5 Things You Should Never Use a Steam Cleaner on, According to Pro Cleaners

Steam cleaners are often touted for their chemical-free cleaning power around the house. The attention is well-deserved, until you remember that steam can also power engines when used in massive quantities.

That’s not to suggest that you’ll achieve liftoff when cleaning your floors with a steam cleaner, although you should be cautious not to burn yourself (see: the recent Bissell steam cleaner recall). But that little puff of steam emerging from the end of a mop or handheld cleaner isn’t as harmless as you might think for certain surfaces.

It’s always a good idea to read the user manual on any new household device you try. And even if the booklet that comes with your device insists that it’s “safe on everything,” you’d be doing yourself a favor if you cool it with the steam for the following surfaces.

While a low blast of steam can do wonders to release wrinkles, it should only be used on upholstery and fabric you are certain can handle it. Don’t know what type of fabric you’re dealing with? Then step away from the steamer, says Delah Gomasi, managing director and CEO of MaidForYou. One of his technicians found this out the hard way on an antique French upholstered chair.

“It turns out that steam cleaning sensitive fabric like velvet on upholstered chairs can cause crinkles to form in the fabric and discoloration, which was quite an expensive lesson for our organization,” he says. Gomasi also points out that cashmere and even cotton can be too sensitive. The takeaway? Always read labels before cleaning.

Taylor Riley, founder of Impact Cleaning Professionals and Boom. Facility Service Advisors, says to keep steam away from colorful fabrics as well. “Colored fabrics need special attention because the heat and moisture from steam cleaning can cause some dyes to bleed, especially if the fabric hasn’t been properly treated,” he says, noting you’re particularly in danger if the darker colors are mixed with white or muted tones.

“Unsealed” is usually the operative term when determining what can or can’t be steamed cleaned. Moisture from steam can seep into unsealed wood floors, leading to warping and rot over time. “I’ve seen numerous households have large white blotches etched into their wood floors,” Gomasi says of homeowners who have cleaned them with steam mops. 

But he would also advise you to rethink using your steamer for sealed wood flooring. “We don’t recommend them, but if you must you’ll need to use a steam mop that has a temperature setting where the temperature can be adjusted,” he says. 

Gomasi’s staff was once tasked with cleaning out the home of a deceased individual who had been a heavy smoker. A family member had attempted to clean the walls with a steam mop and quickly realized that steam is a surefire way to damage paint. “In this case, the paint was latex-based and it totally ruined the walls,” says Gomasi. “So in addition to having to clean the walls to remove the residue, our client also had to have the walls repainted.”

Hopefully, you already know that water and wires don’t go together. But keep your steam cleaner away from anything wireless, too — even if your phone or Bluetooth keyboard needs a deep clean. “Steam cleaning devices like keyboards, phones, or speakers can cause irreparable damage,” says Ross Pascale, director of Neeet Cleaning Services.

Yes, steam cleaning is usually a good way to clean rugs. But you’ll want to be careful if the rug in question has a multicolor design. Riley knows this sad conclusion firsthand. “The carpet cleaning machine we were using caused the yellow dye in the rug to bleed over into the white areas once we applied the heated steam solution,” Riley says. “Unfortunately for us, there was no fix, and it was an expensive lesson to learn.”

Perhaps you’re thinking, “But I’ve had such great results every time I’ve used my steamer!” Good job, but to avoid cleaning catastrophes down the road, always do a spot test first.

“Test a small area to ensure the dye doesn’t bleed or fade when exposed to heat and moisture,” Riley explains. “Additionally, use the lowest steam and heat settings available and keep the steam cleaner moving to avoid concentrating heat in one spot.”