How to Polish Tile Floors

Cleaning ceramic and linoleum tile.

Tile floors see wear and tear after high foot traffic, pets and spills. Dull tile and dirty grout ruin the aesthetics of the flooring. Dirty floors are often the bane for those who try to keep their homes looking their best. To limit the abuse in the future, lay down plastic when conducting home improvement projects or having a rowdy bunch of kids over. Polish your tile floors according to the type of tile material you have on you floor. When it comes to tile, there is not one method that polishes every tile type.

Things You'll Need

• Broom
• Bucket
• Detergent
• Mop
• Car polish
• Rags
• Vacuum
• Linoleum floor cleaner
• Polish

Instructions

Ceramic Tile

1. Sweep the ceramic floor to remove any dirt or debris. Dilute two tsps. of clear detergent per one gallon of water and dip a mop into the mixture. Squeeze the mop and rub across the floor. Rinse the soap out of the mop and go over the floor with clean water. Allow the tile to completely dry.

2. Apply car polish to a soft rag and rub over the flooring. Start at one end of the room and work your way to the other side. Spread a thin layer of car polish over the entire flooring.

3. Buff the car polish with a clean soft rag. Move the rag in a circular motion. Press your finger over the grout to get excess car polish.

Linoleum Floor

1. Vacuum the floor to pick up hair, dust and dirt. Mix 1/4 a cup of linoleum floor cleaner per a gallon of water. The water should be cool. Dip the mop in the mixture and rub across the floor. Go over the floor with a clean damp mop. Allow to dry.

2. Apply floor polish to a damp mop. Go over the floor every three to four feet before reapplying. Let the floor dry for half an hour.

3. Reapply the floor polish to the floor, so that you have two even layers of floor polish on the flooring. Allow the polish to dry for one hour.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean the floors well before applying the polish, because dirt and debris can scratch floors when polishing.

• Use caution when walking on newly polished floor.

References

• Armstrong: Linoleum Floor
• Info Barrel: How to Polish Ceramic Tile