Cleaning the Employee Lounge: A 'Nuclear Option'

"Most Dangerous Object in the Office: GreenSteam Weed Killer"
Steven Leckart, Wired Magazine (November 29, 2010)

"D'oh! We left a cup of coffee on our desk—last Presidents' Day. A scouring pad will never kill all the germs living in this mug, but a blast of scalding steam at 930 degrees Fahrenheit just might. The GreenSteam Weed Killer is a propane-powered beast that flash-boils water in about half a minute, then disgorges it through a stainless steel nozzle. The 10-gallon tank provides enough blistering mist to wilt thousands of weeds—or sterilize a whole break room full of moldy dishware...."

There's a photo and video, illustrating a not-quite-on-label application of the GreenSteam Weed Killer. The fellow in the video claims that steam coming out of the thing is over 900 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Lemming trusts that nobody's going to try cleaning the break room that way. First, the business end of the GreenSteam Weed Killer is a good length for blistering weeds at ground level. Getting at the inside of coffee mugs at counter level might prove awkward.

On the other hand, there's the 'cool factor' of marching into the office, wielding something that looks a little like a prop from one of the Star Wars movies. Cool, yes: prudent, no. In the Lemming's opinion.