Spring Cleaning Guide: How to Care for Your Tile
Tile is a very durable flooring material that can last between 75 to 100 years. However, this lifespan depends on how well you maintain your floors. To get the most out of your tile floors, you need to learn how to clean them correctly.
By having tile cleaning as part of your spring cleaning, you can keep it in shape for years to come.
Do you want to learn how to care for your tile floors? Keep reading this article for the top cleaning solutions and tips to follow when cleaning tile floors!
Identify the Type of Tile You Have
Before you can start cleaning tile floors, you need to learn more about the types of floors and tile you have. There are many different materials used for tile floors, each with different properties. If you don’t know the type of floors you have, you may not clean them correctly and you could seriously damage your flooring.
For example, when you clean natural stone floors, you will have to use different cleaning solutions than you would for porcelain tile floors.
Learning more about your tile flooring will help you find the best ways to clean it.
Start by Sweeping
To start cleaning, you can sweep or vacuum the tile. This will help you clear away dirt, dust bunnies, and other types of loose debris before you start mopping and deep cleaning your tile.
If you use a vacuum instead of a broom, make sure you turn it to the bare floor setting to prevent scratches on your tile floors.
Sweeping is also important because it will prevent dirt and grime from building up on your tile. If you have dirt on your floors, it can be abrasive and break down the glaze of your tile. Plus, mopping your tile floor without sweeping or vacuuming will simply spread this dirt around.
Create a Mild Cleaning Solution and Mop the Tile
Once you have swept the floor, you can create a mild cleaning solution for your tile. You can use warm water and mild soap to get rid of most of the buildup on your flooring. For stains or grime that are hard to remove, you may need to buy a cleaner that is meant for porcelain tile floors.
Make sure you spot test your cleaning solution before using it on your entire floor.
After making the cleaning solution for your porcelain tiles, you can begin to mop your floors. Because tiles are waterproof, you don’t have to worry about getting them wet! To mop the floors, you should use a damp sponge mop or a soft microfiber cleaning cloth to clean the entire surface.
Dry the Floors
To make sure your tile stays clean and free of spots, you should dry the floors immediately after mopping. If you don’t dry your floors, it can be easy to track in dirt that will make your floors dirty again.
Plus, there is always a chance that excessive moisture will lead to mold growth.
Deep Clean Grout Lines
Once you have cleaned your tile floors, you can focus on your grout lines. This can be a bit more difficult, especially if your grout is stained or dirty. There are many reasons why you may have grout stains on your tile floor. This includes stains from food, grease, cleaners, and more.
Cleaning your tile and grout will make your floor shine and look brand new! One way you can do this is by using a small bristle brush or a toothbrush. This will make it easier to get into the smaller spaces between your tiles.
You can also make a grout cleaner out of a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Grout cleaning will help whiten your grout and remove stains. You may also want to reseal your grout after cleaning it, to protect it and to make it easier to clean in the future.
Avoid Using Harsh Chemicals
Often, people use very hot water or steam mops to clean their tile floors. Steam mops are a great way to clean your tile. The steam not only cleans your floor without any chemicals, it leaves it sanitized. Steam mops and heat should be avoided if your grout isn’t intact.
Since harsh chemicals can damage your tile, you should avoid cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals. This includes products with ammonia or bleach. These chemicals can lead to discolored tile and stained grout lines and may even remove the glaze from your tiles.
Add Protective Padding to Furniture
Finally, to finish the spring cleaning of your tile floors, you should add protective padding to your furniture. If you have chairs, couches, or tables on your tile floors, moving them around on the tile can cause scratches on the floor.
Instead, you can add round felt pads to the bottoms of each of your furniture. This will make it easier to move your furniture and it will prevent damage to your tile floors.
Need Help with Spring Cleaning?
When you are cleaning your tile flooring, you need to follow the right steps, so you don’t cause more damage to your floors. By following each of these tips, spring cleaning your tile floors will be much simpler!
Do you want to learn more about different types of tile floors and their maintenance? Standard Tile can help! We offer free design services and tile flooring materials and can help you choose the best tile flooring products.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and to schedule an appointment with our design experts.
