The Tile Flooring Cleaning Mistakes To Avoid At All Costs If You Want Them To Last

Tiles are a great source of inspiration for kitchen flooring as well as for bathrooms, hallways, and patios due to their durability, versatility, and easy installation. And, in some cases, they can even increase your home's value. However, when freeing this material from dirt and grime, it is easy to make mistakes that can cause it to become scratched, discolored, and even permanently stained. In order to ensure that they stay as good as new, it is therefore important to be aware of the pitfalls of cleaning your tiles in order to avoid causing damage.

The most common types of tile flooring are ceramic, porcelain, and stone. Identifying the kind you have in your home will help you more effectively clean it because different sorts of tile have different cleaning needs. For example, strong chemicals are best avoided when cleaning porcelain because they may cause the coating of the tile to break down. With ceramic and stone tiles, on the other hand, you'll want to steer clear of any abrasive tools or highly acidic cleaning solutions as they can cause the glaze on the outer layer to become scratched and damage the tile underneath. Let's talk about the most common ways you may be damaging your tile floors.

Mopping your tile floors is a great way to remove spills and other unsightly stains. However, using too much liquid is generally not a good idea because the minerals in the water can cause the tiles to become stained over time. Instead, use a damp mop and then polish the tile dry with a soft, non-abrasive cloth will both remove spills and ensure that the water is not sitting on top of the tiles for too long. You may be good at remembering to mop your tiles, but do you also sweep them? In order to keep your tiles looking good, it is vital to sweep regularly in order to remove bits of dust, dirt, and other materials that may get ground down into them over time. When small flecks of dirt or rock are not swept away, they can be crunched underfoot, causing small scratches to appear on the surface.

It is also important to know the best tile floor cleaners and which ones to avoid when polishing your tile. For example, any solution that contains a strong dye is best kept off this kind of flooring. This is because the color of the dye can stain the grout in between the tiles and cause it to look dirty or worn down. Additionally, for some more porous tiles like these unfinished ceramic ones from Lowe's, strongly-colored cleaning agents can actually even stain the tile itself because the material absorbs more of the liquid when there is no glaze or finish on top. It is therefore best to stick to solutions that are specifically designed for the type of tile you have in your home.