Are Steam Mops Good for Hardwood Floors?

Steam mops are very effective when it comes to deep cleaning for which it is getting really popular nowadays. One can mop floors in a very short time using a steam mop thus people are switching to steam mops. While buying a steam mop many have this common question that Are steam mops good for hardwood floors?

The answer for them is No, steam mops are not good for hardwood floors.

If you do not use steam mops in the right way while cleaning hardwood floors it can damage the floors.

So, if you don’t have enough knowledge regarding this I would highly request you to go through this whole article. So, without taking any further, let’s jump into the discussion now!

How Do Hardwood Floors Get Damaged by A Steam Mop?

Hardwood floors are made of natural wood which absorbs moisture. Steam mop makes steam from water which cleans and disinfects the floors. This steam seeps between the layers as hardwood tends to absorb it and later it weakens the wood flooring. Moreover, the steam can create small cracks and swelling in the hardwood floors.

In the first place you will not be able to notice anything with your naked eyes. However, with time you will start noticing cracks and swelling which would be too late as you will no longer be able to repair those swelling by any means. This is why we recommend not mop hardwood floors with water more than twice in a week and totally ignore steam mops in hardwood floors.

Besides that, for the temperature of steam mop hardwood floors gaps can get wider. And through the gaps more moisture seeps into the layers of hardwood floors. These can permanently damage the hardwood floors and in that case one has to change the whole flooring. And, changing the whole flooring can cost you a lot of money.

Read: Do You Need To Sweep Before Using A Steam Mop?

You can repair the floors but in the long run you will not get benefits from it. Soon you will see the gaps and cracks coming out again. Some people say steam mops are not that harmful if you use them once a week on hardwood floors. But experts do not recommend using steam mops on wood floors at all. They say it damages the wood floors internally and worsen the quality of the wood.

So, even though steam mops can clean hardwood floors a hundred times better than normal mops, it will get internally damaged day by day by a steam mop.

Right Way To Clean Hardwood Floors

The right way to clean a hardwood floor is by mopping it with a normal mop that has microfiber pad on it. Normal water or a mixture of normal water, and dishwasher soap is good enough to clean the floors. Never use any kind of chemical cleaners or vinegar to clean hardwood floors because it can permanently damage the color and gloss of the wood.

Before mopping the hardwood floors vacuum the whole flooring properly. After you are done vacuuming, take the mop and dump it into the water. Make sure the mop is not too watery, let the excess water fall off. Then gently clean the floors with the mop. After mopping with water now take a dry mop and mop the whole flooring again until it seems properly dry. Moreover, water is not good for wooden floors as it discolors and expands wood. So, if you mop the floors with water make sure you do not leave any water on the floors.

Read: Reasons to Upgrade To a Steam Mop for Sparkling Clean Floors

If you have gaps in the wooden floors be very careful while cleaning the floors. Wooden floors with time for the fluctuation of temperature create gaps. Some with time close but some stay permanently. So if your floors have gaps, make sure no water is going into the gaps. You can use wood putty or wood fillers to fill the gaps if those are not too wide. It will help a lot to secure the gaps from dirt and water. Mop your hardwood floor once a week or maximum twice if needed. Try to keep the floors as clean as possible so that you don’t have to mop and clean it frequently with water.

FAQs

1. What is the best thing to use to clean wood floors?

The best thing to use to clean wood floors is a normal mop with a microfiber pad or microfiber string. Damp the mop into normal water and gently clean the wood floors. Make sure there is no water pebble left on the floors. You can use a cleaning mixture of water and dishwashing soap as well to clean the floors but do not use any chemical cleaners. If you clean hardwood floors like this it will not cause any damage to your wood floors.

2. Is steaming floors better than mopping?

Yes, steaming floors is better than mopping but only for specific types of floors. Steaming floors not only clean the floors very effectively, it also disinfects the floors. The steam loosens spots and dirts very easily and deep cleanses floors. This is why steaming floors are considered to be better than mopping.

However, if you have wood floors or laminate floors, mopping is better as steaming these types of floors damages the floors internally. If you have tile floors or ceramic floors steaming is the best option to clean those without any doubt.

3. Do steam mops damage wood floors?

Yes, steam mops damage wood floors. Steam mops are not good for wood and laminate floors. The steam seeps under the layers which weakens the floors. Moreover, with time the floors start to crack and swell from inside. At first you will not be able to notice these but with time the cracks will get bigger and create gaps. The steam that helps to clean the floors is not good for wood floors and can leave permanent damage.

4. Do steam mops really clean floors?

Yes, steam mops are really effective in cleaning floors. It deeply cleans the floors without any chemical cleaners. The steam helps to lose dirt or spots that are hard to get rid of from the floors easily. You don’t have to put too much effort to clean spots because the steam does it all. Besides cleaning it also helps to disinfect the floors. So, we can say steam mop is an all in one machine that really cleans the floors in an effective way. Professional cleaners highly recommend steam mops when it comes to deep cleaning.

Conclusion…

I hope after reading this whole article now you have the answer to Are steam cleaners good for hardwood floors?You also got to know why steam mop is not good for wood floors and how it damages the hardwood floors. So, if you have hardwood floors in your house do not use a steam mop for the cleaning purpose.

If you want to deep clean hardwood floors there are many more methods rather than using a steam mop. Even if someone recommends you to use one, do not use it because later you will really regret your decision.