How to Clean Ceramic Tile Floor

Ceramic tile floors are a practical choice for many spaces, in both residential and commercial applications. They offer many design possibilities in terms of color, shape and size. Learning hot to clean ceramic tile floor areas is relatively simple, but there a few basics that you need to know. Protect your investment by following these simple steps in cleaning ceramic tile.

Things You'll Need

• Broom/dust pan
• Sponge/soft brush
• Old toothbrush
• Floor tile cleaners
• Mop
• Buckets for water
• Towels

Instructions

1. 

   Sweep your ceramic tile floor often. When dirt collects on a tile floor, it can be ground into the surface by foot traffic. This is especially damaging for textured tiles, and overtime you'll start notice the wear and tear. Try to sweep your floors at least once at week.

2. 

   Damp mop your floors regularly. Use the floor tile cleaners recommended by the manufacturer of your particular ceramic tiles, including those specifically intended for grout. For particularly stubborn spots, it may be necessary to get down on your hands and knees and scrub the floors with a soft sponge or cloth, or for textured tiles, a soft-bristled brush.

3. 

   Rinse the floor with warm water. This step is often skipped, but it is important to wash away the dulling cleaner residue. Don't waste all that time cleaning only to have a streaky, dull ceramic tile floor.

4. 

   Dry the floors with towels. By completing this final step, you will pick up any last bits of dirt and leave your floors extra shiny, not to mention prevent potential accidents!

Tips & Warnings

• Use a vacuum cleaner instead of sweeping when cleaning ceramic tile - it saves a lot of time, and the attachments are helpful for hard to reach tight parts of the grout.

• An old toothbrush is a lifesaver when scrubbing grout.

• Don't use abrasive items to scrub the ceramic tile floor, such as steel wool, which will scratch the surface.

• Don't use cleaning products containing bleach or ammonia which may discolor the grout and/or tile.