Steam cleaning cuts chemical use in ways that make you wonder why we ever bothered with cupboards full of bottles that smell like a swimming pool on a hot day. When you see how quickly superheated vapour deals with grime, it’s hard not to feel slightly betrayed by every spray-and-wipe product you’ve ever bought. Steam isn’t magic, although it feels close, and the less you rely on harsh products, the better the air smells and the fewer gloves you need to find.

If you’ve been in a room full of facilities managers lately, you’ve probably heard the debate: dry steam vs. UV-C disinfection (ultraviolet-C light disinfection). It’s the kind of argument that gets people surprisingly animated for a conversation about cleaning. Both methods promise a sparkling, germ-free world, but they take very different routes to get there. One involves scalding microbes into oblivion, the other zaps them with invisible light like something out of a low-budget sci-fi film. Which one deserves the crown? Let’s have a chat about that.