Everyone wants their tiles to look good for many years. It’s important to learn how to properly clean new tiles right after laying to keep them always looking brand new.
Cleaning Indoor Tiles
Tiles look beautiful once laid and are easy to maintain. Although dirt and grime can accumulate over time, some regular light cleaning will keep them looking as good as new.
- Vacuum or sweep the tiles to remove loose dust and grit from the surface.
- For a thorough clean use a quality tile cleaner, with warm water and a damp microfibre mop. The mop should ‘grab’ the surface and lift off most daily grime with a little pressure. A damp microfibre mop is better than a wet mop for a streak-free clean (avoid the use of cotton and sponge mops).
- For a home-made solution, use hot water and a dash of methylated spirits. Avoid all soap based products as they can leave a thin film on the tiles that will attract more dirt.
- Work from one side of the room to the other, and avoid walking on the tiles until they are dry.
How to Clean Outdoor Tiles
- Hose the area down to wet the surface.
- Scrub or sweep with a strong bristled broom.
- Miracle Tile & Stone cleaner is ideal for removing mild grime from outdoor tiles.
- To finish, hose the area and remove excess dirt left behind. For larger areas, work in sections starting closest to the house and work away from the wall.
How to Clean New Tiles
We recommend working in sections of ten square metres at a time.
You will need:
- A broom
- One scrubbing brush
- One heavy scrubbing brush
- Two buckets of warm water
- Plenty of cold, clean water
- Cleaning detergent
- Phosphoric Acid Cleaner
- A wet vacuum cleaner
Step One Begin by sweeping the floor to remove any loose debris.
Step Two Saturate the grout joints with cool, clear water.
Step Three Following the chemical manufacturer’s instructions, dilute phosphoric acid cleaner in warm water and apply the solution to the section of floor being cleaned. Once the solution has been applied to the floor, it is important to not allow it to dry until it is thoroughly rinsed. You can always add more water as needed.
Step Four Once the solution has had a goof 5-6 minutes to break down the excess grout, dirt, and grease; scrub the tiles with a brush to list all the dirt and remove with a wet vacuum cleaner. Repeat steps 3-4 if necessary.
Step Five Finally, before allowing the area to dry, rinse thoroughly several times with cold water and scrub to ensure the complete removal of the acid cleaner. Use the wet vacuum cleaner to remove the excess water from the surface.
Step Six Following the chemical manufacturer’s instructions, dilute the cleaning detergent for high concentration in your second bucket of warm water and apply to the tiles with a heavy scrubbing brush. Leave for 5-15 minutes to allow the mixture to penetrate and emulsify the dirt.
Step Seven Thoroughly rinse with cool, clean water to remove all the detergent and dirt; and then remove the excess water with the wet vacuum cleaner.