Best Steam Mop for Laminate Floors in 2023

Can You Use a Steam Mop on Laminate Floors? This is one of the major doubts that every customer who has a laminated flooring keeps thinking again and again before buying a steam mop for laminate floors. Well, the answer to it is: YES YOU CAN!! Some other doubts are if you use a steam mop whether the floor will swell up or whether it will crack open and all other possible negative thoughts. Just think that if you use those regular cleaning devices such as ordinary mops to wipe those laminated floors again and again, what do you think will happen? All the above nightmares would come to life. But there is a difference between opting for regular mops or brushes and a fabulous steam mop.

For details, read our in-depth guide to cleaning laminate floors with steam mop.

As you surf over the internet you can see a whole bunch of other articles that tell steam mop cause long term interior damage to the laminated floors. But the fact is you can’t generalize these on every steam mop. This article is especially meant to guide you on how to buy a good steam mop for your laminated floor. Even I have reviewed some best steam mop for laminate floors. This article is written after a lot of research and experiments on laminated flooring.

What is Laminate?

Laminate flooring is a type of artificial flooring that has the appearance of wooden flooring. It is a cheap alternative to wood flooring and is highly popular among customers. A few years back, laminate floors were of poor quality and can be easily distinguished from a wooden floor. But since the technology has improved, the quality has increased and is indistinguishable. Also, not only wooden styles are available now but also stone tile, bamboo flooring and a wide variety of appearances are available in the market.

Laminate flooring is originally a multi-layer High-Density Fibreboard(HBD) that have been glued together by some adhesives. The high-quality photograph which is pasted on the top of these fibreboards is what gives the wooden or stony appearance to the fibreboards. A thin transparent protective layer is also provided on the top to protect it from daily wear and tear and also makes it a good water-resistant surface. The different layers of laminate flooring are:

• First layer: an aluminum oxide layer that offers resistance to fade, wear and tear.
• Second layer: also known as the design layer which contains an HD photograph that intensifies the beauty of laminated flooring.
• Third layer: a dense strong layer made of compressed wooden fiber that guards it against indentations
• The fourth layer: provides a moisture barrier and structural integrity to flooring.

How to tell whether laminate flooring is sealed or not

The usability and functionality of steam mops doest not depend only on the mop itself but also on how the laminate floors are maintained. The gaps in the floors provide easy routes for the moisture to enter the fibreboards and cause damage. So the first and foremost step is to check whether your laminate flooring is done properly or not. The following techniques can be used to check it:

• The alignment of the floor should be even. There should be no gaps or unevenness on the floors
• Look out for a shiny finish on the top surface, it means that there is a transparent water-resistant coating on the surface
• Use a scrap to scrape a little part of the top, so that you can see a coating that comes off.

Why is a steam mop especially recommended for laminate flooring?

You might be thinking what’s the difference between cleaning with an ordinary mop and a steam mop?  There is a BIG difference. When high water content enters through the gaps in the fibreboards it may lead to surface fading and decolorization. When using an ordinary mop you can’t control the water content as you dip it in the bucket full of water and swipe on the floor, the floor is been exposed to too much dampness. The repeated exposure may lead to long term damage and is unrecoverable

Steam mops are the better, safer, alternative option. When a steam mop is used on laminate flooring, steam soothes over the laminated floor, cleaning off the dirt and only a tiny amount of leftover moisture is present which cant cause any harm. It is also a chemical-free sanitation method that can kill about 99% of all the germs on the floors. The only challenge is to buy a steam mop that produces very little leftover moisture so that possible chances of potential harm to the laminated floor is very much less.

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Top Choices in Steam Mops for Laminate Floors in 2023

The above information gave you a complete idea of laminate flooring and why we recommended a steam mop for laminate. The best steam mop for laminate floors that are now available in the market has been listed here so that it avoids unnecessary waste of time by going over a different variety of shopping sites to look for the best one.

BISSELL PowerFresh Steam Mop – Best Laminate Floor Steamer (Recommended)

Features

• 1500 watt steamer
• Lightweight steam mop (7.6 pounds)
• Steam ready in 30 seconds and 16 oz water reservoir
• 23-foot power chord
• Multi-level steam modes: high, medium, low
• Variety of attachments available

If you prefer a safe, deep cleaning process for your laminated floors then the Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop should be on your list. It is a well-balanced steam mop that combines heat technology along with steam to provide a strong cleaning performance. It is lightweight about 7.6 pounds that makes it easily portable to every nook and corner of the rooms without any difficulty.

Along with the lightweight feature, the 23-foot power cord assists in easy cleaning under furniture, upholstery, and hard to reach areas without the need to plug into different electrical outlets

The Bissell PowerFresh Steam mop produces steam in just 30 seconds with the help of 1500 watt steamer in the mop. It also has different steam mode settings: high, medium and low so that it can be suited for hard as well as delicate materials.

The accessories available along with this steam mop are microfiber soft pad,  microfiber scrubby pad,  spring breeze fragrance discs, and a carpet glider which aids in the multipurpose cleaning process.

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O-Cedar Microfiber Steam Mop – with 1 Extra Refill

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• Lightweight (5 pounds)
• Triangular head for easy cleaning
• Heats up in 20 seconds
• Tank capacity of 12 ounces with 10 – 20 min performance
• Adjustable steam level settings
• Snap-on glider feature

The  O-cedar Microfiber Steam is a provider of outstanding cleaning performance on laminated floors. It is a lightweight design of about 5 pounds so that it can be easily maneuvered around the house. It also has a swivel head which increases its steaming and cleaning capabilities.

It has a 20-foot long power chord that helps to clean between different rooms and clean with ease. It has an undetachable water container that can store 12 ounces of water for cleaning about 20 minutes continuously before refilling. Also, a measuring cup of 200 ml is provided for easy refilling.

The  O-cedar Microfiber Steam has three modes of steam setting that can suit different materials and has a microfiber steam mop that cleans about 99% of germs without leaving any chemical residue. The snap-on glider is an additional feature provided for easy cleaning of carpets.

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How to Use a Steam Mop on Laminate Floors?

Before using a steam mop for laminate floors the fact that you want to look out for is the amount of hot vapor that is been steamed on the floor. If a strong jet of hot water vapor is blasted on to the surface, it may harm the coating that guards the surface. Too much moisture over any part can cause the moisture to seep past the edges causing the fibreboards too loosen up. The fibreboards may begin to crack up causing the decolorization of the wooden boards. This damages can be avoided by having knowledge on how to effectively use the steam mops. The following steps can be followed for correct actions during cleaning:

• Always set the steam mop at the lowest setting before turning it ON, then launch it and swipe along the floors evenly.
• Do not the hold the steam mop oner any particular area for long durations as too much exposure can harm the coating on the surface
• Check the microfiber pad every few minutes and replace it when necessary, it depends on the amount of dirt you need to clean.

It is advisory that first you test the effect of the steam mop on a very small area and check for any discoloration or the edges buckling. If such effects occur, then immediately turn off the mop. But such conditions are very unlikely to occur. Also, it would be handy if you have one or more microfiber pads in your hand so that you don’t have to stop for replacing the dirty pads.

Wrapping Up

The article provides complete information on the use of steam mops in the cleaning of laminate floors along with the best steam mop for laminate floors available in the market. Even though cleaning laminated floors is easy, it requires great care and attention, otherwise may lead to easy damages. There is no doubt that steams mops perform exceptionally in case of laminated floors when compared to traditional mops as the moisture content should be controlled.

The listed steam mops in the article have been handpicked after a lot of research showing overall performance and exceptional quality. Enjoy your shiny, dirt-free laminate flooring.