How to Use a Steam Mop to Clean the Floor
How Family and Friends Introduce Me To Using Steam Mops For Cleaning The Home
One aspect of housekeeping which has always seemed to elude me has been the practice of keeping hardwood floors extremely clean. Some people practically seemed to have some sort of gift for it. I’d show up over a friend or family members home who had even more hardwood floors and kids than I did, and they still seemed to keep the floors so clean and tidy all of the time!
This simply blew me mind, as even though I was attempting to mop all of my tile and hardwood floors at least a couple of times per month, they never really turned out as nicely as some other peoples seemed to. Trying to get those floors on the same level as theirs always just ended in frustration for me.
It turns out that I had simply been doing it all wrong for years. While I was breaking my back on my hands and knees trying to scrub the floors, my friends and family members were using an appliance I had heard of but never actually given a serious try – the steam mop using tips.
I had occasionally seen commercials and various advertisements for such tools, but I never truly gave them the time of day. It didn’t take me long after my family and friends made their recommendations to me to head down to my nearest local kitchen appliance store in order to take a look at some different models and get a feel for the different price ranges I would be looking at.
I was surprised and very pleased to discover that even the best steam mop models out there are pretty reasonably priced! I had expected to pay in excess of hundreds of dollars for an even the lower quality versions, but soon enough I discovered that this wasn’t the case at all.
While at the store though, I realized that I could probably find an even larger selection and probably even better prices online. With such a variety to choose from too, I wanted to make sure I checked out some steam mop reviews in order to find the best steam mop for the price.
Thankfully, I was able to find a huge variety of the best steam mops from just about any producer you could imagine. Not only did I find a bunch of different steam mops and their accessories, but there was a ton of steam mop reviews I could check out in order to really assure that my purchase was the absolute best decision I could make.
USING STEAM MOPS IN A HEALTH CARE SETTING
The health care field is one in which, obviously, you are required to be especially careful in regards to cleanliness and attention to detail – Spreading of germs and diseases happens seamlessly and easily without even realizing it’s happened. This is no truer than in a place full of people who are there primarily due to sickness.
If people there aren’t sick, they’re especially vulnerable to becoming so – these might be people recovering following a surgery or elderly people whose immune systems are too weak to fend off the kinds of pathogens a hospital might contain.
Because of all of these reasons and more, health care facilities therefore require a much higher level of sanitation and and disinfecting procedures and standards. While in most other places you can think of in which mopping multiple rooms without sanitizing the cleaning instruments and the canisters which hold their cleaning solutions would be acceptable aren’t going to suffer as a result of this, a hospital has to make absolutely certain that pathogens from one patients room aren’t transported directly to another patients room where they could pick it up – but how could they possibly do that in a timely enough matter?
Many hospitals unfortunately have had to rely on sanitizing these cleaning instruments every two or three patient rooms – there simply isn’t enough time to change all of it or money to pay for all of the sanitation materials for this to be a reality.
Steam Mops – The Solution to Hospital Sanitation
Like an archangel, the steam mop descends from the heavens to save the day. All kidding aside, the steam mop is an amazing solution to all of these issues. Where to even begin?
Steam mops work quickly – The process of filling up a mop bucket (after having to have cleaned it out and sanitized it from the previous use) with all of the chemicals required, lugging it around to the patients room, and then having to swing that heavy mop around only to have to go do it all again after only a couple rooms takes up massive amounts of time and man hours, both of which are in short supply when it comes to a hospital.
Using a steam mop, you can go from room to room seamlessly without having to go and sanitize the materials and get new detergents over and over again.
Destroy pathogens organically by steam cleaning – Most importantly, many of the best steam mops can emit steam that exceeds 200 degrees, which is just as effective at destroying bacteria and pathogens as chemical detergents are. The steam mops jet of dry steam will destroy them instantly, as well as picking up dirt, grease, or other contaminants that might be located on the floor in a single sweep. No need to constantly recycle dirty water over and over again, and no having to wring out the mop every few seconds either, resulting in a massive amount of time saved.
