Looking for a Wood Floor Steam Cleaner?

A wood floor steam cleaner - is there really such a thing?

Although I wanted to find better ways to keep my hardwood floors squeaky clean, the idea of using a steam cleaner on them made me feel a bit apprehensive. After all, steam comes from water, and water can be wood's worst enemy, right?

Well, yes and no.,..

Let me explain. I found out that the majority of steam cleaners on the market do not actually turn water to steam. Instead, they spit out water and cleaning solution, and use brushes to scrub surfaces free from dirt and stains. The majority of these models are specifically made for people who own carpet, but many come with add on attachments, so that owners can also use them on hard flooring surfaces.

Hard flooring surfaces, but not wood flooring surfaces - that's the catch. Even though many of these machines have a great amount of suction power, they simply use too much water during the cleaning process. All this water is ok for use on ceramic tile and linoleum. However, it's not so good for wood floors.

I was a bit discouraged after finding this out, but I kept on looking for an answer. I don't like to spend a lot of time cleaning, and I knew with all the gizmos and gadgets on the market, there had to be a better way.

Steam mops have actually been around for quite some time, but they are just now getting the attention they deserve.

Because hot steam evaporates quickly, it is much safer to use on wood floors than plain old lukewarm water.  That's right, when used according to the directions, it's one of the best ways to get wood floors clean.  Obviously, it can be potentially harmful - for example, if you hold a hot steam mop head in one place for longer than recommended, it can strip the floor right down to the bare wood.  Not a good thing.

But when used correctly, I found that it actually did a better job than the traditional back-breaking methods I had been using.  Steam is an excellent cleaner, and it can even be used to disinfect surfaces.  With two small kids and a feisty Labrador in the house, there are days when having the capability to disinfect comes in extremely handy.

I did learn that steam mops should not be used on unsealed wood floors.  Obviously, water in any form (even steam) can do terrible things to floors that are not sealed.  I know, it's common sense, but sometimes these things need to be pointed out.

One more thing - you are probably wondering which model I selected.  Well, it was tough.  I read a lot of reviews and asked around.  I finally decided on the Bissell 1867-7 Steam Mop.  I'm so glad I did.  It cost me less than a hundred dollars, yet it does everything I wanted it to do (and then some!).