Tile Aftercare – How to Keep Them Looking Brand New
Enhancing your home with new tiles can be very exciting. However, your tiles will lose their shine and freshness overtime if not maintained properly. It's essential to care for your new tiles to keep them looking great for many years to come.
Once your tiles are laid and grouted, you will need to clean them thoroughly to get rid of the leftover residue. It is easy to clean tiles. Let’s check out some steps to clean your tiles.
Getting rid of Grout stains after Installation
Grout residue often forms a white-coloured haze after installation on the tile’s surface. Grout haze should be cleared by your tiler. Follow the steps below if you have installed the tiles yourself.
You must get rid of the haze as soon as the tiles have been laid, but wait until the grout has cured. If you have left it a little longer and it’s dried, you can still clear it with elbow grease.
To scrub the gaze residue, you will need to:
- Wet some tiles with some warm water and a sponge.
- Make use of a nylon scrubbing pad to scrub them. Apply more pressure if the residue doesn’t remove fast.
- Wipe and dry the tiles using a dry terry cloth towel.
- Repeat these steps to clean the entire tile surface.
If this doesn’t give results, consider buying a haze remover. After cleaning the haze from the tiles, you might use a Tile or Grout Finishing Sealer. It will help maintain the original look of the surface and offer excellent stain resistance to water and oil based stains. Most tiles just need the grout, not sealing, but contact us if you are unsure.
Sealing the grout is the perfect option to shield your grout against grime and dirt. Generally you should do this immediately after your grout is dry, but you can apply sealing at any stage, just make sure your grout is dry and clean.
Routine Tile Maintenance
Given below are few tips to follow to maintain your tiles and keep them looking brand new:
- Mop your tiles after contact with water
Many tiles offer water resistance, however, other tiles may tend to get damaged by water. If you use such tiles where there is a high risk of water damage such as washrooms, kitchens, etc., they can get damaged overtime.
Therefore it is better not to use them in such places. However, if you use them in places where there isn’t any chance of them coming into contact with water, they can still come into contact for several reasons. Gradually your tiles’ colour will get severely damaged, or they will get stained, harming your tiles’ beauty.
To prevent damaging your tiles, you must clean and dry the tile surface right away. You can use old t-shirts or cotton towels for this, as they can efficiently absorb the water leaving no scratches on the tiles. Drying the tiles immediately will help keep the tiles free of moulds and stains, and mildew won’t also damage the tiles. Also, it will protect the grouts from getting damaged.
- Clean Your tiles regularly
You must ensure cleaning outdoor tiles regularly to keep them looking clean. Tiles can get stained or dirty if they aren’t cleaned frequently, and that can lead to old and grimy-looking tiles. Therefore, ensure to clean them often using appropriate cleaning materials.
- Using Good-Quality Cleaning materials
Choosing appropriate and good-quality cleaning materials for the tiles is indeed vital to keep them looking brand new. If you don’t get time and get harsh chemicals instead, to clean and disinfect the tiles, they can damage your tiles in the long run, although at first you may feel like they are doing a superb job in keeping the tiles new and clean.
Harsh chemicals can fade away your tiles’ colour. However, you can prevent this risk by using simple household cleaning items that can prove effective in cleaning your tiles. White vinegar can easily remove stains from tiles and is a great option to use as a tile cleaner.
To use white vinegar as a tile cleaner, spray the area you want to clean and keep it undisturbed for a few minutes. Then, use a clean and soft cloth to wipe it up. Don’t use scrubbing brushes to scrub tiles as they can damage them, as rough or harsh cleaning items can cause substantial damage to your tiles and grouts. So, ensure to use mild cleaning items.
- Remove stains right away
Several household items can easily stain your tiles, particularly floor tiles, such as hair dye, nail polish, curry, and many more. Once a tile gets a stain, you must clean the stain right away because it becomes harder to remove them with time.
Tiles, such as natural stone tiles, are very porous. If they get stained and the stain is not cleaned for a long time, then the tile absorbs the stain, and makes it almost permanent, and curb the tiles’ beauty.
You can use various solutions, such as the combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to get rid of the stains. When you use this solution to clean a stain, as the chemical reaction occurs, it’ll create bubbles on it and clear the stain easily.
- Check out the tiles grouts too
To keep your tiles looking brand new, you will also need to check out your grouts, not just the tiles. Only cleaning and maintaining your tiles won’t be of much use, you also have to keep your grouts in good shape.
If your grout lines don’t get proper cleaning, they’ll look dirty, and therefore even the best-looking tiles won’t look new. To clean the grouts, you can use generic grout cleaners that you find in the market.
However, if you want a home-based remedy, make a paste using water and baking soda, and pour it over the grout and let it sit for a night. Clean it gently in the morning with a toothbrush and rinse with water. You can try oxygen bleach for more stubborn stains.
Initial Tiles & Bathware offers incredibly inexpensive deals on the best of foreign tiles for use in floors, kitchens, bathrooms, walls, and outdoor use. Contact us today to discuss your tile possibilities.
