Clean Floor Tiles
Tiled floors have to withstand a lot; daily traffic, spills, children and pets can quickly become dull and grout lines grubby. Here are some tips on keeping tiled floors hygienically clean and shiny.
06/2017
Tiled floors are an investment that can be hard work and expensive to replace. With a few simple tricks you can keep tiled floors looking good by following these simple guidelines to cleaning and maintaining tiled floors:
Daily Routine
Dust and dirt will scratch the surface of glazed ceramic tiles which causes tiles to become dull, so it's important to prevent a build up of this on tiles. A daily clean with a vacuum, soft broom or microfibre pad will remove harmful dust and dirt. A vacuum and microfibre pad are the best options, as these lift dust and dirt off the surface, while a broom tends to disturb dust and this floats and falls to the floor once you think you're done.
GOOD TO KNOW:
A mat or rug placed at entryways into tiled rooms helps cut down on dirt and will extend the life of tiled floors.
Weekly Routine
Give tiled floors a good clean with a microfibre mop or steam mop. Clean the water regularly to ensure floors are clean - you don't want to exacerbate the problem by spreading dirty water over tiles and grout.
To clean tiles there are a variety of wax-free cleaners that you can find on the shelf at your local supermarket, and you can use a homemade cleaner consisting of vinegar or lemon juice to remove stains. Don't use these products on natural stone tiles.
Bi-Annual or Annual Maintenance
If you use a wax-based cleaner, you will find that tiles become hazy over time due to wax build-up on the surface. Use a tile stripper to remove wax-based products and resgtore the shine to tiles.
Where grout lines are stained and grubby - and you don't have a steam mop - make a paste with baking soda and rub this over the grout lines, or shop for a specialist grout cleaning product. Let the paste sit overnight and then scrub with a nylon scrubbing brush. Rinse with clean water.
GOOD TO KNOW:
Cotton and sponge mops tend to push grimy water into grout lines, further adding to the amount of cleaning required to keep tiles looking good. Rather opt for a microfibre or steam mop.
A new innovation that is affordable is the H20 X5 Steam Mop. Available locally at a cost of around R570.00, this product has been reviewed by Goodhousekeeping and found to be excellent value for money.