How a Steam Mop Can Save You Money

I was first introduced to steam mops in college. It was then that I moved in with my friend and her family. For almost a year, there were eight people, two of which were under the age of five, and three cats. Needless to say, things often got hectic, and, when the kids were involved, messy too. That was when I met one of my best friends when it comes to cleaning. A steam mop.

Now you may be thinking, “who cares?” Well, call me naive, but I’d never heard of this what-seemed-like-a magical invention before. I hate cleaning with a passion, always have (just ask my mom, Daisy), but with the steam mop, I actually found it fun.

What’s so great about a steam mop?

I’m glad you asked! Aside from your initial investment to purchase the mop, you don’t have to pay a single cent more. It literally just plugs into the wall and uses water. And BAM! You have steam.

So, not only are you saving money on cleaning supplies every month, but you’re also not bringing toxic chemicals into your house. If you have kids or pets, they’ll thank you for this.

Many household cleaners don’t even fully disclose the list of nasty chemicals. Many countries don’t even require it, a major issue in my opinion. They can cause all sorts of issues, from something as mild as causing allergies act up, to causing serious problems such as birth defects, and cancer. (If you want more info about which products are hiding all sorts of nastiness, check out the full report done by WVE.)

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Will a steam mop really get my floors clean?

Yes! Honestly, things I can’t get off with five minutes of scrubbing, I steam over it for just a minute, and it wipes clean. Research also shows that steam mops, with their extreme and direct temperatures, kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria (without harmful chemicals, I might add) and can clean surfaces to near hospital standards of cleanliness. 

Is a steam mop safe for my floor?

The only thing I will say is that it can’t be used on every floor type. I used to live in a basement apartment with a cork floor (weird, I know), and unfortunately, cork is one of the few floor types that don’t respond well to steam mops.

Here are the floors you can use it on:

• Tile
• Hardwood (the only exception being if it is unsealed – in which case any excess moisture isn’t good, be it from a steam mop or regular mop.)
• Laminate
• Ceramic
• Concrete*
• Grout* 

*steam mops can actually get the dirt and grit out of both grout and concrete better than almost any other cleaning method!

Here are the floors you can’t use it on:

• Cork
• Carpet (I feel like I don’t need to say this, but better safe than sorry)
• Vinyl
  

But aren’t steam mops expensive?

Some of them can be, I’m not going to lie. On the other hand, though, you’re buying one mop, maybe every 3+ years, and you’ll be saving easily a couple hundred dollars by not needing those toxic floor cleaners and needing to replace your mop head every 2-3 months (if you didn’t know already, that’s what is recommended). With a steam mop, you can literally just put the cloth part in the washer and dryer just like any other towel. 

The thing is because these mops last for YEARS, you can buy them second-hand with no problem. 

The one I currently use now, I purchased for $20 off of Facebook marketplace, which, if you know anything about mops, that’s cheaper than a brand-new, average mop and bucket. 

If you want to find one at an affordable price, try looking on your local reseller markets such as Facebook, Craigslist, Kijiji (if you’re in Canada), etc. You can try checking out local thrift and liquidation stores, too.

But there are so many options! How do I know which steam mop to buy?

My best advice, check out reviews. If I’m going to recommend one, though, it’s this one. Not only is it an amazing steam mop, but it also works on carpet (which I didn’t even know was possible!), you can steam clean furniture and clothing with its detachable hand-held portion, and it’s less than $80. There is a wide range varying from $60 to over $100, but this, by far, is the one I recommend. 

You know where I stand.

At the end of the day, I’m just a writer with a strong opinion about mops (I never thought I’d see the day when I care so intensely about a cleaning method). You can go with a Swiffer, a wet mop and bucket, a sponge mop, a steam mop; the options are practically endless. In the long run, though, a steam mop is where it’s at. They’re more affordable, way less harmful, and honestly, just plain fun to use (again, never thought I’d say that).

So, where do you stand? What kind of mop do you use now, and will you be converting to a steam mop in the near future? Let us know in the comments.

About Chloe Morgan

Chloe Morgan grew up living with a tight budget. In her late teens and early 20’s all the lessons she’d learned started to slip, like it does for many college age students on their own for the first time, and with their first credit card. As she’s gotten older, she’s started to deal with the repercussions and has taken on a frugal way of living, keeping her costs low, as she pays off debt and saves for her future. Chloe lives in Northern Ontario, Canada, with her cute dog, Rhea.