Taking Care Of Your Porcelain Tile Floor
Porcelain floors come with their wide array of benefits. The material is highly resistant and non-absorbent, making the routine floor cleaning and maintenance easy. The numerous kinds of textures and finishes available, as well as the varying levels of gloss that you can obtain on the surface, enable one to set a stylish theme to the interior space. Their nature makes them inhospitable to bacteria growth – with even new versions of tiles being unveiled with antimicrobial properties that suppress pathogen populations. This aids in having a healthier space. Moreover, there are slip-resistant variations that are ideal for being installed in areas that handle high amounts of moisture, from showers to pool decks to provide extra grip. To get the most out of the features of these installations, thorough floor cleaning is needed, as well as aspects like gout sealing.
Like other types of flooring, the longevity of the porcelain installation will depend on how well it is taken care of. For instance, one of the common issues affecting this kind of floor installation is haziness. It usually results from skipping the initial round of floor cleaning that is done after the new installation – where the cement grout haze needs to be cleared, when the grout has not been given a good scrub, or even when the floor has been worked on with the wrong cleaner. Here are measures to put in place to give your porcelain floor property care:
– Post-installation cleaning
After the new porcelain tile floors have been installed, there will be construction dirt and grout residue remaining on the surface. Noticing much of this requires one to be extra observant. A superficial patina is formed by the residue, which needs to be removed with that first round of floor cleaning – thus the need for it to be very thorough.
– Deal with daily spills promptly
Sure, you can have a busy schedule as you tend to your work and social life. But this does not mean that you allow spills to remain on the surface. When left unattended to for long, it becomes difficult to remove them – and ends up consuming more of your time and resources.
– Avoid greasy cleaners
You don’t want to wind up with oily residue on your porcelain floor. it becomes a dirt magnet, trapping soiling particles and increasing the concentration of germs, which ends up becoming an unsanitary environment. While the porcelain tiles are inorganic and “inert”, substances like soaps and similar kinds of residue can accumulate on the structure, providing nourishment for mould and mildew. So, stay away from the oil-wax-based cleaners
– Deep clean with pH neutral or slightly alkaline cleaners
The regular cleaning can be achieved with pH-neutral formulations. This will allow you to tackle those grime build-ups that accumulate on a day-to-day basis. However, we all know there will be situations where there will be stubborn grime that will call for extra power. Here, go with the slightly alkaline floor cleaning agents.
Note that you should stick to formulations that have been particularly developed for these kinds of floors. Working with cleaning agents that are highly alkaline – like the conventional household bleach, or highly acidic – like vinegar, will cause the grout sealer that has been applied to break down. This in turn causes more cases of oils, soap scum and dirt being absorbed by the grout.
– Of perfumes and fragrances floors
Can you use scented floor cleaning products? Well, this will depend on your particular tolerance levels. Note that with porcelain floors, they will latch onto that scent for long, so when you use strongly scented products the resultant effect with the perfume may not be palatable for occupants of the premises. There are lightly fragranced cleaners for you to work with which will have a reduced effect.
– Pay close attention to the grout joints
The grout joints are a core part of the porcelain tile floor structure, unifying the different pieces. However, as you have definitely observed by now, the cement grout is a highly porous and absorbent material. Dirt and impurities quickly build up in it. It needs to be sealed – in order to minimise this effect and kept clean.
– Avoid abrasive scrubbers
These are the likes of steel wool, which have high chances of scratching the material. The enhanced stain resistance you get with floor structures like porcelain reduces the chances of the spots adhering to the material – so you don’t have to go overboard with the scrubbing action. When encountering tough stains and dirt spots, it is preferable to use the slightly alkaline agents to chemically break down the spot, as opposed to working with abrasive floor cleaning tools that will end up damaging the material.
Schedule Routine Deep Cleaning
Once in a while, it is recommended that you book a thorough clean-up for your floor. Here the professional company comes in with high-powered machinery, and has the added benefit of an experienced crew that is passionate about what they do. This way, they get to remove stubborn spots and can even work on other sections of the residence – including aspects like upholstery and carpet cleaning, window cleaning, and there are even those that handle appliances such as the ovens which have accumulated loads of greasy residue within their interior surfaces. Having a top-to-bottom cleaning carried out allows you to revitalise your home, basically making it feel all new and freshened up. Be particularly keen on the kind of company you hire for the task. This is why it is insisted on combing through the reviews and testimonials of the firm, where seeing what the previous clients have to say about the services that were rendered will enable you to get a general idea of what to expect. Also, be sure to get the quotation in writing. This is to avoid disagreements that would ensue later on. Ask about the kind of guarantees that have been put in place, to clear up on measures that will be followed should you end up not being satisfied with the results.
