I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this question, but my wife keeps nagging me... so here it goes.

We just bought a puppy and lets just say his tiny little paws make sure the flooring doesn't look as clean as it used to. My wife wants to buy the Shark Steam Mop. It's one of those "As Seen on TV" items. It claims that it is safe to use on hardwood floors because the steam evaporates quickly. However it does not specify what type of hardwood floors.

I just put down prefinished oak flooring in the spring. Personally I think the "As Seen on TV" stuff is useless, fragile crap. I told my wife not to buy the steam mop because I would think that the steam would be pushed between the boards where they meet up. Possibly causing damage down the road. What do you guys think?

Is the Shark Steam Mop safe to use on prefinished hardwood flooring?

Like you I am leery of 90% of all the TV 'claims.' And what you are saying about the steam being a problem (even down the road) makes sense to me. Real wood floors and furniture are very susceptible to water and heat.

I am not an expert in this area, however I had to pay when someone at one of our parties sat a paper plate with hot food down on a wood coffee table. All the easy fixes didn't work... I had to have a professional come in to repair it, not cheap and the spot was only the size of a softball.

So my intuition is telling me that your answer to your wife was correct. Why take the risk after the work and expense of putting that beautiful floor in?

Stringer

The finish on your prefinished flooring actually keeps the moisture out of the wood. It is fairly safe to use this steam mop or even a damp regular mop. Some "as seen on TV" items are junky but many actually work. Another optionmight be a Swiffer with a damp head or a Swiffer Wetr Jet. Swiffer WetJet Floor Cleaner Product Information and WetJet Coupons

Hi Ballengerb1, I am sure that you are correct. In my business we do not take care of many real wood floors.

I can say that in our home we have approximately 1,500 sq ft of maple that is stained a dark brown (really nice warm color). We use 'Bruce' to clean and preserve the finish. We use the spray bottle. There are other products such as 'Rouse' or 'Murphy's Oil'. However my wife has tried them all and prefers Bruce.

According to her (she had a successful residential cleaning company for over five years) periodically she uses vinegar and a little water to deep clean the floor. As oils and waxes can build up over time.

Also Logan, most manufactures have their own recommendations for cleaning their floors and even recommend certain products.

Vinegar and water is one of the best and least expensive solutions for cleaning almost everything