Tiles are the most preferred floor option for your kitchen, bathroom, and other parts of the home. It is durable and easy to maintain. But, to make the tiles look new and avoid any discoloration over time, they need regular cleaning. Depending on the material of your tile, you must follow a particular method to clean your tiles. Here’s a detailed look at how to clean tile floors based on the material used in your house.
How to Clean Ceramic or Porcelain Tile Floor
Ceramic or Porcelain tile floors are the most commonly used tiles in households across the nation and understanding how to clean tile floors is easy as well. They are cheap, durable, and can withstand just about anything. Here are a few ways you can keep your ceramic or porcelain tiles clean.
- First, prepare your tile floor by sweeping or vacuuming to remove any sand or existing dirt on the floor.
- Then clean your tile floor with a mild detergent and clean water using a flat mop or cleaning cloth. Don’t use a sponge mop, as sponge mops can push dirty water into the grout li
- Keep changing your water frequently so that you’ll not be using the same dirty water to clean your floor.
- No matter which part of your house the tiles are laid, there is a cent percent chance that something or the other keeps falling on your floor, thus causing a stain. Determine what substance caused the stain and use an appropriate cleaner to get the best results
- Leaving soap residue on your tile floor after cleaning is quite a common thing that can happen to anyone. This makes the tiles look hazy and dull. To remove that cloudy film, use a non-abrasive all-purpose cleaner or just try a homemade cleaner made by adding few drops of fresh lemon juice.
- Don’t ever leave your tile floors to air dry. This can leave water spots on the floor, making your effort go in vain. So, as soon as you wipe the floor, take a clean, lint-free cloth and dry the floor.
How to Clean Natural Stone Tile Floor
Natural stone tiles like slate, marble or granite, can be easily damaged with chemical substances present in normal floor tile cleaners. You can try cleaners specifically made for natural stone tiles that are pH neutral. Similarly, here are some other things to consider while cleaning a natural stone tile floor.
- You can use mild detergents on slate tiles as long as they don’t have any acidic properties, as with lemon and vinegar. Coated slate tiles can easily get water spots, so drying them immediately after wiping them would be ideal for keeping them clean.
- Marble is beautiful and can add so much elegance to your floor. But they are very high maintenance.
Never use anything acidic on your marble tiles. That includes detergents with acidic properties like the detergents having lemon and vinegar in them. Use cleaners made explicitly for marble flooring.
Similarly, never use rougher brooms on your marble tiles as they can leave scratches on the surface.
- You can easily damage granite tiles, similar to both marble and slate tiles, with anything acidic. So use pH neutral cleaning substances to give that polished look on your Granite tile floor.
How to Clean Grout
Grout attracts all the grease and other stains. As your mop doesn’t reach the end of it, the stains stay there forever if they are not taken care of. The secret of a great looking kitchen is cleaner grouts. Though cleaning your grouts can be tricky, here are some methods you can follow.
For instance, a mixture of baking soda and water is your best friend while cleaning grout. You don’t have to waste any of your money on commercial cleaners as this mixture will do the job amazingly well. After rubbing this mixture of baking soda and water on the stain, let it sit overnight. Then in the morning, take a toothbrush with soft bristles to scrub off the stain.
You should also never use a metal brush, as it can damage the grout. If you still see the stain, then repeat the process several times until you are satisfied with the result. If the grout is newly installed or renewed, seal the grout with a silicone-based sealer so that water doesn’t creep in. Just do it after 10 to 14 days of installing to have peace of mind.
How to Clean Resilient Tile Floors
If you are looking for comfortable tiles to walk on and easy to maintain, these resilient tile floors made of Vinyl or cork are your way to go. Here are some ways to keep Resilient Tile floors clean.
- Vinyl tile floorings are super resilient and are easy to maintain. Just vacuuming the floor to clean up the debris does most of the job. Then mop the floor with a vinyl cleaning solution or a mixture of water and vinegar. But using a scrubbing tool and scrubbing your vinyl tile surface hard can leave scratches on it. Be aware of that.
- Cleaning cork tiles depends on the way they are finished. If, like every other cork tile surface, your cork tile surface is also sealed using Polyeutharene, then clean your floor with water and a mild detergent.
Once youre done with this, then rinse off the floor well. If you have an unfinished cork tile floor, follow the same instructions but apply solid or liquid wax once the tile is dry.
Regular Cleaning Of Your Tile Floor A Must.
How to clean tile floors regularly? Though tiles are extremely durable and don’t need a lot of maintenance, recurring cleaning will keep them in perfect shape and give you a few extra years of life.
- Once a week or whenever there is something on the floor, pick up a broom and start cleaning. You can use a soft bristle vacuum attachment to your vacuum cleaner and get your job done. After you finish the job, just pick up a dustpan to remove all the dust.
- Once every two weeks, mop your tile floor. If it is your bathroom floor, it is better to do it once a week to keep your tile floor clean and away from all the germs.
