How to Clean Tile Floors

If you are looking for the best way to clean tiles, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will cover the best method to get your tiles looking spick and span once again.

You won’t need too many specialist tools, mainly some water, a sturdy brush, and some good old fashioned elbow grease.

The flooring in your home is one of the key features that every guest will notice when they first walk into your home. If you have a clean tile floor, it will likely set off the rest of your home, that’s why it’s so important to keep it looking beautiful and well maintained.

However, as you know, the floors are easily the most abused surfaces in the whole household. It’s victim to muddy trainers, wine stains and food spillages, as well as all kinds of bacteria from pets, etc.

Luckily, tile floors are incredibly robust and have the advantage of being very low maintenance. You will find it takes half the time to get clean porcelain tiles compared to doing a deep clean of a carpet or a rug.

With that being said, let’s get into it.

Clean the Tile Surface

First of all, we need to clean the tile surface of any dirt, stains, or bacteria that you can see. All you need to do is get yourself a dishcloth and some warm water and get scrubbing.

It is surprisingly easy to keep a clean tile floor as the tiles are often very stain resistant. One scrub with some warm water is enough to lift off most stains. If you are having trouble, then try adding some neutral soap to the water and give that a try.

You will see people recommended to use things like vinegar and bleach, but this will damage the materials and can fade the deigns/color of the tile.

Kitchen and Bathroom Tiles

Unsurprisingly, the kitchen and bathroom will need a little more work. If you want a clean tile floor in these areas, then you will need to put in some real effort.

These are areas of the house that will get the most abuse with food stains, moisture causing mold, and soapy suds trodden into the tiles.

First of all, try to clean the tiles with hot water and soap to get off most of the residue. For the tougher stains that remain, you can use a specialist stain remover for kitchen and bathroom tiles. If you don’t have that to hand, then a steamer can come in handy.

Apply the hot steam to the area and then wipe clean with your soap and water solution.

Grout Lines

These are the lines between the tiles that hold the tiles together, and they just so happen to be the hardest parts to clean. They are usually quite porous and will hold onto a lot of the moisture and dirt.

Grout is typically made from latex, different types of plastics, and sometimes sand and cement. The more modern your tiles are, the more likely they are to be made from stain-resistant materials, but if not, don’t worry.

Grab yourself some hot water and your grout brush if you have one. If not, you can use any firm brush that has stiff bristles to lift up the dirt.

Apply the hot water and get stuck into the grout with some elbow grease. Most of the dirt should come away, given enough time and effort.

Use Steam for the Toughest Stains

Don’t use any other types of cleaner for grout. It can be fragile, and you will usually do more harm than good. Water is the best bet as it is has a neutral pH.

If you are having a lot of trouble getting the stains up, then revert to the steam tactic and use soapy water.

Removing the Mold

No home should have mold present in it at any time. If you notice your grout has mold in its grooves, then you need to get rid of it. The best way to do this is to buy some specialist mold remover.

You can get rid of the mold using the methods we have listed above, but seeing as mold can be potentially hazardous to health, it is better to treat it seriously.

Once you have removed the mold, clean the area with the methods listed above. Try to keep the room less humid in the future, as this is most likely the cause of the mold.

Keep On Top of It

The best secret on how to clean ceramic tile flooring is to keep on top of it by cleaning little and often. If we leave our tiles for too long, it can seem like a huge job to take on, and it can seem overwhelming.

Take a few minutes out once a week to clean the most abused areas of your house and keep the tiles clean before they get too dirty. This is especially important for kitchens and bathrooms. Otherwise, you will need home remodeling contractors to fix it all.

Hopefully, by now, you know how to clean tile flooring. Thanks for reading!