Can You Use a Steam Mop on Hardwood Floors? [Expert’s Tips and Guide]

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Nowadays, hardwood floors are more popular compared to any other flooring type. Whether your house is old or, new wooden floors provide an eternal pattern.

This may also add value, timeless style, and organic beauty to your house. A well maintained floor may last for decades.

One type of wooden floors is an engineered hardwood floor which is made up of multiple layers of wood. The top layer is made up of solid wood, while the other layers include different materials like plywood.

Some of the other distinguishing factors that make engineered hardwood floor more famous than other floorings are durability, versatility, and sustainability.

Every phase of life comes with new messes, and the same goes for this floor too when it comes to cleaning.

No need to worry about!

All you have to do is make your habit of regular cleaning, and that’s all. In spite of this, cleaning of engineered hardwood floor is a sensitive issue among home-owners.

There are numerous methods to clean and disinfect floors, and among them, a steam mop is the best way to get rid of germs and viruses. It delivers a neat and tidy surface with the help of its hot and pressurized steam.

 

Can You Use a Steam Mop for Cleaning Wooden Floors?

Steam Mop on Engineered Hardwood FloorVariety of top quality steam cleaners and steam mops are available for this purpose. Some of them claim that they are mostly made for cleaning hardwood floors.

The fact is, hardwood is an absorbent material. If exposed to water, steam gets in through the cracks and crevices. And it may plump up and cause damages like porous and growth of mold.

However, the engineered floor can withstand humid conditions with little contractions and expansion. As we stated earlier, it is designed with extra layers of plywood for stability and support. That’s why it’s famous for the bathroom and kitchen.

Sealed and Unsealed Hardwood Floor Before diving-in to clean the wooden floor, you must take care of the following things:

  • Before using a steam mop on floors, check your floor type, whether it is sealed or unsealed hardwood flooring. If it is unsealed, then hot and pressurized steam can deface the surface.
  • Using excessive water or steam may damage a wood floor. Don’t forget to check the steam intensity level while cleaning, because high-level steam can decrease the floor luster.

Best Way to Clean Engineered Hardwood Floors

An engineered hardwood floor can handle more moisture than a solid hardwood floor, but it’s a fact surplus use of water can damage it.

So, the best way to clean an engineered wooden floor is to use a machine that can wipe out the entire water residue. Some steam mop comes with the drying feature that soaks up the water that is left behind.

Recommendation: For high traffic areas use a steam mop once a week, rather than daily. Or twice a month for low traffic places.

Commercial Products

You can also buy engineered hardwood floor cleaner products that are specially made for cleaning engineered wood floors. It’s recommended not to use tile and grout, laminate, and other cleaning products on engineered wooden floor.

Damp Mop

Damp Mopping to Clean Hardwood FloorDamp mopping is the way followed by experts to clean hardwood floors. Steam cleaning is the effective method of day to day cleaning. Make sure that your mop is not drenched with water, and it should be slightly wet.

Note: Never apply the cleaners directly on the floor, it’s recommended to use a damp mop or rag for this purpose.

Dry Microfiber Mop

Dirt and debris are more visible on the engineered wood floor as compared to other floors. For this purpose, use a vacuum cleaner or dry microfiber pad to pick up all the dirt and dust from the floor.

Tips for Cleaning Engineered Hardwood Floor

  1. Clean up all dirt and debris with soft bristle broom OR use a vacuum that is without rotating bristle bar
  2. Use Microfiber dry mop to ensure that you’ve spotless surface
  3. Make use of traditional mop that is slightly wet
  4. Don’t forget to place doormats at the entrance of every high traffic areas
  5. Don’t use cleaning products without recommendation. Make sure what type of flooring you have, then buy a liquid cleaner
  6. Protect from dents and dog scratches on wood floor
  7. Never use harsh chemicals like ammonia
  8. Protect your beautiful engineered hardwood floor from exposure of Ultraviolet Light. It can fade, crack, and degrade the flooring material.

Conclusion

Engineered hardwood floors consider a long-term investment. Every type of flooring needs care and regular cleaning to look great for long. Use the recommended devices and products to clean and sanitize your Engineered Hardwood Floor. Make sure to read and follow the instructions thoroughly. Make certain, not to use a steam cleaner or extremely wet mop on the floor. It will damage your floor

Andrews

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