CH717803B1 - Method for cleaning a surface. - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for cleaning a surface is described according to the following steps: - Providing water in a tank (47), - Supplying the water from the tank (47) into a steam generator (49), - Heating the water so that a water-steam -Mixture is generated, - increasing the pressure of the water-steam mixture using a pump (55), - supplying the pressurized water-steam mixture to a cleaning device (11) and - conveying the water-steam mixture to the cleaning surface, characterized by - simultaneous processing of the surface to be cleaned with a rotating brush, which is attached to the cleaning device (11). The water-steam mixture in the cleaning device (11) has a temperature of 100°C to 200°C and a pressure of a maximum of 30 bar.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for cleaning a surface according to the preamble of claim 1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cleaning devices are known from the prior art, which first treat a dirty surface with steam and then remove the dirt from the floor surface with a tool in the form of a brush. Such a device is shown in DE 10 2017 002 948 A1. It has a fixed association between a steam field and a brush that follows this steam field. The cleaning device is intended to be installed underneath a floor cleaning machine. This makes it impossible to use this cleaning device on surfaces that have steps, let alone in a stairwell. The cleaning device must be attached to a floor cleaning machine, which also severely limits the accessibility of the cleaning device. A disadvantage of large cleaning devices such as the one from DE 10 2017 002 948 A1 is, in addition to their own size, also the size of the area processed by these devices. If the dirt only covers a small area, a large area will still be cleaned. This in turn loosens the dirt across the entire area being treated, resulting in a larger amount of loosened dirt. This dirt must then be disposed of. Due to the larger amount of dissolved dirt, the effort required to dispose of the dirt also increases.

[0003] WO 2004 017805 shows a floor cleaning device which comprises a cleaning tool and a steam generator upstream of it. The steam is led from the steam generator to the cleaning tool via a steam pipe system and reaches the floor. The steam outlet is arranged in such a way that the steam hits the floor in front of the effective surface of the cleaning tool. This means that the steam can act on the dirt for a short time, which is what the floor cleaning device relies on. Only a certain amount of time for the steam to act on the dirt leads to the desired cleaning performance of this floor cleaning device.

[0004] There are also more handy cleaning devices that convey a liquid or a vapor mixture onto a surface in order to then process it with a brush attached to the cleaning device. An example of this can be found in EP 1 491 129. In the embodiment shown, the processing of dirt takes place in two steps; First, the dirt is softened with the liquid or steam mixture and in a second step it is removed abrasive with the brush. The brush can be attached to a lance-like device that can be operated with one hand. In such a device, the steam is guided along the longitudinal direction of the device.

TASK

It is therefore an object of the present invention to propose a method which enables efficient and rapid removal of dirt.

DESCRIPTION

[0006] The problem is solved using a method using the features listed in the characterizing section of patent claim 1. Further developments and/or advantageous embodiment variants are the subject of the dependent patent claims.

This invention relates to a method for cleaning a surface according to the following steps; - Providing water in a tank, - Feeding the water from the tank into a steam generator, - Heating the water so that a water-steam mixture is created, - Increasing the pressure of the water-steam mixture using a pump, - Feeding of the pressurized water-steam mixture in a cleaning device, - conveying the water-steam mixture onto the surface to be cleaned and - simultaneously processing the surface to be cleaned with a rotating brush which is attached to the cleaning device. The water-steam mixture in the cleaning device has a temperature of 100°C to 200°C and a pressure of a maximum of 30 bar.

When cleaning a surface, the method described above makes use of a brush, which is intended to abrasively remove the dirt, and a water-steam mixture, which is applied to the dirt essentially at the same time. The water-steam mixture creates a high temperature on the brush and on the surface processed by the brush, which softens the dirt. At the same time, the water content in the water-steam mixture supports the abrasive treatment of the contamination if the mixture is directed towards the contamination. Due to the softening of the contamination due to the high temperature of the water-steam mixture, a maximum pressure of 30 bar is sufficient to also use water for the abrasive removal of the contamination. However, to speed up the process and ensure complete cleaning, a rotating brush is also used to remove dirt. The water from the water-steam mixture, the proportion of which increases due to the condensation of the water vapor in the mixture during the cleaning process, helps to remove the already dissolved contamination. Water vapor is the gaseous state of water. The above-mentioned process achieves quick and efficient removal of dirt from a surface to be cleaned.

