Steam mops and floor cleaners

If you are looking for a hardwood floor cleaning machine for your home, it can be a bit confusing at first because there are several different but similar sounding options.

The information here explains some basic concepts and terminology to help you decide if a steam mop steam cleaner or floor scrubber works best for your needs.

Steam cleaners and steam mops

“Steam cleaner” is a general term that includes the two forms explained below. In a steam cleaner, only steam is used as the cleaning agent, no detergents or chemicals are added.

Steam mops come mounted on mop handles to deliver steam directly to the floor.

Portable steam cleaners go anywhere in the house and use various attachments to clean all surfaces, including countertops, drapes, upholstery, furniture, walls, showers, tile and grout, etc.

Dry/wet cleaners

Use pads, brushes, or moveable scrub heads to clean floor surfaces

Use a cleaning solution (on the floor or added to water) to clean floors and other surfaces

Usually an upright machine and may have attachments to clean top surfaces such as counters, cabinets, curtains, furniture, tile, grout, etc.

Advantages and disadvantages

steam cleaners

Steam cleaners, both steam mops and hand mops, can disinfect surfaces in the home IF the steam reaches a certain temperature and is applied to the surface long enough.

In general, the steam temperature should reach 170 degrees Fahrenheit and remain against the surface to be sanitized for at least 30 seconds to effectively kill most bacteria.

Steam cleaning machines can produce a “dry” steam that has a low moisture content. A dry steamer is useful for cleaning dust from painted walls or grease from surfaces and in other situations where too much moisture is an issue.

Portable steam cleaners can be good for cleaning vertical surfaces with large areas like walls and shower stalls, windows and glass doors.

Steam cleaners that do not use soap or chemicals are ideal for the safe cleaning of pet cages and places where people, children and animals live. Not using chemicals also means odor, environmental toxins, or additional waste when purchasing cleaning chemical containers.

The evidence for grout cleaning ability goes both ways, with some saying steam cleaners work very well, others have not been successful. The differences are in the details of each situation, the machine used, and the technique and skills of the user make it impossible to say whether steam is superior for cleaning grout between tiles.

Floor cleaning machines (wet/dry floor scrubbers)

Floor cleaners using a chemical cleaning agent can benefit from the additional cleaning capabilities of the cleaning solution, and some people like the “just cleaned” smell that is left behind. Of course, there are also the environmental drawbacks mentioned above.

Floor cleaners with moving brushes can provide increased scrubbing power against spills and dry materials (seen and unseen). The rotating brushes also help clean textured surfaces and reach the grout between the tiles.

Floor cleaners that circulate water around the floor and collect it again ensure that no dirty water is left on the floor. Some power mops also clean the floor and suck up excess water to leave the floor dry when they’re done.

Floor cleaning machines with a vacuum function, in addition to floor cleaning capabilities, can reduce the extra step of having to mop or sweep the floor before cleaning.

Summary of floor cleaning machines

When it comes to floor cleaners, price is a partial indicator of a machine’s abilities and the user’s eventual satisfaction and happiness with the results. In our reviews of steam mops and floor cleaning machines, those at the lower price end of the spectrum had more negative reviews than the mid- or high-priced models.

Consider the true cost of low-priced options

Many times negative reviews of cheaper machines were not due to poor cleaning performance, but because the machine never worked at all.

Obviously buying a machine that never works and then has to be returned is a total waste of time. And buying a machine that works once or twice or one that malfunctions all the time is also not a solution.

We are not suggesting that you buy the most expensive machine on the market, but we do recommend that you read the reviews and carefully consider the time and frustration factors when looking for the lowest priced machines. In fact, you’ll probably notice that some of the cheaper ones, even from big-name manufacturers, are now on sale because they didn’t make it to market.

Great options in the mid-price range

We reviewed great home steam cleaning machines and floor cleaners in the $120-$180 range that have hundreds of very positive reviews from real users. By avoiding the bottom end, there is definitely no need to turn too far in the other direction.

There are higher-priced commercial options for people with unique needs. But for most homeowners, our advice is to avoid the low-end and discontinued models, stick with a major manufacturer and a trusted retailer, and you should find a great floor cleaner that will save you a lot of time and leave your home clean. for his family.