was a stark light gray compared to the nearly black fill that had been there since the day we moved in nearly five years before. Yuck!

After a couple of initial passes, it became clear that I could use the cleaner on all of the hard-to-clean areas of my home. Thanks to all of the accessories — there’s a floor tool for covering large areas, a lance for a more targeted steam, and a triangle tool and microfiber bonnet that helps clean fabrics, just to name a few —  I quickly scratched off some big messes on my to-do list. 

That melted candy that’s been stuck in the cup holder next to my 7-year-old’s car seat? Two passes with the nylon brushes and it was liquified enough to be wiped out with a microfiber cloth. All those mystery stains on the beige couch that my children insisted weren’t them? They were no match for an afternoon with the cleaner. I’ve invested untold hours and money into scrubbing the cushions with various stain-fighting solutions and cleaners but the steam cleaner didn’t need any of that to lift the mess.

As great as it is though, it, unfortunately, doesn’t do a good job of tackling quick chores. It takes about eight minutes just to warm up, something the steamer alerts you to by changing the color of the power button from orange to green. I’ve found that when I’m doing big jobs like my sofa or the shower surrounding the pressure will drop within the canister and the button will go back to orange, letting me know that I need to let go of the cleaning trigger and allow the PSI (pounds per square inch) to build back up to adequate levels again.

The price tag is also very steep for those on a budget. I can justify the cost because I was able to replace several other tools with it, which means I freed up so many shelves and cut back on so many cleaners and scrub brushes that I was buying each year to do the same job. 

I’ve used the Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner faithfully at least twice a month since I got it, and I plan to continue to make it part of my deep cleaning routine. Thanks to its small size, wheels, and easy-to-maneuver canister, I have no trouble getting it out when I need more than just elbow grease to get something clean.