Can You Use a Steam Mop on Laminate Floors?
You love the idea of faster, easier cleaning with a steam mop but wonder if you can use one on your beautiful laminate floors, right?
The answer is no in the majority of cases and I’ll explain why.
Don’t worry, though, I’ve got a couple of solutions for you! I wouldn’t leave you high and dry. I know you want to get the job done more quickly and easily.
What is Laminate?
Laminate is manufactured flooring that most often resembles the look of natural hardwood but is made from layers of material pressed together. Those layers include a top coat (the seal coat that protects the flooring), a picture of the texture (yes, do you believe that? It’s a PICTURE of wood!), a wood composite layer, maybe a structure layer for support, and finally a moisture barrier on the bottom.
It comes in squares or planks that click together and is meant to be installed without the use of glues or adhesives.
Because there’s some natural material in the mix and a glossy topcoat built in you do have to be careful about how you clean laminate. It’s sensitive to heat and moisture. You certainly don’t want any standing water that might seep in between the pieces and cause them to warp, loosen or peel sooner than they might otherwise.
Most Laminate Manufacturers Strongly Recommend Against Using a Steam Mop
The first reason for not using steam on laminate is that the manufacturer has probably outlined you shouldn’t do so in the care manual for your flooring. This means that doing so could void any warranty.
The warranty on some Armstrong laminates, for example, states that damage resulting from “exposure to extremes of temperature or relative humidity” is not covered. In a live chat with an Armstrong customer service representative today I directly asked if I could use a steam mop on their laminate flooring and she said no, it is not recommended. She said any damage caused by the steam mop would not be covered under the warranty.
She did have one suggestion and that would be to check with the manufacturer of the steam mop to see if they’d supply you a letter confirming they’d cover any damage caused by their product. (Yeah, I can’t see that happening but I’m throwing it out there.)
When I contacted Dupont, I received the same answer. In fact they said you can’t use a steam mop AND they suggest no chemical cleaners be used, either.
Pergo says right on their website that you should never use a “wet or jet mop” on their laminate floors.
So exactly why do they tell you not to use a steam mop? Think about laminate as being made of layers of wallpaper. The top layers – the shine and the photo – are very thin material. Steam is both hot and moist and how do you loosen wallpaper when you want to replace it? You use steam.
Applying steam to laminate weakens the material over time. The top coat that is doing all the heavy work in protecting the look and finish of your floor could be worn away or loosened by regular exposure to heat. In addition, you risk warping the material or introducing fissures in between the pieces that would allow moisture to seep underneath.
You may not see any negative impact at all when using a steam mop but that’s because it’s hard to tell with the naked eye that the top coat is being damaged. It might be a few years down the road before you notice you’re not seeing that pretty shine you had when the floor was installed. You can’t undo that damage.
So Why Do the Steam Mop Manufacturers Say It’s Safe?
I’m not going to say they’re motivated to make more sales but…
See, the thing is that you, as a free individual with the right to make your own choices, always have the option to use one despite what the flooring company says. The mop WILL glide over your floors, produce steam, and clean up messes. However, the mop’s warranty probably only covers defects in the mop itself and may include language that excludes your flooring.
They’re going to put the responsibility back on your for not having followed the care instructions from whomever made the laminate.
Don’t despair! There is still a way for you to save time cleaning and drying your laminate floors.
Here’s one woman’s method of using one of the disposable pad mops that doesn’t require batteries. This is much more in line with what manufacturers recommend for this kind of flooring.
I can’t find the Clorox ReadyMop that she was using anywhere but the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop is very close and also doesn’t use batteries.
Is it EVER Okay to Use a Steam Mop on Laminate?
I can think of only a couple of situations where you might do so:
- You don’t have a warranty and don’t care that you might have to replace the floors sooner as a result of using the mop; you just want to spend less time cleaning
- You’re going to be selling your home before any damage might be done to the floors and you’re going to let the new owner deal with any issues
Even if one of those things is true AND you fully understand the potential harm to the material, you STILL need to make sure you’re only using it on a sealed laminate.
How to Tell if Your Laminate Floor is Sealed
Maybe you acquired the flooring when you bought the house and have no idea if it’s a sealed product or not. In those cases, how do you tell?
Look for a shiny, glossy finish. This is one clue that the laminate has the built in top coat.
If you have a leftover scrap you could also scrape at the surface to see if there’s some clear coating that comes off.
The Best Steam Mop for the Job
If, despite all the reasons mentioned above for not using one you still want to go ahead, you’ll want to find the one that delivers the lowest temperature AND leaves behind the least amount of water. Check out the Shark Genius steam mop because it has adjustable steam control and doesn’t seem to get as hot as other models.
