Are Steam Mops Safe To Use On Hardwood Floors

Though durable on the surface engineered hardwoods are bonded using adhesives and the steam cleaning can affect the quality of those adhesives.

Are steam mops safe to use on hardwood floors.

The fact is there s no such thing as a completely sealed wood or laminate floor. Avoid using a steam mop on wood. But ultimately it s not a good idea to use a steam mop on hardwood and you should be careful using a mop on laminate. But don t use steam mops on hardwood floors that aren t sealed.

This can cause damage warping bending and rot. However even hairline gaps between boards are not bridged by the. If your wood flooring has a surface penetrating floor sealer use a damp cloth rather than a mop. Some of these now look remarkably like real wood floors and just like vinyl floors it is perfectly safe to use steam mops of these types of floors.

Drastic temperature changes and moisture may warp the wood says steve stocki manager of marketing and merchandising at lumber liquidators. Most hardwood flooring will come with a manufacturer s or a retailer s warranty. Be careful using a steam mop on other types of flooring even for non wood flooring you need to. Mop manufacturers claim the mops are safe to use on a variety of flooring.

Alternatives to the steam mop to clean hardwood floors. Avoid using steam mops on engineered hardwood floors. Moisture can seep between the layers weakening the bond and permanently damaging the floors. In fact the steam mop comes into its own on these types of floors.

While researching the use of steam mops on hardwood floors i came across article after article that cautioned against using a steam mop on hardwood floors. Most hardwood floors are finished with polyurethane a moisture resistant finish. Using steam can void the flooring s warranty. If your floor is sealed you can clean it with steam at medium or low settings.

It s common for steam mop manufacturers to warn against using steam mops on unsealed floors a vague direction. The short answer is yes you can use steam mops on hardwood floors. Steam exposes your wood floors to extreme heat and water. Although it may be tempting to deep clean your hardwood floors with a steam mop don t.