The water-steam mixture preferably has a temperature of 110°C to 150°C. This creates an ideal temperature range in which the dirt is softened. This temperature range is particularly suitable for softening dried chewing gum residue on a surface.

The water-steam mixture preferably has a pressure of a maximum of 20 bar, more preferably a maximum of 10 bar. High pressure helps in the abrasive removal of contaminants caused by water. Generating a high pressure, on the other hand, requires more energy from the pump, which affects the energy efficiency of the cleaning process.

Advantageously, the water in the steam generator is heated to such an extent that the weight proportion of water in the water-steam mixture is between 40% and 60%, preferably between 45% and 55%. This means that there is an almost balanced weight distribution between the liquid and gaseous water in the mixture. The range of 40% - 60% water content forms an ideal mixture for using the heat effect of water vapor and the momentum of water on a dirty surface.

A cleaning device for cleaning a surface comprises a guide element with a support element at its first end, the guide element serving to guide the support element. Furthermore, the cleaning device comprises a cylindrical brush which is rotatably arranged on the support element, the brush being driven by a drive shaft. The cleaning device also includes a tube which is arranged on the guide element and a nozzle which is arranged at the first end of the tube. The first end of the tube comes to rest on the side on which the support element is attached to the guide element. The tube has an interface at its second end for receiving liquid and/or gas. The cleaning device includes a support arranged on the support element, which rests on the surface when the cleaning device is in operation. The brush is arranged at a first end of the support element and the support is arranged at a second end of the support element opposite the first end. Ideally, those ends of the support element are provided which are the greatest distance from each other.

By resting the support on the surface during cleaning work, the cleaning device can be held in a stable position. This leads to easier operation of the cleaning device. The support is offset from the area to be cleaned on the surface in such a way that the brush comes to rest on the area of the surface to be cleaned. The user of the cleaning device can better control the force exerted by the brush on the surface due to the support. This effect is best achieved when the support and brush are spaced apart. For this reason, the brush and the support are attached to opposite sides of the support element.

The tube on the guide element can provide a means of supporting the cleaning work carried out by the brush. The agent can be in liquid, gaseous or mixed gas-liquid state. The nozzle on the pipe is intended to convey the agent transported in the pipe onto the surface to be cleaned. The agent can also just be water, in which case the gaseous state is formed by water vapor. Due to the temperature effect of the water, water vapor or the water-steam mixture on the dirt, the dirt can be removed more easily from the surface. In a second step, the dissolved dirt particles are carried away or washed away by the water pumped onto the surface. The water carried in the pipe is therefore used both to dissolve the dirt on the surface and then to transport away the dissolved dirt particles. There does not have to be a clear separation between these two work steps in the company. The dissolution and removal of the dirt mostly take place at the same time.

In a preferred embodiment, the guide element is designed to be stalk-shaped. A guide element designed as a handle makes it possible to fulfill the tasks of a guide element with little material expenditure. The low cost of materials also leads to a low mass, which in turn simplifies the handling of the entire cleaning device. The handle can be dimensioned in such a way that it can be grasped with one hand, which in turn makes it easier to operate and transport the cleaning device. The handle also offers the option of hanging the cleaning device on the handle. This means that the cleaning device takes up minimal space when stored.

[0016] Preferably the support comprises at least one wheel or a runner. The support can be provided to absorb a large part of the weight of the cleaning device. Due to a support in the form of a wheel or a runner, the cleaning device can be moved back and forth with little effort. The cleaning device does not have to be picked up from the floor, which makes operation much easier. Compared to a runner, a wheel has less resistance to movement. The runner, in turn, has a simpler structure and offers a more cost-effective option than the wheel.

