How To Restore The Shine Of Your Floor Tiles

You don’t always have to replace floor tiles just because they are old. Sometimes, all you need is some good old fashioned elbow grease and some cleaning and polishing agents to make those old tiles shine once again.

Restore before you replace should be your motto. Find the beauty underneath the dirt and grime and let your tiles shine again while saving a lot of money in the process. Following is some effective tips for tile cleaning:

Easy Steps To Restore The Shine To Your Old Floor Tiles

1). Sweep, mop, and vacuum. You’ll be surprised what a difference a good sweeping can make. Removing the dirt off your old floors is a good start.

Most of the time, the dirt on your tiles is easily removed with a good mopping, sweeping, and some vacuuming. Once the dust and dirt are removed, you can assess the damage, stains, and other issues.

2). Mix two tablespoons of mild dishwashing or detergent soap into 4 litres of water in a bucket. Mix well and add more warm water. Use a mop or a cloth.

Soak with the soap mix and start mopping. For severely soiled areas of the floor, use a soft-bristled scrubbing brush and brush the dirt and grime away. 

For hard to remove dirt, wet with the soap mix and let it soak for a few minutes and then start mopping again.

3). For hard to remove stains, use a homemade stain remover or a commercial product. Most of the time, you will need to clean the tile and dry it completely before applying the stain remover.

You will then need to leave it on for a few minutes or even a couple of hours depending on how bad the stain is. This will delay the cleaning process but this is an important part of restoring the shine to your old tile floors.

4). Rinse with clean, cool water. Rinse thoroughly until all the soap and dirt residue are removed. Rinse your mop regularly to avoid spreading the dirty water around. You can remove the dirty water faster by using a broom and a bucket.

5). Fill in holes and cracks with fillers. Let dry and wipe clean.

6). Dry the clean floor with a clean dry cloth, another dry mop, or a chamois. Dry it completely and let it breathe for an hour or two.

7). Apply a polishing agent or shiner. Use a mop or an electric polisher to give your tile floors that extra shine.

8). Use a high-gloss tile sealer for added shine and protection.

Homemade Stain Removal And Cleaning Solutions 

Stains are the hardest to remove and takes more time when trying to restore the shine on old floor tiles. Here are some quick homemade stain removal remedies:

Vinegar Tile Cleaner – For regular tiles (except marble), vinegar is a safe and effective cleaning agent. Combine one part water and one part distilled vinegar in a cleaning bucket. Do not use undiluted vinegar because it can damage the grout. 

Soak the mop and wring out excess liquid. Mop the floors with the vinegar mixture. Then take a clean cloth, dampen it with the mixture and scrub it on tile stains. You can also use spray bottles to apply the vinegar mixture.

Ammonia and Water Mixture – Combine ¼ cup of ammonia to 4 litres of warm water. Mix well. Soak your mop in the mixture and wring out excess liquid. Mop the stained and dirty floors.

Baking Soda Paste – Create a thick paste by combing one part baking soda and one part warm water. Dip a soft-bristled toothbrush into the baking soda paste and scrub the stain and dirty grout and tiles. Allow the paste to sit on the grout or tile where the stain is. Brush afterwards and then rinse with warm water.

Ammonia, Borax, and Vinegar – Combine ½ cup of ammonia, ¼ cup of borax, and ½ cup distilled white vinegar. Add the mixture into 4 litres of warm water. Stir lightly to mix. This is effective for soap scum and severe dirt buildup. Mop the floor with the cleaning mixture and rinse well then let the floor air-dry.

Cleaning old dirty tiles is tough but it can be done. In case you have severe dirt buildup on your floor tiles, it best to hire a professional to clean and restore the shine to your floor tiles.

For all your marble floor maintenance and polishing needs, please call SLIQUE today on 02 9648 0395, or you can leave an inquiry on our contact page.