How to Clean Floors Efficiently With a Steam Mop

How to Wash a Floor With a Steam Mop

1. Sweep and Vacuum

   It's imperative that you vacuum the floor before steaming. You could alternatively sweep if you don't have a vacuum. But good suction power will pull lint, dust, and other surface debris from the cracks, preventing them from dirtying the mop pad. Once vacuumed, your floor is ready to steam mop.

   There are several dual-function sweeper/steam mop tools on the market. They can be very handy and work reasonably well when it comes to cleaning up small messes or areas without getting the vacuum cleaner out. But before steam-mopping the entire floor, a vacuum gets a lot more dirt off the ground. That means less dirt on the mop pad, so a cleaner steaming.

2. Prepare the Pads

   To avoid trailing or smearing dirt around as you steam your floors, have several mop pads on hand so you can change them as required.

   Steam mop pads are reasonably priced, generally wash up nicely in the washer, and can be hung to dry. Read your product manual to confirm care instructions for your steam mop and accessories. Changing the pad whenever it becomes dirty ensures a clean steam mopping.

3. Evaluate the Floor Surface

   This is not an efficiency issue but one of general floor care. Steam mops should only be used on sealed floors because excess moisture can damage some surfaces. Also, you should never leave one plugged in and unattended while you do something else. Moisture can accumulate in the pad and could mar the floor surface.

   Steam cleaners are generally safe to use on any type of linoleum floor, ceramic or porcelain tile, and on some forms of hardwood and laminate flooring. Steam mops are not appropriate for many types of luxury vinyl planks due to the possibility of steam getting through the joints. Also, high-temperature steam can damage vinyl by causing it to melt, bubble, and discolor. Make sure to consult the flooring manufacturer for any warnings regarding steam cleaning.

   Some laminate flooring marketed as water-resistant can be fine for steam cleaning while other products might carry a warning against it. Steam cleaners might drive steam down through joints between laminate planks and can damage the core layer. Water-resistant laminates are typically made with special waterproof resins in the core layer, and these floors might accept steam cleaning just fine.

   Manufacturers of steam cleaners often make claims about the devices being safe for use on wood floors, but this is debatable at best. While a properly sealed wood floor might 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.

4. Steam Clean the Floor

   Once you have verified that the floor surface is safe, go ahead and wash the floor with your steam cleaner. Attach a mop pad to the foot of the steam cleaner, fill the water reservoir, and power it up according to manufacturer's instructions. Keep the steam mop moving constantly as you wash, and don't allow it to idle on any given spot.

   Change the pad as it grows dirty, as you don't want to simply spread dirt around the floor. For thorough cleaning, you might want to make multiple light passes over the entire floor.

5. Wash the Pads

   Your steam cleaner likely came with recommendations on how to launder the pads. But generally, it works fine to simply machine-wash them with other whites, and then hang them up to dry. This works especially well on microfiber pads. Keep a good supply of clean pads, so you are ready to go the next time you wash floors.