Cleaning and maintaining Tile Floors – Some Handy Housekeeping Tips
A brand new tiled floor looks fantastic! What if you have a tiled floor that is more than 60 years old? No matter what, here are some handy tips to keep your tiled floor looking great for many years.
Obviously, dirt can scratch and damage floor tiles, you must make sure that your floors are kept as clean as possible through regular sweeping or vacuuming. A little bit of work now can save a LOT of work in the future!
Once a week, mop your floors using a solution of 2 gallons of warm water and ¼ cup of Castile soap (i.e. Dr. Bonner’s) . If you have a marble floor, using detergent regularly might cause it to dull in color. Instead, use a very diluted and mild solution of water and dishwashing soap.
Here’s another handy cleaning solution if you have greasy floors. Use a mixture of warm water and distilled white vinegar, but, NEVER use any type of vinegar on a marble floor, as the vinegar will erode it.
A great way to make the grout look revitalized is to apply a paste made of baking soda and water after you’ve mopped. Use an old toothbrush (electric one if possible!) and rub the paste into the grout. If you have really bad stains, put straight baking soda with a little bit of vinegar and let this solution stand for and hour or so, then start scrubbing.
If you want a really shiny floor, why not try dry mopping with a Shine Mop once you’ve finished wet mopping.
Older waxed floors that get a wax buildup over the years need to be stripped and rewaxed. The easiest way to make a cleaning solution is to mix a cup of laundry detergent with ¾ cup of ammonia in a gallon of warm water. Use this solution to mop the floors and let it sit for 5-10 mins before cleaning the floor with either a stiff scrub brush or a scrubbing sponge. Use clean water to rinse the floors, then apply new wax after it has dried.