Steam vapor has always seemed to be one of those technologies that should be catalogued under “Two steps forward, one step back”; for every hard-won step it takes further into the consciousness of the professional cleaning and restoration industry, there’s a midnight infomercial touting the multitasking ability of steam to “clean your bathtub, straighten your hair and get the wrinkles out of your pants; it’s just that simple!” And unfortunately, it’s sometimes easier to just lump the good information in with the bad, mix it all together and make your decisions from there.
But not this time. R&R recently took some time with Rick Hoverson, principal of Everett, Wash.-based Advanced Vapor Technologies, and asked him to explain the concept behind steam vapor technology, how it applies to the business of restoration, and where he sees the process going from here.
Restoration & Remediation: Briefly, can you give us a quick rundown as to what is meant by “steam vapor” technology? Rick Hoverson: The marketplace has been inundated with a lot of products that use the term “steam” or claim to use steam, when in fact there may be no steam involved at all. The generic terminology has been so adulterated that we thought it important to distinguish what we do, hence the term “steam vapor” which may actually be a more accurate description on a generic basis of how the process works.
Basically, a live steam is generated by the system, and used in direct contact with the surface of concern, be it textiles, hard surfaces, whatever is being cleaned. It has very little water content, but a very high temperature. And because it has so little water, it’s very easy to control, and there is very little mess or residue left behind, which lends itself quite well to interior work.