It’s an age-old story. Homeowner installs tile to avoid high-maintenance flooring, but finds that the stains on the tiles are just as stubborn as any mule.
Tile flooring is fairly low maintenance, so keeping it looking bright and shiny isn’t as taxing a job as one may think – even if they’re looking at a different color flor tile than what was originally installed.
Before getting to the dirty work (pun intended), It is important that you know what type of tile you have. Porcelain and ceramic tiles are the most common as well as non-porous and durable.
Pre-Maintenance for Tile Cleaning
Keeping your tile clean regularly is the easy part, so let’s start there. Sweeping and vacuuming is the best way to keep tile looking nice. That’s really all it takes to keep your tiled areas free of dirt and debris that could cause scratches or stains. You can also use a microfiber dust mop regularly. They pick up the smallest bits of dust and dirt that sweeping and vacuuming can leave behind.
The level of activity in the area will determine how often you should mop. Busy kitchens should be mopped weekly, while half baths that aren’t used daily could be done every other week. If your mop water is especially dirty, it may be a good idea to go your tile again. You can buy any number of cleaning products, but white vinegar and water work really well. Drying your floor with a clean cloth or microfiber mop will up the shine even more.
Don’t shy away from steam mops either. While they became quite popular during the pandemic, there’s a good reason for it. The ease and convenience of a deep clean is well-worth it.
Keeping Your Grout Clean
Cleaning your grout is a bit more labor intensive. Dingy grout can make your whole floor look dirty, even if you’ve just mopped. Unfortunately, there’s just no substitute for scrubbing those little lines with a simple brush.
You can DIY a suitable cleaning paste using baking soda and water. You can also add some hydrogen peroxide for extra cleaning power. Feel free to go old school and use a toothbrush, but we recommend getting a cleaning brush attachment for your power drill. It makes the process go a lot faster.
If your tile is something more exotic like marble or granite you need to avoid acidic products like vinegar and opt instead for something suggested by the manufacturer of your specific tile. If you’re unsure, give us a call