Although it may be tempting to deep clean your hardwood floors with a steam mop, don't. “Drastic temperature changes and moisture may warp the wood,” says Steve Stocki, manager of marketing and merchandising at Lumber Liquidators.
Floor manufacturers advise against steam cleaners. They will destroy hardwood, engineered wood, laminate, etc.
The best method for cleaning hardwood flooring is to regularly sweep or vacuum to remove dust and debris, followed by damp mopping with a hardwood floor cleaner or a mixture of water and mild detergent. Avoid using excess water and harsh chemicals, and promptly wipe up any spills to prevent damage to the wood.
Surface Type: Steam mops are generally safe and effective on hard surfaces like tile, laminate, and sealed hardwood. However, they may not be suitable for unsealed wood floors or certain types of vinyl.
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.
Hygiene. Many steam mop manufacturers claim that the heat of the steam is able to kill bacteria on the floor, saying that it's a faster and more sanitary way to clean when compared with sloshing a regular mop head around on your kitchen floor.
You should use a steam mop after you've swept or vacuumed the floor, but it typically replaces the need for a traditional wet mop. Steam mops use heat and steam to sanitize and clean the floors, which eliminates the need for a separate wet mopping session.
Hardwood floors that are not sealed or improperly sealed are highly susceptible to moisture damage. Steam is likely to seep into the interior of the wood, causing the floor to swell, warp, and even cause long-term damage. For this type of floor, we recommend using dry or wet mop cleaning method.
Final Verdict. Our top pick is the Bona Hardwood Floor Premium Spray Mop for its strong spray output, lightweight design, and impressive maneuverability.
General Care Tips with Bona
Avoid Excess Moisture: Never use a steam mop or wet-mop.
With the vast array of cleaners available today, consumers need to be aware of how to properly use their products to avoid health hazards and damaging surfaces. Murphy® Oil Soap is one natural cleaner that's effective on hardwood floors and more when used as instructed.
You can use a hardwood floor cleaner, such as Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or Bruce Hardwood and Laminate Floor Cleaner. Home Depot carries both products in 32-ounce spray bottles — $7.97 for Bona's product and $4.48 for Bruce's. The spray products deliver a mist that you can wipe away with a mop while you are standing.
The ideal mixture typically involves a mild solution of diluted vinegar with just a few drops of Dawn. This blend ensures that the cleaning power is strong enough to clean the floors without leaving any harmful residues or damaging the wood.
For a cleaning solution, you can mix a few drops of dish soap or castile soap with warm water in a bucket. Avoid using harsh detergents that will damage the floor's wood and dull its finish. You should also not use products like vinyl floor cleaner or tile cleaner.
Certain softer surfaces, such as synthetic fabrics, velvet or other delicate surfaces are also not recommended for steam cleaning. Other surfaces such as laminate floor and some plastics could potentially be damaged by the high temperature of steam.
Sealed hardwood: It's advisable to steam hardwood infrequently, if at all. If you do steam mop a sealed hardwood floor, use the lightest steam setting possible.
Bona Polish is NOT a hardwood floor cleaner. It is a cheap thin finish that you apply to your floors. Over time and repeated use the film gets thicker and it scuffs and scratches easily making the floors look unsightly. The only remedy to restore your floors is to strip the Bona Polish off.
Best Spray: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner
Using a dust mop with a microfiber pad, we removed footprints, mud, food spills and scuffs. Since it comes as a ready-to-use spray, no diluting is necessary, making for quick and easy cleanup.
Do not wet mop wood flooring. Damp is good. Dripping wet is bad. If you can ring out the mop or pad, you're working with too much water.
Avoid Using a Steam Mop on Wood
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 joints between the boards and get into the wood and warp it.
The sealing process prevents moisture from sinking into the floor. Try dropping a small amount of water onto the floor and see what happens. If the droplets bead up, that means your floor is sealed. If they spread out or absorb into the wood, then it isn't.
The short answer: Technically, yes. Steam can kill pathogens, including viruses.
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.
Slowly pass your steam cleaner over the entire surface to deep clean and revitalize your floors. When the microfiber cloth is saturated with dirt, simply toss it in your washing machine. Ta-dah! Your sealed hardwood floors will be super clean and streak-free in no time.