Depending on the type of flooring you have at home, you'll need to learn techniques to keep it in perfect condition for longer. Cleaning a wood floor, a marble floor, or a porous stone surface is not the same. For this reason, we want to share the best way to clean tiles and other surfaces in your home so they always look shiny.
Tiles tend to accumulate a lot of dirt, not only on the tiles themselves but also in the grout lines. This type of surface is commonly found in kitchens, bathrooms, and patios. Regular cleaning is essential to keep them looking their best. Therefore, we'll tell you how to clean floor tiles, as well as kitchen and bathroom tiles, simply, effectively, and quickly with the following tips.
Remove the encrusted grease
The best way to remove grease from tiles is to combine ammonia and water. This mixture is effective but has a strong odor, so avoid inhaling it for extended periods. Also, while it's safe for surfaces, try to avoid contact with your skin as it's very harsh.
Using a sponge and protective gloves, clean the surfaces with the product and dry the rest with a clean, dry cloth.
Remove limescale
Limescale can be difficult to remove, accumulating due to continuous use and poor cleaning. It's usually present in areas that have come into contact with water containing high levels of limescale. To remove it, mix a glass of white vinegar into a liter of water; this will help remove encrusted limescale from tiles, whether in the bathroom, kitchen, or on your patio floor.
Give it shine
We don't just have to remove the dirt from the tiles: we also have to find a way to make them look as they deserve.
To polish tiles, soak newspaper in a mixture of ammonia and water. Then, rub the tiles vigorously. The texture of the newspaper will lift away the dirt. Finally, rinse with water for a perfect finish.
How to remove dirt from tile grout
Tile grout tends to get dirty unexpectedly. The surface is porous, which means dust, moisture, grease, and other substances accumulate and become embedded deep inside. Therefore, if you want your tile grout to be white again, we recommend preparing a solution using apple cider vinegar.
- Mix half a cup of water with half a cup of apple cider vinegar.
- Using a brush, rub it into the joints and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- After some time, remove with boiling water and let it air dry.
Clean with baking soda
Baking soda is used for many aspects of household cleaning. In this case, it's ideal for removing stubborn stains from tiles. It can eliminate strong odors and leave them free of dirt.
- To do this, sprinkle some baking soda on the tiles and then pour in some hot water. Clean the tiles and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- After some time, rinse it off with more hot water for a perfect clean.
Use bleach
Bleach has disinfectant properties and thanks to its active component you can easily eliminate bacteria and microorganisms from the soil.
- Bleach will also whiten the grout. However, we must be careful because if we overuse bleach when cleaning our floor, it can change its color.
- Just like with ammonia, it's important that it doesn't touch our skin, and that we don't breathe the fumes for too long.
Clean with hydrochloric acid, but carefully
Hydrochloric acid can be helpful if you're looking to get your tiles sparkling clean. Keep in mind that it's a very abrasive product and should only be used when absolutely necessary, as it can damage the tiles. Use it sparingly on stubborn stains.
