A quick guide to
Maintaining tiles
Tiles are a popular choice for kitchens, bathrooms, and around the home, due to their durability and aesthetic appeal. They can add a beautiful and durable finish to any space.
However, if you want to preserve that pristine showroom finish, keep your tiles looking their best, and maintain their longevity, then regular cleaning and maintenance are essential.
In this guide, our expert tiling team will provide valuable tips and techniques for cleaning, maintaining, and repairing your tiles.
Whether it's your kitchen backsplash or bathroom floor, follow these guidelines to ensure your tiles stay beautiful for years to come.
How Often Do My Tiles Need Cleaning?
Proper tile maintenance begins with understanding how often your tiles require cleaning.
Whether you are looking to remove watermarks on bathroom floor tiles, splashes from cooking in your kitchen, or clean a large format tiled hallway floor, you will find that there are many factors that influence how often your tiles need cleaning.
If your tiles have just been laid, then the first thing you should check before anything else is that there isn't any grout residue on the face of your tiles. When tiles are grouted sometimes a thin film of grout can be left over the tiles, which can give a hazy look and also attract dirt. A simple fix is to wipe them down once your tiler has finished with a bucket of clean water and a soft microfibre cloth.
Once laid, tiles with a gloss finish will show marks much quicker than matt finish tiles, similarly, white tiles also tend to show many marks. If you are looking for a finish that is able to withstand daily life, we often recommend cream or grey matte tiles, or those with a stone-effect finish, as they naturally hide marks and will require less cleaning to maintain their finish.
If you live within a hard water area, you may find that your tiles are also susceptible to limescale and you will need to clean them thoroughly to remove the build-up. In particular, wetrooms and shower cubicles that are not cleaned regularly will gradually build a layer of limescale that hides the finish of your tiles.
Best Products for Tile Cleaning
Using the right products is crucial to achieving effective and safe tile cleaning. Many excellent products are available to seal and clean tiles, with powerful acid-based cleaners ideal for removing stubborn water marks, grease, limescale, and soap marks.
However, if you prefer to avoid harsh chemicals in the home, or your type of tile means that you need to steer clear of abrasive cleaners that could potentially damage the tile surface, it is possible to create an effective home-made solution using baking soda and white vinegar, which can be rubbed gently across the area to clean the tile surface.
We always recommend testing your cleaning products on a small section of the tiled surface first to avoid damaging the tiles and grout.
Top Tips for Kitchen Tile Cleaning
Kitchen tiles are often subjected to grease, oil, and food spills, requiring specific cleaning techniques. Therefore, it is likely that you will need a cleaning solution that is able to cut through grease and light stains to restore the sparkle to your kitchen splashback or floor.
In our experience, washing-up liquid can often be a great DIY choice. A wet cloth or sponge with a dot of washing-up liquid can be used to clean the tiled surface, although specialist tile-cleaning chemicals are recommended for more stubborn stains. Once the area is clean, dry the tiles with a tea towel to leave a sparkling clean, professional finish.
Additionally, you should always bear in mind the importance of regular maintenance and quick clean-up to prevent stains from setting.
Top Tips for Bathroom Tile Cleaning
Bathroom tiles are exposed to moisture, soap scum, and mould, demanding special attention during cleaning in order to tackle stubborn stains and grout discoloration.
Whether you opt for a homemade white vinegar-based solution or a specialist bathroom cleaner, you will need to cover the entire tiled surface, as mildew, limescale, and watermarks can find their way into every nook and crevice of your bathroom. Once the tiles are clean, buff them dry to avoid any streaks, especially across shower screens and mirrors.
Always make sure that your bathroom has proper ventilation to reduce moisture and help to prevent the build-up of mould and mildew growth.
Grout Cleaning Hacks
It is important to maintain your grout lines if you want to avoid damp, mildew, and a dirty-looking space. Grout is a porous material that requires regular maintenance to prevent discoloration and mould growth.
This means that, although grout lines are water-resistant, they are not completely waterproof, so over time drops of water can find their way through the grout and eventually lead to stubborn stains. In addition, the small channels within the grout lines can hold water, especially on tiled floors, and this water can leave difficult to remove stains if the water is left on the surface.
Using a grout protector is a great way to safeguard the look of your grout, as it will penetrate the porous surfaces and repel water and oil. To clean grout, we always recommend using a specialist cleaning product, as it will help to prevent mould and mildew growth, rejuvenating the appearance of your grout and ensuring a hygienic environment.
When the surface is clean, always dry thoroughly to reduce the amount of water that is left within the grout areas, especially if the tiled surface has not been sealed. If the stain is very stubborn, such as rust or dye marks, you may decide that regrouting or using a grout pen is the best way to refresh the area.
Repairing Grout
There are many products available that will seal the grout and help to provide protection. However, you may find that there are areas within a tiled surface that require repairing or re-grouting. Over time, grout can become damaged or deteriorate, compromising the integrity of your tiled surface.
Start by identifying any damaged areas. You should clean the area, and then remove the damaged grout using a grout rake, saw, or scraper. Clean the area again and, while it is still damp, apply new grout to the damaged section, taking care to ensure the colour of your new grout matches up to your existing grout.
Remove any excess grout using a sponge and leave it to set before sealing the entire area. This should restore the strength and visual appeal of your tiled surfaces.
How to Replace Tiles
Sometimes, tiles may crack, chip, break, or become permanently stained, necessitating their replacement. After all, accidents do happen from time to time. However, it is possible to replace individual tiles without disturbing the entire surface and causing damage to surrounding tiles.
Firstly, chip away the old grout and then crack the broken tile with a hammer, the individual pieces can then be removed with a chisel. Once you have removed as much of the old adhesive as possible, apply a tile adhesive to the surface and press the replacement tile into place.
Once the adhesive is set, apply grout to the area and remove the excess using a damp sponge. This should help to blend the new tiles seamlessly with the existing ones.
Maintaining Tile Sealants & Finishes
In addition to regular cleaning, certain types of tiles require sealants and finishes to enhance their durability and appearance.
Avoiding abrasive or acidic cleaners that can damage or strip away the sealants and finishes, cleaning up spills immediately to prevent them from seeping into the grout lines or underneath the sealants, and avoiding excessive water exposure can help to preserve the beauty and longevity of your tiles.
However, you should regularly inspect your tiles for any signs of wear or damage to the sealants and finishes. Depending on the type of sealant or finish used, it may require periodic recoating or resealing. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for the recommended frequency of reapplication to maintain optimal protection.
In areas that experience heavy foot traffic or frequent use, consider using additional protective measures such as area rugs or mats to reduce wear and tear on the sealants and finishes.
