Should You Buy A Steam Mop?

Have you have seen the infomercials shouting the benefits of owning a steam mop? Does your sister in law or neighbor keep boasting that she is able to clean her house in half the time thanks to her new steam mop? Is someone in your household allergic to chemically based cleaners? Or are just tired of dragging out the mop and bucket every time it rains or snows, and want to find an easier, faster alternative?

There are several makes and models of steamer mops on the store shelves. And although there are some differences, they all do basically the same thing. They clean hard floor surfaces using steam instead of soap and other cleaners.

They can be used on several types of flooring, including ceramic tile, linoleum, and sealed wood flooring. Some even have an add-on accessory which can be used on carpet. They should not EVER be used on unsealed wood floors. The steam can also be harmful to no-wax floors. Although they can be used on linoleum and similar surfaces, the steam could also have an harmful effect on the glue used to adhere these types of flooring to the surface below them.

If you are worried about the safety of using a steam mop on your flooring, there are a couple of things you can try. First, you may want to contact your flooring manufacturer or retail store and ask. Secondly, you can test the machine on a small area that is in a low visibility area.

To use your steam mop, you need to read the detailed instruction booklet that comes with it. But, to give you a brief overview of how they work, here are the basic steps:

1. Fill the water tank with either tap or distilled water. Most manufacturers recommend that you use distilled water if your water is hard. 

2. Attach the cleaning pad to the bottom of the machine. Most models use machine washable, reusable cleaning pads. But some have disposable pads that can be thrown out after use.

3. Make sure your hands are dry. Plug in the machine and give it time to heat. For most brands, this takes approximately thirty to thirty five seconds.

4. Start the steaming process. Some models are trigger driven, while others use a pumping motion on the handle.

5. Slide the mop head across the floor, adding more steam as necessary. To sanitize, read the manufacturer's directions. Most suggest that you leave the unit in place for a set amount of time (for example, 10-15 seconds) for sanitizing.

6. When you have finished, turn off the machine and unplug it. You also need to do this any time you need to refill the water tank or replace the cleaning pad. Be sure to give the machine time to cool before you open the reservoir or touch the cleaning pad.

7. To store the machine, read the instructions. Most recommend emptying the water tank, removing the cleaning pad, and carefully wrapping the outlet cord.

As you can see, using a steam mop is a fairly easy process. You can achieve similar results to using a mop and bucket, but with much less hassle and effort.