How to Clean Tile Floors
In today’s homes, tile floors are everywhere. Bathrooms, kitchens, entryways, laundry rooms, and even family rooms use tile floors. They can be appealing to the eyes when shiny and clean. But if any dirt accumulates, it’s quite noticeable. So it’s important to keep your tile floors clean.
To cut down on the time you spend cleaning, invest in a doormat or a rug to protect the floors from pesky dirt and stains.
There are several different types of tile floors. Two of the most popular include ceramic and porcelain tiles. These can often be expensive for general contractors to install, so you’ll want your tile floor to last for years to come.
What You’ll Need
- Broom or vacuum
- Mop
- Bucket
- Dry cloth
- Dish soap
- Warm water
1. Remove surface dirt using a broom or vacuum.
First, remove the dirt, sand, or other debris with a broom or vacuum cleaner. Try brooming the tile floor first. Then, use a handheld vacuum cleaner with an extension to get to those hard to reach places.
Make sure to get the corners where dirt might pile up and go unnoticed. Also, use a plastic knife or scraper to remove difficult stains and food from your tile floor.
Be sure to vacuum your tile floors regularly so they don't get dull.
2. Combine a half tablespoon of dish soap with warm water.
For the next step, fill a bucket with warm water and add a half tablespoon of dish soap. This is what you’ll use to mop the tile floor.
The combination of water and baking soda is also useful in cleaning grout. Grout is where dirt and dust tend to hide on a tiled floor.
You can combine three parts baking soda and one part water to make a paste. Then, take a scrub brush and scrub the grout in between the tiles for a thorough clean.
3. Start mopping.
Before you mop, check if the mop is clean and does not contain dirt from the previous time you cleaned.
You can do that by washing the mophead under hot running water.
Mop the floor with the dish soap and water mixture that you have prepared. Make sure to change the water frequently while you’re mopping.
4. Scrub difficult stains with a scrub brush.
If you find an area with tough stains or food that just won’t come off, pour some of the dish soap and water on the tile floor.
Let it sit for about 10 minutes and then scrub the area with a scrub brush.
After you scrub, mop over the area to remove any food residue or dirt.
5. Remove excess soap with a damp towel.
Once you’ve finished mopping, take a damp towel and wipe the tile floor. The key here is to remove as much soap as possible before drying the tile.
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6. Dry the tile with a dry cloth.
The last step is to dry the tile off with a dry cloth. Drying with a cloth helps prevent water spots.
The hack on how to keep your tile floor looking flawless is to repeat the steps mentioned above as much as you can.
If you followed the steps above and your tile floor still looks grimy, simply repeat the steps.
It’s possible that you didn’t remove enough surface dirt before cleaning your tile floor. In this case, let the tile floor dry and start from step 1.
Otherwise, you can continue to scrub the floor, repeating steps 4-6 as needed.
That wraps up our step-by-step guide on how to clean tile floors. Keep your tile floors clean and you will enjoy time with your friends and family.
Your house will smell fresh and you won’t have to worry about deep cleaning the house every time you want guests over.
If you’re on a cleaning spree, check out more cleaning articles below.
Thanks to Rosalyn Moreno for this guest post.