Make Your One-of-a-kind Tile Floors Shine with These Cleaning Tips
Beautiful tile flooring can make for an inspired addition to your home, but it may also involve special upkeep.
Your cleaning method will look different depending on your choice of tile, but a few rules work well for any tile floor.
- Regularly sweep or dust mop as general upkeep. You’ll also want to do this before you deep clean your tile floor with water and cleaner, or you’ll likely just be pushing around a layer of surface dirt with a wet mop or rag. Some tiles, like ceramic, can handle a vacuum, but most natural stone tiles require a more delicate soft-bristle broom or dust mop.
- Rely on the best floor cleaner: a pH-neutral cleanser. Many tiles can’t handle vinegar, much less bleach. Acidic, basic, or abrasive cleaning solutions can permanently damage most tile floors. You can usually purchase specially formulated store-bought cleaners for your tile, but most can handle a mixture of dish soap and warm water.
- Pick up stains quickly. No matter your tile type, you’ll want to promptly blot or wipe up stains, which can leave a lasting mark if unaddressed for too long.
With these rules in mind, let’s look at the next steps for deep cleaning your tile.
Zellige
These one-of-a-kind Moroccan tiles may look intimidating to clean because of their uneven surface, but it’s simple to care for your Zellige tiles.
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Clean off that initial layer of dirt, then create a soapy-looking mixture of warm water and a pH-neutral cleaner. Wash your tile with your soapy mixture and a mop or soft cloth, then wipe away that mixture and residue with clean water.
Slate
Stunning slate floor tiles require regular sweeping. When you’re ready to deep clean, slate floors can handle a store-bought slate or natural stone cleaner or a homemade pH-neutral solution like water and dish soap. An easy ratio is one bucket of warm water mixed with one-quarter cup of dish soap). Clean your floors with this solution and a damp-but-not-sopping mop. Dry with a clean towel after thoroughly mopping.
Cement
Despite being made of different stones and materials, limestone, travertine, and cement floors are porous and can be cleaned similarly. Regularly clean limestone and travertine floors with a dust mop or a more heavy-duty steam mop; for cement floors, you can sweep. When it’s time to mop, clean these floors with a bucket of water and just one tablespoon of dish soap. Lightly rinse the tile with a final layer of clean water and dry it with a towel.
Be sure to avoid using too much water or allowing the water to sit at any point in this process since these tiles can quickly become saturated and stained.
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Ceramic
Be sure to sweep or vacuum your eye-catching ceramic tile flooring multiple times each week for appearance and to reduce wear and tear. You can deep clean these floors with warm water and a few drops of dish soap, and you’ll want to use a cloth or flat mop in the process — a sponge mop will push dirty water into your grout. Mop these floors weekly or biweekly, depending on the traffic the space sees.
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Marble
The main rule for maintaining your showstopping marble tile floors — is never to clean them with anything acidic or abrasive since a rough cleaner or tool can quickly dull or scratch them.
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Clean your marble floors regularly with a dry dust mop, avoiding hard-bristle brooms or vacuums, which can leave their mark. To deep clean the entire floor, use a solution of water and a pH-neutral cleaner, then rinse the tile with clean water. Dry with a soft microfiber or cotton cloth.
