Steam cleaners are the latest craze in household cleaning. Effective and easy to use, they use the power of steam to clean and disinfect a wide array of surfaces such as floors, upholstery, windows, and stoves. Nevertheless, you have to be careful when using steam cleaners, as they may damage certain surfaces or materials.
Most people wonder whether it is safe to use a steam cleaner on carpets and hardwood floors. This article will address these specific concerns to help you understand how to use your steamer without causing damage to your belongings.
Carpets are a true breeding ground for dust mites, germs and bacteria. A steam mop can be the ideal solution to eliminate all these threats while also cleaning the carpets. Hot steam doesn’t affect carpet fibres. On the contrary, it penetrates them, dismantling all dirt and grime, and killing all germs and dust mites. You can’t get better cleanliness than this.
However, if you have expensive carpets made from delicate fabrics, you should probably try to use the steam cleaner on a very small area, in order to ensure that both the colors and the fabric are safe. Regular, inexpensive carpets made from synthetic fabrics should be safe, but you can test them, as well, if you want.
Checking the work temperature of the steam cleaner may also help you decide whether or not it would be safe to use it on your carpets. Like most other fabrics, carpets come with cleaning instructions. If you can’t find them, you should contact the manufacturer to ask for specific cleaning guidelines and recommendations.
When it comes to hardwood floor, the answer is also positive; you can use your steam cleaner on this kind of surfaces. Steam mops are extremely effective in removing dirt, stains, footprints and smears off wooden floors.
However, you need to take this information with a grain of salt, as not all steam cleaners are created equal. The cheapest ones may scratch your hardwood floors, as they usually have poor quality heads. Before buying a steam cleaner to clean your floors, make sure you ask the manufacturer whether you can use it on wood.
The other thing you should consider is whether or not your hardwood floors are sealed. If they aren’t, you should avoid using steam power to clean them, as you may damage them. Sealed floors, however, are safe to clean with hot steam. In fact, this is the best cleaning method, as it removes the dirt while also disinfecting the surface.
Last but not least, keep in mind that all the above apply to steam cleaners that use solely water. If you add other chemicals, you could damage your carpets and your hardwood floors. Some of these detergents may even damage the steam cleaner. Always read the instructions before using your steamer for the first time. Avoid doing things that could damage your floors or void your warranty. This is the best method to enjoy a clean house with less effort and without any risk.
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