What are some ceramic tiles and grout cleaning tips? Ceramic tile and grout cleaning is a necessary part of maintaining your tiled surfaces when cleaning your home. There are a few ways to clean them, but some techniques need to be done correctly to prevent damaging your flooring.
Here is a guide on how best to clean your ceramic tiles and grout. Read on – Ceramic Tiles and Grout Cleaning Tips:
How To Clean Ceramic Tile?
1. Detergent
Never use detergent and a soft brush on your tile floors. The detergent residue left in the grout can cause staining on the flooring, which will leave a permanent mark until you scrub it off or use a self-cleaning tile floor cleaner.
2. Scrubbing
Using a scrub brush and some water, scrub away at the grout lines of your tiles so you can dislodge any dirt or dust that may be present.
Doing this in conjunction with using a gentle dishwashing liquid is best for your tiles as it will not harm them permanently. If you have any areas that have raised from being stepped on, use an old toothbrush to gently rub them until smooth again.
3. Vacuum
Run a vacuum over your tile flooring to pick up any dust or dirt that may be stuck to the grout. If you have long hair, it’s best to run a dryer sheet over your carpet before vacuuming so the dryer scent doesn’t transfer from your carpet and onto your tiles.
4. Ammonia
You can use a mixture of ammonia and water if you would like an easier way to clean your tiles, especially for small areas that are difficult for you to reach. Just make sure that the tiles are dry before you proceed with this method or else they could melt from the ammonia fumes when it rain or get wet during the winter months.
5. Vinegar
If you frequently have issues with ants at home, you can use vinegar to clean the grout lines of your tiles. Just make sure that the tiles are dry before proceeding as vinegar will leach out onto them once wet.
Ways To Clean Grout Between Tile Lines
1. Baking Soda
This is a non-abrasive cleaner that is safe on any type of ceramic tile flooring or grout, simply scrub at the grout lines with a plastic brush and then wait for the baking soda to work to dissolve the grease and dirt off your grout, rinse away any excess soda into the bathtub until it’s all gone, then apply soap and water to remove it all.
2. Washing Soda
If you do not want to use baking soda because it can damage your grout in some cases, you can use washing soda instead which is just as effective at cleaning and removing dirt from your tiles.
3. Soap and water
You can use soap and hot water to clean your grout lines using a scrub brush. This will not only remove dirt but also break up any loose debris. Make sure to rinse away any excess soapy water until it goes down the drain without leaving soap residue on the tiles.
4. White vinegar
If you are looking for a more natural way to clean your tiles, you can add some white vinegar to your mixture of baking soda and water. Pour the vinegar over the grout lines and allow it to sit for about 20 minutes before scrubbing away the dirt.
5. Seltzer water
Using several drops of black food coloring in a cup of seltzer water will make a non-abrasive cleaning solution that is perfect for cleaning your tiles and grout lines, just make sure to rinse any excess away.
How To Prevent Grout From Surfacing?
1. Use a sealant
When you use a sealant to waterproof your tiles, it can prevent grout from rising if it dries out. Some sealant products will set up a barrier between your tiles and the outside world so any water that comes near your grout lines will instead run down the drain.
Sealants need to be reapplied periodically to keep the barrier in place, but it’s good when you want to maintain the longevity of your tile and grout flooring.
2. Never use soap
If you ever wash your tiles, always use a cleaner that is not soap-based. Soap leaves a residue behind that can eat away at the grout or even cause the grout to become slippery. It can also lead to an excess of mildew forming on the tile flooring because water isn’t able to evaporate as effectively from it.
3. Never let them sit wet
Never leave your tiles or grout lines wet for too long, especially if it’s humid outside since this environment is perfect for mold growth.
4. Clean frequently
Always clean your tiles and grout regularly and you may find that they won’t start to get a buildup of dirt because it will just be flushed away by vacuuming or by running water while wetting down the grout lines.
How To Clean Stubborn Grout?
1. Baking soda
You can use baking soda to scrub at the grout if it is particularly stubborn to remove. Mix some baking soda into warm water, not hot water, and apply a liberal amount to the areas where grout is showing. Let it sit for 20 minutes so it can work on the spots where dirt has seeped into the crevices of your tile flooring.
2. Bleach
Bleach is an effective cleaner for stubborn grime and stains on tile floors, but you should always test a small area first to make sure your tiles are not damaged when using this product. Make sure to use a diluted solution and dry the area thoroughly before proceeding.
3. Muriatic acid
Muriatic acid can be used for cleaning your grout lines if it’s very difficult to remove the grime and dirt from the crevices in them. After you’ve applied muriatic acid to your grout lines, let it sit for about 20 minutes, and then scrub away any debris that has been dissolved by the acid.
Chlorine bleach is also good at removing stains from your tiles as long as you apply it before thoroughly rinsing away all of the chlorine so that it does not damage your tile flooring.
4. Tile Doctor
Tile Doctor is a grout cleaner that can remove dirt from grout lines up to three-quarters of an inch deep. It also has a cleaning agent that is safe on unglazed tiles as well. You can use this product in combination with vinegar or ammonia with similar results, however, if you want to clean your tile grout lines, you should try using Tile Doctor first before any other products.
5. Baking soda and vinegar
Mix some baking soda and vinegar in equal parts and apply it to the areas where grout is showing; let it sit for 20 minutes and then scrub away the dirt with a non-abrasive scrubbing pad or brush.
Ceramic Tiles and Grout Cleaning Tips – Bottom line
Ceramic tile and grout cleaning can be a tedious process, but the right products and methods can make the job a little easier. As long as you use the right products on your tile flooring, it should last for many, many years without ever needing to be replaced.