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Ceramic / Porcelain Tile Care
Ceramic tiles are a beautiful, durable, practical and elegant addition to any home.
They also offer an endless variety of style options - hundreds of textures, patterns and glazings in numerous sizes.
This page is about the care, considerations and cautions of maintaining a ceramic tiled floor. Note that all the considerations applying to floor tiles also apply to wall tiles.
Sweep but do not "beat" ceramic tiles
It is important to sweep a tile floor regularly. Dirt can adhere to the surface of tiles, particularly those with a textured surface.
Regular sweeping loosens and removes most of the dirt so keep on sweeping. By all means use a vacuum cleaner for sweeping but use one without a beater bar to avoid dulling and scratching the tiles. The attachments that come with vacuum cleaners can be used to collect dirt along the edges or between tiles.
Keep dirt in its place
Be certain to use walk-off mats to minimize and contain dirt being tracked in at entrances and shake the mats often. This reduces the amount of dirt being tracked across the floor, and reduces the wear to the finished surface.
Regular Cleaning to bring out the best finish.
Ceramic tiles floors should be damp mopped regularly using a NEUTRAL cleaner. Do not use acid or alkaline cleaners. Most common household cleaners are neutral. Check the back of the bottle before use to ensure you are using a neutral cleaner.
For heavier soil you can spot clean the floor with a sponge or cloth using Mapei Keranet available from Bright Tiles.
Textured tiles may require mild scrubbing with a soft brush or electric polisher / scrubber.
After cleaning with a neutral detergent rinse through with clean warm water to help remove any leftover residue. Note that if you have used an acidic cleaner in error the residue may not come off. The solution in this case is to use very HOT water to clean off the residue.
If necessary wipe dry with a clean cloth to remove any remaining film.
Things to Avoid
Avoid using steel wool, scouring powders or other abrasives that can scratch the finish of your tiles.
NEVER use bleach or ammonia based cleaners, as these products can discolour the grout if used often.
Do not use oil based cleaners.
Clean up spills as quickly as possible so that the grout or tile does not become stained.
Note that while ceramic tiles and especially porcelain tiles are very durable (ancient tiles have lasted for thousands of years), they are not indestructible and may crack or chip under severe force.
Take proper precautions when moving heavy objects across a tile floor. Get a small army to help move your grand piano.
Cover furniture and table legs with protectors to guard your floor against damage.
Always keep in mind that if a repair is necessary in future, the replacement product may be a slightly different dye lot (or batch) or texture than the initial installation. It is also very possible that the original tile is no longer manufactured so it is recommended to buy additional spare tiles at the time of original purchase.
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