How To Clean Dirty Porcelain Tile Floors – Ideally, my kitchen wouldn’t have white tiles on the floor. Additionally, my dream kitchen would not have a floor that was porous (cracked, if you will), and that had been neglected for who knows how long.
But since I didn’t win the lottery, I have to do my best. Today I’m going to show you the most effective method I’ve found for cleaning neglected and painted floors.
How To Clean Dirty Porcelain Tile Floors
When we moved to our land, it was empty for a while. I don’t know how long, but long enough to have fallen leaves, critters, and the ugliness that comes with the disease of neglecting a home.
Clean Tile Floors With Mops And Floor Cleaning Products. 3358352 Stock Photo At Vecteezy
Not only was there years of dirt (and our house was built in 1986), but it was obvious that the grout had spread over the white tiles and the grout lines were not straight.
If it weren’t for the horrible sandwich stacks the house did for us during the renovation, we would have scraped the mess and started over. But guys, the budget just ran out.
Fortunately, a little effort and harsh chemicals make things better (at least: clean: clean floors if you have pets and rugrats. It’s hard).
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Usually, I like to choose granola when shopping for household and beauty products, but I knew that I had to switch to industrial power if I wanted to clean not only the dirt but also the fog; and the lavender vinegar solution did not work.
Note: I was silly and worked on the grout lines before scrubbing the floor to remove dirt and grime. So if the pictures are dirty (you’ll see dirt in the cracks of my progress pictures, but the grout lines look clean…that’s why).
STEP 1: Working in small sections, I poured a small amount of tile cleaner on the floor and, using a stiff brush, dampened with water, scrubbed it around. As it lathers, the dirt and grime residue magically begins to disappear… how satisfying!!! I work piece by piece.
The best thing about this tire cleaner is that it has no smell. However, I made sure to wear rubber gloves and do the job while my kids were away on Mother’s Day.
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It takes a little effort just to remove the foam from the product, but if it produces good results… I don’t care.
**Please also note that this tire cleaner may not be suitable for all floor types. However, I would say that it gives good results on white ceramic coatings. **
STEP TWO: After washing and removing dirt, I rinsed with a damp cloth. Voila!
STEP 3: Next are the grout lines that need to be repaired. Using the grout solution and an old brush, I simply painted the white lines again. If the grout lines are narrow, you may need to use a small brush to apply the product.
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It took me about 2.5 hours to complete the entire kitchen, but it brightened up the room wonderfully.
(See what I mean about the mess in the picture above – with clean but dirty lines? My crazy kids have overused my brain. Sorry!.)
And don’t even get me started on how hard it was to keep the floor clean long enough to take these “after” photos.
For some reason, my 18-month-old son has decided that the best way to signal that his food is finished is to throw his entire plate of food on the floor (as in… every meal… without fail, people. ).
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So my advice to you (especially if you have pets and children) is not to install white tiles. However, if that’s the case for you, you can make it look like new with a little effort.
****Update 04/24/18*** OK, everyone… I have news for you about my kitchen floor. Although this cleaning method was very effective in giving my old floors a new look, the problem was that the tile and grout would also get dirty.
Actually, I thought the white tiles and white grout were taking care of my dirty life (pets, kids, just laziness). So I decided to put high quality tile over my old ceramic tile and my goodness…I love it! You can click here to see the full tutorial on how I did this.
Now get out there and make a fun place! Please don’t forget to spread the love with a Pin….
How To Clean Bathroom Tile And Grout
Wow, this is great! Our customers are always asking for tips on how to care for their tiles after treatment, don’t worry if I share them 🙂
It’s like having your own inner designer, life coach (and drinking buddy) for FREE. Having amazing AF – on a budget. Do you have a love/hate relationship with the tiles in your home? Love the look but annoyed by how quickly the grout turns from white to gray? Or maybe you inherited some ugly tiles in your home from the previous owner. Whether your space is old or new, it doesn’t take long for tiles to get dirty, especially in high-traffic areas like the kitchen, bathroom, or entryway. There are several cleaning methods and products that can help you clean tile and grout properly. Try one of my ideas and see what you think!
One of my favorite DIY recipes to help brighten grout is a simple combination of cream of tartar and lemon juice. This method requires a lot of effort, but it is very effective in removing grout stains from the surface and brightening the grout naturally. This works best for grout. Here’s what you need:
Mix cream of tartar with lemon juice to make a paste with the consistency of toothpaste. Apply it to the grout and use a small, dry-bristled brush to clean it. Rinse and dry. If you don’t have lemon juice, use the juice to make a paste.
Why Won’t My Floor Tiles Stay Clean?
If your grout has gone through cleaning and still has stains that cannot be removed, a commercial may be right for you. Home Depot offers a great product called Grout Renew and PolyBlend. It is available in a variety of colors to match any type of grout and acts as a paint and sealer for grout lines. Although the application takes a long time, it is better if there is no scrubbing or scrubbing to try to remove the stain or lighten the grout. It also works if you want to change the look of your grout.
My favorite way to clean tile floors every week is to use a steam cleaner. Steam cleaning is simple and only uses water for cleaning. My favorite steam mop is the Bissell Powerfresh Steam Mop. All it takes is a quick wipe or first sweep to remove dirt and crumbs and a few minutes to heat the water.
If you want to use solvent cleaners, I have several DIY recipes that work well on tile floors. They all contain household products that are readily available and are safe to use on sealed tiles. Lemon and peppermint tile cleaner are mixed and sprayed, while orange tile cleaner is best used for mopping. If you don’t want to use essential oils or don’t have any, you can leave them out because their main purpose is to add fragrance.
Add the ingredients to the spray bottle and shake to combine. Pour it well on the tile and let it sit for 5-15 minutes. You can wash it if necessary, then wash it and let it dry or dry it with a clean cloth.
How To Clean Kitchen Floors
Combine borax, water, and essential oil in a mop container, stir until dissolved. Apply as usual. In most cases there is no need to wash. If the floor is very dirty, you can add a drop or two of dish soap or regular soap to remove the dirt. You may want to have a container of clean water nearby for washing, instead of using the water from the washing up container. This will help remove stretch marks.
If you’re looking for a new way or way to clean tile and grout, try one of these recipes or products. Let me know what you think!
Note: If you have marble, granite or travertine tiles, do not use vinegar, lemon juice or acid to clean them as the acid will damage the tiles.
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