If you’ve recently purchased a steam cleaner, or are thinking about buying one, you may have wondered if you need to use distilled water in your unit. After all, you probably don’t stock your cleaning closet with gallons of distiller water. For all Vapor Clean machines, and most other brands as well, the answer is NO. It can even cause problems! 

Distilled Water is Acidic

Distilled water contains no solid minerals, since it has been boiled into steam and then collected (the same process as a dehumidifier in your home). Unfortunately, pure water molecules absorb carbon dioxide from their environment (especially when superheated) and therefore turn mildly acidic, which slowly corrodes metal. Boilers are made of metal. Therein lies the problem.

Water Sensor

Another issue- some continuous refill steam cleaners, like our Pro6 Duo and Desiderio Plus, have a low water sensor that works by detecting small traces of minerals in the water. Without minerals, the sensor can't detect any water, so the machine thinks it's empty even when it's filled to the top!

Other Types of Water

Make sure to avoid well water (obvious reasons) and softened water (a softener adds salt which is also corrosive to the boiler).

What Should I Use?

Good quality tap water. If you don't have issues with hard water stains and buildup, your tap water is good. A simple Brita style water filter will make your tap water good if you aren't sure.

For anyone who needs to use store bought water, the best is "Drinking Water". It also happens to be the cheapest! And if you happen to be stuck with distilled water, you can use it safely by mixing it with tap water or well water. Use roughly three parts distilled water to one part tap or well water.

Happy steaming!