There’s nothing quite like relaxing by the pool to beat the late Summer heat. Although if you and your family spend a lot of time swimming and sunbathing in your back yard or patio area, chances are that the surfaces around your pool—whether ceramic tiles, concrete, or paving stones, could use a good cleaning.

Due to the humid conditions around a backyard pool and the fact that many people enjoy this space continuously over the summer months, it stands to reason that bacteria, mold and mildew can easily build up. Steam cleaning is an efficient, trouble-free way to deal with blemishes as they arise rather than wait until they’re unsightly and much harder to attack.

“By using a good steam cleaner you can kill mold in concrete pores and grout lines more effectively than with a pressure hose,” says Ken Scheer, Director of Marketing for Pool Services Technologies in Vista, California.

The sanitization that occurs when steam is applied to a surface like a pool patio makes it more difficult for further mold spores to reproduce. This means that when you steam an area, you may not need to go over it as often as you would if you were using a pressure washer. Another wonderful feature of steam cleaning is that it doesn’t leave an outdoor area wet and slippery. Also, if saving water is a consideration for you, steam cleaners—unlike pressure washers—use very little water.

Steam from a high-quality canister model or handheld steam cleaner penetrates surfaces and pulls out mildew, dirt, and grime, cleansing and disinfecting as it goes. Most good steam cleaners come with attachments such as a steel brush to tackle abrasive areas and a plastic scraper for bits of debris like gum or tree pitch that may not come off easily. And because steam can tackle the most unattractive marks on your pool patio without the need to hire a professional, you’ll want to be regularly maintaining the area. And why wouldn’t you, when you can get the job done in less time and see the gorgeous results!

Easy to use and without the steep price tag, steam cleaning your pool area before, during and after the summer months will give you peace of mind that you’re retaining the value of your home through regular maintenance while keeping the area looking good for those lazy summer days.

At Reliable, we do what we love, and we take pride in doing it right. Quality, functionality, design and customer service play an equally important part in delivering what’s right for you. From irons to steam cleaners to sewing machines, you can count on us to be right there with you. That’s the Reliable Way.