Are Steam Mops Good For Tile Floors? (Best Steam Cleaning FAQs & Tips)

Steam Mops use SUPER HEATED water to disinfect floors and kill bacteria. BUT, are Steam Mops Good For Tile Floors? Here’s the FAQs.

Are Steam Mops Good For Tile Floors?

Yes, a steam mop is good for tile floors. With SUPER HEATED steam, you can deep clean and sanitize tile floors without using any harsh chemicals.

I love that, especially around pets and little kids who are always touching the floor.

Image of someone using a steam mop on tile floors in a post about if steam mops are safe on tile, linoleum, vinyl, engineered hardwood, hardwood, and marble. — Is a steam mop best for tile floors? Here’s everything you need to know before you steam mop tile floors!

Steam mops are hot enough to disinfect your tile floors while lifting dirt and stains. And, when you steam clean tile floors, it won’t leave any streaks on your tile.

Just be sure to keep changing the steam mop pad as it gets dirty. A clean pad will lift the dirt and stains off your tile and grout. A dirty pad can leave dirt or streaks on the tile and grout.

Here’s answers to common questions about using a steam mop on tile floors, grout, and other types of flooring in your home. You can find my favorite Steam Mop on Amazon.

Are Steam Mops Good For Tile Floors?
Is Steaming Floors Better Than Mopping?
Do Steam Mops Damage Tile Floors?
Will A Steam Mop Clean Grout?
Do You Have To Reseal Grout After Steam Cleaning?
Can A Steam Mop Remove Grout Stains?
Will Hot Water Clean Grout?
What Floor Can You Use A Steam Mop On?
What Floors Should Not Be Steam Mopped?
Is A Steam Mop Safe On Ceramic Tile?
Is A Steam Mop Safe On Wood Floors?
Is A Steam Mop Safe On Laminate Floors?
Which Steam Mop is the best?

Is Steaming Floors Better Than Mopping?

Steaming floors is better than mopping, for a few big reasons. A steam mop uses water that is hot enough to kill most bacteria and germs, without any cleaners or chemicals.

Traditional mops always have to be used with cleaners.

The steam mop pad is great at lifting and absorbing dirt, spills and stains. Traditional mop heads aren’t very absorbent and they don’t hold onto dirt as well as a steam mop pad.

Since a steam mop uses less water, you won’t risk pushing dirty water around on the floor that can penetrate into your grout.

Image of steam coming out of a steam mop. — Look at all of the steam this little steam mop puts out. When you steam mop tile floors, steam heat can clean and disinfect without cleaners.

Traditional mopping uses a lot of water on tile floors that can penetrate deep into grout causing damage. All of that mop water can also damage the wood trim and baseboards around the room.

I can always tell when a restaurant or coffee shop uses a mop to clean their tile floors. The grout is always darker and dirtier on the floor than it is near the wall (where you see the original grout color.

That grout looks so dark and dirty because of the dirty mop water that gets spread around the room, then left to dry.

Cleaning a tile floor and grout with a PurSteam steam mop. — When you steam clean tile floors it cleans better than traditional mopping, while using a lot less water! See more of my foyer in this Before and After 2 Story Foyer Remodel post.

Do Steam Mops Damage Tile Floors?

Steam mops do not damage tile floors. The steam heat from a steam mop can clean and disinfect tile floors without damaging the tile.

Just be sure that if you install an unsealed tile it should be properly sealed before you start to clean it with a steam mop. And, regularly seal natural stone tile, to keep it water tight.

See Amazon’s Best Steam Mops (4-Stars and up) Here

Will A Steam Mop Clean Grout?

As long as you are using a clean steam mop pad, a steam mop will clean grout. The super heated water will lift most dirt and stains, while the clean mop pad lifts it away.

Just be sure to only use a steam mop, or any cleaning products, on sealed grout. If your tile floor is a natural stone, like marble or travertine, it also has to be sealed before cleaning with a steam mop.

You can also find steam mops that have attachable nozzles and grout cleaning tools. The PurSteam Steam Mop I use has a handheld steam cleaner with multiple attachable nozzles and brushes.

Image of someone holding a steam mop for tiles for a post answering "is a steam mop best for tile floors". are steam mops good for tile floors? — Don’t forget to Save or Share “Is a steam mop best for tile floors?”

Do You Have To Reseal Grout After Steam Cleaning?

A steam mop doesn’t damage sealed grout. So, you do not have to reseal grout after steam cleaning a tile floor.

BUT there are a few popular floor cleaners that can damage your grout sealer. Check out 8 Popular Cleaners People Use That Damage Your Grout (and Grout Sealer) to see which cleaners to avoid.

AND, don’t forget, grout sealers breakdown over time. So, you should reseal grout every few years, depending on traffic and what cleaners are used on the grout.

