A few questions about steam mops .. ?

Question

Are they really worth the money ?

Where can I go to buy one ? I've tried target , and wal-mart neither had them (where I live)

Do they work well on hard wood floors ?

Answer 1

You can buy a steamer machine from places like lowe's, home depot, sears, etc. that have many different attachments that go to them to clean many surfaces including floors. I personally do not think they are worth it as I sanitize my floors (hard wood, tile, marble and linoleum) with a spray bottle filled with half white vinegar and half water and spray as I go mop for a streak free shine every time. I would not use it on wood flooring as it could very easily warp the floor causing it to bow up and need replacing.

Answer 2

I've got one, but I'd never use it on wood.  However, my wood floors are old and have little finish left-- maybe if they were polyurethaned.

This is the one I have; is that the kind of thing you mean?  It's a Bissell.

http://tinyurl.com/553dpb

I would not recommend it if you have arthritis in your hands, because of having to hold the trigger closed to make it steam.  I used to use tap water, but now I use distilled, in the hope of making the filter last longer.  And I -don't- like that it has no "off" switch.  It doesn't steam if you don't pull the trigger, but it does stay hot as long as it's plugged in.

That said, I like it quite a lot.  I feel that it gets the floors quite clean, and doesn't need fancy soaps.  I use either it or rags and detergent, whichever I feel like at the time.  

The mop heads can be machine washed.  I hang them to dry, because when they shrink, they're the very dickens to get back on the mop.

Having written all that, I find that Bissell's site says they're no longer available!  However, HSN.com is still advertising them.

Answer 3

You can buy a steam mop in Sears, Costco and Sam's Club and also look for the commercials on TV. They work very well on all kinds of flooring except carpet ( you can sanitize, but doesn't really cleans stains so much). You could also sanitize your mattress or couch if the fabric allows for the heat. I have a steam mop and I am very happy with it.