The simple answer is No; you should never use a steam mop on a hardwood floor.
Steam mops are becoming very popular as they offer a deep, hygienic clean, and they are fantastic for tiles or vinyl floors, but should not be used to clean any type of hardwood floor. The steam from the mop would penetrate the wood, the wood will absorb the water from the steam and then the wood will warp, distort and discolour. Damage to hardwood floors associated with water or steam can be irreparable and the only option would be to remove the whole floor and start again.
The recommended ways to clean you hardwood flooring are as follows:
• Use a spray mop with a PH neutral wood floor cleaning solution and removable microfiber pad. The removable pad can then be machine washed and reused over and over again.
• A damp mop (with water) can also be used if the mop has been wrung out totally so that no excess water reaches your hardwood floor. If a wet mop is used then the water can, again, cause irreparable damage to your hardwood floor.
