Can You Use A Steam Mop On Sealed Hardwood Floors?

Are you tired of carrying huge buckets of water around your home whenever you mop your floors? You can avoid this situation and save your time and energy by using a steam mop to clean your floors, which has an inbuilt water tanker that converts water into steam. This steam then loosens any dirt and grime and also disinfects your floors by removing harmful germs and bacteria. When you use a steam mop, you only need water and thus will not have to rely on chemical cleaning solutions to mop your floors. Even professional end of lease cleaning Adelaide services recommend using steam mops for your floors, as this steam is perfect for swiftly shining up your floors and removing harmful pathogens. However, if you have hardwood floors, you must be more cautious with steam mops, as the steam can create moisture on unsealed wooden surfaces and damage the flooring. Thus, using the tips below, you must understand how to use steam mops on your hardwood floors properly and always check the sealing first.

How Does Steam Cleaning Work

It is important first to see what steam mop cleaning is to understand the process better. In a steam mop, you will have a water filter where you have to fill the water and then attach a mop cloth to the mop head. Next, plug in the steam cleaner and let the water tank heat the water to about 121 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the water will turn into steam and enter your steam mop head, and then you can move this all over your floor to loosen and remove household dust mites and kill germs and bacteria.

Benefits Of Using A Steam Mop

There are many benefits when using a steam mop to clean your floors, such as: 1. Removes 99.9% Of Germs And Pathogens Steam mops are powerful enough to remove 99.9% of germs in your home, as the steam vapour can easily attack and kill these harmful organisms. 2. Provides An Eco-Friendly Way To Clean Your Floors In a steam mop, you are using only steam vapour at 121 degrees Celsius to clean your floors, and thus you do not need any chemicals. This will reduce the number of chemical solutions in your home and the environment. 3. Disposable Microfibre Pads Are Easy To Clean And Reuse The best part about these steam mops is that you can easily replace the microfiber pad and clean it in your laundry machine. You won’t even have to touch the dirty mop as you can release it with a button. Looking at the benefits of a steam mop, it is easy to see why it is fast becoming a popular cleaning tool for your home. But you should read below if you have hardwood floors and wonder whether the steam will affect the wood.

Are Steam Mops Safe For Sealed Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are absorbent materials that easily get split, rotten, twisted and warped with liquids. Due to the delicate nature of this hardwood floor, you must use steam mops with caution when cleaning these types of floors. If you have sealed hardwood floors, end-of-lease cleaning services in Adelaide recommend that you should test the seal of the product in the following ways:

Start by pouring water on the floor tile and observe it.

If the water beads up and stays in one place, the floor is sealed properly and intact.

However, if the water starts spreading and settling in the seams and edges of the floor, the seal is not intact.

When the seal is not intact, you must reapply polyurethane or varnish sealing on your hardwood floors before cleaning it with a steam mop. If you have unsealed hardwood floors, end-of-lease cleaners Adelaide advise against using steam mops as the steam can collect and condense into moisture which will lead to:

Twisting the wood out of shape

Expanding panels that do not fit

Raised edges that could cause injuries

Rotting and decaying of the wood

Besides unsealed hardwood flooring, you must never use steam mops for cleaning timber floors as well.

How To Use Steam Mops On Sealed Hardwood Floors

Therefore, it is highly recommended that you avoid using steam mops for unsealed hardwood floors and if it is sealed, you must use them cautiously. If you are using a steam mop to clean sealed hardwood floors, end-of-lease cleaners Adelaide suggest you take the following steps:

Ensure you don’t overuse the steam mop in one area, as this can lead to patches of moisture that will also attract mould in your home.

Look for steam mops that are designed for sealed hardwood floors.

These special steam mops use less moisture to clean your floors and absorb the steam as soon as the floors are clean.

It is important to vacuum your floors to remove dirt and grime before you steam clean the area so that you can use the steam mop for a shorter period of time.

End-of-lease cleaning Adelaide services advise that you check the warranty of your sealed hardwood flooring. This warranty protects and replaces your flooring in case of any structural damage. However, some acts are not covered under this warranty. Therefore you must check with your manufacturer to see if any damage caused by steam cleaning is covered under your warranty before using a steam mop. Tip You can also use steam mops to clean marble and granite floors.

Wrapping Up

Steam mops are effective cleaning tools that sanitise and clean your floors without chemicals. But when it comes to sealed hardwood floors, they must be used cautiously as the steam can enter the cracks and create moisture which will weaken the structure of the floors. Therefore it is best to use steam mops as little as possible on sealed hardwood floors and allow your end-of-lease cleaners Adelaide to clean your sealed hardwood floors and keep their structure intact.