Road rules3 mins ago
Steam Mops - Gimmick?
32 Answers
My wife wants a steam mop, one of those X5 things.
The adverts are slick and the salespeople are glib but I think they are gimmick rubbish.
Surely if you shove steam down a pipe into a cold cloth at the end of it you end up with a hot cloth?
If so I'll stick with my bucket of hot water and a capful of bleach for the tiled floors in the house and save myself 80 quid !
The adverts are slick and the salespeople are glib but I think they are gimmick rubbish.
Surely if you shove steam down a pipe into a cold cloth at the end of it you end up with a hot cloth?
If so I'll stick with my bucket of hot water and a capful of bleach for the tiled floors in the house and save myself 80 quid !
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We don’t recommend the use of steam cleaners on hardwood. The number one rule of hardwood maintenance is never to use water. The use of a steam cleaner would clearly violate that rule. Here’s why: over time, the moisture generated from the steam would be absorbed by the floor boards. Eventually, it would cause these boards to swell in place which results in buckling. Once the board swells, it has nowhere to go and will begin to “pop up” over time. Excessive moisture could also have a detrimental impact on the finish of your hardwood floor. Keep in mind that it makes no difference whether your hardwood is of a solid or engineered construction in relation to steam cleaner use. Each structure would still be negatively impacted when excessive moisture is generated on its surface, especially after several uses. Steam cleaners are very bad for wood block flooring especially that fitted with bitumen (black) adhesive– avoid at all costs.
We don’t recommend the use of steam cleaners on hardwood. The number one rule of hardwood maintenance is never to use water. The use of a steam cleaner would clearly violate that rule. Here’s why: over time, the moisture generated from the steam would be absorbed by the floor boards. Eventually, it would cause these boards to swell in place which results in buckling. Once the board swells, it has nowhere to go and will begin to “pop up” over time. Excessive moisture could also have a detrimental impact on the finish of your hardwood floor. Keep in mind that it makes no difference whether your hardwood is of a solid or engineered construction in relation to steam cleaner use. Each structure would still be negatively impacted when excessive moisture is generated on its surface, especially after several uses. Steam cleaners are very bad for wood block flooring especially that fitted with bitumen (black) adhesive– avoid at all costs.
that's interesting ivor. I have got solid wood (plank) floors with an oiled finish and the makers recommend a specialist wet cleaning solution diluted with hot water and applied with a mop. You don't soak the floor, but the floor is definitely wetted. I don't know how else I could keep my floors clean. I do use a steam mop on it too for quick wizz overs. I have been doing this for seven years now and the floors still look like new apart from the colour change caused by wear. I have got a friend who lives in Denmark where wood floors are very common, there the standard method of cleaning is to use hot water with traditional soap flakes.
I know that where the wood is engineered or faux and where floors are secured with glue, there is an issue about the glue being softened by heat or wet.
I know that where the wood is engineered or faux and where floors are secured with glue, there is an issue about the glue being softened by heat or wet.
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