best mop to wash hardwood floors
One of the reasons people love engineered flooring, is that its easy to care for! With proper cleaning and maintenance, your engineered wood floor should provide many years of high quality luster, and durability to your home. Not to mention, if you decide to sell your home, engineered hardwood floors go a long way in helping people decide to buy your home.Wood surfaces, even those protected by a rugged coat of polyurethane or other finish, need to be cleaned on a regular basis. Dirt and sand on the surface will act like sand paper, dulling or removing the finish. Liquids spilled on the floor, and not attended to quickly, can lead to damaged wood and staining.This guide to engineered flooring gives you an overview of what it takes to keep engineered hardwood looking great for many years. You’ll get the most from your investment with consistent floor care and maintenance. To learn more about other aspects of engineered flooring, see our engineered floor buying guide, or price and installation guides.
If excess water remains on the floor after cleaning, use a towel to dry it.
quick way to clean blindsFor tough spots, use the manufacturer-recommended cleaner and use it as instructed. In fact, most manufacturers make cleaning kits for use with their flooring.What you DON’T use is as important as what you do use.You’ve got two options when buying engineered flooring – material that can be refinished and that which must be replaced when worn. The thickness of the wear layer – the top layer of solid wood – will determine whether or not it can be refinished. Of course, the cost of engineered flooring is also effected by the type you choose.Some thicker flooring, usually ¾”, can be refinished more than once, significantly extending its useful life. If so, you’ll get up to 80 years of wear from it, possibly more. Thinner materials, often just 3/8”, may have a wear layer that is too thin to be refinished and will give you 10-15 years of wear.
How heavy the traffic is on the flooring and how well you care for it will have a lot to do with how long it lasts.The different thicknesses give you options. You can make your decision based on how long you intend to live in your current home or use the building if it is a commercial setting. Here are the most common questions related to the care and cleaning of hardwood flooring.Q: How to clean engineered hard wood floors without using a damp mop? A: We’ve found the best way to clean engineered hardwood floors is to avoid using water all together. There are some great microfiber floor mops that will take up dust and light dirt just as well as a damp mop.Q: How often should I be cleaning engineered hard wood floors? A:The short answer is as often as is needed, but like hoovering carpet, once a week is usually a good idea.Q: What’s the best way to keep dirt off of engineered flooring? A: Place a mat at each entryway for foot-wiping or encourage people in your household to take off their shoes when entering your home.
Q: What kind of mat is best? A: Choose a mat that DOES NOT have a rubber backing. The rubber can trap moisture underneath it that might harm your flooring.Q: Is there anything special that should be done in winter? A: Place a mat outside with tough bristles on, so snow and ice can be removed from the treads. Then, do not leave shoes or boots directly on the wood surface in case snow or ice melts from them onto the floor. A plastic shoe tray works well, but be careful to dry any moisture that might get beneath it.Q: Should engineered floors be waxed? A: It depends on the finish. Most look better with a fresh coat of quality wax. Consult the manufacturer or the installer of the engineered flooring first.Q: Is refinishing engineered hardwood a DIY project? A: It can be, but you should have very good skills to consider doing it.When it comes to hardwood floors, it is imperative to have them cleaned without damaging the wood, or ending up with dull floors.Chemicals can do more harm than good, and if you don't have the correct steam mop for hardwood floors, they could either warp from too much moisture, or end up with a streaky finish if the incorrect pad is used.
You don't have this problem (with laminate or tile floors, and so its often overlooked)A steam cleaner made for hardwood floors will make sure that you have nothing but clean, sanitized, floors, without the hassle of a mop and bucket – and here’s your guide to the best steam mops for hardwood floors!Hardwood floors look great, but require specific tools to be maintained. Steam mops are excellent for a safe clean, but if it is not safe to be used on hardwood floors, then the steam produced can be too hot, and therefore damage the wood.The below list will give you a closer look at what you need for your steam mop for hardware floors. 1. The RIGHT sized Water TankAs with all steam cleaners, you need to make sure you have the right sized water tank for your home. The size of the tank will not change the performance of the steam mop, but it will change the length of time it will take to clean your floors, as well as the amount of trips you will need to take to refill.Smaller spaces don't necessarily need a bigger tank capacity, but if there is a lot of square footage to clean, then a large tank will make your work a lot easier.
2. Weight – not to heavy, not to lightWhen pushing around a steam mop along your hardwood floor, you want to know that you won't need to put all of your strength into moving it!An important to know is the weight of the steam cleaner so you know it won't be a pain in your back, and you won't be dragging it behind you all around your home. If you are unable to manoeuvre your steam mop while the water tank is empty, it will be nearly impossible to clean your floors when it's full. 3. Temperature Range – and ability to control that range!It is essential to have a steam cleaner that can reach high temperatures, and get to them quickly. Ideally, the temperature will be high, but the blast of steam will be controlled so the wood is not damaged in the cleaning process.A good hardwood steam mop will heat quickly to be easier for you to have a clean home in no time! If the unit can reach boiling temperatures, it won't take as much time for the floors to sanitize, and your floors will be visibly clean after the first swipe.
