Dreame N20 Steam carpet and upholstery cleaner: features and specs

The Dreame N20 Steam is a portable carpet and upholstery cleaner for spills and stains on carpets, couches and other fabrics. It washes with steam, hot water or cold water, then pulls the dirty water back out with strong suction. With its attachments, the steam also works on kitchen grease and tile grout.

How a portable spot cleaner works

Portable carpet cleaners, often called spot cleaners, spray water or a cleaning solution into the fabric, loosen the dirt with a brush or nozzle, and then extract the liquid with suction into a separate dirty-water tank. The extraction step matters as much as the washing: the more water the machine pulls back out, the less moisture stays in the fabric and the sooner it dries. Dreame lists 17,000 Pa (17 kPa) of suction for pulling dirt, moisture and debris out of carpets and upholstery.

Three ways to wash

• Steam at 212°F (100°C) for hidden stains. Steam starts after about 35 seconds of heating.
• Hot water at 150°F (about 66°C) for grease.
• Cold water for quick touch-ups.

Heat generally helps loosen greasy and set-in soiling, while cold water is the gentler choice for a quick fix. Before using hot water or steam on any fabric, check its care label: some materials, such as wool, silk and certain synthetics, may not tolerate high temperatures. Testing a hidden spot first is standard advice for any carpet or upholstery cleaner.

Steam on hard surfaces

With the grout brush, concentrator nozzle and small round brush, the steam also works on hard surfaces: grease in the kitchen, tile and grout, and tight corners. Steam is widely used to soften kitchen grease and loosen grime in grout lines. Not every finish likes heat and moisture, though; unsealed wood and some coated surfaces can mark, so check the manual for which surfaces suit steam.

Tanks and auto-mix detergent

Water and cleaning solution mix automatically. The clean water tank holds 1.2 L and the detergent tank 0.75 L, and Dreame says one fill of the detergent tank lasts about 30 days. The machine doses the solution for you, so there is no measuring by hand at each refill.

Self-cleaning hose and storage

The hose is the part of a spot cleaner that usually needs rinsing by hand after a dirty job. On the N20 Steam, a press of a button together with the self-cleaning tool flushes it out with suction. The extended cord and hose wrap around the body for storage. It weighs 12 lb (about 5.4 kg) and measures about 14 x 9 x 11 inches (36 x 23 x 28 cm), so it stores easily between jobs.

Who it suits

It suits homes with carpets, sofas, curtains and car interiors, wherever fabrics need spot cleaning rather than a full-room carpet wash, and anyone who would also use steam on kitchen grease and tile grout.

What to check before you buy

• Fabric care labels: confirm your upholstery and carpets can take hot water or steam, and test a hidden area first.
• Cleaning solution: check which solutions the manual allows in the auto-mix tank.
• Hard surfaces: confirm in the manual which floors and finishes suit steam.
• Cord and hose length: the listing calls them extended but gives no lengths, so check them against your rooms and car.
• Storage space: about 14 x 9 x 11 inches and 12 lb.

The short version

• Portable carpet and upholstery spot cleaner that washes with steam, hot water or cold water.
• Steam at 212°F starts after about 35 seconds; hot water at 150°F for grease.
• 17,000 Pa of suction pulls dirt and moisture back out.
• Attachments let the steam tackle kitchen grease, tile grout and corners.
• Auto-mix tanks (1.2 L water, 0.75 L detergent) and a self-cleaning hose.

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