5 Steam Mop Myths That Might Trip You Up

After having gone through thousands of online reviews about steam mops I’ve noticed five issues that come up over and over. Thought I might put an end to a few of those myths before you, too, fall into their trap.

These misunderstandings have been niggling at me the past couple of weeks and the more I come across them, the more I wince.

Ever talked to someone who has a catch phrase that they use over and over and once you become aware of it you can’t help noticing it? You start counting how many times they use it in a sentence or you place bets with your friends on how long before it comes out of their mouths again.

I think there was a whole “How I Met Your Mother” episode about that very thing…but I digress…

The fact that these same questions or beliefs keep coming up, though, is a sure-fire indicator that there’s some confusion out there regarding how steam mops work and what they will and will not do. If you understand these five things going in, you’ll be better equipped to make a good decision and will be more satisfied with the product you get.

Before I get too far in, these myths all have to do with what I call stick mops – not the canister style that has lots of attachments for other purposes. We’re talking a regular steam mop that looks like a small version of an upright vacuum.

Myth #1 – They clean carpets, too

Some steam mops include a tool called a carpet glider which lifts the mop an inch or two so that you can run the steam over your carpeting. This can help eliminate odors and add some new life to flattened fibers but the mop never touches the carpet and no cleaner is used.

A steam mop is not a replacement for your carpet steam cleaner.

Myth #2 – You no longer have to vacuum or sweep first

Most stick style steam mops can’t replace your vacuum or broom, either. They do not have any suction that removes loose debris from your floor. Unless you get a 2 in 1 combination vacuum and steam mop you’ll need to sweep or vacuum your floors before you mop just as you did before. Otherwise, that loose debris, dust, and pet hair will just get pushed around and left in little piles all over the place.

Myth #3 – Safe to use on all floor types

Most steam mop manufacturers do at least clarify that you shouldn’t use their mops on unsealed flooring but they also say that they’re safe to use on all sealed flooring like laminate when that’s not necessarily the case.

Never rely on the mop manufacturer to tell you whether or not using their product is fine for your floors. Always check with the manufacturer of your flooring first or read any care instructions that came with your flooring.

Myth #4 – Sanitize floors just because there’s steam

I’ve seen a number of videos where the person demonstrating the steam mop they purchased is swooshing it around like it’s a race to the finish line and proudly exclaiming that they’ve sanitized their floors in no time! Uh…wrong.

Just because steam is being applied to the floor DOES NOT mean that it’s sanitizing the floor, killing all the e coli bacteria, or ridding your house of germs any better than regular mopping.

Now, steam mops CAN kill harmful bacteria but ONLY if the mop is used properly and can reach a certain temperature.

For steam to kill harmful bacteria it must be applied to one spot for a certain period of time based on the temperature of the steam. Most product manuals will tell you how long that amount of time is – usually 8-20 seconds. To use the mop to sanitize will require that you mop much more slowly than normal and some steam mops won’t do it in any amount of reasonable time because they don’t reach the right temperature.

Maybe you’ve heard about the tip for disinfecting your kitchen sponges by putting them in the microwave for a minute? Scientists tested this method against several others and found it to be more effective than soaking in bleach.

Think about how much heat is getting applied to that sponge when it’s in the microwave for a full minute. See how just pushing steam over your floor for a brief couple of seconds isn’t going to cut it?

Myth #5 – Will clean grout

Product descriptions say this all the time and don’t we wish it was true! Grout is a big pain in the neck to clean. A steam mop may touch the surface of the grout and even remove the few drops of jelly your son left behind when making his lunch a couple of days ago but only a select few are really designed to remove years of built up grunge and discoloration that we all get in between our floor tiles.

For that, you’re going to need some elbow grease, a brush, and a chemical cleaner; or a steam cleaner that shoots out a pressurized stream and/or includes scrubbing brushes to loosen the filth. Most stick steam mops aren’t the right tool for the job. There is one manufacturer I’ve come across with a stick style that DOES clean that deep down, grime that builds up on tile grout – the Haan Multiforce line. (See my hands on review of the Haan Multiforce SS20.)

Don’t let these myths put you off of getting a steam mop, though. There ARE some great benefits – speed, cleaning without chemicals, they’re much less fatiguing, and they can save you money by not having to buy cleaning solutions and new mop heads or sponges. Just understand what they’re meant to do and enjoy them for those reasons because those are some worthwhile benefits all by themselves!