How To Steam Clean Wooden Floors

As you clean mop with the grain of the floor for the best result.

How to steam clean wooden floors.

Dip the bottom quarter of your mop into the water. However for a deeper clean that takes care of allergens bacteria and more a heavy duty steam cleaning every once in a while is the perfect solution for heavy cleaning of wooden floors. Regularly dust and clean your hardwood floor to keep it looking like new. Although it may be tempting to deep clean your hardwood floors with a steam mop don t.

On a week to week basis hardwood floors stay looking clean and beautiful with just regular vacuuming and a quick mopping with a homemade wood floor cleaner. Never use a steam cleaner on your engineered hardwood floor. Do not clean your untreated floors with the traditional bucket of. Manufacturers of steam cleaners often make claims about the devices being safe for use on wood floors but this is debatable at best.

The problem with cleaning untreated floorboards is the risk of everyday products and methods that can cause damage to the raw wood so here are three categories do not do s do with caution s and do regularly s to help you get the most out of your floor. The premise is that despite mop manufacturer claims the steam from the mop moves through cracks in the floor more easily than water which penetrates below the sealer and the moisture can cause the hardwood to warp buckle. 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. Drastic temperature changes and moisture may warp the wood says steve stocki manager of marketing.

While a properly sealed wood floor may accept light steam cleaning most wood floor manufacturers caution against the use of any cleaning methods that rely on water or steam which can discolor or warp wood. The steam can damage the wood surface by forcing water into the veneer and the top layer of hardwood. Here are steps on how to steam clean hardwood floors correctly. Avoid using water and vinegar soap based cleaners wax or steam cleaners on your hardwood floor.

Rinse and wring the mop as many times as necessary. Knowing how to use a steam cleaner on your floor is important and a way of preventing damages to your wood. A good idea is to start in the furthest corner from your door so you don t walk over where you ve cleaned. 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.

Wring out any excess water so your floor doesn t get too wet. Over time vinegar and water will dull the floor s finish while soap or wax will leave a residue.