Cleaning a Tile Floor - Your Step-By-Step Guide for Methods and Supplies

Cleaning a tile floor is not as difficult as one might think, especially if you are using the right equipment and the right cleaners or cleaning supplies.

Many home owners prefer using tiles as their flooring because it is perhaps the easiest to clean.

Although that's the case, there are times where it still proves to be a challenge especially when you find the grout lines turning into an ugly black sight.

And although your tile flooring looks clean most of the time, you still need to make sure that it's free from harmful bacteria and viruses.

Prepare Yourself

Preparing the items to use is the logical first step for cleaning a tile floor. For the dry materials, the basic items would be your broom, dust mop and sponge for the dry materials. As for the wet cleaning materials, the basics would be a bucket of clean water and household cleaners like Lysol.

Option 1

If you don't have one available, you can use 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol mixed with a gallon of water to make sure that your floor is free from bacteria. Just mop the solution to the tile floors and let it dry. If you are using household cleaners that contain chemicals, be sure to mop it with clean water after using the household cleaner. Remember; before you apply the wet solutions, sweep the floor first.

Option 2

Cleaning a tile floor with white vinegar solution is also a great alternative to household cleaners. Vinegar is an effective disinfectant and also doubles as an insect repellant. When using a vinegar solution to clean floors, you have to make sure that it is not strong enough to leave a sour vinegar odor. So dilute it with warm water first before mopping it on the floor. A good ratio for this solution is one part white vinegar to six parts water. If you don't have a mop handy, you can use a sponge or a hand towel but you do have to get down on your hand and knees. Should there be stubborn dirt that cannot be mopped away, you could use a nylon scrubber to remove it.

Get the Grout

As mentioned, grout is the biggest challenge for cleaning a tile floor. The sides of the tiles is where the dirt, spills and stains love to gather on which is why you need to pay special attention to it. You can use a toothbrush to scrub out the dirt but if you feel that it is too tedious for you, you can make use of mops equipped with cloth strips. Another option is using a cotton mop that has coiled yarns. One good tip is to seal the grout to make it easier to clean in the future; this should be done before the tile is used or after a thorough cleaning.

Warning...

Again, like any cleaning material, you have to be careful on the types of household cleaners to use. For example, if you have a colored grout, avoid using cleaners that are ammonia-based. This will cause discoloration on the pigments of the grout coloring. Paying special attention to the products used in cleaning a tile floor would save you a lot of trouble in the future.





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Article Source: Cleaning a Tile Floor - Your Step-By-Step Guide for Methods and Supplies