Professional Tile Cleaning Tips You Need to Know for Beautiful Tiles
People love to choose tiles for their home because they’re durable, long-lasting, and extremely resistant to stains. Aside from durability, people choose tiles over other floorings because the tile cleaning process is less effort in comparison to other floors such as carpet. Taking care of tiles with regular tile cleaning doesn’t require as much time and energy and is a simple way to keep your home looking fresh. To help your tiles look brand new, we’re sharing our professional tile cleaning tips that you need to know.
Understanding Your Tiles
Tiles come in a variety of materials and no tile cleaner is universal for all types of tiles. Different tiles also require different cleaning techniques and types of cleaning tools as well. Before getting into our tile cleaning tips, it’s important to understand the tiles you have in your home. Some of the most common tiles found in homes are:
Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tiles are common in homes as they’re extremely durable which makes them ideal for a range of rooms within the home. In comparison to other tiles available on the market, aside from their longevity, ceramic tiles are available at a lower price point helping you stick to renovation budgets easily. They also have a simple installation process and are easy to clean which draws a lot of homeowners’ attention. Ceramic tiles come in glazed and unglazed finishes, it’s important to understand the difference between the two as this can change your tile cleaning process.
Porcelain Tiles
Like ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles are also another popular tile choice for homes. People tend to choose porcelain tiles over ceramic because of the materials ability to replicate popular materials such as natural stone, brick, or wood. This makes them the perfect choice for those on a budget or who don’t want to commit to the upkeep or weathering that usually affects other materials. Porcelain is also able to be used outdoors because of how durable it is and isn’t susceptible to cracking fading.
Stone Tiles
There’s a wide variety of stone tiles that can be chosen for your home. Some of the most popular include:
- Travertine
- Marble
- Slate
- Onyx
- Quartzsite
Stone tiles are a popular feature among homes and although they can be used as normal flooring many homeowners love to use them as splashbacks or feature them in bathrooms.
Professional Tips for Tile Cleaning
Not all tiles should be cleaned the same way, so we’ve simplified the process by having two different tile cleaning processes, one for porcelain and ceramic tiles and another for stone tiles.
Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Cleaning
Due to their durability, these tiles are frequently featured in high-traffic areas of the home but by following our tile cleaning steps they’ll be sparkling in no time!
Step 1: Loosen surface dirt and debris by sweeping or vacuuming over the tiles. Doing this regularly is a quick and simple process that can prevent your tiles from becoming dull.
Step 2: Determine the right floor mop for your tiles. All that you need to clean your tiles is a mild detergent and clean water but it’s important to use a rag or chamois type mop for your floor instead of a sponge mop. This is because the sponge mops tend to push dirty water into grout lines that can affect your grout and make it more difficult to clean. Another tip is when cleaning your floor, change the water regularly because this helps prevent your tiles from looking cloudy.
Step 3: Here it’s important to look out for any stains on your tiles and be careful of soap residue. If you do find a stain on the tiles, it’s important to try and figure out what type of substance has caused the discolouration and then reach out to a professional. Although you can find store-bought tile cleaners if used incorrectly or you’ve bought the wrong one for the type of stain this can negatively impact your tiles.
If there are no stains but once finished your tiles still look hazy, it’s most likely caused by soap residue. This can be removed by using a nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner over the top of the tiles.
Step 4: If your tiles are glazed it’s important to dry them with a clean cloth so water stains don’t form, forcing you to have to complete the entire process again.
Stone Tile Cleaning
When it comes to cleaning stone tiles there’s no universal way to clean them as each type of stone requires a different cleaning method. Although we can’t give you an exact step-by-step breakdown of cleaning stone tiles, we can help you learn what products to use for cleaning some of the most popular stone tiles.
Travertine
When cleaning travertine you shouldn’t use soap on because it can leave streaky residue on the tiles, particularly if you have polished travertine in your home. The ideal way to clean travertine would be using mild, phosphate-free, liquid dishwashing soaps or powders. It’s important to avoid bleach, acid-based or abrasive products to prevent your tiles from becoming damaged.
Marble
Marble is a beautiful tile featured in homes, but it’s also high maintenance compared to other tiles. You must steer clear of anything that has an acidic PH level when cleaning marble tiles. Even natural cleaners like lemon or vinegar need to be avoided as they can wear down the surface of the tile causing damage. Using harsh brushes or scouring powders should also be put away when cleaning marble to prevent scratching the surface of the tiles.
Slate
Mild detergents can be used when cleaning slate tiles if they don’t contain any acidic properties, for example, lemon or vinegar. Some slate tiles can have a topcoat on them which in this case they need to be dried with a gentle cloth to avoid water stains.
Need Help with Your Tile Cleaning?
Although tile cleaning is simple, occasionally your tiles do need to be cleaned professionally to help restore their original sparkle. When this is the case, contact our team here at South QLD Restoration for our tile and grout cleaning service. Our experts will have your tiles looking as if they were just laid! Find out more about this service here.
