Is It Safe to Steam Laminate Floors?

(Last Updated On: February 18, 2023)

Steam Laminate Floors will complete the look of your room. You might have been tempted to use a steamer, but maintaining it can be challenging.

Contrary to belief, cleaning Steam Laminate Floors using a steam mop is possible. Use a bit more caution, as we’ll demonstrate in this essay.

Steam mops certainly make cleaning much more accessible. Steam mops are more effective at removing dust from hardwood floors than regular cleaning or mopping.

However, you’ll be able to use more effort because of your better cleaning abilities. Even though steam cleaning is one of the most widely used cleaning methods, not all types of flooring should use it.

You can clean Steam Laminate Floors with a steam mop by following our recommendations, despite what your friends or the manufacturers of laminate flooring may have warned you.

How does a Steam Mop Work?

First, it’s essential to understand the most basic principles of how steam mops clean floors. When cleaning steam laminate floors, steam cleaners heat the water to the point of boiling, destroying the majority of germs and releasing any dirt accumulated in the floor’s most minor gaps.

The water is then heated to 212 degrees Fahrenheit in a tiny container, at which point it will expand 1,600 times its original size.

As long as the heat source is continuous, it will produce steam with a water content of 3 to 5 % per cent and will continue to exist as air.

Manufacturer’s Advice on Laminate

So, is it okay to use a steam mop on laminate floors? I wish I could say yes or no, but the truth is that it all depends on how good your laminate flooring is.

The majority of steam laminate flooring manufacturers will advise against steam mopping laminate flooring. This is due to laminate flooring’s use of slabs and the lack of sealing at the seams.

As the laminate core is very prone to wetness, the seams may allow steam to enter. It’s not truly wood, after all.

For instance, Steam Laminate Floors clearly states in its user handbook that you should not use wet cleaning products or heat cleaners on its laminate.

Similarly, you shouldn’t wash the flooring with alcohol, water, detergents, or other liquid cleaning materials or damp mop it.

In this disclaimer, they warn that using a steam mop on their laminate could result in “swelling, warping, delamination, and joint-line separation, void the guarantee, and cause irreparable damage.”

Under this caution, they warn that using a steam mop on their laminate could result in “swelling, warping, delamination, and joint-line separation, void the guarantee, and cause irreparable damage.”

So, before using a steam mop on your laminate floor, read the manufacturer’s instructions. Based on the laminate’s structure, the supplier might have specific recommendations.

Many companies offer comprehensive product manuals and instructions for cleaning laminate flooring on their websites.

Manufacturer’s Advice for Steam Mop

Many steam mop manufacturers advise against steam cleaning on unsealed floors but assert that laminate flooring is safe for steam cleaning.

Since a fully sealed wood or laminate does not exist in reality, this only adds to the confusion.

Naturally, the producers of steam cleaning equipment would claim that their products are safe for laminate flooring to sell you their products.

Polyurethane, a water treatment, is applied to engineered laminate flooring. The internal compressed elements of the laminate are exposed to steam-generated moisture because the surface of the boards fails to fill in tiny spaces between them.

Read More: Why is my Roomba not Picking Rid of dirt?

How to clean laminate flooring with a Shark Steam Mop

Although laminate flooring is durable, care must be taken when cleaning it because too much water can cause moisture to seep into even the most minor holes and cracks.

However, a Shark steam mop will use the ideal degree of heat and just enough water to leave your laminate floor shining without destroying it.

Why should laminate flooring be cleaned with a Shark steam mop?

When cleaning laminate flooring, one of the primary problems individuals run into is the dust that is regularly left over.

Although some highly efficient cleaning products are available, they can sometimes leave a distasteful coating on Steam Laminate Floors until it has been cleaned.

Also, this may affect the great look of your floor. It could also make the surface slick and potentially dangerous for slips and falls.

A Shark steam mop uses uniformly dispersed steam instead of chemicals to clean the entire mop head. Depending on the cleaning task, there are three different heat settings.

How to Remove Smells from a Laminate Floor

1. Clean up any extra dust or dirt.

Before applying any moisture to your steam laminate floors, removing the dust and debris that have grown there is critical.

There are specific attachments for some vacuums that are designed not to damage “hardwood” types of floors.

However, voids can be particularly dangerous because they could cause scratches on the laminate. Consider using a gentle interior brush to sweep your foot.

If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner that could accommodate such an attachment—this need to be still able to remove any dirt that poses a risk of scratching.

2. Utilize a microfiber mop.

A mop or towel made of microfiber would be the softest material on this type of floor. For cleaning a larger area, using this solution in mop form could be the simplest and most effective option.

The floor will still be damaged if you wet this cloth with water. Therefore, prepare a bottle with a mixture of one part acid to three parts water.

Use a small amount of this solution to mist your microfiber mop while you clean the floor lightly.

Although laminate is made with a material that is claimed to stop water from entering, unfortunately, water will still leak through the gaps. Clean the panels vertically, not horizontally, and follow their length.

If your mop appears to be soaking too much solution, softly wring it away from the floor.

3. How to clean some tough spots

Take a clean cloth and a small piece of nail polish remover, then use it to wipe away stains left behind by oil, paint, markers, and other difficult-to-remove substances.

Use this carefully, but it should help remove any marks that are extremely difficult to remove.

Try to keep an eye out for stains and remove them as soon as they appear. If you see a spill forming, quickly clean it up with a moist towel, then completely dry that spot with a dry one.

4. What to keep away from

Using a washcloth will worsen the damage already done by a steam mop, so avoid using one on this kind of floor.

Using soap, any oil-based detergent or a liquid cleaning agent can also lead to warping, delamination, and possible joint-line separation.

It is essential to have access carpets at each door that leads into the laminate flooring to capture any extra moisture that may be carried in on those rainy weather because any prolonged contact with water might damage your floors.

It is essential to have access carpets at each door that leads into the laminate flooring to capture any extra moisture that may be carried in on those rainy weather because any prolonged contact with water might damage your floors.

When people live with dogs, please pay attention to how long their nails grow because their claws can easily scratch your Steam Laminate Floors.

Moving any furniture improperly will undoubtedly result in permanent scratches.

5. Completing the Cleaning Process

After cleaning your floors, try wiping off every extra wetness with a soft, dry cloth. It would help if you also thought about opening any doors and windows in the area to provide sufficient ventilation and hasten the drying of your floors.

There are kits available to patch or repair any damage you find on your steam laminate floors. In the event of severe damage, individual plank replacement is an option.

Conclusion

Yes. However, there are certain restrictions. It’s a dangerous operation that could cost a lot of money in repairs.

But for some people, steam cleaning’s advantages may exceed its disadvantages. I hope this tutorial has been helpful to you if you belong to this group.