Blog > How To Care for Tile Floors: A Guide to Tile Cleaning and Maintenance

How To Care for Tile Floors: A Guide to Tile Cleaning and Maintenance

Tuesday, February 21, 2023 8:38 AM

Whether you choose ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone, tile flooring is excellent for many applications. Tiles not only offer a wide variety of color options but are also often environmentally friendly, extremely long-lasting, hypoallergenic, and low-maintenance.

Interested in tile and want to figure out if it’s right for you? Or maybe you already have tiles and want to learn how to keep them bright and beautiful. Keep reading to learn more about floor tile care and maintenance!

How To Clean Tile Floors

Below, we’ll show you the best way to clean ceramic and porcelain tiles vs. natural stone tiles.

How To Clean Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles

Ceramic and porcelain floor tiles are durable and easy to maintain, but it’s important to keep them clean because grit, dirt, and debris can damage the finish. Dirty tile or tile grout can also impact the look of an entire room.

To clean ceramic or porcelain floor tile:

1. Remove rugs, furniture, and anything else in the room that may get in the way of cleaning the ceramic or porcelain floor tile. To avoid scratches and scuffs, lift furniture rather than dragging it.
2. Use a broom to sweep up loose dirt, sand, and other debris.
3. If you have sticky spots, use an old credit card or a plastic putty knife to scrape them off.
4. Fill a bucket with hot water, half a cup of vinegar, and half a tablespoon of dish soap. Don’t overdo it with the soap, or the residue may dull your floor tiles.
5. Rinse the mop head under hot water to remove debris from past cleanings, and start mopping the floor with the warm, soapy water.
6. Remove any soap residue by mopping again with plain hot water.
7. Dry the floor with a clean cloth or towel to prevent water spots.

How To Clean Natural Stone Tiles

The biggest difference when cleaning natural stone is that you should avoid vinegar, lemon juice, or anything acidic. Instead, use a recommended stone floor cleaner or plain warm water. Natural stone also requires regular resealing, so you should enlist a professional to ensure the stone is properly protected.

1. Remove rugs, furniture, and anything else in the room that may get in the way of cleaning the stone floor tile. To avoid scratches and scuffs, lift furniture rather than dragging it.
2. Use a broom to sweep up loose dirt, sand, and other debris.
3. Fill a bucket with a gallon of warm water. You may use just the warm water or add in a small amount of recommended stone floor cleaner. You can find the perfect stone
4. cleaner at Floors USA, and our in-store team will show you the best way to use it.
5. Using a microfiber mop, go over the floor once with the cleaning solution and then again with fresh, warm water to remove any leftover cleanser.
6. Dry your stone tile with a clean towel or cloth to prevent water spots.

How To Clean Grout on Tile Floors

You can use the same cleaning solutions to clean ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone floor tile grout: either baking soda and water (for easier cleaning jobs) or powdered oxygen bleach and water (for tougher jobs.) Oxygen bleach contains a different chemical compound than chlorine bleach, so it’s non-toxic and color-safe. When cleaning grout, always try to keep the cleaning solution on the grout rather than the tile.

1. Mix your baking soda or oxygen bleach cleaning solution and apply it to the grout lines with a scrub brush. For easy cleaning, you can find a grout brush at your local hardware store.
2. Let the solution sit on the grout for at least 30 minutes. The longer your solution sits on the grout, the cleaner it will come. The oxygen ions in the bleach solution will continue to work for up to 6 hours.
3. After letting your solution sit, do a bit of scrubbing with your brush if needed, then wipe the solution off with fresh water. Use a towel to wipe up leftover residue.
4. Use a clean towel or cloth to dry the area thoroughly.

Get Stunning New Tile Floors At Stunning Prices

We have an incredible amount of tile flooring in stock and much more available through special order, so you are certain to find the right materials at Floors USA. Customer satisfaction is our number one priority, so our staff will work with you to ensure you are 100% satisfied with your purchase. Don’t wait — we’re emptying our warehouse of overstock and letting go of top-quality flooring from all the best manufacturers at prices you won’t see anywhere else. Quantities are limited, so make an appointment or stop by today!