Tile floors have many advantages. Among these are its durability, classy look and natural resistance to moisture. This makes it the ideal flooring choice for a kitchen or bathroom where, let face it, we all occasionally make a mess. However, tile floors require routine cleaning and can be susceptible to stains in the grout if spills aren’t addressed immediately.
When you make the decision to go with tile flooring, make sure you have your installation company apply a silicone based sealer or chalk the grout areas. Grout is a porous material and the area most susceptible to stains. Using a sealant or chalking your floors will repel future stains and prevent pricy subsurface damage. In which case just give Metro Atl. Floors a call and we will be glad to fix it up for you.
Regularly cleaning your tile floors is the best way to prevent damage and make sure you don’t have to use nasty cleaning chemicals. This can be done in an easy 4-step process.
1. Sweep the floors thoroughly to remove sand, dirt, and grit. These can dull and in some cases scratch the glazed finish of tile floors. You obviously don’t want that.
– Note: If your tile floor glaze has dulled or its finish is scratched, Metro Atl. Floors will be happy to refinish them for you. A refinish is also recommended as regular maintenance every couple of years.
2. After sweeping, vacuum the floor using the lowest surface setting on your vacuum. Be sure to get any dust in the corners or around the edges next to the baseboards.
3. Fill a bucket with equal parts hot water and white vinegar. Then, mop the floor once side to side and once up and down using a chamois type mop (not a spongy mop). Be sure to ring out the mop as much as possible before running it over the floor. You want the floor to look glossy but not be an indoor lake.
4. Fill another separate bucket with water for rinsing. Again, ring out the mop as much as possible before running it over the tile. You want it to rinse off the vinegar water solution but also dry quickly.
If you have recently bought a new home and inherited tile floor with some stains or grout discoloration there are a few tricks to help brighten that up.
– Note: If you have stone tile or marble floors, don’t use vinegar or any acidic solution in the mop bucket. This type of tile is fragile and usually requires a neutral pH cleaner. A mixture of 1 Tbs. Murphy Oil Soap and a couple gallons of water will do the trick and is safe for these surfaces.
As previously mentioned spills should be dealt with immediately. However, if you do need to remove stains here are some tile floor safe trick to help.
Coffee, tea or juice stains are common but can be removed by washing with detergent and hot water then blotted with hydrogen peroxide or diluted bleach. For grease or fat stains just wash with club soda and water or non-abrasive floor cleaner. If you have gum, wax or tar on your tile floor the chances of it coming up are slim. First, try putting a sealable bag with ice cubes over the affected area. Once the ice solidifies the material, remove as much as possible with a crafts stick and use non-flammable paint thinner to remove any remaining residue.
– All care and precautions should be taken when handling these chemicals. This type of thing is best left to the professionals.
If you have no success with any of these solutions of have been victim of a poorly installed tile floor, Metro Atl. Floors will gladly do a quality job replacing or repairing it for you.