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| Image Courtsy: todayshomeowner.com |
Whether ceramic, porcelain, slate or travertine; tile flooring adds an elegant and clean appearance to your interior. Unlike carpeting that looks neat and fresh after vacuum, tiled floors and interlinked grout requires a particular cleaning routine that consists of various steps to keep them shiny. If you know about the material with which the tiles are made, cleaning and maintenance would be far easier.
Basic maintenance
Simple dusting and damp mopping on regular basis would keep the floor clean. Depending on the surface, you can either use a broom or vacuum. Dirt and grit development can work its way easily through the tile surface causing abrasion. Avoid using straw brooms for they can scratch the stone surface and tile flooring.Glazed tiles
The shiny layer over the tile is a result of blasting the clay or porcelain with liquid glass coating at a very high temperature. This coats a protective layer over tile surface that’s rather easy to clean. A wet mop or all-purpose, non-greasy cleanser is best cleaning solution for tile and grout. Whereas tough stains can be removed via multi-purpose cleaner! Clean the grout only when it starts to change colour; means gets dirty or grimy. Mix baking soda and water, apply the solution on the grout for several minutes and wipe off gently to restore original lustre.If you wish to shine ceramic tile, make a solution composed of one-part vinegar to four-part warm water and mop the floor. Once it dries off, floor should be free of streaks and shine. Be careful walking on the floor wearing shoes or slippers immediately after cleaning. Not only it’s slippery but may accumulate muddy foot stains again. You shouldn’t worry about tangy vinegar smell for it’ll disappear once the floor is completely dried.
Unglazed tiles
For unglazed tiles; a pH-neutral tile cleanser is just the perfect thing because with a dampen mop, grease, oil and normal spills are more visible. Make sure cleanser is removed completely from the tile before it dries whereas it must be transparent; means colourless because shades are likely to be absorbed by permeable tiles.You should know that vintage tiles weren’t glazed and its dimness is likely a result of daily wear and tear. Although you can apply various cleaning solutions, be very careful for they may ruin overall quality of the tile. Non-soap based cleaner or simply warm water is the best cleanser. Pre-wetting porous floors allow tiles to absorb water which in-turn prevents cleansing agents to penetrate deep through the tile.
Simply avoid using acid or bleach-based cleaning solution on any floor surface, especially tiles. Cleaning and scouring pads with abrasive metal at one end would scratch the floor or any surface especially tiles! Also, avoid oil or wax-based cleaners over tiled flooring because they’ll leave stains or wipe their original shine for good.
Slated floors
With a slate floor, simply dust-mopping or sweeping is the best routine protection. Long-term exposure to dirt, sand and grit is likely to cause permanent damage to the slate only if unsealed. Gently sweep the floor in single direction, follow the same with mopping, remove debris with a dustpan and dry mop again if needed. For stains, mix equal parts of water with hydrogen peroxide, spray it over the surface and let it sit there for at-least 10 minutes. Scrub gently with a soft-bristle brush and you’ll see even the toughest stains would be cleaned.
For squeaky clean tiles, follow the tips provided above as they’re expert tested. Always wear safety gloves while cleaning to avoid chemical exposure on your skin.
