After running nearly 10 tests on this popular steam cleaner, our product testing team determined if it's worth buying.
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Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner Review: We Tried it and Here’s The Steaming Truth
Updated Sep. 07, 2024
The best steam cleaners utilize ultra-hot steam to kill 99% of viruses and bacteria, blast away molds and pull out stains. They are a must-have for anyone who wants a pristine home. Whether you deep clean on the weekends or carve out time on a weekday, a steam cleaner is ideal for restoring everything from carpets to kitchen appliances to their former glory.
Our product testing team has thoroughly tested nearly a dozen home steam cleaners, including the popular Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner. We put it through several tests to determine its ease of use, cleaning performance, maneuverability and more; in our Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner review, you’ll find out if it’s worth the purchase price.
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What is the Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner?
According to the manufacturer, the Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner is a popular home steamer and the best-selling unit from Dupray. When you buy the Dupray Neat steamer, you’ll get a box full of goodies, including:
- 2 extension poles
- 5 small nylon brushes
- 1 small brass brush
- Steam nozzle
- Floor tool
- Squeegee tool
- Triangular brush tool
- 3 microfiber pads for the floor tool
- Microfiber bonnet
- Microfiber cloth
- User manual
This steam cleaner also comes with an integrated funnel and retractable handle that, according to our product testers, stays cool to the touch.
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner
A sleek-looking, durable steam cleaner for all your cleaning needs
Pros:
- Long hose, cord and extension pole
- 360-degree wheels
- Multiple high-quality attachments
- Can clean various surfaces
- Retractable carrying handle
- Handle stays cool to touch
- Reasonably priced with durable build
- Lifetime warranty on boiler
Cons:
- No place to wrap cord and hose for storage
- Only 2-year warranty on parts
Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner Features
After testing nearly a dozen steam cleaners, our product testing team determined that the Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner is one of the best values available. This is due to its top-tier features and reasonable price point.
Easy Setup and Cleanup
Setup is a breeze; our product testers said: “Simply attach the tool head of choice, fill and plug in. Press the trigger to activate steam.”
One drawback is that the Dupray steamer doesn’t have a pitcher, so you’ll need to grab one from the kitchen to fill the water tank. The steamer does have a built-in funnel to avoid spillage.
Cleanup is easy, too. All you have to do is turn the machine over to dump out the water. The mop pads are machine-washable, though air-drying them is recommended.
Large Water Tank
Of all the steam cleaners we tried, the Dupray Neat has one of the largest water tanks with a capacity of 54 ounces. This means you get excellent steam pressure (50 PSI/3.5 Bar) while still being able to clean non-stop for up to 50 minutes.
Quick Heating
The water tank heats to its maximum temperature of 275 degrees Fahrenheit (135 degrees Celsius) in just 8 minutes. That’s about the same time it takes to make a pour-over coffee if you were wondering.
Quick Drying
Some steam cleaners leave wet marks or water rings after use, especially on fabrics and upholstery. This isn’t the case with the Dupray Neat steamer, which, according to our testers, left couches and curtains “barely wet” with no water rings.
Long Cord and Hose
The Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner’s cord is 155 inches long, or about 13 feet. Though it’s the shortest cord of all the canister steam cleaners our team tried, our testers said it didn’t affect maneuverability. Combined with the 93-inch hose and 36-inch extension pole, our testers said, “We couldn’t imagine there are any places this thing wouldn’t reach.”
360-Degree Wheels
In addition to a grand total of 284 inches of length (about 23.5 feet) to work with, this steamer also features 360-degree wheels, which our product testers loved. “The 360-degree wheels are amazing,” one tester said. “It moves around and maneuvers effortlessly.”
Intuitive Use
Despite being relatively simple pieces of equipment, not all steam cleaners are intuitive to use. The Dupray Neat is. Our product testers awarded it 5 out of 5 points for ease of use, saying, “It’s very intuitive compared to the others. The parts actually snap into place and make sense. It’s well-designed and stylish, too, which is a plus!”
Additionally, this machine has a trigger lock that keeps steam flowing without needing to hold the trigger down, earning the Dupray Neat bonus points.
Powerful Cleaning
Most importantly, the Dupray Neat excelled in almost all cleaning tests. Our product testers dubbed it the “gold standard” for coffee stain removal, noting that it performed amazingly and completely removed a coffee stain from upholstery within 90 seconds. This is likely due to the high-quality bonnet that came with the machine, our testers said.
