You may recall from previous blogs that life-cycle costs are one of the leading factors in determining the overall value of any flooring surface. More specifically, direct costs associated with maintaining the specified floor finish. Maintenance requirements for different types of flooring vary based on factors such as material, finish, and usage. Think about it for a moment and it’s not difficult to understand how tile flooring proves an economic win-win. Did you know maintaining a hardwood or terrazzo floor costs the end-user twice as much? And maintaining stained concrete or carpet costs three times as much? Poured epoxy floor maintenance, almost five times as much. Maintaining well-installed, quality tile flooring requires only a few simple steps and requires no harsh chemicals or equipment.
Check out these tile maintenance tips:
Tile Maintenance Tips
Sweep It Although it may seem obvious, daily sweeping or vacuuming a tile floor is a vital step in the cleaning process. Doing so keeps dust, dirt, and other dry foreign agents from collecting on the face of the tiles and in grout lines. A regular broom works fine, as do electrostatic cleaning tools like Bona or Swiffer. It’s important to get up dry debris as a first step to ease subsequent cleaning.
Saturate Most days, clean, warm water is all you need to saturate the floor surface. Water provides the necessary moisture to loosen and dissolve dirt, dust, and some types of stains on tile surfaces. This is especially effective for water-soluble substances like food spills or mud. Water has surface tension, allowing it to spread evenly across the surface, cover large areas, and dissolve and lift away dirt and grime. If the floor is especially dirty and something a little stronger is required, neutral cleaners or slightly alkaline detergents provide great results. Diluting and using water as the carrier agent further breaks down and lifts away dirt. Allow water and/or cleaners to dwell at least 10 minutes, or according to manufacturer directions.
Rinse The key component in the rinse process is CLEAN water. Remove the dirty water/cleaning solution entirely from the floor and rinse with CLEAN, warm water. Cleaners and detergents can leave latent residues by their very nature. Remember, you’re rinsing away all the dirt that saturation has lifted, so rinsing with clean water is a must.
Aside from acquiring fundamental knowledge about tile maintenance, there are a couple of additional points worth highlighting that hold significance:
Use Scratch-resistant Scrubbers Nylon, microfiber, natural or plastic bristled scrubbers and pads work best. Steer clear of steel wool pads, scouring pads, or any other harsh cleaning pads containing metal as these can damage the surface of the tile.
Do Not Use Harsh Chemicals Chemicals and harsh cleaners can harm the tiles, grout, and setting materials. Staining, etching, surface degradation, and grout damage are a few of the ways tile may be adversely affected. If a more aggressive product is needed, use only a mild cleaner or something recommended by our QT&A Team.
The beauty of tile lies not only in the unlimited design and aesthetic possibilities (check out and subscribe to Erin’s Picks for a first-hand look!) but also in its durability and overall ease of maintenance. With little more than a few simple steps and using the mildest of products, tile flooring will endure the passage of time while sustaining its attractive appearance for years to come.
Feel free to contact the QA&T Team, as we can help set up your commercial tile floor maintenance plan
