Tile Cleaning

Tile is a beautiful and generally easy to care for type of flooring. It is a popular choice for flooring in bathrooms and kitchens, and sometimes in other areas of the home as well. You will also find it in showers and on kitchen and bathroom walls. People often choose tile because of its durability and beautiful appearance that lasts for years and years. Tile can be made from several different materials, such as ceramic, porcelain, stone, and glass.

Although tile can add a stylish appearance to an area, it needs to be properly maintained to keep it looking great. Tile and grout both need to be cleaned correctly to ensure that you eliminate any stuck-on dirt or stains. Grout can be especially stubborn, as dirt tends to be more challenging to remove from the grout than the tile. If your grout has not been sealed, it may be even more susceptible to layers of dirt.

In order to clean the tiled surfaces in your home, you should follow some specific guidelines for successful tile care. Remember these ideas for taking care of tile and grout:

• First, clear the tiled area of other items so you can work more easily. You might want to set them on the counter or anywhere else that you will not be cleaning.
• Sweep or vacuum the area thoroughly to remove any loose dirt or dust on the surface. This step makes the actual cleaning process go much more easily.
• Mix up a mild cleaning detergent or vinegar with water in a bucket. Using a mop, go over the tile area with the mixture once or twice to remove any dirt build-up. It may take more than one time to get all of the dirt, so be ready to repeat this step a couple of times if necessary.
• To work on stained grout, use some baking soda mixed with vinegar. Scrub this paste into the grout with a cleaning brush to loosen the dirt and clean it away. If the dirt still won't come out, you may need to buy a heavy-duty commercial grout cleaner to help with the job.

One of the best tactics for keeping tile and grout clean is to maintain it. Clean the tile often so that a layer of dirt can't stick. If you clean your tile enough to prevent build-up, you probably won't have to put as much elbow grease into removing dirt and stains later.