How Do I Clean My Porcelain Floor Tiles

Dissimilar types of ceramic tile collectively make up the ceramic tile family unit and all share ceramic tile's like shooting fish in a barrel-cleaning benefits. Each of the tile subsets is produced slightly differently and may consequently accept additional advantages that lend themselves to specific applications. "Ceramic tile" (nonporcelain ceramic tile surfaces, such as quarry tile, regular ceramic tile, pressed floor tile, and wall tile) or "porcelain tile" (porcelain tile surfaces), all offering aesthetic and functional advantages over many nonceramic surface options, including water, stain, and scratch resistance. Pair these benefits with like shooting fish in a barrel maintenance and you have an ideal surface option from floor to ceiling, within and out, with options advisable for different levels of use (residential to heavy industrial).

Spend less fourth dimension cleaning and more than time admiring your cute porcelain and ceramic tile surfaces with our easy cleaning tips.

In a Nutshell: A Super-Quick Guide to Cleaning Porcelain and Ceramic Tile Surfaces

Need a quick reply? We'll get into the whys and wherefores below, just here are some quick, need-to-know tips to make clean up your current mess.

What to DO When Cleaning

For regular cleaning, just sweep away debris, wipe with clean water, and thoroughly dry.
For deep cleaning, use a pH-neutral or mildly element of group i detergent.
Utilize a nylon or plastic scrubber, if needed.

What NOT to Exercise When Cleaning

Don't use acidic cleaners, including vinegar.
Don't utilise oil- or wax-based cleaners as they leave a residuum that may attract dirt.
Don't utilize steel wool or other annoying scrubbers.

Low-Maintenance Care

Easy intendance starts with understanding the numerous low-maintenance and hygienic benefits of porcelain and ceramic tile:

Bacteria resistance: Porcelain and ceramic tile surfaces are inhospitable to the growth of bacteria and other microbes such as mold.
Antimicrobial: Options are bachelor with antimicrobial properties that tin can suppress and even destroy harmful microorganisms, such every bit mold, fungi, bacteria, and viruses.
Hypoallergenic: In addition to containing no allergens, porcelain and ceramic tile surfaces are impenetrable past allergens in the environment, including dirt, dust, grit mites, and pollen.
Water resistance: All porcelain and ceramic tile are water-resistant. Further, porcelain is "impervious" to moisture, significant it has a water absorption of 0.5% or less.
Easy cleaning: No harsh chemicals are necessary — usually, water solitary is enough.
Stain and scratch resistance: Porcelain and ceramic tile surfaces are highly resistant to stains, scratches, scrapes, dents, and cuts. Dirt often accumulates in small crevices caused by impairment on nonceramic materials.

[Related: Health Benefits of Ceramic Tile ]

Porcelain and Ceramic Tile Cleaning Supplies

Broom or vacuum cleaner

Clean water

Clean textile or mop

For occasional deep cleaning, a mildly element of group i detergent (east.g., Mr. Make clean, Spic and Span) or a cleaner made specifically for tile and grout

Nylon or plastic scrubbers

How to Make clean Porcelain and Ceramic Tile

Porcelain and ceramic tile surfaces make maintenance easy for y'all with many easy-care benefits.

You know all-time how often to clean, whether that means once a week, twice a calendar week, or even every twenty-four hour period — after all, it depends on the level of pes traffic in your dwelling house, how much you use a space, and if y'all accept whatever mess-making humans or pets in the house. Where and how your surface is used — such as flooring, countertop, or shower tile — also determines when yous need to clean.

For regular low-cal cleaning of porcelain and ceramic surfaces, all you need to do is:

Sweep: Your first step is to sweep away dust, crumbs, and other debris that have accumulated since your last cleaning. Take this time to sweep or clean any throw rugs. If you're cleaning a porcelain or ceramic tile counter rather than floor, simply wipe off crumbs.
Wipe with water: Side by side, wipe with make clean water. That'southward right: water alone is plenty to make clean lightly soiled porcelain and ceramic tile surfaces. No harsh chemicals are necessary! If yous choose to use a mop for your floor, be sure yous accept swept up debris beforehand and utilize a flat mop rather than a sponge mop to proceed from pushing muddied water into the grout lines.
Dry out: Dry thoroughly later on wiping with water, either by air-drying or using a microfiber material (a dry flat mop is smashing besides).

