Multi-purpose household appliance particularly for cleaning floors, carpets, laid carpetings, and the like

A household appliance for cleaning substantially flat surfaces such as floors, carpets and the like comprising a working head, a handle connected to said working head, a steam generator mounted in said working head in communication with a water supply conduit and a vacuum chamber having an air-liquid suction port located in said working head in communication with a vacuum conduit comprising a portion of said handle, said steam generator being comprised of two superimposed metal plates having electrical heating means incorporated in at least one of said plates, a vaporizing chamber disposed in one of said plates in communication with said water supply conduit, steam passages located between said plates in communication with said vaporizing chamber and a plurality of holes extending through the other of said plates in communication with said steam passages for dispensing steam outwardly of said head adjacent said suction port.