You probably must have installed vinyl floors at your house, office, or other places, as it is one of the best resilient floors that are cost-effective and exceptionally durable.
Maybe one of your close friends, relatives, or colleagues might have recommended it to you. Whatever the case may be, you made the correct decision as it is indeed one of the very best types of floors in the modern world.
Even though it is one of the very best, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t require maintenance and care as it is still prone to damage and dirt.
The vinyl floor can get very dirty if you don’t clean it from time to time. Probably, you might still have those tough stains on the floor screaming at you to clean it.
But you might be thinking that moping the floor is quite tiresome and would have to spend a lot of your valuable time. Well, mop your worries away as you won’t have to put a lot of effort and time into moping the floor anymore.
We have brought you some amazing steam mops that will undoubtedly make your life easier and moping the floor will be as easy as going for a walk in the park.
Below is a list of products that is very efficient at cleaning vinyl floors without causing any damage to your floors. Furthermore, you won’t only be cleaning your vinyl floors with these steam mops but sanitizing at the same time as well as these products are excellent at sanitizing your floors.
Please make sure to read the description properly until the end to find out what’s best for you so that you won’t regret it later on.
Shark S7001 Steam Mop
The Shark S7001 is undeniably the best steam mop for vinyl floors. It has two rotating pads for moping the floor and it can easily clean any kind of tough stains.
However, we recommend you vacuum the floor before using this product that’s because objects like hair, threads, etc. can get stuck in the moping pads and it will be difficult for you to clean the pads properly. Furthermore, you should use distilled water as recommended by the company as it will make the device last longer.
Can you scrub the floor 150 times a minute? It is certainly not possible for humans to achieve such feats, but not for this steam mop as the rotating mop rotates at an incredibly high speed and can scrub the floor over 150 times per minute. You won’t even have to put any effort into cleaning the floor as you just have to fill the distilled water, turn on the device, and guide the device where you want to clean the floor.
Additionally, this steam mop provides three options based on various types of floors. The three modes are Low, Normal, and Deep mode.
For the vinyl floor, we recommend you to use low mode as it might damage the floor when used on normal or deep mode as it produces a lot of heat and can burn the floor. It won’t cause you any back pain as you don’t have to bend while cleaning the floors and you can clear larger areas as the power chord is 22 feet long.
Now, you must be worried if this device is difficult to use. Guess what? You can easily assemble this device by looking at its manual and can maneuver this device with little to no effort.
In addition to that, you would be delighted to know that it has LED lights just above the rotating moping pads. You can easily use this device to go under dark places and clean it without applying additional lights.
As mentioned earlier, the steam from the mop sanitizes your floor so you won’t have to buy additional chemicals to sanitize your floors. Besides the vinyl floors, you can also use this device on other kinds of floors as well such as marble, tiles, hardwood, laminate, and stone.
Moreover, the rotating pads are washable and can be reused for future use. Even if the pads get destroyed, you can simply buy another one as the company sells the pads at quite a low price.
You might also be worried that the rotating pads could damage other appliances and objects if made contact as it spins at such a high speed.
Well, you don’t have to worry one bit as the rotating pads are quite soft and they would simply bounce off if made contact with other appliances while rotating at high speed. It doesn’t produce much noise as well so you won’t have to worry if it disturbs your baby or pets.
Pros
- This steam mop is user-friendly and anyone can use it with little to no effort
- It won’t scratch or damage the floor if used properly
- You can use this steam mop for multiple purposes as it lets you control the steam and speed of rotating pads
- It is supper efficient and has a decent amount of reservoir to hold distilled water so, that you won’t have to continuously refill time and again
- You can reuse the mopping pads and it is cost-effective
Cons
- It is slightly heavier than other steam mops but you won’t have to apply much force to it as little force is enough to move this device
- Even if the power chord is 22 feet long, it could have been much longer as you would be able to clean much larger surfaces
- But for normal homes, it is quite long enough and you won’t have to buy an additional extension cord
Bissell PowerFresh Slim Steam Mop
Ranking at number two we have Bissell PowerFresh Slim Steam Mop. You might have heard about Bissell as the company is quite famous for producing house-cleaning appliances for many years.
Unlike Shark S7001 Steam Mop, it has a flip-down scrubber, and the scrubber is super easy to put into the device. You receive two types of pads while purchasing this product.
