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How to Steam Clean Wood Floors?

Steam cleaners for your wood floors are great cleaning tools that can make cleaning, sanitizing, and maintaining your wood floors easy and hassle-free.

They use the power of hot steam to clean and sanitize, and do not require the use of any harsh chemicals or sprays. In the following article, we will be going over how to use these cleaning tools to steam clean your floors, as well as some considerations to be aware of.

how to steam clean wood floors


Steps by steps for steam cleaning your wood floorings

In this section, we will be listing the steps to easily and effectively clean and sanitize your wood floors. Please keep in mind that when you are using any type of water to clean wood flooring, it is important to make sure that the surface is completely dry and free of moisture afterward.

Wood floors are especially prone to water damage, and when using a steam cleaner, you will want to find one that has a cotton pad to dry the area completely. Here are the necessary steps to clean your wood floors with a steam cleaner:

1. Vacuum or sweep the floors

Before you can begin to clean and sanitize your wood floors, you will need to remove the surface dirt and debris with either a vacuum or a broom. This will make it easier to clean the rest of the floor and will save on the amount of use on the steamer’s cotton pad.

2. Pre-heat the steamer

Fill the water tank in your steamer and allow the necessary amount of time before you start to use it on your wood floors. This will vary by model but generally won’t take longer than a few minutes.

During this step, you can add all-natural additives to the water tank for extra cleaning and fragrance, such as vinegar.

3. Start steam cleaning the floor

You are now ready to begin steaming your floor.

  • To begin, you will want to start at one end of the room and make your way towards the opposite side.
  • Once you have your starting point determined, you can begin to release the steam from the mop.
  • Evenly disperse this on the surface area in front of you, and use the cotton pad on the steamer to wipe up the residual moisture.

4. Keep an eye on the water tank and cleaning pad

While you are cleaning your wood floors, make sure to keep an eye on both your water tank and the cleaning pad on the head of your steam mop.

You may need to refill the water in the tank and allow it to warm up depending on the size and dirt level of the room that you are cleaning. The same will go for the cleaning pad; if it becomes too dirty, it won’t be as effective at cleaning the floor.


Considerations

Before you begin to steam clean your hardwood floors, you may want to double-check that the floors have been sealed properly beforehand. This will prevent any excess moisture from seeping down in between and under the boards, which can lead to water damage and bacteria growth.

Additionally, you will also want to make sure that you have all the necessary supplies before starting the cleaning process. That can include: cleaning pads, additives for your steamer, and if the steam cleaner is cordless, check to ensure that the battery is fully charged.


Are steam cleaners safe for wood floors?

Steam cleaners are safe to use on any hard flooring material, including hardwood floors.

Generally, you will want to be careful with using moisture to clean hardwood flooring, as it can damage the integrity and get stuck underneath the flooring. That said, even though steam cleaners use water they are completely safe, due to the design of these cleaning products.

Like with any method of cleaning hardwood floors, it is important that the flooring is sealed properly first. This is because of how porous and absorbing hardwood flooring can be; any excess moisture can lead to damage and growth of bacteria.

how to steam clean hardwood floor

With steam cleaners, this is not a cause for concern because of how hot the steam can get, which will evaporate before it can get trapped in the hardwood flooring.

The design of steam cleaners features a cotton pad that absorbs any excess moisture while cleaning and sanitizing the floors.

However, it is important to know how much steam should be applied. Even though steam is not harmful to hardwood flooring, it is important to not saturate the flooring too much.

A good rule of thumb is that after applying the steam and using the mop head, there should be no excess moisture left behind. Additionally, to avoid oversaturation it is recommended to work section by section; instead of spraying the whole floor.

Additives can be added to the water tank as well, such as vinegar. This will help to keep the floor cleaned without using too much moisture. Natural additives will not harm the integrity of your flooring, and this is a great way to apply sealants as well.


Benefits of steam cleaning hardwood floors

There are multiple benefits to steam cleaning your hardwood floors, especially if you are wanting to sanitize them without the use of chemicals or sprays.

