Just Floored is a carpet and flooring Company that has been serving the Hampton and Williamsburg, VA Roads community for over ten years. Having served as the only floor covering representative for the Hampton and Williamsburg, VA Roads area for Sherwin-Williams for 13 years, the Just Floored owner, has over 23 years of experience in carpets and flooring. Just Floored majors in flooring services such as residential and commercial carpet and flooring, fine carpets, ceramic tile, hardwood flooring , laminate flooring, decorate vinyl , specialty flooring, rubber flooring and cork flooring. We take you through the reasons why steam cleaning equipment should not be used on hard floors.
What are steam mops?
The popularity of steam cleaning has been going up, and for good reasons. Steam mops perform great jobs in sanitizing and cleaning vinyl and ceramic tile floors. The idea behind the use of steam mops is that they get your floors sparkling clean and well sanitized without the pressure of scrubbing, using soaps and detergents and with no chemicals. The bad news is that you cannot use the steam mops for hardwood floors. Steam mops can damage these types of surfaces.
Here’s how:
How do they work?
Steam mops work by heating water from 120 degrees to above 200 depending on the model of the mop that you are using. A cloth is positioned on the outer part of the mop which is meant to trap the dirt; the mop forces the steam out through the cloth to your floor. Steam mops do the cleaning by the use of water and heat.
Why not on hardwood floors?
Water is an enemy of wood. If water soaks, which eventually happens with steam mops, it can cause irreversible damage to your wood floor. Before getting to the point of permanent damage, the water will soak into the hardwood and lead to gradual expansion, warping and discoloration of the floor. Using the steam mops on sealed wood isn’t much better; this is because there might be missed spots, which lead to swelling and warping.
Do not use water on hardwood floors with older finishes. This is because water gets soaked in areas that wares out the finish and eventually damages the floor. When the gleam on the wood floor has worn away, the surface is likely to get soaked up with water and stains.
So what should you use to clean your floors?
Sweeping, vacuuming and dust mopping are efficient ways of cleaning you hardwood floors without causing any damage. If you own pets, you might be required to dust more than once a week. Remember not to use vinegar as it will cause your hardwood floor to become dull. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines but be careful not to be misled by ads that communicate the opposite of the instructions laid out in manuals.
What if the floor still looks dirty?
Well, if you have dusted your floor but it still looks dirty, you might want to start thinking about getting it refinished or professionally cleaned, which, after 23 years in the industry, is something we do exceptionally well.
For Flooring and carpeting assistance call us at (757) 325-8962 or email us at inquiries@justfloored.com
For more details visit http://www.justflooredinc.com/
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