As already mentioned above, the brush has a cylindrical structure. The cleaning surface of the brush can be formed either by the lateral surface or a base surface of the cylinder. The cleaning effect of the brush comes from its rotation. Advantageously, the brush can rotate in both directions. By changing the direction of rotation, contamination can be removed in an even shorter time.

In a further preferred embodiment, the drive shaft is driven by an electric motor. The electric motor forms an electric drive. Electrical current must therefore be provided to drive the drive shaft and rotate the brush. The electric motor can generate a lot of torque even in a small version. The electric motor also offers the advantage that the high torque is available even at low speeds. The delay time of the electric motor when starting or stopping is also very short, which allows precise control of the brush. Another advantage of the electric motor for use in mobile devices such as a cleaning device is its small size and small mass.

[0019] The above-mentioned electric motor must be provided with electrical power for its operation. The electrical power can come from different sources, but the use of a battery is ideal for mobile applications. A battery is preferably provided on the cleaning device to supply power to the electric motor. This means that the cleaning device does not rely on an external energy supply for operation and can be used in an energy self-sufficient manner. It is also conceivable that a battery could be used as an energy source.

The battery is preferably attached to the guide element. This means that the battery is mounted away from the support element. This prevents the battery from being exposed to the water that comes out of the cleaning device when cleaning a surface. Furthermore, a more even weight distribution occurs over the length of the guide element because not all components are attached to the support element. The advantage of more even weight distribution comes into its own when cleaning wall surfaces when the cleaning device has to be swiveled upwards.

In a further preferred embodiment, the contact surface of the brush with the surface to be cleaned forms an active surface and the nozzle is directed towards the active surface. The effective surface is therefore defined as the contact surface of the brush with the surface to be cleaned, with a surface lying within the contact surface also being considered as the effective surface. The size and shape of the contact surface depends on the shape of the brush. The contact surface is not defined as the surface that is formed when the brush first comes into contact with the surface. In the case of a brush with a lateral surface as a cleaning surface, the originally circular cross section can be transformed into a truncated circle. The area resulting from the section of the circular cross-section that is cut off forms the contact area. The nozzle is aimed at the active surface, whereby the agent that is sprayed from the nozzle is delivered directly to the area of the surface to be cleaned. This results in essentially simultaneous processing of the contamination on the surface with the agent conveyed through the nozzle and the brush. The effective area is always defined as a closed area. In the case of a circular contact surface between the brush and the surface to be cleaned, the effective surface is defined as the closed circular surface of the contact surface. If the agent conveyed to the surface is a water-steam mixture, the water-steam mixture can spread over the active surface in such a way that the contamination on the active surface is exposed to the temperature of the water-steam mixture. At the same time, at least a large area of the effective surface is processed by the brush. The dirt loosened by the brush is carried away by the water from the nozzle in a second step. It is also conceivable that the effective surface is formed by the vertical projection of the outline of the brush to the cleaning surface.

[0022] In a further preferred embodiment, the effective area of the cleaning tool is a maximum of 320 cm<2>, preferably a maximum of 160 cm<2>. The limited size of the effective area is aimed at removing certain types of dirt from a surface. The advantage of the limited effective area is that only the dirt that is intended to be removed is removed. Dissolving dirt from a large area has the disadvantage that once a certain amount of dirt has been dissolved, it has to be pulled up or vacuumed up so that the dirt does not stick to the surface again. With a small effective area, so much dirt is loosened that it can be washed away with the water required. In this way, both working time and material consumption are kept to a minimum.

In a further preferred embodiment, the axis of rotation of the wheel runs parallel to the axis of rotation of the brush. This allows the support element with the wheel and the brush to be made as compact as possible. In this version, the lateral surface of the brush forms the cleaning surface of the brush.

Advantageously, the nozzle is directed tangentially to the lateral surface of the brush. This means that the agent flowing out of the nozzle will hit the surface to be cleaned at an inclined angle and the contamination will flow laterally. This supports the brush in removing the dirt on the surface and rinses away the loosened dirt at the same time.

