Vinegar has been one of the cooking ingredients since ancient times as it has been traced back to 5000 B.C.E. in Babylon. It is very beneficial for us and can be used as a medicine, a preservative, a drink to boost strength and promote wellness, or a household cleaner. For those who don’t know what vinegar is, it is simply a mixture of water and acetic acid which is made in a two-step fermentation process.
But have you ever wondered if you can use vinegar in a steam mop? Well, most steam mop manufacturers recommend you to only use distilled or demineralized water. As you might already know steam mop can sanitize and clean the floor very effectively without the use of expensive chemicals or cleaning agents. So, why you should use vinegar in a steam mop? Let’s find out under the next subheading.
Why you should use vinegar in a steam mop?
There are many reasons why you should use vinegar in a steam mop. The first reason is that it is slightly acidic in nature which means that it can kill bacteria and germs. It’s very effective at killing harmful microorganisms so your child and pet can be safe and healthy. Furthermore, it is eco-friendly and quite cheap compared to other cleaning agents and chemicals. It is easy to access and can be bought from most shops around your house or you can make it in your house yourself.
You might know the problem you have to face while using tap water in your steam mop. The mineral such as calcium and magnesium present in your tap water can get deposited in your nozzle and block the steam from flowing out. Thus, many manufacturers recommend you to use distilled or demineralized water. However, you won’t have to worry about such things while using vinegar because it can help to descale such mineral build-up, especially white vinegar. Additionally, it can increase the strength of the cleaning agent so that you can clean the object more effectively and efficiently.
Another benefit of using vinegar is that it is very good at removing light stains from the floor. Furthermore, it can also remove bad odors and can be used to pre-treat tough stains and stuck-on gunks. You also won’t have to rinse the floor after using vinegar as it doesn’t form soap scum or adhesives. It is very cheap and can be easily accessed and bought from anywhere.
Vinegar is also a very good descaling or decalcifying agent. Prepare a solution of water and vinegar in the ratio of 1:1 and put it into the water tank of the mop. It takes quite a time to descale/decalcify the steam mop so you must let the solution sit in the tank overnight. After that, you just have to plug in the steam mop and use it in the highest setting. You can cleanse the water tank after the steam mop is descaled or decalcified.
Does Steam Mop Damage Grout?
Know you know the benefits of using vinegar in a steam mop you are probably wondering if you can put vinegar in a steam mop. Unfortunately, you have to be very careful while using vinegar in a steam mop. No manufacturers recommend using vinegar in your steam mop for cleaning purposes due to its acidic properties. However, you can still add vinegar to a steam mop to clean the floor. You can use vinegar only in small amounts and you must be careful not to use vinegar on some kinds of floor. It can cause damage to some types of floor so you must not use vinegar in a steam mop on such surfaces.
The types of surfaces that you can’t use vinegar are hardwood floors, marble or stones, and waxed or unsealed flooring. If you decide to vinegar with a steam mop in a hardwood then you can cause dulling of the timber. Furthermore, you will also cause peeling and cracking in the finish of the floor and leave the floor dull and discolored. Similarly, if you use vinegar on marble or stone then it can cause pitting within the flooring. Generally, you shouldn’t use a steam mop on a waxed or unsealed floor because it can seriously damage the floor and if you decide to add vinegar to it then you might have to say goodbye to your floor because it will strip away the wax and damage the floor beyond repair. So, on what surfaces you should use a steam mop, and how you should use vinegar in a steam mop? Let’s find out under the next subheading.
How you should use vinegar in a steam mop?
As mentioned earlier, you can use vinegar in a steam mop in order to remove the calcium and magnesium deposit that clogs up the nozzle of your steam mop. Even some manufacturers tell you how to use vinegar to remove the deposit in the user manual so make sure to read the user manual. It’s quite simple to use vinegar as a descaling agent in your steam mop. As mentioned earlier, you just have to make a mixture of water and vinegar in the ratio of 1:1 and put it into the water tank of the steam mop. Let it sit overnight and start using on a high steam setting but not on your floors, but on an area where it won’t get affected such as over a towel, over a sink, etc.
You can use vinegar only on certain types of floors such as tile, linoleum, and vinyl floors. However, you can only use a diluted solution where the amount of water is significantly greater than vinegar. While cleaning the floor, you can prepare a solution of vinegar and water in the ratio of 1:16 or 1 cup of vinegar in 1 gallon of warm water. To activate the acidic properties of vinegar, warm water is very beneficial due to the increase in energy and vibration of the molecules. As you might already know, you should always vacuum or sweep the floor before steam mopping because the dirt and dust can scratch the floor and cause problems to the equipment.
After you have completed vacuuming or cleaning the floor, you can fill the water tank with the above-mentioned solution and use it clean and sanitize your floor with the steam mop. Unfortunately, vinegar isn’t the most perfect thing you can add to your steam despite all the benefits because it also has some flaws and disadvantages. There are some things you must consider/know before using vinegar in a steam mop. To find out let’s continue reading this article.
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Things you must know before using vinegar in a steam mop
Steam mops are designed to clean and sanitize the floor without the use of additional chemicals or any kinds of liquids. It does a very good job removing tough stains and sanitizing your floor with only the use of water. Thus, adding vinegar might be unnecessary in a steam mop as water might be just enough for cleaning your floors.
Furthermore, the smell of vinegar can be overwhelming to some people. So, even though it removed bad odor its natural smell can still be too much for some as you won’t have a refreshing scent. Additionally, some manufacturers sell scented distilled or demineralized water which adds fragrance to your room and is much more refreshing than vinegar.
Additionally, there are other alternatives that can do a better job than vinegar for specific purposes. For example Baking Soda, Lemon Juice, essential oils, and normal soap and water. Also, the smell of vinegar doesn’t leave for quite some time so you have to suffer for several days if you don’t like the smell of vinegar. You might feel like it does a decent job disinfecting your floors but studies have shown that it is not effective as a commercial product.
Should you use vinegar in your steam mop?
To conclude, you should only use vinegar in your steam mop as a decalcifying or descaling agent. You can use vinegar in your steam mop if you want to save money as it is cheaper than expensive cleaning chemicals. However, you must be careful not to use vinegar on certain surfaces as it can damage them. Most manufacturers recommend only using distilled or demineralized water so read the user manual carefully to know if you can use vinegar in your steam mop.
By all means, avoid using vinegar on sensitive surfaces such as Hardwood, laminate, LVP, granite, marble, and ceramic flooring. The acidic nature of vinegar can seriously damage these types of floorings. If the smell of vinegar doesn’t overwhelm you then you can consider using vinegar in your steam mop. But remember that the smell of vinegar stays for several days.
It’s better safe than sorry so read the user manual carefully to whether the manufacturer allows the use of vinegar in your steam mop or not. If it’s specified that you can use it, feel free to use it otherwise don’t use the vinegar in your steam mop.