Tiled floors are actually much easier to clean than other types of flooring. Gerri Duncan, owner of Gerri's House cleaning in Temecula, California, says, "For tile floors, I would clean them the same way as other floors." First, your tile should be swept or vacuumed regularly,about once or twice a week. This will prevent dirt and grime from scratching the glossy finish on your tiles. Next, the floor should be cleaned more thoroughly,at least once every two weeks. This can be done with any mild cleaner, for instance Spic and Span or Pine-Sol diluted in water. "If needed," James adds, "I would use some bleach. If the grout has stains, you might have to scrub with a toothbrush." For penetrating stains, you may even want to let the bleach sit on the grout, which is the cement-like material found in between the tiles, for about fifteen to twenty minutes before rinsing.
When using bleach or other harsh chemicals, you may want to consider wearing protective gloves. Also, never mix cleaning chemicals. If you treat your grout with bleach, be sure it is well-rinsed before mopping that area with another cleaner. Likewise, if you have mopped first, be sure your floor cleaner is well-rinsed away before applying bleach to any stains. Dangerous fumes can be created when different products are used together.
If liquid spills on your tile floor, it should be wiped up immediately. The grout is porous and will absorb any liquids that are left to soak on it. So, to prevent your grout from become discolored and deeply stained, clean up spills quickly. If the grout should become discolored, you will need to clean it with bleach as mentioned above. James further recommends, "With tile floors, people should buy grout that is a natural or neutral color in order to hide dirt." Avoid using bright white grout unless you plan on being extremely diligent about keeping your floors clean and spill-free.
To protect your colored grout, do not use ammonia-based cleaners as these can discolor the pigments in colored grout. You can also protect your floor with a silicone grout sealer.
Before wet-cleaning your floor, you should be sure to sweep up or vacuum any loose dirt or food crumbs that are on the surface. As mentioned earlier, this will prevent scuffing the surface of your tile. Scratches in the tile's glaze will lead to dullness. Scratches also trap dirt which in turn causes future cleanings to become more difficult.
After mopping your floor, be sure to rinse it well with clean water. This will prevent a sticky residue from being left behind which becomes a magnet for more dirt. It will also help make your tile shine like new.
Allow the floor to dry completely before putting furniture, area rugs, or other items on it, otherwise mildew can form.
It is not particularly difficult to clean tiled floors, but you should clean them regularly so that they don't lose their original luster and stains don't become permanent.
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