The cleaning device preferably has a mass of less than 10 kg, in particular less than 7 kg. The mass of up to 10 kg allows the cleaning device to be operated with just one hand if necessary. Due to its low mass, the cleaning device can also be used on a wall surface. When cleaning floor surfaces, a large part of the weight is absorbed by the support, which makes operating the cleaning device even easier.

The guide element together with the support element preferably has a T-shaped structure. The connection point between the guide element and the support element thus comes to lie approximately in the middle of the support element. This leads to an even distribution of force on the support element due to the brush and support arranged on the support element.

A cleaning system has - a water tank for storing water, - a steam generator which is connected to the water tank and can heat the water supplied from the water tank and thereby generate steam, - a pump which increases the pressure of the water-steam Mixture in the steam generator increases, - a control device that is connected to the steam generator and which allows the setting of a certain ratio of water and steam and - a cleaning device.

In a preferred embodiment, the steam generator has a heating element, which is preferably operated with fossil fuels. The heating element of the steam generator allows the amount of energy to be supplied to the water to be adjusted and adapted to the amount of water. The advantage of a heating element that runs on fossil fuels is that the heating and evaporation of the water is carried out in an energy-efficient process. At the same time, the use of fossil fuels allows the cleaning system to be used independently by carrying a container with fossil fuels. This means that the cleaning system can be used mobile and flexibly.

In a further preferred embodiment, the cleaning device is designed to absorb a water-steam mixture amount of up to 12 dm3 per minute with a ratio of approximately 50% water and 50% water vapor. Due to its efficient dirt removal, the cleaning device in the cleaning system does not rely on a large amount of water-steam mixture and can remove dirt with a limited amount of water and steam.

This product has the advantage that small areas can be specifically cleaned of dirt. The pollution can also be in the form of graffiti or unwanted writing such as graffiti. The unique design allows the attached brush to easily reach remote places or corners. For example, by tilting the guide element, a surface in a gap can be treated as long as the gap allows the passage of the support element with the brush and the support.

In a further preferred embodiment, the cleaning device has a separate line along the guide element. This line is intended to convey an additional aid in the form of a liquid to the surface to be cleaned. This tool is intended to support the removal of dirt such as graffiti, oil stains or similar, which requires cleaning agents and/or solvents in addition to the water-steam mixture. The separate line has an interface for receiving the additional aid. The aid is preferably stored in a separate container or canister, from which it is conveyed directly to the separate line. The separate line can be arranged both inside the guide element and outside of it.

In another preferred embodiment, the cleaning device has a separate line along the guide element for expelling compressed air or for suction. In this embodiment, compressed air is either ejected onto the surface to be cleaned in the separate line or small dirt is sucked in using a suction effect. By expelling compressed air, small contaminants such as confetti, cigarette butts, etc. can be transported to a specific location. If the small amounts of dirt are concentrated in one place, they can be captured using a suction function. A compressor is provided to generate compressed air, which does not have to be attached to the cleaning device. The separate line can have an interface which serves as a connection point between the separate line and the compressor. To operate the suction function, a suction effect must be created. This can be generated by a vacuum cleaner, which sucks in the air in the line via a connection point on the separate line. Together with the air, small dirt is sucked in, which can be collected in a container or bag provided for this purpose.

A cleaning lance with a pronounced length relative to its cross-sectional area comprises a cleaning device. The cleaning lance is characterized by its shape. The lance has a pronounced orientation in its longitudinal direction. This is many times larger than that in the other directions. At the same time, a lance is characterized by the fact that the user can grasp and lift it with one hand.

[0034] The optional features mentioned can be implemented in any combination, as long as they are not mutually exclusive. In particular, where preferred ranges are specified, further preferred ranges result from combinations of the minima and maxima mentioned in the ranges.

