Nowadays, more homeowners are resorting to using tile as their flooring in bathrooms, living rooms, kitchens, or in other locations in their homes. It is undeniable that tile flooring makes our homes more sophisticated and clean in comparison to carpet flooring. However, much like carpets, tile flooring may also be challenging to maintain. In fact, stains will be much visible after wear and tear in tile floorings.
With that, in this article, we will be showing you the ways on how to maintain or keep your tile clean and shining.
General Tips for a Cleaner Tile Flooring
In maintaining the tile flooring, regular mopping or sweeping may not suffice, especially if you are to remove soap scums from your tile. So, below are the general tips you need to consider in maintaining your tile flooring. But first, you will be needing:
- Broom and Mop
- Mop Bucket
- Steam Cleaner
- Appropriate Detergent or Cleaning chemicals
Now that you have your materials, let’s proceed with the cleaning process:
- Vacuum or sweep your floor regularly.
- Rinse it immediately with a detergent and water every after spills.
- In using detergents or chemicals, you should not use harsh bleach or cleansers since it can potentially damage your tile’s sealant.
- For bathroom tiles, wipe or rinse the flooring after use to remove soap scums immediately before it forms into a mold.
- If you want to make your tiles shining, steam cleaners are one of the great tools you can use.
Natural Ways to Clean Tile Floorings
Aside from using bleach or detergents, one can also opt to use natural ingredients that can be found on their pantry. Considering these ingredients by making a Do-It-Yourself mixture will also help you keep your tiles clean and sparkling.
- Citrus Cleaners: Orange or any other citrus peels may be used in cleaning a floor tile. You just need to add white vinegar solution and store it in a closed spray bottle for about two weeks. Afterward, you can now use this spray solution not only in your tiles but also in your fixtures, bathroom, and kitchen. Aside from cleaning your flooring well, it could also give you a fresh-smelling finish.
- Lemon Juice and Baking Powder: For a quick clean that fights mildew and molds, you can also use Lemon juice and baking powder. This solution can be your remedy not only on flooring molds but also in your shower curtains. All you have to do is spread your DIY mixture to where the mold is and leave it for a couple of hours before cleaning and rinsing it.
- Minty Fresh DIY Cleaner: Water, white vinegar, alcohol, liquid dishwashing soap, and peppermint essential oils could create a perfect minty fresh cleaner. Mixtures like this work well when sprayed as you mop the tile flooring. Using peppermint essential oil is an excellent choice in deterring mice and ants, too.
- Baking Soda Scrub: Baking soda is known for being an active stain removal, whether in the kitchen or in bathroom floorings. In making this scrub, you have to mix the baking soda with white vinegar, warm water, and dishwashing liquid. To make this mixture smells better, you can also add sweet-smelling essential oils for a fresher scent!
- A mixture to Kill Germs: In creating this mixture, you will need a capful of mouthwash and a gallon of warm water. This mixture is a fresher way to kill germs on your flooring. However, you must make sure that this mixture won’t cause any harm to your tile flooring since some mixtures could leave stains rather than clean your flooring.
Safety Considerations
In cleaning your tile flooring, remember always to use gloves to protect your hands from any chemicals. Some cleaning agents use strong chemicals to kill germs present in your floor tiles. However, these chemicals are also harmful to our bodies, so having direct contact could cause skin irritation.
Next is to make sure that the area is well ventilated to create good air circulation. The chemicals in cleaning agents also provide strong fumes that could be toxic to our bodies when inhaled. That is why it is important to make the room well-ventilated and consider using a facemask before cleaning.
Always remember to try the chemical or mixture first on a small portion or area before proceeding to clean the whole flooring.
Additionally, in cleaning the gaps between the tiles, you can use an old toothbrush to brush them. These thin linings could be difficult to reach sometimes, and it is where a lot of dirt and scum start to build up. That is why an old toothbrush makes an excellent choice to help clean these small areas.
By keeping these in mind, you will not only make sure your tiles will be sparkling clean. Following these safety precautions could also ensure your safety when cleaning your bathroom tiles.
Conclusion
Tiles are an essential part of your house; whether it be in the kitchen, bathroom, or living room, tiles serve various purposes in your home. Installing tiles in your house helps improve the aesthetics, makes it more durable and comfortable. That is why regular cleaning them is important to make sure they are in their best condition.
There are various methods you can follow in cleaning the tiles at home. Some of these methods include purchasing cleaning products to help remove dirt and scum on the floor. On the other hand, natural ways have also been introduced to clean your tiles without harming them with the excessive use of chemicals. Whichever process you prefer, make sure to consider various safety precautions to prevent harmful effects when cleaning your tiles.
Learning how to clean and maintain your tiles at home is a great practice to keep them in their best condition and help them last longer.
There are plenty of methods you can do to clean the tiles. These methods include buying cleaning products to help you wash away the dirt on the floor. You can also try a natural way without the use of too many toxic chemicals on the tiles.
Whichever methods you choose, always remember to observe the safety precautions to avoid harmful effects on your tiles.
You can also check professional cleaning services in your locality. In this manner, you will find the correct solution in cleaning the type of tiles you have at home. If you do not prefer the DIY option, you can try renting grout-cleaning machines from any hardware store in your area.
Maintaining the cleanliness of your tiles is essential for them to last longer and for your home to look better every day. Learning how to clean and maintain your tiles at home is a great practice to keep them in their best condition and help them last longer.