One is a soft pad that is very smooth and can be used on vinyl floors as it won’t scratch or damage the floor. The other one is a scrubby pad that is for cleaning tougher floorings.
Similarly, it requires distilled water for cleaning as it gets damaged when other types of products are used such as detergent, alcohol, oil, etc. It’s very light as it is only 6.4 lbs/ 2.9 kg and you can easily maneuver the device due to its slim design and swivel steering.
Not only do you clean and sanitize the floor but you also leave a fragrance afterward as you can use fragrance discs with the device. Furthermore, it doesn’t produce much noise so you won’t have to worry about your pets and children getting disturbed.
Similar to the Shark S7001 Steam Mop, this steam mop is very easy to use and your back won’t get affected as you won’t have to apply much force or bend in order to clean the floor.
Moreover, it also has three modes to set the steam level i.e, Low, Medium, and High. Once again, we recommend you to use the low mode while cleaning the vinyl floor because on medium and high modes it produces a lot of steam due to which the floor could get burnt and damaged by high heat.
Additionally, you can use this device to clean other kinds of surfaces such as sealed hardwood, laminate, stone, marbles, ceramic tiles, etc. You can clean much larger surfaces with this device as the power cord is 25 feet long and its reservoir can hold 349 ml (∼12 ounces) of distilled water.
It is very easy to use as you just have to wait for 30 seconds after turning the machine and move the machine over to the place you want to clean and it will do the task for you.
Pros
- This steam mop is easy to use and lightweight
- It saves a lot of time and effort as it is highly effective in cleaning floors
- It is highly efficient and can hold up to 12 ounces of distilled water so you can clean larger areas without even having to worry about refilling the distilled water
- Moreover, you can use this device on various other surfaces besides vinyl floors as it lets you control the amount of steam
- The mopping pads are washable and can be reused until it gets damaged so it saves a lot of money as well
Cons
- It doesn’t stand up on its own so it can easily fall over and get damaged if the user isn’t careful
- It does produce a knocking noise when the water tank is empty and if the metal tube cannot reach the water
Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop
The Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop does an incredible job cleaning tough stains on the floor. It is very easy to use and assemble. Just like the above two steam mops, it also has three modes called Low, Med, and Hi.
Before using this device make sure that you have assembled the device properly, filled distilled water into the tank, and attached a Dirt Grip.
We especially recommend you use Low mode on vinyl floors because this mode is mainly for cleaning delicate surfaces. If you use other modes on vinyl floors then your floor might get damaged due to high heat.
It can also be used on other kinds of sealed surfaces such as hardwood, marble, tile, stone, etc. This steam mop allows for applying an extra burst of steam as well. It has microfiber, and soft mopping pads similar to the Bissell PowerFresh Slim Steam Mop.
However, one cool feature about this device is that the pads are double-sided and you can simply flip the pad to the other side. This increases efficiency and saves you valuable time. You won’t have to worry about your floor getting scratched or damaged by this pad because it is super soft.
In addition to that, the mopping pads are washable and can be reused for further cleaning. Even if the mopping pads get damaged, you can simply buy another one at a cheap price in the market.
It is super lightweight as it is only 6lbs and 119.9 cm/47.2 inches tall which means that you won’t have to apply much force and your back won’t get hurt after using this device for a long period. Moreover, it has a round handle which helps the user to maneuver easily and it is quite comfortable as well.
It is very efficient and can hold up to 12 ounces of distilled water. You can clean larger areas with this thing as the power cord is 6.83 m/22.4 ft long.
Please be careful not to use other liquids instead of distilled water as it can seriously damage the device and affect the health of you and your family as well. It doesn’t have many additional features like Shark S7001 Steam Mop but it does the job of cleaning excellently.
Pros
- This steam mop is quite easy to use and it is highly efficient
- It is super easy to assemble and does a decent job cleaning your floor
- It is cheaper than Shark 7001 Steam Mop and Bissell PowerFresh Slim Steam Pocket Mop
- The maneuverability of this device is very good due to its round handle and lightweight
- You can reuse the mopping pads so it saves a lot of money as well
Cons
- The user must be careful not to leave the device stationary in Steam Blaster mode for more than one minute as it can seriously burn the floor
- Additionally, be careful not to scrub the same area for an extended period of time as it can also damage the area
- It doesn’t have an additional scrubbing tool and can leave some of the spots with mess or stains
- So, you might have to manually scrub away a few spots, especially in tiles
ThermaPro Steam Cleaner
Another suitable product to clean your vinyl floor is the Therma Pro Steam Cleaner. This product is not only good at cleaning vinyl floors but you can literally use it to clean the whole house as well due to its amazing features. It also has three modes just like the above-given steam mops.
