The ultimate guide on how to clean porcelain tiles and keep them looking sleek and brand new for a very long time.
Porcelain tiles are some of the most popular flooring options for many. This favorability among homeowners stems from the fact that these are incredibly beautiful tiles (these are available in a variety of colors) also the fact that these tiles are extremely stain resistant and also fights off moisture very easily. There is a chance of having these tiles lose its beauty over time, you can significantly reduce that said risk can be mitigated if they are properly and regularly cleaned. With just a little bit of cleaning the life of these tiles can be vastly extended. Let’s take a look at the best methods of keeping your tiles looking fresh and mint.
Image by Simpolo Ceramics
1. Cleaning after installation.
Once you have your tiles installed, you will find the space where you installed them to be a muddy mess consisting of cement residues and excess grout. This is a common phenomenon in any building work. This time period after installation is essential to time to clean it up to keep the tiles looking, well, clean.
The recommended course of action here is then to clean the space and tiles with an abundance of water. It may not look like it but your tiles (and your floor) are in there, underneath the massive accumulation of dirt accrued in the process of installation.
Porcelain tiles, in general, are known for their low porosity, which is a very desired quality in tiles but is the particular factor that demands that all cement and grout be removed upon installation.
Once you have cleaned the tiles once with water, it is time to use a specialized product on your tiles along with water. Water in this stage is very important as the ingredients of these products are very acidic and can easily cause unnecessary damage to the floor or anything that may be nearby.
It may be a good idea to ask your tile-layer or the store where you bought the tiles or tile-laying material.
2. How do keep them clean for extended periods of time after the first clean
There does exist a rule of thumb or a golden rule when it comes to keeping the tiles clean after that first extensive and thorough wash. That rule is very simple and at the same time, highly efficient. The rule is: always make sure the ratio of water to the cleaning product is much higher in favor of water. The general rule can be summed up as using three parts of water to part of the cleaning solution. If you follow this simple rule, you can keep your tiles looking fleek indefinitely.
3. The kind of cleaning product or solution you should use.
The golden rule of thumb here is to use a product that is neutral in its pH balance. You should also make sure that when cleaning the product you are firstly removing all surface dirt, ideally with a broom or vacuum cleaner. Once that step has been completed, you would want to add a bit of neutral soap detergent to a bucket of warm water. Dip your cleaning equipment, a good mop should do the trick, into the bucket and proceed to clean the surface with that mop.
4. Daily cleaning routine for your tiles
For regular cleaning of your tiles, it would be ideal and beneficial to use a dust mop. When, however, the tiles are a bit more messy than usual, you should use a wet mop and a floor cleaner. You DO NOT want to use any sharp or abrasive products or metal objects to clean your tile. If you do not want permanent scratches on your tiles, never use anything like scissors, blades or anything sharp. With just the mixture of cleaning products and a good mop, you are good to go. We cannot stress enough the importance of not using anything sharp on your tiles.
5. How to clean tile joints?
Tile joints can be very tricky to clean. Those nasty little accumulations of dirt in joints are a particular sore to the eye and are highly undesirable. Tile joints are also harder to clean as they are harder to access. When cleaning these joints, try using a mixture of three parts water to one part cleaning product. Try using a toothbrush, as they are harder to reach and hence clean with just a regular mop. Put the physical effort to properly clean these joints and to access all corners of the tiles. Make sure to rinse off the tile joints with plenty of water. After you have rinsed them off, use a clean cloth and dry them off. Viola, your tiles are looking as good as new once again,
These methods are the perfect answer to the question of how to clean porcelain tiles. Follow these steps to keep your tiles and your home/office clean and looking brand new for a very long time.
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