Saved money and resources – A hospital has to have the funds to operate just like any other industry in the world, yet still must find a way to meet strict sanitization guidelines and procedures. While mopping the traditional way not only increases costs substantially by requiring the use of large amounts of chemical detergents which must be disposed of frequently, but the man hours required to handle the constant sanitization and cleansing of the mops and buckets results in a huge overall cost to the hospital as well.
By replacing the old outdated mop and bucket with new steam mops, the time, energy, and resources allocated to simply cleaning the floors of the hospital can be used elsewhere.
BENEFITS OF STEAM MOPPING – NON TOXIC CLEANING
We don’t tend to think about cleaning as an activity that leads to a decrease in our standards of health – in fact, I would imagine that the majority of us associate having a clean and sanitized environment to live in as a boon to our health. While this is of course true to an extent, we also have to take in to consideration just what process lead to that clean and sanitized environment, and whether that process can be improved upon in order to safeguard our health to an even further degree.
The warning signs and cautions are nothing new to us – we’re told about the health risks associated with the use of potent chemical concoctions and the fumes that they emit, yet in our process of cleaning our homes we simply disregard these warning signs and accept that it’s just the way that it is. The way that companies who manufacture these toxins and chemical cleaners would like to have you believe that there simply isn’t any other way to truly make sure that your home is clean and sanitized outside of using them.
While these products undeniably are effective in disinfecting the surfaces they’re exposed to, they also leave behind other risky elements that you don’t realize you’re being exposed to at that time. Especially if you have pets or young children who are particularly vulnerable to these toxins, there is cause for concern.
However, despite what you may have been made to believe up to this point, you don’t have to use the chemicals and detergents that are popular for cleaning with. They make a fast and simple solution to a problem, but you can have the best of both worlds – A clean and sanitized home without the use of harsh chemical brews. But how is that possible?
Use a Steam Mop and Eliminate Dangerous Chemicals From Your Cleaning Routine
As we all know, bleach and chemicals can do wonders when it comes to killing bacteria and germs, but heat ultimately can destroy any form of life – enough heat, and anything can be sterilized, and that is the principle used in cleaning with steam mops.
Instead of drenching your home in bleach and ammonia, using a top rated steam mop using tips with the capabilities to heat water vapor to temperatures exceeding 200 degrees will certainly destroy any bacteria and pathogens that industrial cleaning solutions are able to while leaving nothing but a streak of water vapor in its wake.
What about the costs involved with using natural cleaning solutions? Aren’t eco friendly products generally affixed with a price tag far exceeding that of other products?
Unfortunately this misconception seeps into many areas of environmentally friendly products. While there may be examples to be found out there of natural cleaning products that beat industrial cleaners in terms of price, steam cleaning with a steam mop doesn’t cost you a thing after actually purchasing the product itself.
Steam mops consume nothing other than water vapor and a bit of electricity in order to perform their tasks, and after years of using one instead of constantly replacing your stockade of chemical cleaners, you’ll definitely realize that you’re at an economical advantage when using a steam mop!
STEAM MOPS CAN HELP ALLERGY SUFFERERS
If you suffer from allergies yourself or know someone who does, then you’re already familiar with the importance of keeping surroundings clean and free of dust mites, pollen, or other allergens. Those who have allergies are at particular risk of being effected negatively by their environment, so in order to maximize their comfort, utilizing the best in modern cleaning appliances technological advances is important.
As an allergy sufferer, your best option is to have someone else take care of your housekeeping for you. Unfortunately, that isn’t always a valid option economically for them, so they’re forced to make due themselves. Not only does cleaning in and of itself cause allergies to flare up due to the kicking up of dust and other allergens throughout the cleaning process, but cleaning products comprised primarily of chemical compounds also can cause those with allergies to become uncomfortable.
What do Allergy Sufferers Gain in Terms of Benefits of Steam Mops?