These modes are Low, Medium, and High. As you can guess, you should use low mode for vinyl floors because in other modes it produces a lot of heat and your floor can get damaged.
It requires water and the reservoir of this device is 380 ml/12.8 ounces. Moreover, it’s super efficient as you can use this device for 25 minutes straight on low mode and 12 minutes straight on high mode.
You can use this device with ease as it is only 2.2 lbs heavy and it is 15.9 ft tall. It is super light and you can easily maneuver the device with little to no effort. You won’t have to worry about your child and pet as it is very safe to use and it doesn’t produce much noise.
With its built-in handheld steam cleaner, you can clean anything at your house as you just have to install the attachment you need. Similarly, it has got a rectangular, microfiber, soft moping pad which is good for sealed flooring.
For the vinyl floor, you must use a microfiber cloth as it is soft and won’t damage the floor. Also, the microfiber cloth is machine washable in a warm setting, and make sure to use a mild detergent.
You get a lot of additional items for cleaning various objects such as an angled nozzle, big brush tool, scraping tool, steamer jet, carpet glider, accessory adaptor, and squeegee attachment.
Talking about the water used in this device, you don’t have to buy distilled water as the above-mentioned mop steams but you have to prepare a solution of 1/3 white vinegar and 2/3 tap water.
As the tap water contains high amounts of minerals, you might notice less steam from the accessories which is mainly because of the calcium deposits inside the nozzle.
Furthermore, the calcium deposit can build up inside the water tank so in order to remove it you just have to add one or two tablespoons of white vinegar to a full tank and then shake.
You must clean the water tank after every use and make sure to not leave any water. Additionally, you can also clean glass, stainless steel, sealed stone, sealed tile/grout, and many other objects with this device.
It has a very long power cord of 23 ft and you can clean large areas with this device.
Pros
- Unlike the above-mentioned steam mops, you won’t have to worry about buying distilled water and you can clean a lot of other objects besides sealed floors with it
- It is super lightweight and very easy to maneuver as well
- It provides a lot of useful accessories for cleaning and you can adjust the level of steam according to your desire
- The microfiber cloth is washable and can be reused for cleaning so it saves a lot of money
- If you need a new one, you can simply buy another one on the market at a cheap price
- It is quite cheap compared to the above-mentioned steam mops
Cons
- The brushes that come with the mop are not durable and get quickly damaged
- Even if you have got several brushes, you have to look for replacements as it gets damaged quickly with regular use
- There’s some issue with the microfiber cloth also as it doesn’t glide smoothly and may flip up sometimes while applying greater force
Bissell Power Steamer Heavy 3 in 1
You might be surprised to see heavy cleaner on this list as we have mentioned time and again that high amounts of heat can seriously damage the vinyl floors.
However, the Bissell Power Steamer Heavy 3-in-1 lets you control the intensity and amount of steam as it has a low steam mode which is very good for cleaning delicate surfaces such as vinyl, laminate, linoleum, or sealed hardwood floors.
Astoundingly, it comes with 25 accessories that can be used for several cleaning purposes. Furthermore, it has another Hi Steam mode which is good for cleaning durable surfaces such as ceramic tile, marble, stone, and sealed hardwood floors.
As the name suggests, it is quite heavy as compared to other steam mops as it weighs 6.13 pounds and holds only 6 ounces of water in the reservoir.
The reservoir doesn’t hold much water so you might have to refill the water time and again while using this device. For mopping delicate surfaces, you get a flat surface mop pad that attaches to the Flat Surface Tool.
Fortunately, it is machine washable and can be reused for future use. We recommend you vacuum the floor before cleaning with this device. Additionally, the microfiber mop pads are very good for sanitizing the floors and you can buy another one at a cheaper price in the market if it gets damaged.
Be careful to use only non-bleach liquid detergents while cleaning the mop pads. This device is quite tall as it stands at a height of 46.5 in/3.8 ft so you won’t have to experience back pain while using it for a long period of time but your arms might get tired quickly as it is quite heavy.
