Hardwood flooring is incredibly durable and, because it can be restored or rejuvenated many times, it can last for a lifetime. There are, however, measures that you should take to protect your floor nd lengthen the time between restorations. One of the best ways to protect your floor is to learn how to clean it in a way that does not damage the flooring.
Steam cleaners, such as steam mops, have become one of the most favoured tools for cleaning over the last few years because they are easy to use, are very powerful for cleaning and are even able to sanitise your floors. Many of the appliance manufacturers’ advertisements suggest that steam cleaning is the way to go for hardwood floors. However, contrary to what these advertisements would have you believe, steam cleaning can be incredibly bad for hardwood floors.
For solid hardwood floors that are unsealed, the extreme temperature of the steam cleaner can cause moisture to penetrate deep into your floorboards which can cause the wood to swell, delaminate, shrink or buckle. This type of damage is irreversible and the floor would need to be resurrected.
If your solid hardwood floors are sealed, and you are sure that the seal is undamaged, you floor may be able to stand firm against the heat and moisture from the steam cleaning. However, manufacturers of hardwood flooring suggest against using this method of cleaning, so if you do do it, you should proceed with caution and be sure that the steam cleaner that you use is specifically designed as well as marketed to be used on a hardwood floor. To test if you floor is sealed, drop a few water droplets onto the floor. If they bead, your floor is sealed and the seal is undamaged.
Steam cleaning is also not recommended for engineered hardwood floors. Engineered hard wood floors are are joined with adhesives which can become damaged with excess moisture. Similarly to solid wood flooring, this kind of damage will result in the need for a floor resurrection.