They use the power of steam to clean and sanitize; this makes them a budget-friendly and effective method of cleaning.

Some other benefits to using steam to clean and sanitize your hardwood floors include:

1. They are the best floor cleaners

There are no better floor cleaners around for hardwood floors than steam cleaners. They are capable of removing up to 99.9% of bacteria, allergens, and germs from your flooring and other surfaces.

By using the power of steam, these cleaners will leave your hardwood floor looking and feeling brand new again, every time that you use them to clean and sanitize.

2. Free of chemicals and environmentally friendly

As we went over above, hardwood steam cleaners are great for cleaning and sanitizing your hardwood floors. Because they do not use chemicals, they are better options for your hardwood floors, to prevent any damage.

They are among the only floor cleaners on the market that can remove as many germs as allergens as they do without utilizing any type of chemicals or sprays. This makes them not only cost-effective but incredibly friendly for the environment.

By using superheated steam, they can release dirt and grime from your hardwood floor while allowing you to pick it up with ease.

Many will also have some sort of suction to remove the dirt that is in the grooves of your hardwood floors.

3. Your wood floors will last longer

By using a steam cleaner that is designed for hardwood flooring regularly, you will be able to extend the lifespan of your floors.

This is because they are gentle cleaning tools that are also incredibly effective. They don’t use cleaning solutions that can degrade the hardwood over time, and won’t mess with the integrity of the floor sealant.


What is the best steam cleaner for hardwood floors?

There are many different types of models and manufacturers of steam cleaners on the market. Choosing the best steam cleaner for wood floors will be dependent upon your specific needs and what you are looking for.

While these features may not all be necessary for your specific needs and situation, it is still worth keeping in mind.

There are some features to keep in mind and look out for before making the final purchase decision, such as:

  • Included accessories

If you are paying for the best wood floor steam cleaner on the market, you will want to make sure that it comes with all the bells and whistles. Accessories are not only nice to have for the rest of your home, but they will help with cleaning your hardwood floors as well.

Helpful accessories for steam cleaning hardwood floors to look out for can include scrubbing brushes and absorbent accessories. This will help to reduce the amount of moisture that is left over when you are using the steam cleaner on your hardwood floors.

This is especially useful for hardwood floors, as you will want to be careful not to leave any excess moisture.

  • Vacuum and steam cleaner combos

There are models on the market that are specifically designed for hardwood floors that will feature both a steam cleaner and a vacuum.

This is the best option that you can hope for, as it will remove the need to vacuum separately and will suction up any additional moisture that traditional steamer mops can leave behind.

These will have dual tanks for wet and dry messes, and are great cleaning tools to keep on hand, as they can be used for any flooring type; and are the best for cleaning and sanitizing hardwood floors.

  • Large water tank

A larger water tank equates to less time spent refilling the tank while in use, which means less time using the steam cleaner to get your wood floors cleaned.

Many steamers that are designed for hardwood floors will have a larger water tank, especially the higher-end models.

It may cost a little more, but it is well worth it to have this feature for your hardwood floor steam cleaner.

Additionally, if the steamer comes with a measuring cup for easy filling of the tank, this is plus.

  • Short preheating time

When you are using a steam cleaner, reducing the amount of time needed to preheat the water and convert it into steam will allow you to clean faster.

This also goes along with having a larger capacity water tank, as if you only have to heat the water once per cleaning you will be able to get on with your day sooner.

  • Moisture absorbing pads

Because of the nature of this type of flooring, you will want to make sure that there is no excess moisture left behind.

These pads are generally made from cotton or microfiber and are reusable; with some being capable of washing multiple times.


Conclusion

We hope this article was helpful, and that after reading through the information listed above, you can clean and sanitize your hardwood floors with ease.

Steaming is a great way to get a deep clean for wood flooring, and it will keep them looking almost new for a long time. Additionally, routine deep cleaning will add to the overall lifespan of most wood floors.

You may also need:

>> Best selling hard floor steam cleaners on the market

>> Reviews and guide of buying a floor steam cleaner for tiles