Further advantages and features result from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to schematic representations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0036] Embodiments are described below using the figures as examples. Shown in a schematic representation that is not true to scale: Figure 1: A three-dimensional view of a cleaning device with a cylindrical support element; Figure 2: a more detailed view of the support element of the cleaning device from Figure 1; Figure 3: a three-dimensional view of a cleaning device with a cuboid support element; Figure 4: a view of the support element of the cleaning device from Figure 3 from below; Figure 5: a schematic view of a cleaning system with a cleaning device according to the invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0037] In the following, the same reference numbers stand for the same or functionally identical elements (in different figures). An additional apostrophe can be used to distinguish elements of the same type or function that are the same or similar in function in a further version.

[0038] In Figure 1 a cleaning device 11 is shown, which is intended for the targeted cleaning of dirt. The cleaning device 11 has a handle 13. A handle 16 is attached to the first end 15 of the handle 13, while a support element 19 is provided at the second end 17. The support element 19 includes, among other things, a brush 21 and a wheel 23. The wheel 23 serves as a support for the cleaning device 11, so that when the cleaning device 11 is supported on the floor, the wheel 23 can absorb at least half of the weight of the cleaning device 11. The handle 16 makes it possible to carry the cleaning device 11 with just one hand. The support element 19 has a cylindrical structure, with its cylinder axis being arranged perpendicular to the stem 13. The handle 13 is attached approximately to the middle of the cylinder height of the support element 19, so that the handle 13 together with the support element 19 are T-shaped. The brush 21 and the wheel 23 are attached to the two opposite ends of the support element 19 so that they form the top or base surface of the cylindrical support element 19. The second end 17 of the handle comes to rest approximately in the middle between the brush 21 and the wheel 23. The brush 21 is also cylindrical. The cylinder axes of the wheel 23, the support element 19 and the brush 21 all run parallel to one another. At the same time, the cylinder axis of the wheel 23 and the cylindrical brush 21 is arranged perpendicular to the handle 13. Both the wheel 23 and the brush 21 protrude beyond the support element 19 in the radial direction. As a result, the support element 19 never comes into contact with the ground.

A cover 24 is attached around the brush 21. This essentially covers about half of the lateral surface of the brush 21. The cover 24 is shaped as a hollow half-cylinder, which has the same cylinder axis as the brush 21. The brush 21 comes to rest between the lid and the base surface of the cylindrical cover 24. That half of the brush 21 which faces the first end 15 of the handle 13 is surrounded by the cover 24.

The brush 21 has an electric drive. This is powered by a battery 25 or a rechargeable battery. The battery 25 or the rechargeable battery is intended to be attached to the handle 13 of the cleaning device 11. The battery 25 or the rechargeable battery is attached approximately in the middle of the handle 13, the distance to the first end 15 of the handle 13 being shorter than that to the second end 17. From the battery 25 or the rechargeable battery there is a line along the handle 13 arranged up to the electric drive of the brush 21.

The cleaning device 11 has a tube 27 for carrying a mixture of gas and liquid. The tube 27 is attached to the stem 13 in such a way that it runs essentially parallel to the stem 13. The tube 27 has an interface 31 at a first end 29. A nozzle 35 is attached to its second end 33. The interface 31 serves to receive a liquid-gas mixture through the tube 27. The nozzle 35 at the second end 33 conveys the liquid-gas mixture carried in the tube 27 to the surface to be cleaned. The nozzle 35 is bent on the support element 19 in such a way that the direction of the nozzle 35 is essentially tangential to the lateral surface of the cylindrical brush 21.

A second handle 36 perpendicular to the handle 13 is attached to the first end 15 of the handle 13. This is arranged on that side of the handle 13 on which the brush 21 is attached. The length of the second handle 36 is approximately as long as half the length of the support element 19. Both the diameter and the length of the second handle 36 are selected such that a person can grasp the second handle 36 with one hand. The second handle 36 offers, among other things, the possibility of hanging the cleaning device 11 on this second handle 36, for example on a hook, which can be mounted on a wall or ceiling.

