Like most surfaces in your home, with a little bit of maintenance and proactivity, you can both extend the life of your tile floor and impress guests with your clean and shiny floors.
Dirt is corrosive. Much like how dirt wears down your carpet fibers it can also leave scratches on the surface of your tile floor. It’s important that you keep your floor clean and regularly vacuum or sweep the tile floors. We recommend vacuuming your tile floor twice per week to keep it looking fresh and clean.
It’s also recommended you mop at least once a week. Mopping is a quick and easy way to make your floors shine, especially when you do it before having guests over. Before you mop, create a cleaning solution made from ¼ cup of Castille soap and two gallons of warm water. Remember to always sweep or vacuum immediately before mopping, so that you’re not dragging hair and crumbs and dirt particles all across your tile floor. When you mop, go over the floor a first time with the mop pretty wet so that you dampen the floor. Let that sit before you dip the mop again into the solution before wringing it out more thoroughly. Go back over the area to soak up the water and any embedded dirt.
For tile floors that are greasy, mop with a solution made from distilled white vinegar and warm water. Be aware to only use this solution on tile floor, not marble, as the vinegar can wear down the marble.
After mopping, mix together baking soda and water and rub that solution into the grout with an old toothbrush before rinsing it off. If the stains are really dark, apply baking soda directly, add a small amount of white vinegar and let it sit for an hour or two before you scrub the grout. This should help get rid of tougher, darker stains. If you don’t have baking soda or vinegar on hand, a solution of equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide, applied with an old toothbrush, will also clean grout and make it look shiny and white.
If you have a scratched tile on your floor, assess the situation and determine if the tile needs to be replaced. If the scratch goes all the way to the edge of the tile, you’ll need to replace it. If not, you can buff it out by using a tile scratch repair kit. If you don’t have a tile repair kit, try rubbing a small amount of brass polish or toothpaste into the tile with a soft washcloth in circular motions. Rinse the tile off and repeat the process if necessary.
Getting into a regular routine of vacuuming/sweeping and mopping your tile floors is very important, as this way, you’re making sure the dirt, grime and spills don’t have an opportunity to set or get too comfortable.
