When you think about cleaning your floors, is your first thought the amount of work it takes? Or maybe it’s how expensive some of those crazy cleaning solutions are. In either case, we don’t blame you! Fortunately we’re not only committed to helping homeowners with our cleaning services, but also to educating our customers on cleaning hacks that we’ve found useful over time.

For today’s topic, we’re going to zoom in on the easiest way to keep your porcelain tiles as fresh and clean as possible. Like its shinier cousin ceramic, porcelain is actually a very low maintenance surface that doesn’t require a whole lot of work or any fancy cleaning solutions to clean, even at its dirtiest.
The big secret to keeping pristine porcelain tiles? Hot. Water. It’s that simple.

SOLUTIONS

Though some cleaning experts suggest a hot water and vinegar solution (which can be harmful to grout), and others like cleaning experts Home Maid Better, suggest a solution made with a mild detergent and water, the easiest and most reliable way to keep a clean tile floor is a regular sweep of the tiled surface with a soft bristled broom followed by vacuuming with a brush attachment. After you’ve swept and vacuumed, all you’ll need is a damp mop, a bucket of hot water, and a microfiber cloth or something similar to dry the floor with once the water has done its work. When cleaning, be sure to pay special attention to the tiles along the edge of a room, or tiles that connect with cabinetry or appliances as those tend to see the most ‘damage’ from water, oil, food or dust/dirt that travels into a room.

For more stubborn stains or hard-to-clean spots, using a vinegar-water solution or a diluted detergent-water solution as mentioned above should handle even the hardiest of oil or grease stains. When dealing with stains the key is definitely patience. Sometimes getting rid of a stain will require you to let your solution of choice settle on the tile for approximately 2 minutes or more, and then gently scrub the area with a soft cloth. If the stain persists, give it a second go with the mop and cleaning solution. Remember, no matter how stubborn or unsightly a stain or spot may be, using an abrasive cleaning tool or harsh detergent will do more damage than good. Steel wool is an absolute no, as are hard-bristled brushes and high-strength detergents/commercial cleaning agents.

Ultimately, keeping porcelain tile clean is a very easy task. Once or twice a week, take the time to sweep, vacuum, mop with hot water and then dry, and you will find they maintain the lustre and strength that makes porcelain such a desirable floor.

Image courtesy of listenlist

Any questions? Does your living space, including your porcelain tiles, require our professional cleaning services? Don’t hesitate to contact Maidstr, Toronto’s trusted on-demand home cleaning service, at support@maidstr.com.