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.
Prepare and Assess the Floor Surface
You may need to sweep or use a vacuum cleaner to remove surface debris; otherwise, the steaming process will simply push the dirt around. Once the floor is clean, you'll need to assess the condition of the surface. If it's in good condition, you can proceed with steaming.
Avoid Using Too Much Soap
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.
It's best to sweep, vacuum, and mop your floors to remove any dirt and dust that has collected on nearly all floors types, says Leanne Stapf, COO of The Cleaning Authority.
There are four major steps in the maintenance process: Stripping, Scrubbing and Cleaning, Buffing and Polishing, and Burnishing.
Avoid Hardwood and Laminate Floors
It's common for steam-mop manufacturers to warn against using steam mops on "unsealed" floors, a vague direction.
Unsealed Floors
While there are plenty of uses for a steam cleaner, the first rule of thumb to follow is that you should not use yours on unsealed flooring. Too much moisture can cause unsealed wood flooring to warp. Unglazed tile is very porous, which makes it similarly unsuitable for steam cleaning.
Prepping the floor is key: Steam mops work best if all loose dirt and grit are removed. For best results, sweep or vacuum before you begin. A steam mop is for maintenance cleaning: If your floors are heavily soiled, you will be smearing dirt all over the floor with hot steam.
Before steaming, most experts recommend a light cleanse. Cleansing before steaming aids in the removal of any remaining dead skin cells. Since the pores may dilate with heat, this avoids further clogging. However, if you don't also cleanse your face after the procedure, those dead cells may clog your pores once more.
While not perfect, they probably do remove stains better than a mop and bucket. And while they can be good at removing new stains, don't expect them to instantly lift years of longstanding dirt.
Using the best steam mop for your floors will deep clean and sanitize up to 99.9% of household bacteria—all with just steam! Steam mops work by heating up water to produce steam (most mops heat water to a temperature between 200 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit).
Downsides of Steam Floor Cleaners
Handheld steam cleaners are almost always more expensive than regular mops. They also run on batteries or require electric power which means the cost will further add up in the long run. On the positive side, these devices do cut down your cost of cleaning supplies and products.
Anything that can be damaged due to heat exposure, such as water-based paint and cardboard. Porous surfaces, such as stucco, brick, and marble. Large industrial spaces and food plants. Large areas of carpet.
Turn on The Fans
It will make for a cooler, more concentrated funnel of air that can dry your carpet out quicker. The constantly circulating air will also leave a fresher, cleaner smell to the carpet. If you haven't got a ceiling fan, stand fans or desk fans are viable alternatives.
The short answer is no.
None of the laminate flooring manufacturers recommend using a steam mop on laminate surfaces. The moisture released from the steam mop can loosen the layers of the laminate, making it tougher to use and potentially damaging your floor.
Mold tends to die at a temperature between 150 degrees and 364 degrees Fahrenheit. Steam cleaning can effectively kill the mold spores from a surface, but steam should not be used on a non-porous surface as the steam can absorb the qualities of porous materials.
Steam mopping can be a great option for title flooring and be completely safe, but we do not recommend you use a steam mop on your hardwood. No matter the type of hardwood flooring you have in your home, it should not undergo a steam cleaning because it can be easily damaged by excessive moisture and the wood may warp.
An important cleaning tip for cleaning vinyl plank floors? Whatever you do, do not use steam mops. Steam cleaning is tempting because of its reputation for sanitizing. But the hot steam can penetrate the layers of your vinyl and cause them to bend and warp as well as loosen the glue that holds them together.
Sweep or vacuum, then mop. Since wood can warp if exposed to too much water, we recommend mixing 1 teaspoon of castile soap into a 24-ounce spray bottle of hot water, then adding 10 drops of lemon or rosemary essential oil. Lightly spritz the floor and wipe it with a microfiber mop.
Dry the Floor or Use a Dry Mop Method
If you use a bucket of cleaner it is a good idea to rinse and dry the floor to be extra sure all of the soap residue is off and not hanging around too long to create a film.