Could the steam mop make the traditional mop and pail obsolete, just as the vacuum sweeper replaced the broom some years ago? It’s too early to tell. However, it’s a fact that these hard floor cleaning gadgets are gaining favor with consumers, who don’t want to expend their entire Saturday morning hand scrubbing their floors.

Many different brands of steamer mops are available. Though there are minor differences, these gadgets do basically the same thing. They clean floors using steam instead of soap and other detergents.

They can be used on various types of flooring surfaces, such as ceramic tile, linoleum, and sealed hardwood flooring.Some even have an additional add-on which allows them to be used on carpeting. They should not be used on unsealed wood floors. In addition, no-wax floors may be damaged by the hot steam given off by these machines. The hot steam is also potentially harmful to the glue that adheres certain types of flooring.

If you are concerned about the safety of using a steam mop on your floors, there are a couple of steps you can take. One measure is to contact the manufacturer of your flooring and inquire.

Make certain you read the directions that come with your steam mop. However, here is a basic overview of how these machines work:

1. Fill the water tank with either tap or distilled water. Most urge that you use distilled if your water is hard.

2. The machines will come with a cleaning pad that must be attached to the base of the mop before powering it on.

3. Make sure your hands are dry. Plug in the machine and give it time to heat. For most brands, this takes approximately one minute.

4. Start the steaming process. Some brands are trigger driven, while others use a pumping motion on the handle to start this process.

5. Slide the mop head over the floor, adding more steam as needed. To sanitize, read the manufacturer’s directions. Most recommend that you leave the unit in place for a certain amount of time (for example, 10-15 seconds) for sanitizing.

6. When through, turn off the machine and unplug. Also, do this any time you need to replenish the water tank or replace the cleaning pad.

7. To store the machine, read the instructions. Most recommend emptying the water tank, removing the cleaning pad, and carefully wrapping the electric cord.

Overall, steam mops are a handy little appliance which makes the chore of cleaning floors more tolerable.