Shark steam mop pads do a great job of cleaning floors. However, like anything else in your home, they require regular maintenance to perform at their best during each clean. Here is a guide on how to wash shark steam mop pads.
Should you wash Shark steam pads?
Like any other steam cleaner, Shark cleaner has to be washed on regular basis to prevent odor and mold. The mop pad should also be cleaned if it is reusable. If it is disposable, you have to throw it away as you finish mopping and install a new one.
How to wash Shark steam mop pads?
Microfiber and cotton pads can be both machine-washed and hand-washed. But, before you go forward with either of the methods, you are good to remove the lint and pet hair from the pads which they accumulate while traveling the floor. Simply run a brush over the pad surface to collect all hair and make further cleaning easier. In case you have a lint roller on hand, it’s even better to use because it’s stickier and provides lower friction.
Moving on to washing. If you choose the machine method, you have to adjust the settings properly so that all contaminants get destroyed. The water temperature should be 160 Fahrenheit while the wash cycle should run for about 30 minutes to kill the microorganisms from the pad. A small amount of laundry detergent is welcome to ease the fight against tough bacteria and stuck-on dirt.
Hand-washing the mop pads can also be effective if you do it properly. There is nothing difficult in washing the pads manually. Half-fill a large container with warm water and add laundry detergent and baking soda. Mix well to dissolve the soda and create suds. Soak the pads in the solution and let them sit for 15 minutes. If the pads abound in dirt and grime, go for a deeper cleaning. Use hot water instead of warm and soak the fabric for an hour. Hot water has greater power in removing stubborn mess.
Home Affluence suggests to avoid using bleach and fabric softeners. Bleach is a too powerful product that can damage the fabric and shorten its lifespan. After using softener, a significant amount of residue is left on the pad that impedes it to collect the dirt from the floor. Even if these agents have high cleaning power, you are better off sticking to safer options. Luckily, laundry detergent and bicarbonate sodium are found in any household and do a great job of forcing grime out of the Shark mop pads.
Once the pads have properly soaked in the solution, rinse them under running water. Wring the pads out and go on a new rinsing round until there is no soap residue left in the fabric.
How to dry Shark steam pads?
Drying the mop pads is highly important because you don’t want moisture to remain on the fabric and cause mold growth. There are several ways you can dry the pads. First one is line-drying. If you have a clothing line outside, hang the pads on it and let the sun and wind do their job.
Alternatively, you can lay the pads flat in a well ventilated room and allow them a couple of hours to air dry. If you are short on time and can’t wait for hours for the pads to dry out, place them in the dryer on the low heat setting. HouseholdAdvice.net recommends to store the pads in a clean and dry place. Avoid storing them in places with high humidity, as they encourage mold growth and wear out the fabric faster.
How to disinfect steam cleaner pads?
While using harsh disinfectants on microfiber and cotton pads is not recommended, the best way to sanitize mop pads is to immerse them in hot water. Here you have two options to choose from. You either use a bowl filled with nearly boiling water or use the washing machine. You give bacteria no chance to survive if you set the temperature at 160 F and get the wash cycle last for at least 30 minutes.
Keep in mind that neither microfiber nor cotton is a huge fan of extreme temperatures. That’s why, you have to keep yourself from sinking the pads in hot water on any given occassion. Make hot water a disinfection tool and use warm water during regular cleans.
How to deodorize mop pads?
With the question “how to wash Shark steam mop pads?” comes “how to deodorize mop pads?”. Reusable pads are prone to accumulating both dirt and odor. The stinky particles of food, grease and pet waste get in the depths of the fabric causing it to smell. Regular cleaning not always makes the odor disappear. You have to run the pads through a deodorizing session based on baking soda or vinegar.
If you go for baking soda, sprinkle a generous amount of it on the pad and allow it 6 to 9 hours to absorb the smell. Then, shake the soda particles off the pad and enjoy an odor-free floor mopping. Vinegar proves also great at deodorizing fabrics. Apply a tablespoon of white vinegar on the pad evenly and let it do its job. Once the vinagar has fully evaporated, check if the odor is still in place. If it persists, go for a new round of deodorization. JintianTextile advises to use ammonia during the machine rinse cycle to remove unpleasant scents from microfiber pads.
To wrap up
Washing Shark mop pads after each use is a necessity, as they accumulate a ton of dirt, grease and lint when in action. If you leave the mess in place, the pad will spread it back on the floor during the next mop session. Fortunately for those who can’t affort spending much time and energy on cleaning their steam cleaner, sanitizing the pads is extremely easy. You can either machine-wash or hand-wash the pads to your convenience. Also, don’t forget to disinfect and deodorize them occassionally to prolong their lifespan and keep your floor clean and safe to walk on.
