This Content Specially Design for Ceramic and Porcelain Tile, Natural Stone & Resilient Tile Floors Cleaning. Inside will Get a guide for How You Can Clean Grout Line. Let’s Jump
Cleaning tile floors is a basic chore that must be undertaken to make our homes clean and neat. While the idea of cleaning our own tile floor seems easy, it seems that this isn’t the case. Depending on the type of tile floor that you have, sometimes, special ones require special care. Here are some of the few smart techniques that you can utilize in order to take good care of your tile floor and make it last longer.
Techniques in Cleaning Porcelain and Ceramic Tile Floors
One of the basic tile floors that can be found in our homes is the porcelain and ceramic tile floor. Often, we see them in the bathrooms and kitchen. What makes these types of floors a preferred choice by homeowners is that they require less special care compared to slate, limestone, and granite. Here is the process of cleaning ceramic and porcelain tile floors and the ways to maintain them:
1. Wipe any spills: When something is spilled on your floor, clean it up promptly. Sitting spills will become harder to remove later, especially when they are soaked and deposited into the tile grouts.
2. Remove Residual Debris: To keep your ceramic and porcelain tile floors from getting drab and dreary, or in other words, dull, you must make it a point to sweep or vacuum it daily. Remember, these tiles are resistant to dirt, but the glazed surface may become dull due to grit and sand.
3. Picking the Best Mop: A sponge mop isn’t an ideal map for these types of floor. Sponge mops have the capacity to set soiled water into the grout lines. These areas will be harder to clean later. The best mop for this is rag & chamois-style. Soak this mop into a solution of mild detergent and clean water and off you go, you can clean the floor with this. Just remember though that you need to replace the water every now and then as you clean to prevent dirty water from causing a dirty floor.
4. Scrutinize for Tile Stains: Tile stains can be caused by a different substance. Look for tile stains and determine what caused it. Lucky for you, we have a possible remedy and right cleaner for each of the tile stains. For example, grease stains can be eliminated with the use of club soda and water. You can also use a commercial floor cleaner. Another is stained from coffee, tea, or juice. These can be removed with the use of hot water and detergent.
5. Remove the Soap Residue: Cleaning our tile floors can leave some residue on the surface. These make the tile floors look hazy. To get rid of this haziness, you need to wash the floor with non-abrasive all-purpose cleaner or mild acids such as lemon juice.
6. Dry the Tiles: After cleaning everything, including removing some residue, it’s time for you to manually dry your tiles. Never let the floor dry itself as it may cause the formation of water spots. After all, we want glazy and shiny tiles, right? To dry our tile floor, get a clean, lint-free cloth right away and scrub it unto the surface of your tile floor.
Methods in Cleaning Natural Stone Tile Floors
Under this category, this includes granite, marble, or slate. This type of floors requires special care, however, unlike ceramic and porcelain. Conventional cleaners have certain chemicals that may cause harm, and even destruction, to the surface of natural stone tile floors. Instead, clean these types of floors with cleaners that are meant for these tile floor types.
1. Cleaning slate tiles is like cleaning porcelain and ceramic tiles. However, make use of mild detergent to clean your floor. Cleaners with acidic like vinegar or lemon are not good for slate tiles. In case your slate tiles are coated, get a soft towel and scrub it to your floor after washing to avoid the emergence of water spots.
2. Granite tiles have the same care tips with slate tiles. Only this time, use a mild detergent that is pH-neutral. If you have noticed that there are steaks or discoloration in your granite tiles, it’s maybe because you are using a wrong cleaner. Again, use a pH-neutral mild detergent. To make your granite tile clean and shiny, polish your granite floor.
3. Marble tiles are attractive and stunning so to speak. However, this tile requires thorough care and high maintenance. Stay away from using acidic cleaners when dealing with these tiles because these can etch the surface. Not to mention, brushes with scouring powders or tough bristles may cause some scratch.
Methods in Dealing with Resilient Floors
Resilient floors are the best in the market when you want a floor that is easy on the feet and low-maintenance. These types of floors are usually originated from various materials like rubber, linoleum, cork, and vinyl. While they require minimal maintenance, keep in mind that these types of floors are not resistant to extreme heat or excessive moisture; therefore, avoid using a steam mop with these types of tiles. Here are some things to remember when dealing with this type of floors:
1. In maintaining cork tiles, this always depends on the finish of your tile. For example, one of the most common types of cork floors is the one covered with polyurethane. With this one, water and mild detergent or white vinegar will do. Wash the floor with this solution and rinse well. You can do the same cleaning instructions with a cork floor that is waxed or unfinished, but this time, use solid or liquid water as soon as the tile is dry.
2. Vinyl tiles are effortless to maintain. Just do the usual things like vacuuming or sweeping some loose debris. Rub a mop on the floor with its own cleaning solution, and if you don’t have any, you can use vinegar and water. Again, like any other tiles, avoid using a scrubbing tool or an abrasive cleaner with this one as chances are, this will cause scratches on the surface.
3. Last but not the least, we have the linoleum tiles which, unlike vinyl, require a more particular cleaning method. After brushing away dirt or vacuuming, mop the floor or simply use water and borax. Use water to rinse the floor to remove soapy residues and dry the floor. To make these floors well-maintained and shiny for the next 3 to 6 months, just use a coat of wax on the floor and polish it.
How to Clean Grout in Tile Flooring?
It is now time to focus on how to clean tile grouts. These are areas that are hard to reach but, when cleaned, can make all the difference. Here are some of the techniques in cleaning tile grout:
1. For a start, one of the home hacks to do this is to use a pencil eraser. Run the pencil eraser, clean white or pink eraser, along with the tile grouts over the stain until it disappears. However, if pencil erasers failed, simply use sandpaper or a grinding grout tool for these hard-to-clean areas.
2.You can use other methods as well. Make a homemade solution of baking soda and water, which eventually turns into a paste. Rub the tile grouts with this homemade paste by using an old toothbrush. Rub it well into the tile grout. Let the paste sit on the area overnight and scrub it in the morning using a strong nylon brush. Avoid using a metal brush as it can cause defacement on your tile grout. To repeal any future stains from compromising your tile grout, use a silicone-based sealer.
3.In case the methods above simply don’t work, you can use a bleach solution. If bleach doesn’t sound good to you, you can opt to use a commercial grout cleaner. Before, cleaning the grout with bleach, follow a precautionary measure by wearing a pair of rubber gloves. If your tile grout is white, create a mixture of bleach water (75/25 solution). However, if your grout is colored, avoid using bleach. Instead, use only water for colored tile grouts. Wash the tile grout with the solution with the help of an old toothbrush, or if unavailable, the rim of a sponge to wash the grout. Be attentive not to apply the bleach solution on the tiles. Remove the solution with the use of warm water to eliminate all residues. As soon as the floor is totally dry, put in a coat of grout sealer to the grout. Use it between the tiles to prevent the areas from taking up dirt later on.
Cleaning our tile homes is our own responsibility. To keep your floors from getting dull or dirty, set a rigid schedule when to clean your tile floors and follow it. There’s nothing better than walking on squeaky clean tile floors in your humble abode.