Image of a steam coming out of a light steam mop. — The Super Heated steam coming out of this Steam Mop is hot enough to disinfect and kill most bacteria. See more of my kitchen in Where To Put A Kitchen Sink And Appliances: 10 Super Helpful Tips or in my Kitchen Makeover post.

Can A Steam Mop Remove Grout Stains?

If your grout already has dark stains that won’t scrub clean, steam alone probably won’t be able to remove all of those stains.

Eventually, things like coffee, tea, fruit juice, dark fruit, and wine will stain your grout. The same way they stain teeth.

Check out Does Grout Renew Work or this post on How to Whiten Grout to see how I restore my grout color while sealing the grout, in 1 easy step.

Before and after on dirty grout color changed back to white after using Polyblend Grout Renew. — Tea, coffee, wine, fruit juices, and lots of other household spills will stain your grout eventually. To see how I restore my grout color every few years, check out Does Grout Renew Work: Easy Steps & Full Review.

Will Hot Water Clean Grout?

Absolutely! Hot water can clean grout and tile floors, as long as it is hot enough. That’s why I LOVE using my steam mop to keep my floors clean.

The steam mop heats the water to the correct temperature for disinfecting and killing bacteria.

To safely clean tile floors, I start by sweeping off any loose dirt and crumbs.

Then I steam mop the tile and grout, changing the steam mop pad as I work my way across different rooms. I usually need 2 fresh steam pads every time I clean my large kitchen floor.

Image of clean steam mop pads. — When you steam mop tile floors, keep replacing your steam mop pads as they get permanently stained so that your steam mop can lift as much dirt and stains as possible off the floor.

What Floor Can You Use A Steam Mop On?

Unless the manufacturer of your flooring states otherwise, you can safely use a steam mop on porcelain tile, ceramic tile, sealed concrete tile, sealed concrete floors, and most sealed natural stones.

See Amazon’s Best Steam Mops (4-Stars and up) Here

What Floors Should Not Be Steam Mopped?

You should not use a steam mop on vinyl flooring, most engineered wood floors, unsealed flooring, unsealed natural stone tiles, waxed flooring, painted floors, peel-n-stick tiles, and laminate floors.

Water trapped in gaps, cracks, or unsealed grout can cause mold and mildew growth.

Steam mops should not be used on floors that are likely to warp from heat or expand when exposed to water. You should also avoid using steam, or water in general, on floors with open gaps or cracks.

You should also avoid using a steam mop on hardwood floors with any damaged finish or cracks that the water can penetrate.

Is a Steam Mop good for tile floors? Can you clean this floor with a steam mop? — Do steam mops damage tile floors? No! You can use a steam mop on ceramic, porcelain, and sealed natural stone tile.

Is A Steam Mop Safe On Ceramic Tile?

Yes, a steam mop is safe on ceramic tile and porcelain tile. Just be sure that the grout has been sealed before using a steam mop on ceramic or porcelain tile.

Is A Steam Mop Safe On Wood Floors?

Some manufacturer’s say that a steam mop is safe to use on hardwood floors. BUT, a steam mop uses pressure to push steam into floors.

So, if your hardwood floor has any gaps between the wood planks, even small ones, water can become trapped in the gaps or under the wood floor. That water can damage the subfloor or lead to mold and mildew growth.

AND, if the sealer on your hardwood floors has any cracks or damage, steam can penetrate the finish on your hardwood floors causing more damage to the finish or the wood floors.

This is all true for engineered wood floors too.

Image of a PurSteam Steam Mop with extra steam pads. — I LOVE this lightweight steam mop on tiles. It’s the PurSteam 10 in 1 Steam Mop. It has a detachable handheld steamer that comes with tons of special attachments. You can usually find it for less than $80 on Amazon or at stores like WalMart.

Is A Steam Mop Safe On Laminate Floors?

A steam mop is NOT safe on laminate floors. Laminate floors are generally made with some wood fibers or particle board.

The wood fibers in laminate floor can permanently swell or bubble when exposed to water.

Which Steam Mop is the best?

I use the super popular, and pretty cheap, PurSteam Steam Mop (see it on Amazon) these days. It’s a 10-in-1 steamer that can be used for tons of household cleaning projects.

This lightweight steam mop and steam cleaner combo is an amazing deal for something that does so much.

It of course is a great steam mop on tiles, but it also has a removable handheld steamer that can steam clean windows, glass, mirrors, grout, carpet & furniture stains, sealed stone & tile, and your wrinkly clothes.

So, what do you think? Is a steam mop best for tile floors? Are you ready to use a steam mop for tile floors in your home? I hope this post answered all of your questions about using a steam mop on tiles!