You can control the steam by simply pushing the steam trigger located underneath the handle to release the steam when necessary. It might be heavy but it is not difficult to maneuver the device due to its swivel steering.
You can clean larger areas with this device as the power cord is 25 feet long. Furthermore, it’s almost too harsh for clothing as it leaves water drops on clothing and produces a lot of steam.
It requires distilled water or demineralized water as other kinds of water or chemicals can seriously damage the device. The Bissell company sells some demineralized waters in various scents like Mint, Spring Breeze, Citrus, and Eucalyptus if you want to add a fresh scent while you clean.
Pros
- This heavy-duty steam mop is very good at cleaning various things and lets you control the steam like no other steam mop
- The mop pads are very soft and they won’t damage or scratch your floor
- It is also machine washable and can be used again for future use
- As mentioned earlier, it has a large bundle of accessories which is very useful to clean various objects at your home, office, etc
- This device is super efficient at cleaning and sanitizing
- It’s slightly more expensive than other steam mops but it is cost-effective as you can literally clean every object at your house, office, etc
Cons
- This device doesn’t stand up on its own so the user has to be careful to put the device in the upright position against a firm surface to prevent it from falling over and getting damaged
- There might be leakage if you use the device in Hi steam mode for too long
- It’s quite heavy and the steams can be intermittent at some time
- It has a small reservoir so you might have to fill up the tank time and again
Light ‘N’ Easy steam mop
Surely, the user like a light and efficient steam mop as you have to put in less effort, and it’s easier to use. Furthermore, this team mop is designed to clean other objects besides just floors with its detachable handheld steam cleaner to clean stem clothes and freshen couches and switch to a steam nozzle to clean oily messes and sinks.
It is super lightweight as it weighs only 3.5 pounds without water. This device is suitable for all kinds of floors so you won’t have to worry about damaging your vinyl floors.
It is designed for comfort and you have to put little to no effort into cleaning the floors and surfaces. You can easily maneuver the device as it is super lightweight and the handle has a soft grip.
Additionally, your back won’t get hurt after using it for a long period of time as it puts zero strain on your back as it is 48.5 in/4 ft tall. As compared to the above-mentioned steam mops, it doesn’t clean very fast and you have to constantly refill the tank as it can hold only 220 ml/7.4 ounces of water at a time.
Moreover, you have to manually pump the handle while cleaning and it only lasts for about 19 minutes when the tank is full. The efficiency is high but the stains and mess on the floors and surfaces will require a lot of time to be cleaned.
One good feature of this steam mop is that you won’t have to wait for the floor to dry as it uses water very efficiently. There are three steam modes in this device, and as you can guess we recommend you to use the low mode for vinyl floors as it can get damaged and burnt on other modes.
The power cord is 20 ft long so it is good for household use but for larger areas, you might have to buy an extension cord. Even though it is lightweight, it is very sturdy and sanitizes your floors and surfaces.
Talking about its moping pads, it uses a triple-layer steam-activated microfiber pad so it doesn’t scratch or damage the floor.
Furthermore, these mop pads are machine washable so you can reuse them for future use. However, it is recommended that you should replace these mop pads every three months to maximize cleaning performance.
Pros
- This steam mop is super lightweight so you won’t have to put in a lot of effort using this device
- Furthermore, it is quite cheap compared to the above-mentioned steam mops
- You can use this steam mop on other surfaces as well besides floors such as carpets, etc
- It doesn’t leave much water on the surface as it is super efficient so you won’t have to wait for the floor or surface to dry
- It’s super easy to maneuver and it is a good option for lighter marks and messes, especially for sealed floors
- The device automatically shuts off when you pause cleaning so you won’t have to worry about damaging the floors with the heat
Cons
- You can only use this device for 10 minutes at the maximum setting so you have to refill the water time and again and wait for the device to cool as well
- Moreover, the residual mess needs to be manually cleaned, and pumping the hands to produce steam can be tiresome
- The power cord is quite short as compared to other steam mops and the reservoir can be made a lot bigger as well
Bissell PowerFresh Lift-Off Pet
Have you got a pet at your home? Well, if you do then the Bissell PowerFresh Lift-Off Pet is the right steam mop for you. Moreover, it can convert into a handheld machine so that you can clean various objects in your home besides just the floor.
It comes with additional 13 accessories which are quite useful to clean various objects at your house, office, etc. You can collect dirt with this device so you won’t have to worry about your pet hairs getting stuck in the mop pads.