[Related: How Dirty Are Your Carpets? A Robot Baby Reveals the Ugly Truth ]

How to Deep Clean Porcelain and Ceramic Tile

Sweeping and wiping with h2o may not be plenty to clean up every mess that life throws your manner. Also, periodic deep cleaning is essential to any home cleaning routine.

Deep cleaning means swapping out water for a cleaning solution. Think you already know how to clean and disinfect? A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) establish that one-third of Americans are cleaning wrong, so mind upwards: The best cleaners for porcelain and ceramic tile are those that are formulated peculiarly for tile and grout. Makes sense, right?

When y'all can't find a tile-specific cleaning product, wait for a pH-neutral cleaner or slightly alkaline cleaner, such as Spic and Span or Mr. Clean. Don't employ oil- or wax-based cleaners because they get out a remainder on your surfaces that may attract dirt more readily. For more data on different types of cleaners and what'due south recommended, scroll down.

A niggling elbow grease may also be all that's necessary for tough-to-remove spills and messes. Plastic and nylon scrubbers are cracking for these instances.

Rinse thoroughly with make clean, clear water after cleaning to remove any residuum from the cleaner. Otherwise, residue volition attract dirt and may leave your surface with a dull appearance. Using clean water to rinse the surface is very important, so refill your bucket with new water rather than reusing dirty rinse water.

Dry thoroughly — just give your surfaces a bit of time to air dry out or wipe with a clean, dry mop or cloth.

How to Disinfect Porcelain and Ceramic Tile

We may now exist more concerned with disinfecting our surfaces than ever before. Porcelain and ceramic tile surfaces don't require the apply of harsh cleaning chemicals, which is an advantage for those of us wanting to keep these substances out of our kitchens. However, notation that the occasional employ of harsher disinfectants volition not boring or damage porcelain or ceramic tile, such every bit may exist the instance with many other nonceramic surface materials.

Consult the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA'due south) listing of registered disinfectants when deciding on which to utilize, and keep in mind that unlike disinfectants may be more advisable for fighting specific leaner or viruses. Exist sure to thoroughly rinse abroad the suds afterwards cleaning to prevent remainder from drying on your surfaces.

Note: E'er follow the label'southward instructions for safe use when cleaning with disinfectants and chemicals, such as ensuring proper ventilation and wearing gloves.

[Related: Mail-Pandemic Dream Kitchen Guide ]

How to Clean Textured Porcelain and Ceramic Tile

Do you have textured tile? If you're not sure if your tile is textured or not, just accomplish out and affect it! Textured tile may have a three-dimensional surface, so you may feel rising and falling slopes, angles, ridges, or other convex and concave spaces.

You can make clean textured tile the same way you would clean regular porcelain and ceramic surfaces, with simply a couple extra steps:

When sweeping, sweep in two directions: starting time in the management of the tile and then diagonally.
When mopping, wiping, or scrubbing, follow the same two-direction process. For highly textured or crude tile, scrubbing with a castor will be more constructive than wiping with a material.

[Related: Tile Trend Ideas: Gauged Porcelain Tile ]

How to Clean Grout

It's logical that y'all will clean your grout at the aforementioned time that you clean your tile, without any extra steps. However, grout may develop stains or other bug over time that require a lilliputian extra care:

How to deep clean grout: Scrub the grout using a grout castor (or an old toothbrush) and a cleaner specifically formulated for tile and grout. If possible, vacuum upwardly the muddied water with a wet-dry out vacuum to lift the dirt off the joint. Then rinse with clean water and vacuum that up as well to remove any residuum soap. (If you don't have access to a wet-dry out vacuum, thoroughly rinse with make clean water and dry the grout with a towel.)
How to remove stains from grout: Tough stains may be uncomplicated to remove with a steam cleaner. The pressurized steam brings the stains to the grout'due south surface, where y'all can more hands scrub them away.
How to prevent grout from staining: Many grouts are now self-sealing to protect against staining. If you are using a cementitious grout that isn't a self-sealing grout, seal it afterward installation and and so regularly reseal to maintain the stain and moisture resistance, subtract maintenance, and help the grout retain its original color. See the sealer'southward product information for instructions. Note: Epoxy grout does non crave sealing.
How to remove mold or mildew from grout: Porcelain and ceramic tile's difficult-fired surface makes it inert and inhospitable to bacteria, mold, and mildew. Yet, a breakdown in your grout's sealant could allow h2o, soap, and oily clay into the subsurface and lead to bacteria growth. If y'all use an alkali metal cleaner such as bleach for a rare deep cleaning, you should thoroughly rinse the surface area, dry out the grout thoroughly, and apply a sealer inside 24 hours to foreclose futurity mold and mildew growth. Note: Porcelain and ceramic surfaces are bleach-condom and will not exist harmed or fade from bleach equally with some other nonceramic surface materials.

