How to Maintain Your Ceramic Tile Floors on a Daily to Annual Basis

<![CDATA[Ceramic tile floors are probably the easiest floor type to clean and maintain. Ceramic floor tiles are also usually what most condos come with upon turnover. They're also durable and can last up to 75 to 100 years if well-maintained. However, that doesn’t mean you can set aside cleaning it until another week or month. Like any other floors, it should be cleaned regularly, and with proper care. Here are a few tips to keep your tiled floor spick and span.

On The Daily

On a regular basis, you can sweep, dust, or vacuum your floor to remove the accumulated dirt, sand, and grit which can scratch the surface of your ceramic tiles. Choose a broom that doesn’t have stiff and coarse bristles so it does not scratch the floor when you sweep it. When you dust, use a microfiber cloth. If you vacuum, turn off the vacuum beater brush or raise it. When you’ve removed the dirt, you can clean your ceramic floors with a traditional wet mop: a rag or chamois mop with a mix of a non-abrasive detergent or all-purpose cleaner and hot water. If you want to go organic, you can mix lemon juice or vinegar and hot water instead. Be careful with the mixture, though, because your tiled floor’s grout needs a cleaner with neutral pH and will not stain.

Every 1 Or 2 Weeks

Weekly or biweekly, you should deep-clean the grout. This porous material easily absorbs dirt, grease and other stains so you need to keep it clean if you don’t want dingy-looking floors. While there are commercial grout cleaners, you can also create your own solution of mild bleach. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes, then scrub away using a toothbrush or a small scrub brush. Baking soda and water paste also helps remove grout dirt, but it needs more time to take effect. Leave it on overnight then scrub with a nylon brush. Once the grout is dry (air dry; don’t use blow dry or anything else!), you can put on a grout sealer to prevent stains and dirt from accumulating again.

Once A Year

Speaking of sealing, you can do this at least once a year so you can save on your effort, money, and time. However, the frequency may vary depending on your ceramic tile’s porosity and location or foot traffic it receives. The grout between floor tiles should be sealed on a regular basis. To seal the grout, consult with your designer, supplier, or the grout manufacturer first to determine the most appropriate sealant for your ceramic tile floor. Once this is cleared, make sure it’s clean and dry. Then, apply the sealant according to the instructions on the label.

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