Ceramic and porcelain tiles are amongst the most resilient tile surfaces. They are usually non-porous (so they don’t soak up water or stains) and hard (so they don’t scratch or etch).
If the surface is smooth (satin, polished or glazed) often the dirtiest part of the surface will be the grout lines – if that is your problem visit our section on how to clean grout. However if the ceramic or porcelain tile is matt or textured, the dirt will embed in the tile’s texture, and you can clean them using the following guidelines.
Cleaning Ceramic / Cleaning Porcelain Tiles – regular cleaning
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- Vacuum
Vacuum or wipe the tiles to remove loose dust and grit from the surface.
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- Damp clean
Clean using a microfibre mop or cloth dampened with warm water (no chemicals are necessary when using good-quality microfibre). If you have a smooth floor, use a flat microfibre mop. If your floor tiles are textured, use a microfibre string mop which can more easily enter the texture of the tile. The mop or cloth will ‘grab’ the surface and lift off most daily grime. Use some pressure to work the microfibre – floating it lightly over the surface will not be so productive!
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- Spot clean (if necessary)
Spot clean any spills, marks or stains using a neutral pH chemical such as Slique Cleansing Fluid. Your local tile shop will have other neutral ceramic cleaning or porcelain cleaning chemicals that are suitable for home use. If using a chemical, rinse the surface lightly with clean water.
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- Dry
DO NOT leave to dry naturally – dry using an old towel or a clean, dry mop.
Note: continued use of this ceramic cleaning regime will improve heavily contaminated tiles over time, but faster recovery can be achieved using intensive cleaning (details below).
Cleaning Ceramic / Cleaning Porcelain Tiles – intensive cleaning
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- Vacuum
Vacuum or wipe tiles to remove loose grit from the surface.
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- Scrub
Scrub a small area (about 3-4 square metres) using a light solution of tile cleaner suitable for your tiles, such as Slique’s Heavy Duty Tile cleaner. Your local tile shop will have something suitable for tile cleaning home use. Use a soft brush or broom to work the solution into the pores of the tiles and grout. Continue to complete small areas until the entire surface has been scrubbed.
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- Soak
Leave the solution to work for several minutes, then scrub again.
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- Extract
When the solution has lifted out the dirt, remove the liquid and dirt using an old towel or clean, dry mop.
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- Rinse
Pour clean water over the surface to rinse.
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- Dry
DO NOT leave the surface to dry naturally. Use a clean cloth or mop to soak up any water.