In our guide, how to clean porcelain tiles, we explore why porcelain tiles are such a great choice for the home and how to ensure your floor tiles stay looking beautiful for years to come. From a thorough initial clean following installation to ongoing regular maintenance, here’s everything you need to know about cleaning your porcelain tiles.
Porcelain is a brilliantly hardwearing material. This robust flooring material for walls and floors is highly scratch and stain resistant. Porcelain is made from a mix of clay and minerals and fired at high temperatures and this is what gives this superb material it’s highly durable properties making it perfect for the floors ad walls in busy homes.
From kitchen to bathroom, boot room to dining area, ground floors to garden, porcelain is just a brilliantly versatile material and one you can rely on. Like any material though, first-class installation is key to ensuring your flooring is easy to clean day to day. Flush floors are much easier to manage. It is also essential that a good and thorough initial clean to remove any dirt that has accumulated during installation is carried out after installation. This will make your day-to-day ongoing cleaning a breeze.
It is essential that a thorough initial clean is carried out once the tiles are installed and grouted. This is usually carried out by the installer and will ensure that any dirt that has accumulated over the installation period is cleaned away and that includes any excess grout. This means the tile surface is a cinch to clean going forward. There are specialist cleaners that will help with this. The aim is to ensure that the tile surface is clean and fresh and free of any of the dirt that has built up during the install process. This initial clean done properly will ensure that it is easy to clean porcelain tiles day to day.
For tiles laid with a cementious grout then a product such as Fila’s Deterdek Pro or similar can be sued. This is a detergent specifically aimed at removing excess grout from the tiles surface as well as any general dirt that has accumulated on the tile surface.
If epxoy grout has been used then Fila’s CR10 or similar is a specialist cleaner formulated for this type of grout.
You can click here to view the range of Fila cleaning products.
Sweep
It is best to start by removing any loose dirt or debris with a soft broom or a vacuum cleaner so your surface area is free of dust and dirt.
Mop
Once loose debris and dust is removed, a mop and warm water will usually do the trick. That’s all that is needed.
Some off-the-shelf cleaners can leave a film on tiles that can make them feel greasy and dull the tiles over time, so if you do want to use a detergent it is best to look for a specialist porcelain tile cleaner. This can be used once every once in a while or when you feel it necessary. Steer clear of harsh chemicals such as ammonia or bleach. Instead opt for a mild cleaning solution such as Fila Cleaner Pro or similar designed for porcelain tiles and ensure all residue is removed with clean water.
Dry
Then simply dry your tiles with a soft cloth or a towel to avoid water spots and streaks. This is particularly important with polished tiles as these are more likely to show streaks or spots.
If you do come across a stubborn spot then again, using a specialist cleaner is best. Always read the instructions and try on a small inconspicuous area first. Don’t use any abrasive pads or harsh chemicals. This really should not be necessary. Because porcelain tiles are highly stain resistant you shouldn’t need to be scrubbing areas. Porcelain has a porosity level of less than 0.5% so these tiles can easily cope with the thrills and spills of every day living.
With rectified porcelain tiles where edges are straight, grout lines are as little as a couple of mm in width so they really are at a minimum. However, it is worth exploring grout protector spray options. There are some excellent products available that are easy to apply that will help protect cementious grouts. Always try sprays on an inconspicuous area first and follow the instructions. If grout does need a clean then look for a specialist grout cleaner.
Porcelain wall tiles are also easy clean. Simply wipe down with a soft dry cloth to remove any dust and the use a damp cloth – you may want to buff your tiles with a dry cloth to remove any streaks. You can use a mild neutral cleaning solution specifically for porcelain tiles. For grout it’s best to use a specialist grout cleaning solution. Sealing grout with a specialist grout cleaning solution is a good idea as it can help prevent grout discolouring.
It is worth noting that different tile finishes will impact cleaning. For example and as we have already seen a highly polished tile may be more prone to showing water spots or streaks than a matt tile finish. It is also worth thinking about textured tiles and higher slip rated tiles. One of the great advantages of porcelain is that collections often house tiles with different finishes making porcelain tiles super versatile.
Sometimes we need a tile with a higher slip rating for a wetroom or a bathroom space. It is generally advised for wetrooms that tiles are antislip because standing on tiles in bare feet with soap and shampoo and water sloshing around can make tiles more slippery underfoot. A textured tile with an antislip finish will have more grip than a standard matt tile and that antislip finish can make dirt stick to the tile surface.
This makes it more difficult to clean porcelain tiles designed with higher slip ratings. There are some really clever developments in tile technology now with tiles that have a higher slip rating, whilst also sporting a smoother finish. Take our Antislip Soft tiles that are rated R11 A+B+C and combine an antislip and soft finish for a tile that performs but is also easy to clean. It’s very important to clean tiles correctly particularly in wet rooms because the slip rating performance can be affected by dirt or residue that has been allowed to build up.
It’s easy to clean porcelain tiles. It’s one of the many benefits of choosing them for your home. High scratch resistance means you don’t need to worry about dealing with minor scuffs or marks and having to clean around them. Also, because porcelain tiles are highly stain-resistant removing stains doesn’t need intense scrubbing—though it’s always a good idea to clean up spills quickly. A quick sweep to remove loose dirt and dust, followed by a mop and warm water is usually enough to keep your tiles looking great. Then for a deeper clean, opting for a specialist porcelain tile cleaner is a smart choice.
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The TilePortfolio specialise in Italian and Spanish Porcelain and Ceramic tiles, in particular large format Porcelains and Porcelain tiles for inside and outside. Our carefully curated, stunning tile portfolios are beautifully presented online and supported by our fuss-free ‘go-the-extra-tile’ service. In addition, you can view our entire tile collection at our Northamptonshire Showroom. Visit our website for unmissable interiors inspiration. The TilePortfolio team are always available to chat, we’d be delighted to help with your project so please do get in touch.
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