Tile and grout cleaning can be exhausting. The grout is extremely porous making grout cleaning a tedious task. This material also attracts dirt that soaks into the grout and leaves it and your tiles looking dingy and dirty. Individuals who regularly clean their floors can ind themselves searching for simple tips to figure out the best way to clean tile floors and grout.
Take Your Time
Deciding how to clean ceramic tile floors and grout is not a job to be rushed. Once it’s dirty, getting it cleaned takes time, but any work put into it is well worth it. Replacing damaged or soiled tiles can take approximately 30 minutes, but cleaning a tile can take only a few minutes. Once the tile is clean you regular cleaning keeps dirt from settling into it in the future.
Pre-Treat Before Cleaning
Many people don’t think to sweep or vacuum before mopping, but this is vital in keeping tile and grout looking clean. This removes dirt or grit and prevents it from becoming stuck in the grout. It removes the dirt on top of the tiles and keeps it from being swept elsewhere. When removing the top layer of dirt you remove any dust particles that can be spread across the tile and into the grout and become harder to clean.
Remove the Residue
This may seem like an obvious task, when you decide how to clean tile floors, but it is essential. For those not familiar with removing the residue when deciding how to clean a tile floor, this step can be extremely hard. If your tiles look hazy, clean them with a nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner. This removes the soapy residue many cleaners leave behind. A good cleaning with water followed by a buff dry will leave your tiles looking good as new. Choose your feet for drying tiles instead of your knees to spare added strain on your back or your knees.
Choose the Correct Tool
Do not use a sponge mop when cleaning tile floors. Sponge mops pull the dirt into the grout of your tile floor. This makes cleaning the grout more difficult. Use a micro-fiber mop when mopping your floor. These types of mops pick up all the dirt instead of spreading the dirt around. Wire brushes can harm the tile, but nylon brushes thoroughly clean grout without harming the tile.
Don’t Forget Simple Ingredients
Using harsh chemicals is not necessary when cleaning tile and grout. Using 1/2 cup of vinegar with one gallon of warm water is just as effective as any chemicals you could choose for your tile floor. The acidity in the vinegar removes grease from tile to make cleaning simple and effective, reducing the overall need of harmful chemicals.
When deciding how to clean tile floors remember that regular maintenance is your best friend. Regular cleaning will eliminate the need for deep cleaning procedures. In the event that you must resort to deep cleaning procedures, these tips and tricks will make those procedure as painless as possible. Keep these tips in mind when deciding how to clean tile floors and grout, because tile and grout are made to last. Regularly maintained tile and grout can last for decades is not longer.