Can You Put Essential Oils in a Steam Mop?

Can You Use Essential Oils with a Steam Mop?

You may be tempted to add essential oils to a steam mop to make your floors smell nice. They come in various scents, with some of the best essential oils for cleaning being lavender, lemon, citrus, and tea tree, and seem like a quick and simple way to make your home smell nice.

However, this is generally not recommended for several reasons:

1. Could damage your mop

Most steam mops are designed to use only water to generate steam. The water is held in a reservoir and heated to extremely high temperatures (around 120°C) to produce steam.

The steam is then released through the mop head onto the floor, and the steam mop head is used to wipe away dirt.

Unfortunately, adding essential oils to the water tank can damage your mop and prevent this process from happening smoothly.

When essential oils are heated to high temperatures, they break down and become sticky, leaving behind gunky residues. These residues may block valves and prevent the flow of steam needed for cleaning.

2. Could void warranties

Almost all steam mops come with a warranty. These guarantees are designed to protect you against defective parts and repairs for a set period after purchase.

However, the warranty for your steam mop will likely be voided if you’ve put essential oils in the water reservoir.

If your steam mop becomes damaged, either directly through the use of essential oils or another reason, you will no longer be covered.

This may result in expensive repairs or the need to buy a new mop entirely. If the warranty has already expired, you might decide to risk using essential oils, but we still wouldn’t recommend it.

3. Could be dangerous

As mentioned earlier, essential oils break down when heated to the high temperatures used within a steam mop.

Alongside blocking the internal parts of your mop, it the sticky substances left behind may also leave a sticky residue on the floor.

You’re trying to clean your floors, but you may be making them slippery and potentially dangerous.

Some essential oils also contain compounds that are harmful when heated, releasing fumes that may be irritating or even toxic into your home.

Eucalyptus, sage, camphor, and pennyroyal are among the most well-known essential oils that are toxic when heated and should never be used in steam mops.

What Can You Put in a Steam Mop to Make Floors Smell Good?

Many homeowners swear by putting other odour-fighting or scent-enhancing products into their steam mops to make them smell good. Aside from essential oils, common products used include:

• Washing-up liquid
• Household laundry detergents
• White vinegar or vinegar for cleaning

However, it’s not recommended to add any substances directly to a steam mop. You shouldn’t put anything other than water inside.

Like essential oils, these additional products can leave residues inside the reservoir, clog the mop valves, void warranties, and potentially release harmful fumes.

The only exception is if you have a Bissell steam mop. The manufacturer has created various scented waters, such as their Spring Breeze Scented Water, that smell amazing.

They are specifically designed to be used with Bissell mops, meaning they’re 100% safe and won’t cause damage. Plus, your warranty will be intact to protect against damages.

How Can You Make a Steam Mop Smell Nice?

If you don’t have a Bissell mop that’s compatible with scented water, don’t worry.

There are other ways to make your floors smell good after cleaning that involve changes to the mop pad rather than by adding products to the water reservoir.

Add essential oils to the mop pad

You cannot put essential oils in your steam mop for all the reasons listed earlier. However, you can add a few drops of your favourite essential oils to the head of the mop.

This creates a pleasant smell while cleaning without clogging the inner workings of the machine or voiding warranties.

The oils can still accumulate in the mop head, so – if you’re going to use essential oils in this way – it is important to change or clean the steam mop pad after every use.

This also prevents mould and mildew and bad mop odours. Reusable pads can be washed and dried before your next floor cleaning session, whereas disposable mop heads can be discarded and replaced.

The downside of using essential oils this way is that they are still heated to high temperatures. This shouldn’t be enough to cause sticky floors, as you’ll only be using a few drops.

However, make sure not to use oils that generate harmful fumes, especially if you have children or allergies.

Use scented mop discs

You can buy scented cleaning discs designed for use with compatible steam mops, for example these fragrance pads from IMPRESA.

These scent discs slot into a dedicated pocket in the mop head. They are then heated by the steam that’s generated as you mop your floors, releasing a subtle scent into your home.

As these discs have specifically been designed to be compatible with steam mops, they’re the safest option to make your mop smell nice.

You can also control the level of fragrance by choosing to use a whole disc or cutting the circle scent booster in half or quarters along the dotted line.

They come in various fragrances as well, so you can try several until you find your favourite.

However, they aren’t available for all makes and models or steam mops. You’ll have to check if your steam mop brand provides scented pads as an accessory.

As far as we know, Bissell is the main manufacturer to make mops compatible with these scented discs.

How Do You Make Your House Smell Good with Essential Oils?

If you want to enjoy the benefits of essential oils while cleaning, you can consider using them in other ways.

We’ve already explained how adding a few drops to the head of your steam mop can make your floors smell nice—without causing potential damage to the mop.

Here are a few other alternatives for using essential oils to make your home smell fresh and clean:

• Pre-treat floors with essential oils: Instead of adding essential oils to the mop pad, you can pre-treat the floor with water and a few drops of your favourite essential oil. Simply dampen a mop with the solution and clean the floors. Allow it to dry before using the steam mop as usual.
• Diffuse essential oils in the room: Another option is to use an essential oil diffuser. This allows the pleasant aroma to fill the air without risking damage to the steam mop. It also protects your floors, ensuring no sticky residue is left behind, and vapourises the oils without heating them to high temperatures.
• Spritz a homemade room spray: Mix water with a few drops of essential oil in a spray bottle to create a DIY air freshener. After mopping the floors, lightly mist the air in the room using your homemade spritz. This method allows you to enjoy the scent without the release of any potentially harmful fumes caused by heating.