Unlike the above-mentioned steam mops, it has only two steam modes Low and High. As you can guess, we recommend you only use low steam mode on vinyl floors.
Furthermore, it comes with one microfiber soft pad, one microfiber scrubby pad, a microfiber towel, and many more. With this device, you won’t be cleaning and sanitizing the floor only as it comes with two odor-eliminating fragrance discs so you will be adding fragrance while using this device as well.
It is quite heavy as compared to other steam mops as it weighs 10.6 lbs so you might have to apply some force in order to maneuver the device. For vinyl floors, you must use microfiber soft pads so that they won’t get scratched or damaged.
With the help of the additional 13 accessories, you will be able to clean the grout, sinks, countertops, stove tops, and glass surfaces. Additionally, you can sanitize and remove mess from your pet toys, carriers, dishes, etc.
The microfiber mop pads are machine washable and can be reused for future use. You can simply buy new mop pads in the market at a cheaper price in case it gets damaged.
Just like many other steam mops, it also requires distilled or demineralized water to prolong its longevity. It has got 25 feet long power cord so you can use this cleaning device on a larger area and it can hold up to 13.5 ounces of water in its reservoir so you won’t have to refill the tank time and again while cleaning.
Pros
- It is the best cleaning device to have at your house if you have a pet
- It is very versatile and can be used to clean various objects
- It is efficient and can hold a good amount of water so that you won’t have to refill the tank time and again
- The power cord is long and it has some great accessories which are quite useful to clean your pet utensils and items
- It is pet friendly and adds fragrance to your house and floors
- The mop pads are washable and can be reused and can be bought at a cheaper price in the market if it gets damaged
Cons
- It’s quite heavy compared to other steam mops so you might have to put in some effort to use this device
- It is not as maneuverable as other steam mops due to its weight
Buying Guide For Steam Mop for Vinyl Floors
There are hundreds if not thousands of steam mops on the market. So, it might be quite confusing to find the right product for you to choose the steam mop for Vinyl Floors. It would be a waste of money if you buy the wrong product and the vinyl floors can be damaged also. We have a list of things that you must consider before buying any kind of steam mop for vinyl floors.
Steam
First and foremost, you should check whether you can control the steam or not. Your vinyl floors can withstand temperatures from 65 °F to 100°F only so you must be extra careful while buying steam mops that have low steam mode. The vinyl floor can get easily damaged if you apply a lot of heat.
The steam mop with no adjustable steam control system can easily damage the vinyl floor as you can’t control the amount of heat produced from the steam. The only product that you can use without the adjustable steam control system is the Shark S3501 as the flow of steam is gentle.
The time it takes to heat-up
As there’s a saying time is money, you probably want to save your time so make sure to look for the models which take about 20-30 seconds to heat up as you will be able to accomplish your cleaning task quickly.
Length of Power Cord
The longer the length of the Power cord is the more area you can clean with the device. If you have a large house or have a lot of areas to clean you should probably buy a steam mop with longer power cords as you won’t have to buy an extension cord. Its recommended that you should buy a steam mop with a 20-25 ft long power cord.
Capacity to hold water
You probably want to make your life easier and more comfortable so you must know how much capacity the steam mop has as you don’t want to refill your steam mop time and again while cleaning as you have to waste a lot of time.
As there is a saying “the more the merrier” if you buy a steam mop with a large capacity to hold water then you can work longer without having to refill the tank. It will save you a lot of time and effort.
We recommend you buy a steam mop with no less than 10 ounces reservoir. If you have a very large area to clean, you should consider buying steam mops with super-sized steam mops like POLTI Vaporetto.
Performance
Well, it’s quite basic as the main job of a steam mop is to clean the difficult mess, stains, and dirt. You should make sure the product you are buying does a decent job cleaning. There are some products that don’t fully clean the stains on the floor and would require additional mopping. So, make sure to stay away from those products.
Height and Weight
A bucket and mop put a lot of strain on your back as you have to bend your back for a long period of time. So, when you buy a steam mop make sure that it is quite long so that you won’t have to bend a lot and put a strain on your back. Also, you should buy a lightweight steam mop because it’s easier to use and you won’t have to apply much force.
If you buy a heavy steam mop then you must apply a lot of force and you can get tired quickly. So, make sure to buy the steam mop with the right height and weight as per your needs.