2 shows the second end 17 of the handle 13 of the cleaning device 11 from FIG. 1, to which the support element 19 is attached. The brush 21 comprises a steel brush whose diameter is a multiple of its width. About half of the brush 21 is covered by the cover 24 and is not visible. The tube 27 for guiding the liquid-gas mixture is guided along the handle 13 and arranged on the support element 19 in such a way that the tube 27 projects beyond the support element 19 with its second end 33. The tube 27 has a vertical deflection at its second end 33, so that the opening of the tube 27 points in the direction of the brush 21. The tube 27 projects in this direction until it is at the same height as the brush 21. At this point on the tube 27, a further right-angled deflection is provided, so that the opening of the tube 27 is directed approximately tangentially to the lateral surface of the brush 21. In order to be able to have a tangential alignment to the outside of the brush, the first deflection is so far away from the central axis of the brush 21 that such a second deflection is possible. The second deflection forms the second end 33 of the tube 35. As already mentioned above, a nozzle 35 is provided at the second end 33 of the tube 27. The nozzle 35 conveys the mixture carried in the pipe 27 onto the surface to be cleaned. The nozzle 35 is aligned in such a way that it sprays the mixture approximately tangentially to the outside of the brush 21.

[0044] The embodiment in Figure 3 essentially has a difference in the design of the support element 19 and the brush 21 compared to the embodiment from Figure 1. The support element 19 is articulated at the second end 17 of the handle 13. The support element 19 has a rectangular basic shape. The handle 13 is attached in the middle of a long side of the rectangular support element 19. The handle 13 can pivot in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular support element 19 due to its articulated mounting. The handle 13 is attached to the top of the support element 19.

At its first end 15, the handle 13 has a handle 36, which is arranged both perpendicular to the handle 13 and is directed perpendicular to the pivoting direction of the handle 13. The handle 36 extends on two sides of the handle 13 so that it forms a T together with it. Among other things, the cleaning device 11 can be hung on a hook on the handle 36.

A brush 21 is provided on the support element 17 and comes to rest on the underside of the support element 19. At the other end of the rectangular support element 19, two wheels 23, 23 'are attached to the underside of the support element 19. The wheels 23, 23 'are the same size and, together with the brush 21, form the contact of the cleaning device 11 with the floor. The wheels 23, 23' are arranged at the corners of the support element 19 and thereby prevent the cleaning device 11 from tipping sideways. The wheels 23, 23' are mounted in such a way that they can each rotate about the axis perpendicular to the surface.

The brush 21 has a cylindrical shape, with the cleaning surface of the brush 21 being formed by the base surface of the cylinder. A round disk 37 with a diameter approximately half as large as the brush 21 but with the same central axis is attached to the brush. This disk 37 is intended as a bearing for receiving a belt 39. The belt 39 drives the disk 37 and thus also the brush 21 and sets both in a rotational movement. The belt is driven by a drive shaft 41 attached to the support element 19 of the cleaning device 11. The drive shaft 41 is attached to the support element 19 in such a way that it lies perpendicular to the plane spanned by the support element 19, with one end of the drive shaft 41 lying below and that other end above the support element 19. At that end of the drive shaft 41, which lies below the support element, a drive disk 43 with the same dimensions as the disk 37 is attached to the brush 21. The two disks 37, 43 come to lie at the same height, whereby the belt 39 is directed parallel to the plane spanned by the support element 19. An electric motor 45 is attached to the drive shaft 41. This is intended for the conversion of electrical work into mechanical work. A battery 25 is attached to the handle 13 of the cleaning device 11. The battery 25 provides the required electrical energy to drive the electric motor 45 attached to the drive shaft 41. The battery 25 is mounted from the first end of the stem 13 by a quarter of the total length of the stem 13.

On the top of the brush 21, a tube 27 is provided for guiding a liquid-gas mixture to the brush. The tube 27 comes to lie perpendicular to the plane spanned by the support element. The length of the tube 27 is slightly larger than the diameter of the brush 21.

