How to clean your tiles for long term durability

The tiles you choose to install in your home are an investment and require the necessary care as any other part of your space. Naturally, certain tile materials will require specific kinds of cleaning materials and techniques. Just as you wouldn’t use a scouring pad to wash plastic items, you wouldn’t use certain cleaning materials and detergents on certain tiles. Ideally, your tiles should be cleaned regularly (both wet and dry cleaning), at least once a week to keep your floors looking crisp. From keeping your floors stain-free to your grout looking fresh, here are the best ways to clean different types of tiles.

How To Clean Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles

Tiles made from these materials are rather durable and do not require a huge amount of effort to get into tip-top shape.

1. Sweep up any loose dirt and dust:  Before doing any type of cleaning or polishing, make sure you’ve got an empty surface to work with. Sweep or vacuum your tiles right before you clean them (naturally, doing this well in advance means dirt and dust will pile up on your floors again). Be wary of the type of vacuum cleaning tool you use to make sure it won’t scratch the surface of your tiles.

2. Choose the correct mop to work with: Clean your tiles with a mild detergent/ floor cleaning agent and opt for a chamois mop over a sponge one as sponge mops tend to push any dirt into the grout lines and make the cleaning process more of a challenge. Make sure your water is swapped out if dirty as dirty water will leave a cloudy film over your tiles.

3. Get rid of any soap residue: If your tiles still have any film or hazy residue on them even after washing, it’s most likely due to the soap or detergent you have been using. A simple way to remove this and keep your tiles looking shiny would be to use fresh lemon juice. This is only appropriate for use on ceramic and porcelain tiles but avoid using it on stone tiles as this could damage them.

4. Spot the stains: Should you encounter any pesky stains whilemopping, give it that area a little more TLC and use the most appropriate cleaner. In this case, using a smaller soft sponge and wiping by hand should be most effective.  

5. Dry your tiles:  Allowing your floors to air-dry will most likely result in them having water spots from the washing. Dry your tiles with a clean and lint-free cloth straight after washing by dragging it under your foot across them.

How To Clean Resilient Tile Floors

Resilient tiles are those made from materials like rubber, vinyl and linoleum which generally require less maintenance. Vinyl tiles are one of the easiest kinds to maintain as you can simply sweep or vacuum up any existing dirt without any hard labour required. Avoid using any abrasive cleaning materials on this surface as it will cause damage, simply mop with water and vinegar or a cleaning solution made specifically for vinyl floors.

How to Clean Tile Grout

Clean grout makes the biggest difference when it comes to keeping your tiles looking fresh. It easily traps dirt, meaning it doesn’t take much for your tile grout to become crusty. A simple way to keep it looking clean would be to create a quick, easy and inexpensive DIY paste with baking soda and water. Simply rub it into the stained grout, let it settle for a couple of hours then scrub it with a stiff nylon brush, perfect for getting into all the nooks and crannies. You can use a silicone-based grout that’s best applied 10-14 days after the grout it applied to keep the stains away. 

If you need advice on how to clean your flooring, our friendly staff are always available to assist you at your nearest Tiletoria showroom.