Bathroom Mopping – Cleaning the bathroom is one of the biggest problems for those with allergies, not so much due to dust and allergens floating freely in the air, but because of the chemicals being used in the bathroom.
Surface cleaning, especially in the bathroom in which many people would likely agree is the place that requires the most in terms of cleaning power, calls for the use of a lot of force to keep clean. It’s a room dedicated to bodily functions and the cleaning of your body, so this makes sense.
Cleaning with non toxic chemicals is a good idea for anyone, but those effected strongly by allergies especially should be seeking non toxic methods of cleaning. The bathroom is a place that you’re going to need all the help you can get in this regard, so using the best steam mop to sanitize your bathroom without the use of those toxins is going to go a long way towards improving your health.
Kitchen cleaning with a steam mop – Kitchens are another domain of strong and hazardous germs and bacteria that need cleansing. Food, including raw meats, are prepared, cooked, and served here, which means contaminants can build up fairly rapidly if allowed to simply run rampant.
Another factor making the kitchen an especially important area to clean thoroughly is that it tends to receive a lot of traffic, perhaps even the most of any room in the house. If your home resembles anything like mine, the kitchen is at the center of the rest of the residence. People go in and out all day, tracking in dirt, dust, and an assortment of other allergens that you don’t want to let get out of control before the next time you have available to go over the counters and floors thoroughly.
Using a dedicated steam mop, you can quickly and easily go over the entire surface of your kitchen floors, eliminating dust, allergens, bacteria, and germs in one fell swoop. What once might have taken you a half hour and exposed you to a number of harmful chemicals and fumes can be taken care of in a few minutes with nothing but water vapor to have to contend with!
Steam Mops for the bedroom – Another hot spot in the house for dust and allergens, the bedroom tends to hold onto these materials better than many. Your typical bedroom, whether carpeted or with hard floors, is full of blankets, pillows, and other soft surfaces. All of these materials hold onto dust, dust mites, skin cells, etc., which all can be a real hassle for those suffering from allergies.
Steam cleaning the bedroom will eliminate these pesky allergens and leave the room spotless, all without using anything that could possibly cause your allergies to begin flaring up.
HOW WELL DO TOP STEAM MOPS ACTUALLY WORK?
As a somewhat recent introduction to the cleaning appliances world, the advent of the steam mop has been met with many good and bad things having been said concerning their viability and effectiveness. As with any new cleaning appliance or device, the first ones on the market might not be the top steam mops of the charts, but what has time provided us in terms of steam mop viability?
Do steam mops work as well as some people really say that they do?
Of course they do! But the answer to that question ultimately lies in your ability to choose which kind of steam mop is going to best serve you and your needs. A butchers knife is no use to a mechanic on the job, just as the mechanics wrench does nothing to serve that butcher while he’s practicing his craft.. in other words, the correct tool for the job is paramount in whether the tool is effective, correct?
So let’s go over some of the details concerning what kind of steam mop you’re looking for. By doing so, we can figure out what the best steam mop for you is, or whether a steam mop really isn’t what it is that you’re looking for in a steam cleaning appliance. Many steam cleaning devices exist for purchase into today’s ever changing economy, and there’s no reason to settle for less than exactly what you need.
Factors in Deciding on Whether a Steam Mop is Appropriate for Your Needs
I would say that a primary decision that you’re going to need to make in your assessment is whether you want to use a dedicated steam mop, or an all in one steam cleaning device.
The issue that I was presented with when it came to the all in one kind of option was that it was rather difficult to use and a bit of a hassle to get set up. In buying a steam cleaning device, I had hoped to save a lot of time and energy, not expend it elsewhere on the same task! You had to get all of the parts together, assemble the bulky thing, clean with it.. and then dismantle and clean the whole thing! This was starting to really just replace the tedious task of dealing with the old mop bucket and grout brushes that I was already used to and trying to escape from, so I decided that I’d try out a dedicated steam mop.
I was determined to find the best steam mop available, so I took a look at some steam mop reviews in order to determine what I wanted. Some of the features you’re going to want to look for (or at the very least, keep in mind) when on the search for your steam mop might also include the temperature capabilities.
