How to Clean Tile Floors for a No Residue Streak Shine
Part of what makes tile a great choice for floors, backsplashes, bathroom and kitchen counters and showers is the variety of shapes, colors and textures available. Tile can also be easy to clean and maintain, grout and all. Be sure to see our article on how to clean tile grout.
Read on for simple step-by-step instructions for how to clean tile floors.
TIP: Be sure to check whether you’re using our new concentrated Pine-Sol® formula or the old non-concentrated Pine-Sol®, as that will determine your dilution ratio. See the chart below and get your ratios right!
Supplies
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Steps
Tile is beautiful, durable, versatile and easy to maintain. It is also easy to clean. With proper care, you can keep tile floors looking like new.
Before beginning a deep clean on your tile floors, do a basic clean by removing dry debris with a mop, vacuum or clean cloth. Then, follow these steps to get ceramic and glazed porcelain tiles and grout thoroughly clean:
- Step 1 Add ⅛ cup of Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner to a bucket containing a gallon of water.
- Step 2 Wet a cloth or chamois mop in the mixture.
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Step 3
Wipe down the tile floors thoroughly. And, be careful while walking on the wet floor to avoid slipping.
For textured tiles: You can mop slightly textured tile floors. But, depending on how textured they are, you may need to use a wet cloth to wipe tiles down more thoroughly.
TIP: For especially dirty floors, change out your bucket of water and Pine-Sol® as needed to avoid spreading a film of dirt onto floors and into grout. - Step 4 Follow up mopping with an immediate rinse with water.
- Step 5 Use a clean towel to dry and buff the tile.
Basic Cleaning
Basic tile cleaning is recommended once a week. Or, you may need to perform a basic clean more often depending on how many people and pets are in your home and the level of traffic over your tile floors.
The process for basic tile cleaning is simple. All you need is a broom or vacuum and a clean cloth.
Once you collect your supplies, just sweep or vacuum up any dry debris, like grit, dirt, sand or crumbs. Then, wipe up any spills with the cloth.
You can also help keep tile floors from getting dirty as quickly by placing area rugs or mats in high traffic areas. This will ensure dirt sticks to the rugs and is not tracked across the tile.
It’s also important to clean up loose debris on other types of flooring. Check out these tips for cleaning hardwood floors.
Products
We like using Pine-Sol® Original Pine Multi-Surface Cleaner on tile floors. Pine-Sol® also comes in other scents, like Lemon Fresh, Lavender Clean® and Refreshing Clean. Just choose your favorite. All of them will leave your home smelling fresh and clean.
For more information about the Pine-Sol® lineup of products, visit our FAQs page.
Protecting
To help protect tile floors and prevent damage, there are few simple things you can do.
- Don’t drag things like suitcases or heavy objects, like furniture, across your tile floors. Even though tiles can be durable, this is one of the leading causes of damage. Instead, place felt pads on the bottoms of furniture legs or other large, heavy objects.
- Place a doormat at the door and encourage family members and guests to either wipe off or remove their shoes before entering your home.
- Use rugs and mats in high traffic areas to ensure dirty shoes and paws aren’t tracking dirt and other particles across your tile floors.
There are also more involved ways to protect your tile floors — like sealing grout. Protecting the grout can help prevent staining and keep floors in good condition and looking great.
To clean tile grout, find out what the tile manufacturer recommends for sealing grout. Recommendations are usually based on the kind of tile you have.
Also, occasional repairs may be needed — like when tiles or grout becomes broken, chipped or cracked. Again, follow manufacturer recommendations on the best way to replace tiles and re-grout.
When it comes to scratches on tiles, you may be able to buff them out. And, there are tile repair kits that may help fix some issues, depending on the type of tile.
Do's And Dont's
Do's
- DO sweep or vacuum up any dry debris, like grit, dirt, sand or crumbs before mopping.
- DO keep tile floors from getting dirty by placing area rugs and floor and door mats in high traffic areas.
- DO be careful while walking on wet floors to avoid slipping.
Dont's
- DON’T allow dry debris like sand and grit to build up, as these particles can scratch the tiles.
- DON’T use abrasive products for spot cleaning because they can damage tile.
- DON’T use a sponge mop as it can push dirty water into the grout.
- DON’T scrub grout with a metal brush, as doing so can scratch your tiles.
For information on the Do’s and Don’ts of cleaning your home, check out our Complete Spring Cleaning Guide.
With an improved concentrated formula that is 2x as strong* to last 2x as long*, you can use less for the same great clean.
| concentrated formula | Non-concentrated formula |
|---|---|
| ¼ cup in 2 gallons water | ½ cup in 2 gallons water |
| ⅛ cup in 1 gallon water | ¼ cup in 1 gallon water |
| ¹⁄₁₆ cup or 1 tablespoon in ½ gallon water | ⅛ cup in ½ gallon water |
- * When used as directed
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2X concentratedTackle more messes per bottle.*
formula* -
5x cleaningOdor, grease, grime, dirt & allergens.‡
action -
removes 99% of allergens§Destroy dust mites & pet dander.
- * vs. previous Pine-Sol® Pine/Scented Formula when used as directed
- ‡ When diluted as directed vs previous Original Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner.
- § Non-living dust mite matter and pet dander