How to Keep Your Tiles Looking New

Ceramic tile will have to weather the time, traffic, life and living that all floor coverings are susceptible to. But with a little know-how, your ceramic tile can retain its beauty no matter how hard you are living. Following recommended maintenance procedures for your ceramic floor will keep your tile looking as close as possible to its original appearance throughout the years. If you haven't yet made a decision on your ceramic flooring, knowing the maintenance and cleaning procedures can help you determine which ceramic tile is right for you.

Here is our recommended advice (coming from experience) on how to maintain your ceramic floor:

Sweep your ceramic tile carefully and regularly. Dirt can stick to the surface, particularly in textured styles. Regular sweeping loosens the dirt and keeps it out.

Regular damp mopping with the manufacturer’s recommended grout and tile cleaners should be a part of your maintenance plans.

Make your life easy and use vacuum attachments to get those hard to reach edges and between tiles.

Don’t let dirt find a way in. Use door mats to keep dirt outside and not in, but avoid the ones with black rubber on the back. They can stain your floor. Shake your mats often to keep accumulated dirt from getting tracked in. You'll save the surface of your floors from being worn down.

If dirt made its way in and you have heavy soil to beat, spot clean the floor with cleaners recommended for ceramic floor tile. Make sure you rinse and dry it well to retain your floor's shine.

If you have textured tiles, you might need to do some mild scrubbing with a soft brush, or even an electric polisher or scrubber.

When you clean your floor with a mild detergent, make sure you rinse it well with clean, warm water. This will get rid of any extra residue. If a film remains, use a dry clean towel to wipe it clean.

If you have soft water in your home, you might need to use an all-purpose cleaner. Put the cleaner on the floor, wait 3-5 minutes before you do anything, then gently scrub it with a sponge. Afterwards, rinse well and you'll be dirt free.

Products from your local store can help you remove soap scum, hard water deposits, and mildew stains. But first, make sure it's safe to use on your type of tile. As always, make sure you rinse well and dry thoroughly to keep up your floor's shine.

Cautions and considerations

No steel wool, cleansers (soft or powder) or abrasive cleaners allowed. This will scratch the finish.

No acids or vinegar should touch your floor.

Stay away from bleach and ammonia based cleaners because they will eventually discolor your grout.

If you have glazed tiles, do not use an oil-based cleaner.

Wipe up spills as fast as possible. This will keep the tile and grout from being stained.

Ceramic tile is a durable flooring, but nothing is indestructible. Take care not to do anything that will crack, or chip your floor. Be careful moving heavy objects. Get help lifting.

Cover furniture legs with furniture protectors.

If you need to repair your product in later years, your replacement product may be a slightly different dye or texture. However, it will eventually blend in with original product over time.

Two great methods of preventing damage to your floor is to caulk and seal it as needed. Once your ceramic floor is installed, it's going to be your responsibility caulk areas exposed to water. Caulking will keep your subsurface from getting damaged, and keep your tiles looking brand new.

Sealing your grout and tile after your floor installation will protect it from dirt and spills. It'll also keep the staining process down to a minimum. If you have glazed tiles, sealing is not required.

Today you can buy grout with colors. These can be applied for a change, and in many cases they will act as a sealant as well. If you used a non-epoxy grout on your joints, they should be treated with a silicone sealer.

Those are our basic recommendations to keep your ceramic floor in outstanding shape. If you have any questions about your ceramic tile purchase or need cleaning recommendations, just give us a call or email us and we'll help you as best we can.