How to Clean Porcelain Tiles — Home Methods

If you're wondering how to clean porcelain tiles, the home methods you'll find in this article will help keep the surface impeccably clean. Porcelain is a very popular finish material due to its excellent properties. It looks nice on the floor but requires regular maintenance.

What Will You Learn From This Article?

Porcelain tiles are known for their high durability. They are available in a wide range of colours and patterns, making them suitable for many interior designs. To maintain their beautiful appearance for a long time, they require regular cleaning and polishing. From this article, you'll learn:

• What are the best methods for cleaning porcelain?

• How to clean glazed, matte, and rough porcelain.

• What to use to wash glazed porcelain to avoid streaks.

Application and Properties of Porcelain in Interiors

Basic principles of designing an effective interior arrangement, especially bathrooms, primarily concern the correct choice of finishing materials. One of the most popular flooring solutions is porcelain. It has very good functional properties and aesthetic values. To learn how to clean porcelain, you must first know its technical parameters. The most important include:

• Low absorbency — the material is resistant to moisture penetration and does not develop permanent stains.

• High resistance to wear and mechanical damage — porcelain is made from a mixture of clay, kaolin, quartz sand, feldspar, and chamotte. It is pressed and fired at a temperature of 1100–1300°C. Thanks to this, it gains high resistance to damage.

• Frost resistance — porcelain tiles are suitable for use both indoors and outdoors.

The surface of porcelain tiles determines the best method of washing and cleaning. Matte stains on glazed porcelain are removed differently than cleaning porcelain after grouting. The most popular porcelain tiles are:

• Glazed porcelain — has a special glaze layer, making it smooth and shiny. Porcelain tiles are available in many patterns and colours: concrete, stone, terrazzo, marble. Glazed porcelain is easy to maintain. Dirt does not penetrate its structure, remaining on the outside. Regular cleaning is enough to bring a dirty surface to an appropriate condition.

• Natural, unglazed porcelain — has a porous structure. It has high resistance to mechanical damage, scratches, and wear, while also being safe to use.

• Matte porcelain — very good at hiding dirt and has good anti-slip properties.

• Polished porcelain — a type of natural porcelain with a slippery surface. It has a micro-porous structure. This material is prone to scratches and it is hard to remove stains from it.

How to Clean Porcelain Tiles — Home Methods

Before you learn how to clean porcelain tiles, check how much exactly tiles cost. It's worth being aware that the prices of finishing materials are rising, although you can count on attractive promotions. To enjoy the beautiful appearance of various surfaces for a long time, remember to regularly clean and maintain floor and wall tiles.

There's nothing worse than embedding dirt and skipping the regular cleaning of porcelain tiles. It's much harder to remove troublesome dirt, so it's worth taking proper care of floor tiles from the very beginning.

For everyday care of porcelain tiles, use mild detergents with a neutral pH. The product will gently remove dirt and leave no streaks. It will also not negatively affect the properties and appearance of the tile surface.

Under no circumstances should you use products with bleaches and descaling substances on porcelain surfaces. This will damage the structure. Preparations containing waxes and oils are even worse — permanent discolourations will remain on the porcelain.

How to Clean Rough Porcelain?

If the tiles have a rough or porous surface, they attract dirt. During cleaning, you need to be very patient and careful to make the porcelain surface look as you expect. Regular washing and ongoing maintenance are very important. If you neglect basic cleaning, it will be difficult to remove accumulated dirt.

Rough porcelain requires frequent cleaning with hot water or steam. A steam mop will be useful. It is recommended to wash the tiles first along and then across. This way, you will effectively get rid of dirt.

How to Clean Glazed Porcelain?

If you are at the stage of choosing tiles for your bathroom and looking for a material that is easy to maintain, opt for glazed porcelain. These ceramic tiles do not require special treatments to keep them in perfect condition. Moreover, the material does not absorb water and moisture, as well as other dirt. It is invaluable in bathroom arrangements because there are no greasy stains on the surface. Furthermore, just cleaning glazed porcelain tiles is enough, no impregnation. Use soft mops or microfiber cloths. Avoid aggressive cleaners, and use specialised cleaning fluids sparingly to avoid dulling the surface.

If lime deposits are visible on the tile surface, use lemon juice diluted with water.

Tips for Cleaning Porcelain

Regularity and accuracy are extremely important in caring for porcelain surfaces. Then you won't have to devote as much time to cleaning. A good idea is to follow a few basic rules presented below:

1. Vacuum or sweep the porcelain tiles daily. This way, you will protect the surface from scratches and damage.

2. Remove visible dirt immediately. There are very good chemical agents and home methods that facilitate daily cleaning. Quickly washing away stains will prevent them from penetrating the porcelain structure.

3. If you have different types of porcelain in your rooms, do not use the same cleaner for all of them. Choose a product suitable for the surface to enjoy a beautiful shine or perfectly matte surface without streaks.