Cleaning Pads
The cleaning pads carry from product to product so make sure to buy microfiber and soft pads as they won’t scratch or damage the floor. Also, you should look for a steam mop that has machine-washable cleaning pads because you can save a lot of money and reuse the cleaning pads for future use.
Accessory tools
The additional accessory tools that come with the steam mops not only help you clean the floor but other objects at your home such as glasses, sink, fiber, clothes, etc. One thing you should know about these accessory tools is that many of them can get easily damaged so make sure to buy durable products.
Warranty
Accidents can happen at any time and your steam mop can also get damaged quickly so make sure that the steam mop you buy comes with a warranty so that you will get compensation.
Common mistakes to avoid when using a steam mop
If you are new to using steam mops then you might make some mistakes while using steam mops. This can cause some serious issues so we have made a list of mistakes that you should avoid when using a steam mop.
Steam cleaning is for all floor types
That’s a common mistake a lot of rookie steam cleaner makes. They think that steam cleaning is for all kinds of floor but actually it’s not as it can damage some times floor. The floors like ceramic and porcelain tiles won’t get damaged and you can use the steam mop without hesitation on this floor. But on other types of floors such as vinyl floors, laminated floors, painted floors, hardwood floors, and unsealed hardwood floors, you can use steam mops as the heat from the steam mops can damage the floors.
Even if you use it, you have to use it on low steam mode and be one hundred percent sure that it won’t affect these types of floors. Make you know the surfaces before cleaning them with steam mops.
Plugging your steam mop before attaching the mop pad
Many steam mops heat up quickly in a few seconds right after plugging them in. If you plug it immediately without any preparations then you might burn the surface and yourself as it heats up surprisingly fast. Thus, make sure you change the mopping pads, fill the water reservoir, straightened the power cord, and be prepared before plugging it in.
Plugging it in should be your last step before cleaning and if you need to refill the water or change the mop in the middle of cleaning then you must unplug the device and wait for some time for the device to cool as you may get seriously burnt while removing the mop or removing the water reservoir.
Using the steam mop without vacuuming or sweeping
Just like the traditional way of mopping, you first vacuum or sweep the floor before mopping the floor. Because if you don’t then the steam mop could damage your floor with the debris that’s collected along with the steam mop. Furthermore, the mopping pads get dirty quite soon and you have to clean them quite often, and cleaning it might be more difficult as well.
Putting chemicals and other liquids instead of water in the tank
Most of the steam mops recommend you use distilled or demineralized water. That’s because it preserves the longevity of the device and the safety of the users. You can seriously damage the product or cause health hazards if you use other chemicals, liquids, or cleaners besides water. Only a very few steam mops are designed to use cleaning agents so make sure to read the manual before filling the reservoir with other chemicals, liquid, or cleaner.
Not testing the device before steaming
Just like how you test the iron before applying directly to your clothes, it’s best to test the device in some inconspicuous areas before steaming and cleaning the floor. Better safe than sorry so make sure you test the device every time before you use it for cleaning.
Using the device on humid or cold days
As you might know, the steam mops use water for cleaning, so using the device on humid or cold days might be a bad idea as the water left after steaming won’t dry easily. Thus, it’s better not to use the steam mop on humid or cold days, or even if you decided to use it make sure you warm up the room or wait until the temperature rises to the maximum.
Using the dirty mop pads
Most of the mop pads are machine washable and can be reused again and again. However, if you use a dirty mop pad then you won’t be able to effectively clean as it will start to push the dirt from one place to another. So, make sure you clean the mop pads after it gets dirty, and keeps several extra mop pads around you.
Furthermore, you must be careful not to immediately store the mop as it is still wet or dirty as this might result in mildew forming on the mop pads. It could seriously damage the mop pads so wait for your device to cool down before removing the mop pads and then you should clean and dry it.
Washing the pads with fabric softeners
As mentioned above, washing the pads is recommended but not with fabric softeners as most of the mop pads are made with microfiber and it can damage the mop pad’s absorbency. Fabric softeners clog up the microfibers so if you use them then your mop pads might start to repel the water instead of soaking it, making it useless. If you decide to wash the mop pads, you can use detergent and you can also add an extra rinse cycle as well.
Are steam mops safe for vinyl floors?
