Steam cleaning your most heavily soiled areas can be oddly satisfying.
When it comes to cleaning floors you may be wondering, “How often should I steam clean my floors?”
You may already have the ever-popular steam mop, Steam mops are a great thing to have. They can help you get the toughest stains and grime off of your floors, especially if they are tile floors.
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Of particular concern here is the grout that exists between tiles, which can accumulate lots of dirt and can be very hard to clean. Steam cleaning can blast that dirt off your grout and sanitize it in a way that normal cleaning cannot.
Considerations When Steam Cleaning Your Floor
For starters, think about the type of floor you have. This will inform a lot of decisions, down to the model of steam cleaner that you buy. Depending on the material and texture of your floor, you will find that some models of steam mops generally do better than others.
If your floor is made of linoleum or consists of flat tiles, then just about any good steam mop should be good for you. However, if the floor is made of stone tiles, which can be uneven, or consists of very deep grout, then you should consider going for a steam mop with a spray function or pressurized steam.
If your floors have very deep grout, try not to get too much steam into the grout. It can actually be counterproductive. The excess steam will turn into water and remain there, at the bottom of the grout. This can be a ripe breeding ground for mildew and mold, which is definitely something you don’t want in your cracks.
Steam cleaning is also not for all types of floors. It should only be used on sealed floors, with many brands actually warning you against steam cleaning their floors. A good idea is to check the warranty on your floor to see if it allows steam cleaning your floors. Check to see if your coverage works in case something you didn’t expect happens.
In case there isn’t a warranty on your floor, you’re probably better off not risking the steam cleaning at all. If you’re unsure about what to do, just call the manufacturer and ask.
How often should you Steam Clean your Floors?
The first thing to consider is traffic on your floors. Areas of the house where there is a lot of traffic, such as the kitchen, deserve to be cleaned more frequently. Once a week should do for such areas. Areas with lower traffic require a lower frequency of cleaning. Your bedroom floor, for example, can be cleaned at least once a month.
You should also think about the kind of floor you have. Tile floors need to be cleaned frequently to prevent dirt buildup in the grout, especially if they’re tile floors in high traffic areas. Smoother floors, like linoleum or sealed wood, can go longer without cleaning. You should also not overuse steam cleaning, especially on tiles, because of the potential damage it could cause. When water accumulates in cracks, it gives rise to mold and mildew.
Your steam mop is also a factor. More expensive and durable models can handle higher frequencies of cleaning while cheaper and less durable models will break down sooner if you overuse them. The solution is to simply spend the money right from the beginning and buy a high-quality model if you know you’ll be steam cleaning frequently.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the frequency of steam cleaning depends on the type of floor and the traffic that it experiences. Depending on these two, you’ll know what kind of steam cleaner to buy and how frequently to use it. Couple that with good maintenance practices and your floor will transform for the better.
