Does Steam Mop Damage Grout [Explained]?

Steam mops are genuinely efficient and one of the best cleaning tools that can easily clean, sanitize, and remove tough stains from your floor. It makes your work a lot easier and faster.

It is far better than traditional mopping as you won’t even have to break a sweat mopping the floor with a steam mop. You won’t be straining your back or spending hours cleaning the floor with the help of a steam mop.

There are hundreds if not thousands of steam mops at the market. Generally, steam cleaners use steam to clean the floor. Steams are very useful for sanitizing and loosening up dirt, grime, or mildew.

It requires only distilled or demineralized water so you won’t have to worry about buying expensive chemicals and cleaning solutions. Steam mops are eco-friendly and safe for cleaning your house.

However, there’s a rumor that steam mop damage grout. Is this true? Continue reading this article to find out if steam mop damage grout or not.

Does steam mop damage grout?

Grout is a material made out of water, cement, and sand which is used as reinforcement in existing structures. You can see grout being used in your kitchen tiles, shower floors., etc.  It is a dense fluid with low viscosity and a lack of lime. There are many types of grout such as non-shrink, tiling, resin, flooring, structural, and thixotropic.

The two most popular types of grout are Portland cement-based grout and thermoset polymer matrix grouts such as epoxies and urethanes.  The Portland cement-based grout isn’t waterproof as it is porous and can easily absorb water so it has to be sealed. Generally, cement-based grout is sealed because the unsealed grout can form mold, stain, discolor, and be unhygienic for your house.

On the other hand, the thermoset polymer matrix grouts are waterproof so you don’t have to seal them. Thus, if you only use distilled or demineralized water in the steam mop to clean the grout then it won’t damage the grout if it is properly sealed. But if you use other chemicals and cleaning agents then it can damage your grout.

How to properly clean your grout with a steam cleaner?

Properly cleaning your grout with a steam cleaner is very important because if you aren’t careful you can still damage your grout as it isn’t invincible even if it is sealed or has the correct mixture or used in a sufficient amount.

You must follow the following steps in order to properly clean your grout with a steam cleaner.

Step 1:

Your first step should be sweeping or vacuuming the grout before you start to steam mop. A steam mop might be great at many things such as cleaning and sanitizing the surfaces but vacuuming and removing dirt isn’t the one that it’s good at.

Furthermore, dirt and dust can get attached to the steam mop and it can scratch the floor and decrease the efficiency of the steam cleaner. So, make sure you properly remove the dirt and dust before starting to steam-mop the grout.

Step 2:

Your second step should be using a proper steam mop. There are thousands of steam mops but make sure the steam mop that you buy comes with attachments and accessories that help you steam clean the grout.

Make sure the steam mop is prepared beforehand such as filling the tank, plugging it in, attaching the mop, etc.  Read the user manual of the steam mop and use proper attachments and accessories to clean the grout.

Generally, steam mop manufacturers provide you with nylon-bristle brushes to clean your grout to remove tough stains and stuck-on gunks from your grout.

You can also use a brass-bristle brush if the stain or stuck-on gunks aren’t removed but be careful not to damage the floor as it can damage some types of tiles.

Step 3:

Now, you can use your steam mop and start cleaning the grout. Use the steam mop directly over the grout and make sure you move slowly but constantly with a good back-and-forth motion.

If you are cleaning the floor, you can divide the floor into different small sections and steam mop each area one by one.

If you are cleaning the wall, you can start from the top section so that the hot water produced from the steam mop runs downward and loosens the stains which increases the efficiency of cleaning and saves you valuable time.

Step 4:

As grout are waterproof, don’t be afraid to rinse the floor and grout so that the dirty water doesn’t dry out and makes your grout dirty again. After rinsing, you can start steam cleaning the area once again. Repeat the process until the entire area is clean and sanitized.

Step 5:

After your grout is properly cleaned, make sure to clean your steam mop and wash the mop pads. Inspect your equipment and make sure it isn’t dirty or damaged.

Make sure to dry the steam mop and mop pads before storing them and store it in a clean place. As the water produced from steam cleaners is hot, it will dry off quickly so you can use the area after a few minutes.

To conclude, a steam mop is very good for cleaning grouts if you use it properly. However, make sure you don’t steam mop the grout quite often as it is porous and can absorb water easily. Thus, cleaning the grout once every six months is recommended. Just follow these five simple steps and you can easily steam mop your grout without any damage. 

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