Make sure your steam mop handles and maintains high temperatures!
Even less expensive steam mops will do a great job and leave you with a clean floor, but if you’re serious about making an investment in an awesome steam cleaning machine you’re going to want to make sure that the mop can retain a water temperature of 200 degrees or more consistently. This is the temperature generally considered to be necessary for the elimination of the majority of germs and pathogens that you might encounter, so if this is important to you, make sure that it’s an included feature before buying.
Easy to set up
As I said above, one of the things that put me off about my original purchase of the all in one steam cleaner was that it was so much work to put together and get up and running, and then subsequently take apart after the job was done. Sometimes I don’t want to necessarily clean like crazy – A quick mopping might just do the job in some cases. Using the all in one though meant that you had to go through the ordeal every time, which is the opposite of the convenience that I was originally seeking in a steam cleaner.
Utilizing a steam mop changed all of that for me thankfully! Now I don’t have to deal with such a tedious set up anymore, and can do a quick floor mop in a jiffy if need be. This is a lot more convenient, saving me time and energy, which is exactly what I’m looking for when seeking out a new cleaning appliance.
USING TOP STEAM MOPS TO CLEAN TILE AND GROUT
One of the most irritating places to clean when you’re going over the house is the bathroom, for obvious reasons. The tile floors in the average bathroom are exposed constantly to a lot of moisture and foot traffic, resulting in large built ups of grout and dirt rather quickly in such a small space. Grout also tends to clump together and gather dirt, hair, etc. from people in and out of the bathroom all day. All of this makes cleaning the bathroom a real hassle of a chore that you usually end up procrastinating endlessly, or at least I used to.
Nowadays however, I’ve been ditching the old time consuming methods of grout brushes and mops with buckets full of chemically infused dirty water for my new cleaning love – the steam mop!
All kidding aside, I really do love my steam mop. Modern technology has bestowed upon us many technological in steam cleaning technology and devices, and as such there’s now a huge market for the top steam mops. These wonderful appliances allow you to steam clean the tile floors in your bathroom and remove grout without you even needing to bend over or get on the ground at all! You can forget about scrubbing grout on your hands and knees once you’ve got a steam mop.
Advantages of Having the Best Steam Mop for Cleaning Tile Floors
Steam cleaning with a steam mop involves using vaporized steam. This is super concentrated and very high temperature vaporized steam which appears to be almost “dry”, leaving the the area they’ve gone over free of excess moisture when you’re done. This is particularly important when it comes to cleaning a bathroom, because that excess moisture is precisely what causes so much build up most of the time. Dirt, bacteria, etc. cling to the moisture and create build ups in all the cracks and crevices in your tile. After steam mopping, you don’t have to worry about that happening.
Steam mops kill bacteria with no chemicals – One of the primary advantages of steam mops that I’ve discovered is their lack of chemicals. Instead of breaking out the mop bucket and throwing together a deadly brew of noxious chemicals, the process of which is a huge hassle in itself, you just have to fill the canister of the steam mop up with water and let it heat up.
The heat that the best steam mops out there emit is enough to kill most bacteria and pathogens without the use of chemicals, meaning that pets and children aren’t at risk from these potentially dangerous toxins. You have to also consider your own health – How good for you can breathing those fumes in for an extended period in that small bathroom be?
In order to figure out what the top steam mops out there are, you might want to look into some steam mop reviews. After going over some of the top steam mops available on the market, you’ll find which one suits your particular needs and budget rather quickly.
If you’re really serious about steam cleaning mops, there are even some available on the higher end which feature the ability to self clean. Of course you’ll have to do this manually occasionally, but in order for the steam mop using tips to maintain the temperature of the water so that it will continue to be effective against germs, bacteria, etc. it has to keep the boiling mechanisms free of build up. In order to continue generating maximum temperatures, the best steam mops have self cleaning features that will keep these boilers almost completely free of this harmful build up.