Tiling Help: Get help with tiling,
grouting and sealing.
Choosing: Ceramic tiles; Granite tiles; Marble tiles; Mosaic tiles; Porcelain tiles; Terracotta tiles; Travertine tiles
Preparing: Preparing to tile
Grouting: Grouting tips; How to grout floor tiles

Ceramic tile maintenance

Home :
Tiles :
Ceramic tiles :
Ceramic tile maintenance

The everyday maintenance of ceramic tiles is simple, tried and tested. If you have a smooth finish glazed tile then you can clean it in multiple ways. Every day we would recommend a quick sweep with a fine brish just to remove any dust and hairs that may be accumulating on the surface. Then once per week we would recommend cleaning the floor with a mop. However, we would strongly suggest that you use a floor cleaning product specifically for tiles so that the grout does not get discoloured by the detergents. Once you have cleaned the floor, mop it over with clean hot water just to remove al the cleaner. This will avoid any buildup of the cleaning agents and keep your floor from becoming sticky underfoot.

Cleaning textured glazes

With a textured glaze you need to do things slightly differently. You should swep the floor daily just to clean off all the dirt and dust that builds up with the kids running in and out. Then at the end of the week you should mop the floor down, again we would suggest you only use a product designed for tiled floors (avoid wooden floor cleaners etc). Then once per month you should scrub down the floor. Take a stiff cleaning brush and dip it in your tile cleaning solution. Then start to methodically clean the surface of each individual tile, concentrating on the grooves and indentations. Once you have scrubbed the floor, clean it off with clean water. This will remove any dirt that has been trapped in the texture and bring your floor back to life.

Dealing with chipped tiles

A chipped tile sticks out like a sore thumb, but there really isn't anything you can do in terms of fixing the chip. If you are lucky enough to find the shard of glaze that has been chipped off then you could stick it back into place with glue that is adhesive with ceramic. Otherwise you can get the tile cut out and replaced, which can be time consuming and expensive. However, it is the only sure way to bring your floor back up to par.

Avoid hoovers

One tip that we would recommend is to avoid hoovering your floor and opt for a brush instead. Hoovers can chip the edges of the tiles, especially if they are slightly proud of the grout. If you must use a hoover to remove dust, then please try and use a brush fitting that is soft and will not damage the floor.

Ideal uses « « Maintenance