Steam cleaners are celebrated for their ability to clean without chemicals, making them popular household tools. However, the intense heat generated by these devices requires careful handling to prevent damage to certain surfaces.
Despite their efficiency, steam cleaners should not be used indiscriminately. Here are five surfaces that should be avoided to prevent potential damage:
Delicate Upholstery and Fabrics
While steam can help smooth out wrinkles, it can also harm sensitive materials. Delah Gomasi, Managing Director of MaidForYou, warns against using steam on delicate fabrics like velvet, cashmere, or even certain cottons. Steam can cause crinkles and discoloration, as evidenced by a costly mishap involving an antique French chair. For colored fabrics, Taylor Riley of Impact Cleaning Professionals advises caution, as the heat and moisture can cause dyes to bleed, especially in fabrics with mixed colors.
Unsealed Wood Floors
Steam can be detrimental to unsealed wood floors, where moisture may seep in and lead to warping or rot. Gomasi notes that steam mops have left large white blotches on such surfaces. For sealed wood floors, it’s best to use a steam cleaner with adjustable temperature settings, although even that can be risky.
Painted Walls
Steam can damage painted surfaces, particularly latex paint. Gomasi recounts an incident where steam cleaning led to ruined walls in a heavily smoked-in home, requiring both cleaning and repainting.
Electronics and Technology
Steam should never come into contact with electronic devices. Ross Pascale, Director of Neeet Cleaning Services, emphasizes that steam can cause irreversible damage to keyboards, phones, and other electronic gadgets.
Colorful Rugs
While steam cleaning is generally effective on rugs, caution is necessary with multicolored designs. Riley shares a lesson learned the hard way: the yellow dye from a rug bled into white areas due to heated steam, resulting in an irreversible stain and a costly error.
Pro Tips for Safe Steam Cleaning
Even if you’ve had good experiences with your steam cleaner, it’s crucial to proceed with care. Riley recommends performing a spot test on an inconspicuous area to check for dye bleeding or fading. Additionally, use the lowest possible steam and heat settings, and keep the cleaner in motion to prevent overheating any one spot.
By following these guidelines, you can maximize the benefits of steam cleaning while avoiding common pitfalls.