Most steam mop product descriptions don’t tell you the maximum temperature achieved but you can use the amount of time suggested for sanitizing as a gauge. The longer the mop needs to sit in one place in order to sanitize, the less heat it produces.
You also don’t want to use one that has any kind of rough scrubber on it. Only use soft pads in order to prevent any damage to the coating surface.
If you have a mix of flooring types in your home, an alternative is to settle for cleaning the laminate flooring the way your manufacturer recommends and then get the best steam mop for use only on your other hard flooring surfaces. That’s a reasonable compromise. You can still reduce your overall mopping time (and who doesn’t want that?!) AND maintain the look of your laminate floors for longer.
I just cleaned my laminated floors the same way the video shows us. A bit of vinegar and hot water. It is just terrible. There are streaks all over and it is ugly. I have a mop like the one she used in the video and I put a microfiber piece of cloth. That is twice I do that with no success at all. I am desperate to have an answer.
Do you use fabric softener? Your cloth could be coated. Try stripping the cloths (I think boiling for 10 min in a pot of water takes care of it, but don’t take my word for it). You can use 1/2 cup white vinegar in you washer’s rinse cycle as a softener alternative. Air dry. Then try mopping. I’ve noticed if microfiber cloths aren’t absorbant they just push water around. And some cloths are simply no good. I bought some at kohl’s that didn’t absorb anything. They were awful.
Michele, great advice. I’ve only recently started using white vinegar in my washer for towels periodically and to “set” some of my crochet work. It supposedly breaks up detergent and fabric softener build up in the towels. I never considered the same thing could happen to steam mop cloths. Thanks for sharing!
Lise, in addition, try switching cloths several times while mopping. If you’re seeing streaks there may be too much water left behind during the mopping process which could be the result of a cloth that’s overly saturated. If you have hard water this could also result in streaking. Try mopping once using distilled water and see if that makes a difference. If that doesn’t do it, try increasing the amount of vinegar used in your solution. Let us know if any of the above works out for you. Thanks!
Hi all, I was thinking about getting a steam vac but am not I have birds and when they get a little tiny bit of water on my laminate floor it will kind of bubble up. It is so hard to keep it clean I have a lab also tons I mean a ton of dog hair too and on the dark floor it is so hard to keep clean you have to clean it every day. I have a light laminate floor and also dark and wish I had gotten all light oak color does not show the dirt or lines as bad as the dark happy weekend peeps!!! 🙂
oh forgot to add I just love my laminate flooring my mom and dad got all hardwood flooring and it shows tons of scratches they wish they had gone with laminate. Also wanted to add I bought a bottle of rejuvenate it is for hardwood or laminate floors they looked just gorgeous after I used that product but it is more like a white wax I think but will keep using that product. Good Luck everyone!! 🙂
Great info. Exactly the answer I was looking for.
I have one of those 360 swivel mops that can be used on any type of flooring, but for my wood laminate I use it dry with Parker & Bailey wood floor cleaner. It came in a spray bottle and for streaks I spray it directly on the floor then use the dry mop and the floor looks great. Otherwise you can spray it directly on the dry mop for dusting the floors. It’s just as easy.
Great tip, Tiff – thanks!
I have been using my shark steam mop on my floors for years, I have armstromg laninate flooring, I use white vinegar and water. My floors have not suffered any damage. I did not know that I was not suppose to use a steam mop, had I known that I would not have used one, however I love my mop and I have several mop pads and change them for each room I clean. I have found that when I have streaks my floor is still dirty and simply mop again. We have three dogs and so I mop often, let me add that vinegar also kills the bacteria that causes your dogs paws to smell like corn chips, yeck. I do not soak my floors or leave standing water on them and they dry quickly, smell fresh and shine like new. I most likely will not change my method, however your Idea using the mop that you have is awsome, I have used the other one that you can not use you own soulation in and hated it. I may try yours for quick clean ups. Happy Cleaning
Sharon – That’s interesting about the vinegar helping with the smell of a dog’s paws. I know exactly what odor you’re talking about. I’ve noticed that on my neighbor’s larger dog periodically.
