Tile floors look great and are generally easy to maintain and clean if you know what to do. Keeping your tile floors spotless is a huge asset to any room because it creates an overall glow to the space. Rooms with tile floor are often the ones left with the most grime and mud from shoes or cooking and eating.
Grime is why constantly cleaning tile flooring is a must for anyone who wants a space that looks great. One of the most important aspects of tile floor cleaning is sweeping. By taking some time out of your day to sweep, you can often maintain a great looking tile surface with little effort. Sweep your floors frequently to remove any loose dirt and dust. If possible, take off your shoes when inside or keep a pair for house use only. Small rocks and grime brought indoors on the bottoms of shoes can create a big mess and can even scratch tile floors.
Another important part of tile floor cleaning is mopping the floors. Many floor cleaners and even bleach can leave a film on your tile floor’s surface. This can be seen when you view the floor from certain angles or under certain lighting conditions. To avoid this dull residue, only use warm water when mopping and make sure to chance your rinse water regularly. Otherwise, you’ll be rinsing with dirty water—that’s counterproductive! If you want to use a tile cleaner for maximum cleansing, select a product which doesn’t require rinsing, and only use a small amount.
For specific spot cleaning tile floors there are some basic concepts to remember:
- Clean spills right away. Although most tiles are glazed and stain-resistant, grout is porous and can absorb liquids that can lead to stains if not treated.
- Dry small drops and splashes as soon as you make a spill because even clean water can leave marks.
- Spot clean water marks and smears with a damp cloth to wipe the marks away and then dry.
- Keep a scraper handy to carefully remove crayon marks, grease smudges and spilled food. Always be careful to avoid scratching the tile.
Sometimes mopping is not enough to remove tough stains or marks. A residue that is difficult to mop up is especially common after a new tile floor has been installed. Spot cleaning with a mild acid solution and rinsing afterwards can sometimes help remove such residue and other stains. These acid solutions can eat away grout however, so rinse well, and always remember to keep the room ventilated.
For floor grout stains, use a toothbrush to target the problem area. Use a mild acid solution and rinse immediately after. It’s important to note that acid solutions are only good for spot cleaning grout and you CAN NOT use on natural stone (marble, travertine, granite, etc.) You may event contact us as we offer professional-grade tile and stone care products and other professional recommendations on how to properly care for your floor.
Cornerstone Chem-Dry is an industry leader in professional tile and stone care. There are often stains, marks, scratches, and other issues that at home care just cannot treat. We even can reseal your grout to help preserve and extend its life.
Tags: Care Tips, stone cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, tile and grout seal, tile and stone care products, tile cleaning
Maintaining and Cleaning Tile Floors « Cornerstone Chem-Dry Blog | Smart Tile Work Says:
[...] the original post: Maintaining and Cleaning Tile Floors « Cornerstone Chem-Dry Blog February 22nd, 2010 Krista19re No [...]
February 22nd, 2010 at 2:43 pmManny Says:
I agree that it is easy as long as you know the basics of how to clean it. Just use some mild chemicals or detergents.
March 16th, 2010 at 8:25 am