The Best Way to Clean Tile Floors Without Leaving Streaks
Even though it shines and is often brightly coloured, a cleaned tile floor shouldn’t have mop streaks on it as soon as you wash it, or footprints when you walk on it. If this is the case, it certainly isn’t the fault of the quality of your tiling, but that of the cleaning products or the way the cleaning was done. Discover the best way to clean tile floors without leaving streaks!
The right cleaning products for tiles
Often, the cleaning products sold in big box stores are designated as being specially suited to cleaning tile floors, but they’re often too greasy and therefore expensive relative to the quality of the cleaning. To avoid getting fooled by these types of products, you can try several things:
- The products sold at a specialty cleaner that the cleaning agents use themselves to perform their work. Even though they’re sometimes a little more expensive than the products from big box stores (not always), they’re so effective that you only need a small amount to clean the floors in an entire house, and they’re therefore more lasting in addition to being effective and without any unpleasant surprises.
- A few drops of ordinary dishwashing liquid or soda crystals diluted in a bucket of hot water may be suitable for cleaning all types of tiles. To be sure not to leave any streaks behind after using the mop, rinse the floor after the cleaning using a bucket filled with water and a few drops of white vinegar, which will also give your floor some brightness.
- As for the mop, we recommend using a microfibre mop rather than a cotton one, because they’re usually flat and therefore perfectly suited to washing flat floors. Before mopping the tile floor, begin by sweeping or vacuuming to remove all the embedded dust.
When to clean a tile floor
If it doesn’t show any dirt or large stains, a tile floor doesn’t need to be cleaned for nothing, and definitely not every day with a cleaning product. Indeed, like all rough floors, a tile floor needs to live and get a little damaged to show its full brightness. Cleaning products risk tarnishing it and making it look old very quickly. If you want to wash it regularly anyway because you have a lot of traffic in your house, use a broom moistened with hot water once a day, and use a cleaning product only once or twice a week if necessary.
Things to avoid when you have a tile floor
To preserve the quality and prolong the lifespan of your tile floor, you should:
- Avoid using acidic detergents such as bleach.
- Keep your floor as clean as possible at all times, thus avoiding dust and residue.
- Protect your tile floor with a carpet in the areas at risk of shock.
- Always rinse the floor with clear water or water with a few drops of white vinegar only after using the mop.
Cleaning a bright tile floor without leaving streaks is quite possible because this type of flooring is undoubtedly the most resistant to steps, wear, and cleaning products. If, despite these instructions, your tile floor is still full of streaks, don’t hesitate to call in specialized cleaners who can come inspect its general condition, offer it a great cleaning that will give it a second life, and give you solid additional cleaning tips.
