Most of these sites swear that a dry cloth is the only way to clean hardwood flooring.
Can i steam mop hardwood floors.
Steam mop with a vacuum option.
You ll need a thick absorbent microfiber pad to ensure that you leave the surface dry to avoid damage.
You see them everywhere lately steam cleaning mops.
There are no major hardwood providers who recommend the use of these products on their materials.
Steam works perfectly on wood floors as long as you know how to use it.
Steam mops have been known to remove the topcoat of wax and the finish on wood floors.
The fact is there s no such thing as a completely sealed wood or laminate floor.
Cleaning hardwood floors is not a difficult task.
Many consumers have had problems with steam mops where they strip new hardwood floors right down to the bare wood.
However even hairline gaps between boards are not bridged by the finish thus leaving the wood exposed to moisture and especially steam.
However avoid using a steam mop on unsealed hardwoods as they re more vulnerable and easily damaged by excessive moisture.
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.
Among the many types you may find these two below are the ones that fit for your hardwood floor cleaning chores.
From wood floor doctor.
This is obviously a problem because it will require sanding and polyurethaning the floor.
Or use any kind of water to clean them in fact.
Some steam mop manufacturers such as shark and bissell may say you can use it on a sealed hardwood floor but stocki recommends against it because moisture could still possibly force itself into.
The short answer is yes you can use a steam mop on hardwood floors the real question is should you use a steam mop on your hardwood floors.
Certain mops have a vacuum built.
The more i researched the more i realized that most of the websites claiming you can t use a steam mop on hardwood floors also claimed you should never mop hardwood floors.
Solid hardwood floors sealed hardwood floors can withstand the moisture and heat from a steam mop and they clean really nicely with a streak free finish.
Most hardwood floors are finished with polyurethane a moisture resistant finish.
The steam from the mop would penetrate the wood the wood will absorb the water from the steam and then the wood will warp distort and discolour.
It s common for steam mop manufacturers to warn against using steam mops on unsealed floors a vague direction.
Not only they wipe out germs but also root out the insects and pests.
They are the latest craze in cleaning gadgets and as their popularity grows so does the variety of brands and price ranges.
But despite the existence of these machines and the claims their manufacturers make all of the major wood flooring associations agree that steam cleaning devices should not be used on any hardwood flooring surface.