Pro tip: If you are not able to remove a stain or yous desire to supercede your grout with self-sealing grout, you lot can remove the existing grout and regrout. Consult with an adept before taking any activeness. Never grout directly over old grout without removing it first.

Types of Tile and Grout Cleaners

Cleaners fall into three categories: alkaline (cleaners with a pH higher up 7), acidic (cleaners with a pH below 7), and neutral (cleaners with a pH of vii). Prolonged employ of cleaners that are highly alkaline (products with a high pH like un-diluted household bleach) or highly acidic (products with a low pH similar vinegar) may break down some sealers which are there to help forestall soap scum, oils, and dirt from penetrating into the grout. If use of highly acidic or alkaline cleaners is needed, consult with the grout manufacturer for their recommendations.

Alkaline cleaners: Use this type of cleaner when you need to remove stubborn grease or other substances that will non come off with water alone. While highly alkaline cleaners may not harm tile or grout when used occasionally, they can strip abroad sealant from the grout over time and you may need to eventually rejuvenate your sealant. Highly alkaline cleaners may likewise chemically burn your skin so habiliment gloves and avoid splashing. With a pH of 12, united nations-diluted household bleach is an example of an alkaline cleaner and should non exist used on tile and grout on a regular ground. For cleaning and sanitizing, the CDC recommends a dilution of one loving cup of bleach to v gallons of h2o. Diluting bleach decreases the alkalinity and is rubber for regular utilize on all types of porcelain and ceramic tile surfaces. Thoroughly rinse any cleaner from the surface and do non permit residuum to dry on the tile and grout.
Acidic cleaners: Highly acidic cleaners are corrosive but in a different manner than highly alkaline metal cleaners. Since cement grout is alkali metal, the acrid reacts with it and dissolves a sparse layer on peak, exposing clean grout beneath. While these cleaners may appear to "clean," most manufacturers practise not recommend them because of their eroding effect on grout. Acidic tile and grout cleaners should just be used by professionals when removing and replacing grout.
Neutral cleaners: Neutral solutions with a pH of 7 (merely similar water) are preferred for tile and grout. Consider cleaners made specifically for tile and grout first or plow to a mildly alkaline detergent (i.east. Mr. Clean, Spic and Bridge). Annotation, neutral cleaners are the only cleaners recommended for colored grout.

Takeaways: Neutral cleaners made specifically for tile and grout are the best option for cleaning when water alone won't work. If neutral cleaners aren't strong enough, try a mildly alkaline detergent — but never an acidic cleaner.

For a list of companies that industry cleaners designed specifically for tile and grout, visit the Tile Council of North America (TCNA).

A Clean Abode Is a Happy Home

Not many of united states of america love to clean, but the one-time refrain is true: A make clean home is a happy abode — and a healthy home. Keep your house clean and your porcelain and ceramic tile looking brand-new by cleaning regularly, following these easy steps, and sticking with recommended cleaners.

Non sure if you'll retrieve everything? Print out our downloadable cleaning tips and constrict them most your cleaning supplies — a good reminder to make clean regularly and clean well!

Ryan Marino

Ryan Marino is the Standards Development and Inquiry Manager at the Tile Council of Northward America, a trade association representing manufacturers of ceramic tile, tile installation materials, tile equipment, raw materials and other tile-related products. He is involved in the research, development, and revision of ASTM, ANSI, and ISO standards and is the Chairman of the ASTM C21 Commission on Ceramic Whitewares and Related Products.