[0049] In Figure 4, the support element 19 of the cleaning device 11 from Figure 3 is shown from below. As already described above, the base of the brush 21 forms its cleaning surface. The spurs of the brush 21 are arranged in such a way that the cleaning surface of the brush 21 is a circular ring. The center of the circular ring is not riddled with spores and is therefore free. The brush includes a base body to which the spores are attached. The tube 27 is guided through the middle of this base body in such a way that it forms a connection from the top of the base body to its underside. At the exit on the underside of the base body of the brush 21, the tube 27 has an end to which a nozzle 35 is attached. The nozzle 35 is intended to be directed vertically onto the surface to be cleaned.

The cleaning device 11 is preferably integrated in a cleaning system. 5 shows a schematic representation of a cleaning system with a cleaning device 11 according to the invention. The cleaning system includes a container or tank 47 for collecting and storing water. A steam generator 49 is connected to the water tank 47 via a line, so that the water is led from the water tank 47 to the steam generator 49. A heating element 51 for heating the water is provided in the steam generator 49. The steam generator 49 is connected to a control device 53, which is used to set a specific ratio of water and steam in the steam generator 49. The control device 53 achieves this by controlling the heating element 51 in the steam generator 49. The steam generator 49 transmits the information about the ratio of water and water vapor in the steam generator 49 to the control device 53 as feedback. The control device 53 can react to this feedback from the steam generator 49 and give corresponding commands send to the heating element 51. This allows a certain ratio of water and water vapor to be achieved in the steam generator 49. The steam generator 49 is also connected to a pump 55. The pump 55 increases the pressure of the water-steam mixture from the steam generator 49 to a pressure desired or required for cleaning. Another line is arranged between the pump 55 and the cleaning device 11. This preferably has a greater length than the other lines in the cleaning system, since this allows the cleaning device 11 to be transported further away from the other components in the cleaning system without having to accept any loss in its function. The line between the pump 55 and the cleaning device 11 is able to convey the pressurized water-steam mixture from the pump 55 to the cleaning device 11 with as little loss as possible.

While specific embodiments have been described above, it is obvious that different combinations of the embodiment options shown can be used, provided that the embodiment options are not mutually exclusive.

REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST:

[0052] 11 Cleaning device 13 Guide element 15 First end of the guide element 16 First handle 17 Second end of the guide element 19 Support element 21 Brush 23, 23 'Support 24 Cover around brush 25 Battery 27 Pipe 29 First end of the pipe 31 Interface on the pipe 33 Second End of pipe 35 Nozzle 36 Second handle 37 First drive pulley 39 Belt 41 Drive shaft 43 Second drive pulley 45 Electric motor 47 Water tank 49 Steam generator 51 Heating element 53 Control unit 55 Pump

Claims (7)

1. Method for cleaning a surface according to the following steps; - Providing water in a tank (47), - supplying the water from the tank (47) into a steam generator (49), – Heating the water so that a water-steam mixture is created, - increasing the pressure of the water-steam mixture using a pump (55), - Supplying the pressurized water-steam mixture to a cleaning device (11) and – Conveying the water-steam mixture onto the surface to be cleaned, characterized by - simultaneous processing of the surface to be cleaned with a rotating brush (21) which is attached to the cleaning device (11), and that the water-steam mixture in the cleaning device (11) has a temperature of 100°C to 200°C and a pressure of a maximum of 30 bar. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the water-steam mixture has a temperature of 110°C to 150°C. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the water-steam mixture has a pressure of a maximum of 20 bar, preferably a maximum of 10 bar. 4. The method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the water in the steam generator (49) is heated to such an extent that the weight proportion of water in the water-steam mixture is between 40% and 60%, preferably between 45 % and 55%. 5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cleaning device is formed by a cleaning lance. 6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the cleaning device has a mass of less than 10 kg, preferably less than 7 kg. 7. The method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the effective area of the cleaning device is a maximum of 320 cm<2>, preferably a maximum of 160 cm<2>.