How to Clean and Maintain Porcelain Tile Floors
Nura
You’ve purchased gorgeous floor tiles, you’ve had them professionally installed and grouted, and you admire and take pride in them every time you walk into the room. But, like all flooring, porcelain needs regular cleaning to maintain a pristine look. From the products to use to the frequency of maintenance to expert care tips for long-lasting beauty and durability, here’s how to clean porcelain tile floors like a pro.
How to Clean Porcelain Tile Floors: The Basics
So what is the best way to clean porcelain tile floors? By following a simple four-step cleaning process of: sweep, mop, rinse, and dry. It requires the same routine every time, but there are some variations in the process based on your floor’s finish, pattern, and texture.
Sweep
Sweep or vacuum to remove all loose dirt, dust, crumbs, and debris. For matte and textured tiles, sweep in a diagonal motion to remove dirt or dust that may be trapped on the surface or within grout lines.
Mop
Mop with a gentle cleaning agent using soft mop heads or microfiber cloths. For large format tiles and most mosaics, mop in an S-shaped or figure 8 pattern to minimize streaks and avoid missing spots. For wood-look tiles like our White 6x36 Matte Porcelain Large Tile, it’s best to mop in straight rows, in the direction of the “grain.”
Rinse
Rinse (aka mop the floor a second time) with water only. This removes all soap residue and ensures a perfectly clean finish.
Dry
Dry and buff your tile floor to ensure no water remains. This important final step makes floors safe to traverse. And for polished or glossy tiles, it's the step that actually keeps porcelain floor tile shiny long-term.
Because finish affects the tile’s texture, people with matte tiles should know how to deep clean porcelain tile floors as well. Matte finishes often have tiny textures on their surface, which allows dirt and grime to collect with ease. To deep clean matte tiles, let your cleaning solution sit on the surface for 5 to 10 minutes and gently scrub with a soft bristle brush to remove and loosen any visible grime.
Tools and Supplies Needed for Cleaning Porcelain Tile Floors
To take care of porcelain tile floors, it’s essential to use the right tools, cleaning products, and supplies.
sweeping
When sweeping, use soft bristled brooms, rubber or silicone brooms, or vacuums with soft rollers to avoid scratching. Even with set-in grime and stains, you should never use abrasive brushes or scouring pads. To remove stubborn particles or stains, use soft nylon brushes that won’t leave permanent scratches.
mopping
For mopping, the best cleaner for porcelain tile floors is a combination of dish soap and warm water or a neutral-pH cleaner. 5 or 6 drops of gentle soap per 1 gallon of water is usually sufficient for general upkeep. Never use harsh chemicals like bleach, ammonia, or wax polishes, as they can damage tiles, damage grout, and leave unsightly residues behind.
Rinse & Dry
When it’s time to mop, rinse, and dry, use clean, soft microfiber cloths and towels.
How Often Should You Clean Porcelain Tile Floors?
Knowing how to clean polished porcelain tile in your foyer or matte porcelain floors in your bath is only one part of the equation — the other part is knowing how often to clean them to keep them looking like new.
Again, this depends largely on the tile’s texture, finish, and location.
Daily sweeping is ideal, and it’s a must if you want an immaculate look in high traffic-areas like foyers, living rooms, kitchens, and baths. But in most homes, daily mopping is not necessary.
Barring greasy spills in the kitchen or muddy footprints in the foyer, mopping once or twice a month is usually sufficient. Living rooms and kitchens are often the most used rooms in the house, so if you have living room floor tiles or porcelain kitchen tiles, it’s best to mop at least once every two weeks.
Do’s and Don’ts of Cleaning Porcelain Tile Floors
Knowing what to do to maintain your porcelain floors is just as important as knowing what not to do. Follow these do’s and don’ts to keep your floors looking brand new:
- Sweep and mop tile and grout regularly
- Use gentle cleaners, brooms, and mopping and drying cloths
- Rinse floors with clean, warm water after mopping
- Dry tiles thoroughly for safety, protection, and polish
- Use harsh brooms or abrasive cloths that could scratch your floors
- Allow stains, dirt, or grim to build up over time
- Use grout-cleaning products directly on the tile
- Forget to rinse and dry the floor after mopping
Long-Term Care Tips for Porcelain Tile Flooring
You can maintain porcelain floor tile for decades if you take precautions to protect them. Follow these expert tips to keep your flooring looking amazing, even in high-traffic areas that suffer the most wear and tear:
Perform routine cleaning:
Regular sweeping, mopping, rinsing, and drying will keep your floors in top condition, even in high traffic areas.
Use the proper products:
Avoid harsh chemicals and abrasive cloths and opt for gentle cleaners, soft bristled brooms or silicone brooms, and soft cloths for sweeping, mopping, drying, and buffing.
Protect your floors from your furniture:
Furniture legs can wreak havoc on tile flooring. Use furniture pads to prevent tables, chairs, desks, and accent pieces from sliding and creating visible scratches.
Seal and clean your grout:
Even with spotless, scratch-free tile, grout gets dirty. Be sure to properly seal grout and perform routine cleaning to remove stains and repel dirt.
Whether you have sleek, colorful Lappato flooring in your foyer or bold matte black porcelain tile in your kitchen, following these expert care tips can preserve your floors for a lifetime of use.
Cost of Maintaining Porcelain Tile Floors
While the cost to maintain porcelain tile floors varies, affordable porcelain tile maintenance is possible. To save on routine maintenance costs, opt for microfiber cloths that you can launder and reuse rather than disposable cloths designed for one-time use.
Grout sealing will be necessary from time to time, but annual porcelain floor maintenance is minimal, as the tiles themselves do not require waxing, sealing, or polishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do porcelain tile floors need to be sealed?
2. How do you prevent streaks on porcelain tile floors after cleaning?
3. Are porcelain tile floors low maintenance compared to other flooring types?
4. How can you maintain grout lines in porcelain tile flooring?
5. What is the biggest mistake people make when maintaining porcelain tile floors?
6. How long do porcelain tile floors typically last with proper care?
7. How to clean porcelain floors in the shower?
To clean porcelain shower floor tile, rinse the floor, apply a gentle soap cleaner, and let it sit for about 5 minutes to dissolve any water build-up, mildew, or soap scum that may have accumulated. Finish by scrubbing the grout lines with a gentle grout brush, rinsing with warm water, and thoroughly drying.
Nura
Nura has always been drawn to design and the way our eyes and senses experience a space. She’s fascinated by the stories that interiors and architecture quietly tell. Traveling across countries and seeing architecture in its natural setting helped her notice how materials, patterns, and textures quietly shape emotion and personality in a space.
Before joining Tiletopia, Nura spent over a decade in brand management, market research, and consumer behavior across different industries, working in brand storytelling and crafting content that brings ideas to life. At the intersection of storytelling and design, Nura has found her creative home at Tiletopia, where she brings both passions to life.
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