4. Added Features – necessary, or overkill?From multiple setting modes, to extra accessories, having a steam cleaner that can do more than just steam your hardwood floors will allow a more thorough clean from a convenient unit.These added features can allow you to get the complete clean you want, without having to use multiple products to do so. All-in-ones make steaming your floors efficient, and hassle free! Ok, so you know that to get a decent and pleasurable clean on your hardwood floors, you need a steam mop that has the optimum sized water tank, does not weigh to much, has an easily controllable temperature range, and has a few handy extra features. Now go and pick one! Instead of sifting through the 862 steam mops online, we’ve found the top 4, right here: Capacity:CExtras: EZ1-XL Pro Floor Steamer Capacity:CExtras: Lift Away Professional Steam Pocket Mop Steam Mop Select, Titanium, 94E9T Capacity:CExtras:washable scrubber padsteam trigger
Professional Steam Pocket Mop (S3601D) Using its pressurized dry steam, the Orek gives you a deep clean without leaving a wet mess in its wake, or needing chemicals that can damage your hardwood.This steam mop for hardware floors can sanitize within seconds, and had machine washable microfibre pads to ensure a thorough clean. With accessories for above floor cleaning including a deflector nozzle and spot brush, any area of your home can be cleaned with this steam mop. Heats up in seconds Multiple steam settings for various degrees of cleanFloors are almost instantly dryDeep clean without damage to floors Tank is not detachable, and must be filled with a funnelUnit is on the heavy side, making it tough to movePads can be difficult to place on the head FINAL THOUGHTS - The Orek hardwood floor steam mop will give your floors a deep clean, without keeping them wet, or damaging them. Though its bulky shape can impair its ease of use, the multiple settings and attachments will allow you to clean every corner of everything in your home you want to steam.
The dry steam in this hardware floor steam cleaner will clean, mop and disinfect your hardwood for a fast and easy steam. With the Monster, you have a dual jet steam system, allowing you to control each jet separately.Its two washable microfibre pads are 25% larger than most models, covering a larger surface area when steaming your floors, and can do so for longer with the large tank size. Four steam levelsVery lightweightThree machine washable microfibre pads included Water tank is difficult to access and refillWater tank is difficult to access and refillHandle is flimsy, and does not react well to forceTakes 2-3 minutes to heat up FINAL THOUGHTS - This steam mop for hardwood floors is ideal for those with larger areas to clean, and who don't mind waiting a few minutes for the mop to heat up and become usable.With the adjustable steam jets, tough messes are simple to remove, and as long as you don't press too hard on the handle to remove stains, your floors will shine in seconds!
In only 30 seconds from when it is plugged in, the Shark hardware floor steam cleaner will be ready to mop and sanitize your hard floor surfaces.Even though it produces a continuous steam once ready, you can adjust it to any one of its three settings to lift and lock the dirt from your floors, into one of its reusable microfibre pads. Lightweight and easy to manoeuvre Handle is long for a more convenient cleanThree settings for steam controlDurable in design and performance Microfibre pads need to be replaced after 20 washesWater tank needs to be refilled oftenNo on/off button, so unplugging is necessary when taking breaks FINAL THOUGHTS - For clean floors that dry quickly, this is a worthy contender for the best hardware floor steam mop. The water tank is a bit small if there is a lot of cleaning needed in your home, but refilling the tank for every second room is a small price to pay for a great clean.A lightweight steam mop that will be tough on the dirt and stains stuck to your hardware floors, but will be kind to the wood underneath them.
Its triangular shaped head makes it easier to fit in between furniture, and reach corners that other rectangular steam mops may find difficult.With its steam trigger, you can control how much steam you use for your floors, which is an added bonus! Triangular head fits and cleans corners well Microfibre pads are machine washableSteam controlCompact, and lightweight Cord is shortWater tank can be delicate, so handle with care FINAL THOUGHTS - This steam cleaner for hardwood floors is ideal for those with a lot of space to clean, and who prefer trigger steam to continuous steam mops. It is very easy to push around your floors, and will sanitize within a few seconds.As long as you don't press the water tank too hard while refilling it, you shouldn't have a problem.With the ability to hold half a litre, and weighing less than steam cleaners with half the capacity, this is a steam mop hardwood floors will love. bined with the three steam control settings, and 30 second heat time, there is a lot of praise to be said for this steam mop.
Three steam settings for varied levels of clean Triangular and rectangular headsEasy to manoeuvreLarge water tank capacity Microfibre pads need to be replaced after 20 washesHandle is a bit small FINAL THOUGHTS - The second Shark on this list is a slightly better steam mop for hardwood floors than its predecessor. With a larger tank capacity, lighter body, and higher temperature capacity, this is definitely the better Shark product if you have a large space to clean.The best steam mop for hardware floors is one that is compatible with your needs, is easy for you to push around the various rooms of your home, and will clean your floors with ease.We have outlined the most important things to look for, and have combined them with reviews of the top names in hardwood floor steam cleaning. With all of the above information, finding what you need is that much easier.No problems - visit our steam mop reviews page here for more options, or head to our homepage for more easy cleaning hacks and tips!