How to Make Your Porcelain Tile Shine like Glass

The most common thing in any house is tiles. They are beautiful and add depth to your space. Tiles are highly durable, easy to clean and work well for flooring as well as wall decoration. However, one of the major concerns that everyone faces is how they start losing shine after a point in time.

To help you tackle this issue, we have a few DIY techniques…

Different Types of Tiles

Before you start cleaning, it is necessary to spot the difference between the two different types of tiles. The most commonly used tiles are porcelain and ceramic. Even though they look the same, both these tiles need to be treated differently in order to keep them looking new and clean.

Ceramic Tile: There is no rocket science that both these tiles are made of clay which is later hardened in an oven. However, the major difference is how water-resistant they are. Ceramic tiles look great but they are only suited to lay indoors. These tiles are not very water-resistant. It often loses its shine if placed in the bathroom, near the bathtub or shower area. However, with regular cleaning, you can make your ceramic tiles shine like new ones.

Porcelain: Porcelain tiles are made up of denser clay and have an amazing water resistance level. They are hard and do not need any layer of protection like ceramic tiles. If you are looking to lay tiles outdoors, look at various designs of porcelain tiles. Due to their durability, porcelain tiles are more expensive than ceramic tiles.

Before you start cleaning your tiles, make sure you understand their tile grades. Manufacturers create tile grades depending on the strength and durability of the tile.

Make Your Porcelain Tile Shine Again

With just a few simple steps it is easy to get that shine even if the porcelain tiles are a decade old. You will get all the items used easily at home. No wax is used in the process!

1. Sweep off all the dust

With a broom or a vacuum cleaner, remove all the dust particles accumulated on the tile surface. Make sure no debris has built upon the tile.

If you are using a vacuum cleaner, make sure that the brush roller is fine so that it does not scratch the tile. Though these tiles are porous, you need to be extra careful while cleaning them. Any damage can let loose dirt enter the surface.

Sweeping and then vacuuming can help you pull out all the dirt off the surface.

2. Use Your Cleaner

Make sure you have got rid of all the dirt particles before using liquid over it. Each tile type requires different cleaning agents.

For porcelain tiles, use a stronger cleaning agent like white vinegar. Mix water and vinegar in equal parts to scrub off the dirt stuck to the tile. You do not have to be very cautious when cleaning a porcelain tile as its water absorption level is very low.

3. Spray the solution

Now that you have prepared a solution for your type of tile, it’s time to start the cleaning process. You can either use a mop or a spray bottle. However, a mop works well if you have to clean large areas. Once you are confident about the solution you made, try out these steps to get squeaky clean tiles:

  • Spray the cleaning solution on the tile and with the help of the microfibre mop spread the solution everywhere. Keep spraying them until the entire solution surface is covered in the solution.
  • Scrub off the stains on the tile with the help of a microfiber cloth. Repeat this process until the entire tile surface looks clean and shiny.
  • Make sure you use a stringy mop and not a sponge one. Stringy mops are best for spreading the liquid throughout. It also protects and preserves the grout from wetter than it should be. This also makes the cleaning process much easier than you would have thought.
  • With the help of cold water, rinse the floor, changing the water when necessary.
  • Before you start using the floor, make sure the floor is completely dry. Do not switch off the fan to speed up the drying process otherwise, it will push the dust onto the wet floor.

4. Clean the grout

Grout can be the biggest enemy for any tile in your home or office. They have large pores that can easily soak up all the liquids. This is why many people choose to have professionals, like this Las Vegas house cleaning service, to come in and tackle this dirt.

No matter how good the grout is, it will tend to get dirty with liquids.

To clean them yourself, try out these steps:

  • In a medium-sized bottle, mix water and 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide.
  • Spray this solution on the grout surface and wait for 30 minutes.
  • Scrub out all the dirt accumulated in the grout with the help of old toothpaste and hot water. If this solution doesn’t work, use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar.
  • You might need to follow these steps several times to get the grout thoroughly cleaned. Once it is clean, the next time will be a lot easier. Just routinely spray the mixture of water and vinegar.

How to Clean your Tiles Naturally

There are varieties of natural tile cleaners available that are best suited for your tiles. Some of the most popular ones are:

Vinegar: Mixing vinegar with water is one of the most powerful and effective cleaning agents. Since it is available in most homes, trying out this solution is very easy. Since it is acidic, vinegar works really well in removing stains and heavy buildups on the tile.

Mix water and vinegar in equal parts and with the help of a spray bottle, spray it on the tile.

There has been a lot of controversy about whether vinegar is safe for the floor tiles. If your tile floor has a sealant in the tile, switch vinegar with a light agent, preferably detergent. Regular use of vinegar can damage the sealant. Remember that vinegar is a cleaning agent and not a shining one. To get the shine back, rinse it with hot water.

Vinegar and baking soda: Vinegar and baking soda is another very commonly used powerful cleaning agent is the mixture of vinegar and baking soda. These two ingredients are very easy to find at home and are also natural. They create a chemical reaction that can cut any dirt accumulated on the surface easily. When they are mixed together, it creates fizzes and bubbles which means that the solution is effective.

Mop the tile floor with the solution for cleaning it. For tougher areas, scrub the tile. Rinse the floor with water after it is done.

Ammonia: When your tile has some discolouration, using ammonia as a cleaning agent works pretty well. Ammonia can bring weathered and dull tile back to life. It is perfect to get rid of any grease accumulated on the surface. Use it in your kitchen to remove oil and grease accumulation.

Use 1/4 cup of ammonia for every gallon of water for effective cleaning.

Bottom Line

Cleaning tiles can be a challenging job if you don’t have enough ideas about them. Even though it is a tough job, you still need to keep your tiles clean. Not maintaining tiles can lead to dirt build-up and eventually cause damage.

We hope that the process mentioned has been helpful for you to revive your dull porcelain tiles. Remember to clean the tiles and grout frequently.

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