As mentioned earlier, the vinyl floors can withstand temperatures from 65 °F to 100°F only. So, most standard steam mops are not suitable for vinyl floors. However, there are some steam mops that allow the user to control the intensity and amount of steam.
This kind of steam mop can be used on low steam mode to clean vinyl floors but the user must be careful not to steam mop the same place for a longer period of time as it can also damage the vinyl floors.
Using a steam mop is quite risky on vinyl floors because even if it is water-resistant, the glue which is used to fix the floor on position doesn’t react well with heat and the tiles might get bent as the glue melts.
The structure of the floor can get damaged as well as moisture can penetrate the pores of the floor. You can only use steam mops that are tested for vinyl floors like the above-mentioned steam mops.
However, there are some advantages of steam mops as well on vinyl floors. The steam mop doesn’t require any chemicals to sanitize the floor as it kills the bacteria with the hot steam. Furthermore, vinyl floors are generally used in areas where there is minimal airflow and that are water prone.
So, it using steam mops is suitable instead of chemicals as it is eco-friendly. The water on the floor after using the steam mop dries quickly and it isn’t much expensive as well.
Can I Steam Mop my luxury vinyl flooring?
The difference between luxury vinyl flooring and standard vinyl flooring is that luxury vinyl flooring is thicker with six to eight layers of materials, making it more rigid.
Unfortunately, the luxury vinyl flooring has higher seams for water to penetrate. However, it can withstand the same amount of heat as standard vinyl flooring. It can withstand steam cleaners on low steam mode/low heat setting so you can use your steam mop to clean your luxury vinyl flooring. But please note that it is not recommended by the manufacturers.
What’s the best way to clean luxury vinyl flooring?
There are other methods besides steam mopping to clean luxury vinyl flooring. In this section, we will tell you the best way to clean luxury vinyl flooring.
Firstly, you have to vacuum or sweep the floor as dirt can scratch and damage your flooring. Make sure you vacuum and sweep the floor regularly as possible as it will increase the longevity of the floor and protect the finish.
Secondly, you have to know suitable cleaning products which are good for cleaning luxury vinyl flooring. Make sure the ingredients and products are safe for luxury vinyl flooring. If you find out the product contains ammonia, you must not buy such products as it will damage the flooring. There are some cleaning solutions that you can prepare at home as well such as white vinegar and apple cider vinegar.
White vinegar is a popular cleaning solution that can be used to clean different things in their homes. It doesn’t harm the luxury vinyl flooring and can clean the floor nicely. On the other hand, apple cider vinegar is also great for cleaning luxury vinyl flooring as it can quickly remove dirt and grit with its acidity.
Thirdly, you have to prepare and mix the cleaning solution. The above-mentioned cleaning solutions can be mixed with water to make a cleaning solution for luxury vinyl flooring. You can use white vinegar to sanitize the floor and clean extremely dirty places. For normal use, you can use apple cider vinegar as it is softer than white vinegar.
But for the slippery kitchen floor, we recommend you to use liquid dishwashing soap like Dawn with warm water as it can clean tough stains easily. Make sure that you won’t overuse the cleaning solution as it can leave a coating that can attract dust and excess water can cause the flooring to buckle.
Fourthly, rinse the flooring after applying the cleaning solutions. Some cleaners don’t need to be rinsed so you should only rinse if you’ve applied a lot of solution or soap.
Fifthly, there might be some stubborn stains that do not go away even after applying cleaning solutions so you must have to take a step further. There are basically three types of stains that are tough to remove. We will teach you how to tackle each type of stain down below.
One of the stains which are hard to remove is food stains. In order to remove these stains, you can mix a paste of baking soda with water in a ratio of 2:1 respectively. Apply this mixture above the stain and use a microfiber cloth to scrub the stains. Make sure to apply gentle force as you can damage the floor rinse the area with water and dry the affected area.
Scuffs can be hard to clean on luxury vinyl flooring. It is caused by heavy furniture and some shoes. However, you can also remove it from the floor just by spraying a tiny amount of WD-40 on the affected area. After that, you just simply buff the area with a dry, soft, microfiber cloth.
Another tough stain that is hard to remove is Make-up (Lipstick, Grease, or Ink) stains. You can remove this stain by scrubbing the stain with a microfiber cloth which is dampened with rubbing alcohol. Make sure to start cleaning from the outer edges working your way to the middle in order to prevent the stain from growing larger.
