Cleaning Tiles: Do's and Dont's

Homeownership comes with responsibilities. Maintaining its overall cleanliness is one of them. Cleaning the house is considered a tedious chore, while it comes like therapy for some. That is to say, the latter type of people feel good during and after a cleaning session. Who doesn't want to see their houses organized and clean, right?

But whether you like cleaning or detest it, it has to be done for health, sanitation, and yes, even home aesthetics.

Tile Floors, Their Types, and Cleaning Solutions

If your floors are tiled, it's appealing to visitors, especially when spanking clean, to the point that anyone who would set foot on it might slip off (God forbid!). However, it's quite tricky as to how best clean it, as there are varying tile types and cleaning solutions that these tiles might be allergic to, so to speak.

5 Most Common Tile Types

Before discussing the cleaning solutions, let's first explore the most common tile types below.

Ceramic tiles. This is the most common and popular tile choice for home design and improvement among homeowners. It is versatile, durable, and easy to clean.

Porcelain tiles. Porcelains are the more expensive and durable counterpart of ceramic tiles. When it comes to a variety of designs, it is versatile, and its installation requires an expert hand.

Glass tiles. This tile type boasts a high level of stain resistance. But there's a catch: it is susceptible to damage if an object drops on it. It is advised that this tile type be installed as a wall rather than a floor.

Marble tiles. Marble tiles are elegant, expensive, and intricately created. It also comes in a wide array of colors and designs.

Granite tiles. Granite is a natural rock tile that can be used not only for tile flooring but also for countertops. This natural rock tile is much harder than marble, which makes it less likely to develop cracks and therefore preferable. Needless to say, this is expensive and not catered for the frugal.

So, what are the do's and don'ts of cleaning tiles, you may ask?

You've come to the right place! In this article, we give you a comprehensive tile maintenance guide for your humble home.

Tile-Cleaning Do's

1. For starters, make it a conscious habit to sweep the floors on a regular cleaning basis. Not doing so will cause your tile floor to accumulate a pile of dirt, which will make cleaning more difficult and a tedious chore, especially if the dirt solidifies and stains the floor.

2. A popular cleaning material is a mop. And this is one of your cleaning partners with your porcelain tiles. Mop areas in the house that are most frequented, and use clean water for each cleaning session. Once through, it's time to dry the tile flooring with a clean, soft cloth. Refrain from keeping your floors wet and drying them on their own as they will give you wet stains or even mold growth.

3. The use of commercial tile-cleaning brands is also a good option. For marble tiles, you can use a mild detergent and wet the floor with warm water. Notably, in using cleaning brands you have to make sure that the pH level contents are neutral. Non-neutral pH-contained cleaners may bring damage to your floor, be it ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles.

4. Slate tiles are natural stones and are considered highly durable. For this tile type, only use a mild detergent that does not contain chemicals or acidic ingredients, such as vinegar and lemon. For a porcelain tile, the same cleaning solution could be applied.

5. For tile grout or the grout lines, a paste of baking soda mixed with water or hydrogen peroxide, which is a disinfectant solution, is your best bet. Deep clean the grout lines with a gentle toothbrush in scrubbing and removing stains and persistent dirt.

6. For spacious rooms, opting to use a vacuum cleaner helps reduce human effort. Very convenient too, as it can suck up the smallest pieces of dust from every nook and corner.

7. If your bathroom is tiled too, kickstart your cleaning by splashing hot water onto the tile surfaces. This will address hard-to-clean areas that will only break your back after some forceful scrubbing here and there.

8. For the most frequented parts of the house, such as the welcome entrance and the exits, place floor mats and even a carpet. This solution is mostly to prevent your family and visitors from slipping.

9. When you are rearranging furniture, put foot guards on the furniture's legs, especially if your floor tiles are ceramic. This will prevent your furniture from inadvertently scratching your tiles, all the while allowing a smooth rearrangement of furniture.

Tile-Cleaning Don'ts

1. The first thing to note about not using is the ingredients contained in your cleaning detergents. These chemicals are a no-no: acid, chlorine, and ammonia-based cleaners, all of these ingredients could ruin your tiles.

2. Never make use of absorbent colored cleaners which could potentially alter the color of your tiles, especially if your tile floors are unglazed.

3. Do not resort to using any abrasive materials, such as steel wool, that could scratch your tiles and damage their finish.

4. While they are natural, popular, and cheap natural cleaners, using vinegar is not advisable as it contains acid that may bring damage and ruin to your ceramic tile floors. Alternatively, use baking soda with water to clean off stubborn stains and specks of dirt in the tile grout lines. To dry the floor, use a soft towel. And you're all set!

Have a Productive Weekend and Re-Design your Lumina Home

With the Ber-month holidays up and coming, cleaning your Lumina home is one productive activity that you can accomplish during and every weekend. Make the aforementioned dos and donts for your tile floors in every part and nook of the house.

Lumina Homes is the housing arm of respected homebuilder Vista Land. A real estate investment with Lumina Homes gives you amenities and perks that will ease your daily living. Offering an affordable house and lot for sale without undermining quality is a signature Lumina Homes provision. If you have other inquiries about an affordable house and lot and our model units, feel free to reach us via our website and other social media channels. Get your house and lot in the Philippines and be a Lumina homeowner soon!