If you are reading this, then the chances are that you, too, are stuck at home with a lot of free time, thanks to the worldwide lockdown caused by the novel pandemic. You might be in the middle of organizing your house with all the free time, and realize that your floor tiles have long faded. The years of carelessness has had a toll on your floor tiles.
Tiles have been the popular choice among flooring options for years now. It’s not just because of their look, availability, and durability. There is more to it, as it’s almost effortless to get back the shine on tiles by using some simple methods.
Table of Contents
Before You Start Cleaning
Before we move on to the cleaning part, it’s crucial to know what type of tiles your floor has. Different tiles require different methods and elements for you to bring out their shine.
Ceramic Tiles:
Ceramic tiles are made of clay. This kind of tile is not usually used in the outdoors. Ceramic tiles absorb a lot of water too. These kinds of tiles are typically made in a way that requires regular cleaning and maintenance. So, its shine can get dull over time if you are not carefully cleaning it every now and then. Don’t worry, because with regular cleaning you can get the shine back in no time.
Porcelain Tiles:
Porcelain tiles are made of clay too, but slightly denser clay. Porcelain has a low water absorption rate, making it perfect for dry places. Porcelain tiles are suitable for both indoors and outdoors. Porcelain tiles can be expensive, but with proper care, it can last its glow a long time. It’s never too late to get back the glow of this kind of tiles, should you have them.
The Grade of your Tiles:
Tile grades are an essential factor to know before you get your gloves to clean your floors. Tile grades do exist to serve a purpose. Understanding it will help you in the long run.
The higher the grade of your tiles, the more expensive it should cost. Manufacturers base the grade of tiles on how it dwells against scratches and breakage. Usually, floor tiles and wall tiles are grade 3 tiles.
A Three-Step Guide to Shining your Tiles:
Now that you have an idea about what type of tiles you have and what grade they are, it’s time to move on to real action!
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Sweep it Clean
You have to start by vacuuming the floor of your house. If you don’t remove all the dirt and debris from the floor, your floor might be susceptible to damage later on.
Even though a lot of people will want to skip this part thinking sweeping can do the trick, they are very wrong. Just sweeping your floor means that there will be loose dirt all around that will later stick onto your tiles and will build up from that resulting in permanent damage and scratch. Sweeping can be a bit difficult for premium tiles like pearl white thassos tile. Do this carefully.
After you are done vacuuming, make sure you sweep the floor of your house carefully, leaving nothing behind. Then vacuum the floor again so that you can pull out the remaining dust making way for the next step.
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Deep Cleaning
This is where your knowledge of what kind of tiles you have comes in. You will use different substances depending on the type of tiles you have.
- Ceramic: Mix detergent with hot water to create your mixture. Try not to use a lot of it because the ceramic might be able to absorb it. Then with the mixture, carefully rub and scrub your floor.
- Porcelain: I would suggest white vinegar for porcelain. Mix water with white vinegar and scrub your floor tiles with it. You can use a more potent agent and more liquid because porcelain won’t absorb it.
Instructions:
- Spray the mixture on your floor.
- Make sure the mixture is in every corner using a stringy mop to spread.
- Scrub the floor and repeat the process until you get a shiny floor.
- Clean the mixture with water, making sure you change the water frequently.
- Use a fan to dry your floor, and don’t use the floor before it’s dry.
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Wash the Grout
Grout is easily the enemy of the house. Cleaning grout can be hard. It soaks up liquid faster than anything thanks to its large pores. Follow the instructions carefully to clean grout:
- Make a mixture of water and three percent hydrogen peroxide in a spraying bottle.
- Spray this substance on grout, and for 30 minutes, let it sit.
- Take out an old toothbrush then scrub the grout with hot water.
Alternatively, you can use vinegar and baking soda mixture to clean your grout. Cleaning grout can be hard, but the silver lining here is that you have to scrub this hard only once. Once you get used to a regular deep cleaning routine, it won’t be as hard to clean grout.