Additionally, the Dupray Neat scored 5 out of 5 points for de-wrinkling curtains, removing all wrinkles within 90 seconds, and removing muddy footprints from vinyl flooring. On the vinyl, our testers said the Dupray steamer removed the mess entirely with zero streaks or smears. Could we ask for more?
This steamer scored 4 out of 5 points for our tile and grout test; our testers said it performed above average, that the pressure is great, and that the brush bristles are nice and stiff. However, it scored lower on our glass-cleaning test, earning 3 out of 5 points, because, according to our testers, the quality of the squeegee isn’t the best.
How We Tested It
We put the Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner through a series of tests, rating it against predetermined criteria for its performance in the following scenarios:
- Removing dirt, grime and mold from tile and unsealed grout
- Dewrinkling curtains
- Pulling coffee stains out of upholstery
- Cleaning muddy footprints off of vinyl flooring
- Cleaning handprints and toothpaste smears off of a glass mirror
Our product testers also judged the following qualities:
- Ordering, shipping, delivery and packaging
- Portability/maneuverability
- Ease of use/intuitiveness
- Size/dimensions
- Dryness
- Emptying/cleaning
- Value
FAQ
Can you use distilled water in a Dupray steam cleaner?
Yes, the manufacturer recommends using distilled water. This will reduce mineral buildup and can potentially increase the machine’s lifespan.
How to clean a Dupray Neat Steamer?
You don’t need to clean your Dupray Neat Steamer since the tank only holds plain water. Dupray does recommend performing a boiler drain every 20 hours. Otherwise, all you have to do is wash the cloth and pads that come with the machine, which is machine-washable (air-dry).
What Other Reviewers Had to Say
Several other shopping websites have named the Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner the best overall steam cleaner or the best for some given purpose. Additionally, customer reviews are overwhelmingly positive. On the Dupray website, the unit has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars out of nearly 300 reviews. On Amazon, it has an average rating of 4.5 stars out of more than 21,500 ratings—incredibly impressive for the volume of reviews.
One reviewer called it “way better than others on the market.”
“Great price for an amazing product,” the reviewer wrote. “I tried other brands and they didn’t even come close to this one. Other brands just shot hot water and left pools of water; this really puts out perfect pressurized steam. I use this for cleaning floors, furniture, windows, bathrooms, really everything. Once you start using it, you get a bunch of ideas on what you can use it on. The unit is easily portable, lightweight, clean design and powerful enough to break down grime or sanitize any job you can think of.”
Dupray Neat Steamer vs. Mcculloch 1385
Mcculloch is a reputable home appliance brand that makes a few hard-working steam cleaners. The Mcculloch 1385 is a canister steam system much like the Dupray Neat. However, there are multiple differences between the two products.
For starters, the Mcculloch 1385 boasts an impressive run time of up to 120 minutes, more than double that of the Dupray Neat. It’s also slightly more powerful, outputting 58 PSI compared to the Neat’s 51. It comes with 23 versatile accessories compared to the Dupray Neat’s 17.
The Dupray Neat does surpass the Mcculloch 1385 in some regards, though. For example, it heats to 275 degrees Fahrenheit in 8 minutes; the Mcculloch heats to 212 degrees Fahrenheit in 12 minutes. Additionally, the Dupray Neat costs $50 less than the Mcculloch 1385 and has far superior maneuverability due to its long hose, cord, extension pole and 360-degree wheels.
The Dupray also has a better warranty, with a lifetime guarantee on the boiler and a two-year warranty on parts and accessories. In contrast, the Mcculloch has a two-year warranty on the boiler and parts and accessories.
Final Verdict
The Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner is highly recommended by shopping experts, home goods experts and real buyers alike. Our product testers found it to be one of the greatest values as far as steam cleaners go because it excels in almost every type of cleaning and has an intuitive, easy-to-use design. Our testers only wished it came with its own pitcher and had a place to store the cord/hose and accessories. Otherwise, it’s easily one of the best steam cleaners our product testing team has tried.
Where to Buy the Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner
VIA MERCHANT
We Tried It
Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner
A powerful steam cleaner with wheels and multiple attachments for all your cleaning projects
The Dupray Neat Steam Cleaner is available directly from Dupray online, as well as at Amazon, Lowe’s, Walmart and The Home Depot. Its list price is about $150.
Originally Published: August 02, 2024