I’ll let you in on a secret…I would also use a steam mop on my laminate. Most of my house is tile and carpet but we have a finished basement that’s the “kids’ area” and we put vinyl down in two small rooms downstairs. I use the steam mop in those two areas because I figure we’re just going to redo the floors when the kids are older anyway. If it were laminate, I’d do the same thing. Of course, I have a selection of steam mops at this point so I use the one that doesn’t get as hot as the others. 😉
I am not an expert in mopping so appreciate the advice. But regarding dog paws I am. Dogs, especially in wet climates or wet conditions can get a condition similar to athletes foot – a yeast infection. When the infection is advanced the fur between the pads will turn reddish and the flesh gets red and raw and they will lick constantly cause it hurts. And it smells because it is a yeast infection. The answer again is vinegar and water. When you dog comes in from the wet outside either dip or dap their paws with a solution of vinegar and water (1/3 to 2/3rds) everyday the conditions are wet outside or until the fur color returns to normal. Their are not fond of this treatment but it may prevent a Vet bill if untreated. Another solution is cheap athletes foot cream from the Dollar Tree. Just rub a bit thoroughly into the pads and between the toes. Try to ensure your dog doesn’t lick it all off as while it won’t kill your dog ingesting large volumes could make them sick. I’ve tried the spray powders but not only to they hate the cold spray on their paws but then you have powdery foot prints all over floors you just cleaned.
Judy.. What perfect timing to see this post.. My dog just recently has been getting the paw condition.. Vet said it’s from wet, swampy conditions, however my dog is an inside dog, with walks twice a day on sidewalks.. He constantly licks his paws and I have to keep buying the ointment from the vet.. Going to try this!!!
Thanks for all the great ideas….I just bought a new townhome and it already had laminate floors. First time having to deal with that type of flooring. It is driving me crazy with all the smudges and streaks…I am a slave to my floors!! I always lived in homes all carpeted and I was so happy to finally get out of rugs and carpeted floors..
Good idea on the vinegar and cleaning the sponges….I am going to try it this weekend again…I will keep you posted
Congrats on the new town home, Yolanda! How fun!
I think you’ll find that vinegar will make a big difference and I promise the smell will go away surprisingly fast. I’ve started using vinegar for all kinds of things – my bath towels get a refresh with vinegar in the washing machine, it’s the PERFECT cleaning solution for baked on microwave grease, and I now refill empty Windex bottles with it to use for all windows and glass. I kind of wrinkled my nose when I found my mother had been doing this at her house for years thinking the smell would be an issue but I’m a convert. It’s not a problem at all and does wonders! Good luck!
Hello, I have laminate floors and 2 dogs. The smell on floors is so bad and it seems even worse after I mop or leave the door open and air comes in. I use Bona laminate cleaner with the Rubbermaid Reveal microfiber spray mop. Ive tried other brands of cleaners and they have not helped. I am desperate! ! I never had smell problems with carpet but a couple weeks after getting floors the smell appeared. Does anyone have this problem?
Is there a differance between cleaning vinegar and regular vinegar?
No, white vinegar, the kind you use for cooking, is a very effective cleaner and can also kill many bacteria. See this site for more info. Add lemon and baking soda to your arsenal and you can clean about anything.
http://www.allyou.com/budget-home/organizing-cleaning/uses-for-vinegar
Happy cleaning!
Thanks for all the tips ladies. I have been cleaning on my hands and knees but its a 3 hour process. When we put in the laminate I had no idea how much work it was going to be to keep clean. I am on my way to purchase a few of these items to try. Glad I visited this site.
Glad the info helped, Andrea! People really have shared some great tips. 😉
Great comment everyone take care. I hear you I don’t ever notice a odor but do with the steaks and smudges I am also a slave to my laminate flooring loved that not funny it is really true floor cleaning is a endless job.Bye 🙂
Great! Im getting my floors put in 2 weeks. I am buying the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop Kit suggested. Thank you! I’ve found this website very informative and helpful! I Love that you can use your own solution! I am an avid Shark Mop user, though from what I have researched I will not be using my steam mops on my laminate flooring. I have one question. What do you know about the pads used with the Swiffer Sweep Vac, are they safe for laminate wood? It is my best friend when it comes to cleaning my floors lol, currently I have all ceramic tiles. I use it everyday 2-3 times a day. I’m trying to find out if the pads will scratch my laminate flooring, I haven’t found anything online. Please help! Thank you! 🙂
Karen – So glad the site has helped!
I *think* those pads are fine but the best way to find out is to contact your flooring manufacturer. My parents have had laminate wood for probably 7 or 8 years now and I know my mother only uses a cordless Swiffer wet mop on them (like the Reveal kit). She does so because she and my dad researched what they could and could not use very carefully (they’re sticklers for following cleaning and maintenance rules – I know I should be more like them!). 😉
Thank you for this valuable and easy to understand information! I have laminate in my house and I hope I never have them again. It’s been a HUGE chore and marriage battle to keep the floors picked up, shiny and clean with a dog, children and everyday living happening. I am desperate and thought a steam mop *might* be the way to go. Thank you for helping me understand that I would have a bigger problem if I pursued this idea. I appreciate the time you took to help others!!
Thank you, Diane!