Sealed hardwood floors can withstand the moisture and heat from a steam mop, and they clean really nicely with a streak-free finish. However, avoid using a steam mop on unsealed hardwoods, as they're more vulnerable and easily damaged by excessive moisture.
Damage caused by water or steam to a hardwood floor[/caption] Steam mops are becoming very popular as they offer a deep, hygienic clean, and they are fantastic for tiles or vinyl floors, but should not be used to clean any type of hardwood floor.
You can use a commercial wood-cleaning product, like Bona or Murphy Oil Soap. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. You can also make your own cleaner by mixing one part vinegar to 10 parts warm water. Add a few drops of liquid Castile soap.
Avoid Hardwood and Laminate Floors
Avoid using a steam mop on any type of flooring that should not have hot water on it or on adhesive tiles with lifting corners. It's common for steam-mop manufacturers to warn against using steam mops on "unsealed" floors, a vague direction.
Steam mops are great for sealed hard floors like tile, stone, marble and hardwood, but heat and steam can penetrate some types of flooring and cause damage. Don't use a steam mop on unsealed wood, unglazed ceramic tile or vinyl plank flooring. If you're not sure, check with your flooring manufacturer.
A steam cleaner is dependent on water and steam and does not use chemicals. How often should you steam clean your floors? Make steam cleaning your floors a weekly cleaning chore.
So, where does the dirt go when you steam clean? Actually, it doesn't go anywhere. Instead, the heat and vapour of steam cleaning ensure that all the unwanted substances or stains are fully broken down and easy to get rid of.
Soap only lifts dirt and oil into water, making them suspend in water. Therefore, the more soap you use, the more your mop gets saturated with dirt. So, if you do not remove all the soapy water from the floor, the dirt remains, forming streaks on the floor.
The steam also loosens up any dirt and grime on the floor using sharp and focused heat. The mop pad then absorbs the dissolved dirt, leaving your floors sparkly clean. Not only are steam mops more sanitary and faster at cleaning than traditional mops, they are MUCH more convenient as well.
What can I steam clean? Steam cleaners can be safely used on many household surfaces, including sealed tile, hardwood floors, grout, sinks, tubs, countertops, carpets, mattresses, upholstery, showers, ovens, stove tops, grills, glass, and more.
Dry-mop at least twice a week using a microfiber head, focusing on corners. Avoid using water to clean your hardwoods, and never wet-mop, as the moisture can damage the material. To avoid staining and cracking, blot up spills immediately with a dry, clean cloth.
The best way to clean timber floors is with a mop, and we recommend you do so weekly using only a dry mop. It is best not to use too much water on your timber floors, so a damp mop can be used each month or so to loosen up any dirt. This is the case for both internal timber floors and decking timber.
To tell the difference in a pinch, just rub your finger across the floor. Be sure to do this on a clean floor. If no smudge appears, the floor is surface sealed. If you do create a smudge, the floor has been treated with a penetrating seal, oil finish, shellac, varnish or lacquer, and then waxed.
Steam cleaning kills germs, viruses, and molds.
When steam penetrates surface pores, it removes dirt, debris, bacteria, and other tiny elements with hot vapor molecules. These vapor molecules are so hot that they are able to kill even the strongest pathogens like E. Coli and Salmonella from your home's surfaces.
Q: Does a handheld steam cleaner work effectively? A: Handheld steam cleaners can remove 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, and dust mites from surfaces. Steam cleaners can efficiently sterilize nearly all surfaces by heating the water to 175 degrees Fahrenheit and leaving your home clean as it can be.
Steam mops are no good at mopping up large spills however, as they have no suction power (to mop up spills you need a traditional mop and bucket or a wet and dry vacuum).
Cleaning performance was very good on hard floors: we found that using the cleaner on minimum steam was enough for most cases, leaving our floors relatively dry as well as clean. For tough stains, the floor mop can be removed to reveal a brush.
Do: Wipe up excess dirt before steaming. Steam mops essentially employ steam to loosen grime, which the mop head then clears away, but there's no suction element in this appliance. This means that surface dirt will need to be vacuumed or swept up before you begin or you'll only succeed in pushing dirt across the house.
Most steam cleaners are designed to be used without detergent, so stick to water only with these. Some models, on the other hand, can be used with detergent – follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Steam cleaning can remove tough stains on synthetic carpets. It can also deeply clean the carpet. Hot water extraction is better for carpets that are made out of natural fibers. Steam cleaning can cause the carpet fibers to shrink.
A small household, may only need their carpet steam cleaned once every 12 months, whereas a family home with young children and pets may require having carpet steam cleaned every 3-6 months.
Instead of traditional chemical cleaners, steam mops turn plain water into hot steam to dissolve grime, remove tough, dried-on stains and zap everyday dust and dirt with the help of washable, reusable microfiber pads, so there's nothing to toss or dispose of.
To keep the finish bright and clean, wood floors should be swept, vacuumed, or dust mopped daily, and you should clean up spills as soon as they happen. You should do a more thorough floor cleaning weekly or monthly, depending on how much use the floors get.