Can You Steam Clean Wood Floors

Steam mopping can be a fast and easy way to clean your wood floors but you have to be careful and consider the risks.

Can you steam clean wood floors.

Can you use a steam mop on engineered hardwood flooring. 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. Most of these sites swear that a dry cloth is the only way to clean hardwood flooring. Cleaning your hardwood floor isn t a one and done deal.

That s true whether you have solid or engineered wood floors and for bamboo too. Some wood floor warranties may become null and void if you use steam cleaner against the manufacture s recommendation. Hardwood is naturally a very absorbent material and exposure to water can cause it to plump warp twist and mold. Sealed hardwood floors can withstand the moisture and heat from a steam mop and they clean really nicely with a streak free finish.

I personally feel that steam cleaners are a great way to clean wood floors in busy households with kids and pets where the floor really gets a lot of traffic but often unnecessary in homes that tend to stay pretty clean. Some steam mop manufacturers such as shark and bissell may say you can use it on a sealed hardwood floor but. Or use any kind of water to clean them in fact. Engineered hardwood flooring is manufactured by taking a thin slice of hardwood and adhering it to a filler backing such as a high quality plywood.

It takes just a little effort to maintain hardwood floors and keep them looking great starting with getting into a cleaning and maintenance routine. However avoid using a steam mop on unsealed hardwoods as they re more vulnerable and easily damaged by excessive moisture. A steam cleaner by its very nature uses water heated to a very hot vapor to clean and disinfect the surface of a floor.