Cleaning ceramic tile floors is not too difficult if you use the correct cleaning products and procedures.  Using improper cleaning products and techniques can actually harm your ceramic tiles as well as the grout.

 

 

Cleaning your ceramic tile and the grout between the ceramic tiles requires using the proper tile and grout cleaning products.   Combining the proper cleaning products with the proper cleaning techniques can effectively clean your ceramic tile to its cleanest possible state.  Properly cleaning ceramic tile is made much easier by using professional level ceramic tile cleaning products and professional ceramic tile cleaning procedures.  

Ceramic tile is a man made clay based material that is baked in an oven at extremely high temperatures. 

Ceramic tiles are dense non porous tiles that are resilient to alkaline and acidic based tile and grout cleaning products.  Damaging ceramic tiles with professional level alkaline and acidic tile and grout cleaning products is generally not a concern. 

Glazed porcelain tiles are made the same way as ceramic tiles only glazed porcelain tiles are baked longer and are denser then ceramic tiles.  The cleaning process for cleaning glazed porcelain tiles is the same as for cleaning ceramic tiles. 

 

 

 

Generally the dirt, grease and grime on ceramic tiles is of an acidic nature.  Therefore it is necessary to use an alkaline cleaning product to react with the acidic grime on the tiles to dissolve this dirt and grim making the tiles and grout easier to clean.  An alkaline tile cleaning product specifically made for cleaning tile and grout should be used for your initial ceramic tile cleaning process.

Mix the alkaline cleaning solution with the hottest tap water available in the ratio on the instructions on the alkaline cleaning solution. 

Apply the hot alkaline cleaning solution liberally to the ceramic tile surfaces and allow it to dwell there for at least 20 minutes.

While the cleaning solution is dwelling on the ceramic tile surfaces you should scrub the tiles and especially the grout with a stiff brush or an aggressive scrub pad. 

Do not use any type of steel wool or extremely abrasive pads that could potentially scratch the surface of the ceramic tiles.

You should generally scrub the ceramic tiles and grout until you are confident that all of the dirt, grease and grime and any other contaminates are loosened and dissolved from the ceramic tile surfaces and the grout lines.  You can use a scrub brush but an aggressive scrub pad will work much more efficiently to for cleaning the ceramic tile surfaces and getting deep into the grout lines for cleaning the grout.  

Some types of ceramic tiles can be scratched with aggressive scrub pads so you should always test your cleaning pads first before using them for cleaning your ceramic tile.  Generally ceramic floor tiles will not be damaged with even the most aggressive types of scrub pads.  You should still always stay on the safe side and test your scrub pads on an out of the way tile to ensure the ceramic tiles will not be scratched by the particular scrub pad.  Ceramic shower tiles can sometimes be scratched with an aggressive scrub pad but usually it is safe to use aggressive scrub pads for cleaning all types of ceramic tiles and grout.

Stonetech Klenzall is an excellent alkaline cleaning product for cleaning ceramic tile and grout.  It will emulsify and dissolve even the toughest dirt grease and grime so these stains can be safely lifted from your ceramic tile floors and the grout lines.  A one gallon container will clean approximately 1000 sq/ft of ceramic tile and grout.

 

 

After you have scrubbed and cleaned the ceramic tiles with the alkaline cleaning solution you can use a shop vac to extract the loosen up the dirt and excess alkaline cleaning tile cleaning solution from the tiles and grout. 

If you do not have a shop vac then you can use a mop and bucket to extract the dirt and excess cleaning solution from the tile and grout surface.  If you do use a mop and bucket to extract the dirty cleaning solution then your should thoroughly rinse the ceramic tiles and grout a few times to remove any remaining dirt and cleaning residue from the ceramic tile and grout.

 

 

Cleaning the ceramic tile surfaces is usually not too difficult but cleaning the grout lines is generally the most difficult aspect of cleaning ceramic tiles.  You may notice that even after you have cleaned the ceramic tiles with the alkaline cleaning solution that the grout lines still have some remaining stains that cannot be scrubbed clean with the alkaline cleaning solution. 

It may be necessary to use a mild acidic cleaner to clean the grout lines to their cleanest possible state.  Ceramic tiles will not be damaged with acidic based tile and grout cleaners so using an acidic based tile and grout cleaning product may be a good option to clean the ceramic tile grout to its cleanest possible state.

Apply the acidic cleaning solution to the ceramic tile and more specifically to the grout lines just like you did with the alkaline tile cleaning solution.  While scrubbing the grout lines with the acidic cleaning solution you should see the grout lines "FIZZ" when the acidic tile cleaning solution reacts with the top layer of dirty grout. 

Stonetech Restore is an excellent acidic cleaning solution for cleaning ceramic tiles and grout.  Stonetech Restore is a gentle urea acid formula designed to effectively clean ceramic tile floor grout without damaging the ceramic tiles or the grout between the ceramic floor tiles.  A one gallon container can clean approximately 1000 sq/ft of ceramic tile and grout.

 

 

After you have scrubbed the grout lines with the acidic tile and grout cleaning solution then you should extract the excess cleaning solution with a shop vac or a mop and bucket. 

After you have rinsed the extracted the excess cleaning solution from the ceramic tiles and grout then you should wipe the ceramic tile with paper towels or a clean soft cotton cloth.  This will help ensure that all the remaining dirt and excess cleaning solutions are removed from the ceramic tiles.  You do not want to have any cleaning residue left on the ceramic tiles that can attract dirt and grime.

 

 

You should thoroughly dry the ceramic tiles and grout lines after they have been cleaned.   If you have a professional air mover this will expedite the process.  If you do not have a professional air mover then a normal box type fan can also be used to expedite the drying process.

 

 

You should always seal the grout lines after you thoroughly clean your ceramic tiles and grout lines with aggressive cleaning products.  Alkaline and acidic cleaning products will break down the sealers in the grout lines so you should always seal your grout after aggressively cleaning your ceramic tile.

The Aqua Mix Sealers Choice Gold performed the best of any grout sealers in our grout sealer review.  The one (1) quart container will seal approximately 200 sq/ft of grout on 12 inch tiles with 1/8 inch grout lines.

Cleaning ceramic tile floors and can be a long, difficult and laborious task especially if there is a lot of dirty tile and grout that needs to be cleaned.  Professional tile cleaning contractors have professional steam cleaning machines for cleaning your ceramic tile and grout.  These professional tile and grout steam cleaning machines clean ceramic tile and grout a lot thoroughly and quicker then you can ever by hand.  Also these steam cleaning systems use high pressure steam to sanitize your tile and grout and kill the mold, mildew, germs and bacteria that are on your ceramic tile surfaces and embedded deep within the porous grout.

Your can read some valuable information about how to hire a tile and grout cleaning and restoration service on our tile and grout contractor information page here.  Tile Cleaning Service.