How to Keep Ceramic Tiles Clean

If you have ceramic tiles in your home, then you should know that they need special care to stay clean. You cannot clean them the same way you would hardwood floors or concrete floors. If you do, you can damage them or not clean them very effectively. We are going to show you how to handle this cleaning job in a way that gives you a brighter, nicer looking floor and that preserves your tiles for longer. Remember, a lot of these tips can also be applied to cleaning smart phones too.

Cleaning Tips

There are a few different kinds of tiles you can end up with on your home- glazed, unglazed and grout tiles. There are different methods to be used for cleaning each of these, which we will cover in moment, but first we want to give you some general tips that apply to all of them.
• Test Your Cleaning Solution Discreetly- Before you use any cleaning chemical on your tile floor, you ought to first test in in a discreet area of the floor. Find a corner that most people won’t see- perhaps behind an appliance- and try out the cleaning solution to see what kind of results you get.
• Don’t Use Abrasive Materials- You don’t want to use steel wool and other rough, abrasive cleaning items when you clean tiles. You can end up stretching them and causing them to break down or wear away sooner. You also want to be careful about how hard you scrub, as you can damage tiles with a regular scrubbing pad as well.
• Clean from the Wall toward the Entrance- You don’t want to have to wash the same area twice, so be sure you start at the wall when you clean and work toward the entrance to the room. That way you will only be cleaning any given area one time instead of moving yourself across an area you already cleaned.

Cleaning Grout Tiles

You have to be careful about scrubbing hard between the tiles into the grout or using a lot of water when you clean grout. Both of these actions can make the grout break down and cause the tiles to come loose.
You would benefit from having your grout sealed. This keeps out dirt and grime and allows the grout to hold better, last longer and look better for longer. If you clean the grout, be sure to use chemicals that are specially designed for grout cleaning. Scrub gently on the tile and the grout to get rid of stains, marks and grime and use gentle chemicals that won’t damage the surfaces.

Cleaning Unglazed Tiles

These kinds of tiles can be tough to clean, since they are porous and can trap stains easily. They absorb a lot of grime too, and you will need to scrub deep to get it all out. You want the careful about using a cleaner that is too strong, though. Use something with a neutral pH level, but that cuts through grease and stains effectively.
You may have to clean these often, and to save yourself some trouble and a lot of work, you can just have them sealed. That keeps out a lot of the grime and makes them look better for longer, so they don’t require as much maintenance. If you don’t take the time to clean unglazed tiles regularly, though, they will break down quickly and become unsightly in short order.

Cleaning Glazed Tiles

Most homeowners that have ceramic tile floors have glazed tiles. These tend to last the longest and look the nicest, but they also cost more money than other options. If you have this kind of tile, you won’t have to clean it too often. It’s pretty much stain proof and very easy to clean.
All you really need is a soft scrub pad and some warm soapy water. Just scrub gently cross the surface of the tile until your grime and dirt is removed. For tough, encrusted things that are stuck to the tile, you can use a butter knife or similar, hard, thin object that isn’t very sharp. You don’t want to damage the tiles. Just rub gently at an angle, never stabbing directly into the tiles. You can also let the encrusted area soak in some water until the grime become loose, then try to scrape it off with the knife or whatever tool you are using.
If you want your tiles to shine, then when you are done cleaning with soapy water, you can mop the water away and buff the area with a dry, clean rag.
To makes tiles easier to clean and look better for longer, be sure to clean them regularly. You will only need to do some light cleaning if you clean often.
If you are cleaning walls instead of floor tiles, you can forgo the mop, but use the same steps we listed, using a scrubbing pad instead of a mop. Just start from the top and work your way to the bottom to avoid having to clean the same areas more than once.

Keep Tiles Cleaner for longer

There are different things you can do and use to keep your tiles looking better for longer. One of the best things to try is tile wax, which can be applied pretty quickly and will repel most stains and marks on your tiles for a while. You will need to reapply the wax after it starts to wear off.
Another tip for keeping your tiles cleaner for longer is to keep shoes off the floor. Those can make scuff marks and track in all sorts of unwanted debris. Any tile floor should at least have a mat at one end to catch a lot of what is on people’s shoes or feet before they track it across the tiles. Then just clean off the mat regularly to prevent the things that are trapped in it from ending up on your tiles.
If you follow the tips we have given you, then your tiles will last much longer and you will have to do less cleaning to make them look their best.