There are some Laws of Physics at work here to help explain the steam cleaning process and give you an idea of where the dirt goes and why cleaning with Sargent Steam is a better method than any other you have ever used.
Heat Expands…
The 290-degree steam heats the fibers and surfaces so they expand, breaking the bond between the surface and the dirt.
Pressure Breaks Big Particles into Little Particles…
The steam pressure breaks up the dirt into smaller pieces and encapsulates them in the steam vapor, which is 1000 smaller than a drop of water. Now it's easier to soak them up into a towel.
Heat Rises…
As the heat rises, the dirt that is now encapsulated in the vapor rises up into the cloth.
Opposite Electrical Charges Attract…
Every molecule has an electrical charge…either positive or negative. The earth is grounded and negative. The atmosphere is positive. Static electricity is generated when they meet. Dust particles in the atmosphere are forever falling toward earth and being pushed back upward by static electricity. That's why you always see dust particles floating in a ray of sunshine. Eliminating the static is vital to stop the floating cycle. Heating a molecule changes the charge from positive to negative and stops the static cycle. Negative dust will now fall to negative earth where you can pick it up in a cloth. You have also introduced moisture to help hold dust molecules together and picking them up is even easier.
Gravity pulls matter down to earth…
Any matter heavier than air will fall toward earth. The moisture from the steam vapor adds weight to dust so it falls (gravity) to the next horizontal surface where it can be picked up with a cloth. People say, "My floor is clean, I just mopped it." But mopping leaves puddles of mop water sitting where they lie and gravity lets them sink into the cracks and porous surfaces. No physics of heat and pressure are at work to pull that moisture up like they are when you steam clean.
It Takes Energy to Create Heat…
Without an energy source, anything heated will return to its surrounding temperature. As the surface you just steamed cools, evaporation pulls the moisture up into the atmosphere and the dirt encapsulated in the moisture comes with it. However, the steam vapor is very dry and doesn't over soak your surfaces so you can use it on almost all the dirt in your home.