Cleaning ceramic tile floors is necessary in order to keep them looking good over the long-term. The process of cleaning them is not especially difficult but, you do need to be dedicated in order to keep them clean. Here are a few things to consider about how to clean your ceramic tile floors.
Regular Cleaning
You should clean your tile floor regularly in order to keep the dirt and dust off of it. For example, you should consider sweeping or vacuuming your tile floor once every week in order to remove the dust that regularly accumulates on it.
Steam Cleaning
One of the best ways to clean ceramic tile floors is with steam. You may not have a steam cleaner in your possession, but you could potentially rent one. There are also a number of cleaning companies out there that regularly steam clean ceramic tile. Steam cleaning is going to use extreme temperature and water pressure in order to clean your tile. This works very well for removing stains and dirt from deep within the grout. This is the most effective way to clean your tile. If you do not have access to a steam cleaner, it can be expensive to get this done. Therefore, you may want to only do this occasionally and use other methods for your regular cleaning.
Avoid Harsh Cleaners
When you are cleaning your tile, there are certain types of cleaners that you are going to want to avoid. For example, you should never use bleach or ammonia on your tile. Bleach and ammonia can both discolor the grout in between the tiles. If you had a darker grout, the bleach and ammonia could lighten it up considerably. There are also other harsh chemicals out there that you will want to avoid using on your tile. Before using something on your tile, do some research to find out if it is acceptable cleaner for this application.
Vinegar
One of the best things that you can use on your tile is vinegar. Vinegar can be mixed with water in your mop bucket to clean tile very well. Vinegar is not harsh and it is not going to discolor your grout or your tile. It will also help disinfect the tile and kill the germs that are living on your floor. While you might notice a strong smell when you do this, it should dissipate within 20 to 30 minutes.
Tile Cleaner
There are also several different types of tile cleaners that you could use in this application. Tile cleaners can be purchased from home improvement stores, online, or at a general store. These cleaners are specially formulated to be used on ceramic tile and other types of tile floors. When you are considering making a purchase of this type of cleaner, you will want to get online and do some research about it. You will need to read some reviews about the cleaners to make sure that other customers have been satisfied with this type of cleaner.
Source: www.DoItYourself.com
