Can You Steam Clean Wood Floors

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.

Can you steam clean wood floors.

Most of these sites swear that a dry cloth is the only way to clean hardwood flooring. Or use any kind of water to clean them in fact. That s true whether you have solid or engineered wood floors and for bamboo too. Today there are a number of companies that believe it is a good idea to steam clean hardwood floors with the use of their manufactured steam cleaners.

From rain mud snow and salt to leaves dirt and more seasonal changes come with a variety of factors that can dull your hardwood floor. Hardwood is naturally a very absorbent material and exposure to water can cause it to plump warp twist and mold. A steam cleaner by its very nature uses water heated to a very hot vapor to clean and disinfect the surface of a floor. Sealed hardwood floors can withstand the moisture and heat from a steam mop and they clean really nicely with a streak free finish.

However avoid using a steam mop on unsealed hardwoods as they re more vulnerable and easily damaged by excessive moisture. It takes just a little effort to maintain hardwood floors and keep them looking great starting with getting into a cleaning and maintenance routine. Some steam mop manufacturers such as shark and bissell may say you can use it on a sealed hardwood floor but. 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.

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. Steam mopping can be a fast and easy way to clean your wood floors but you have to be careful and consider the risks. Some wood floor warranties may become null and void if you use steam cleaner against the manufacture s recommendation.