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7 Amazing Ways To Keep Tiles Shiny

By Tileswale

Tiles are one of the more elegant flooring alternatives that is in high demand in the market. Tiles are a popular flooring option due to their high resilience to wear and scouring. You will come across different types of tiles and designs. You may use tile flooring in the living room, kitchen, bathroom, and any other area in the house, so the designs and patterns are limitless. 

However, if not maintained properly, all tile floors may become filthy and boring. Tile floors lose their lustre as a result of stains, filth, and dust that are tracked in on shoes. The issue is that regular footwear stress, dust, stains, and filth can cause tiles to lose their shine and glossiness. While wax may be used to refinish tile floors and grout, it deteriorates unevenly over time, creating an even worse appearance.

The sight of a glossy pristine tile ensures an engaging appeal and a pleasant experience. However, it appears that regardless of how hard you scrub and polish, tiles could end up appearing faded, dusty, and dull. So, how to keep tiles shiny? That is exactly what the point of this blog is! 

We have curated a list of methods to ensure that your tiles retain their shine, and that too for its longevity. Before you begin cleaning, it's important to understand the distinctions amongst various varieties of tile. Porcelain and ceramic tiles are the two most frequent varieties of tile. While they may appear to be identical, they require distinct maintenance to keep them appearing fresh and clean.

But before that, let’s get to the reason as to what causes the tiles to lose their shine in the first place.

What Makes Tiles Lose Its Shine?

Apart from the common reasons such as aging, natural wear and tear, heavy footfall and increased traffic or poor maintenance regime, there are other reasons why a tile may lose its shine. In general, acidic materials can erode polished and glazed tiles, resulting in a poor sheen. 

Some sealers give tile a glossy appearance, but when exposed to certain solvents, they tend to fade in specific areas. A recently set tile may also seem foggy, which might be the result of remaining grout solution residue.

What To Avoid?

While it is important to lay down how to maintain and retain the shine of the tile, it is also imperative to take note of the things to avoid to properly upkeep the sheen.

  1. Never use steel wool or other abrasive instruments on a porcelain floor. Scratches and damage to the tile's surface may result.

  2. Polishing an already shiny surface for the sake of upkeep might not be the best idea as it may deteriorate the existing quality provided by the manufacturer.

  3. Corrosive chemicals can harm the tile's surface and increase the pace at which it absorbs water.

  4. Bleach, ammonia, and other acid-based cleaners may be extremely detrimental to your tile floor. Your ceramic or porcelain tile is made of hardened clay that is porous, and acid may seep into the tile and cause it to degrade.

  5. While most cleaners will not harm porcelain, certain extremely abrasive chemicals may, so avoid anything too abrasive. 

How to Keep Tiles Shiny?

Keeping tiles shiny could is simple if done regularly. Although the cleaning chemicals for each type of tiles differ, the cleaning processes are quite similar. The process involves few simple steps to follow and that should ensure you have a clean and polished tiles for a long time:

  • To remove any dirt and loose particles from your tile, vacuum or sweep it.
  • Using a moderate cleaning solution, mop the floor.
  • Use a sponge or a soft-bristled brush to spot clean any exceptionally unclean spots.
  • Any cleaning product should be properly rinsed away.
  • Using a towel, dry the area or allow it to air dry in a well-ventilated location.
  • Using a buffer or a flat-head microfiber mop, buff away wet marks.

Apart from the above simple process there are many other chemical, homemade solutions and tricks to keep tiles shiny.

1. Gloss Sealers

A gloss tile sealer is another option for making tile floors sparkle and shine without the use of wax. It is a commercial solution that ensures the upkeep of the shine of your tile for a long time. A water-based acrylic polymer mix is used to create high-gloss tile sealers. These sealers not only give your tiles a high-gloss appearance, but they also make them stain-resistant and improve moisture wicking. You must select a product that is suitable with the type of floor tile you have. Although most high-gloss sealers are developed for stone tiles, there are several that are suitable for ceramic tiles as well. However, High-gloss tile sealers, regardless of their efficiency, fade with time.

2. Vinegar Solution

Does vinegar shine tile floors? Yes, Vinegar has a wide range of cleaning benefits. The major component in vinegar tile cleanser, acetic acid, may dissolve soap, oil, dirt, stain, and mineral deposits, leaving the tiles significantly cleaner and shinier as a result. Using a hot vinegar and water solution, mop the dirty tile floors. Clean and mop the floor thoroughly with clean warm water once the solution has been applied to the whole tile floor.

3. Baking Soda

Use Baking soda is very effective and commonly used solution to clean tiles and retain its shine. Baking soda may be used to remove stains from tile floors. Baking soda is one of the most effective cleaners for removing stains and debris. The procedure involves two gallons of warm water, quarter cup baking soda, one tablespoon liquid dishwashing soap, and quarter of a cup white vinegar in warm water, all of these is then properly mixed to a consistency of a paste. After applying on the tiles allow 10 minutes for the paste to settle on the tiles before washing them with clean water. If the stains on the tile floor remain, repeat the preceding steps. To get rid of any surplus moisture, dry the surface with clean cloth.

4. Traditional Soap & Water Combo

A simple solution of soap and warm water never fails to deliver and at times might be quite useful. Combine a soft detergent with warm water in a bucket and thoroughly mix to generate a soapy solution. Using the cleaning solution mop the floor. To prevent leaving dirt streaks on the floor, replace the solution as it becomes filthy. After that scrub the stain areas carefully with a soft brush or sponge and finally clean the floor by rinsing it with clean water.

5. Soft Mop

When it comes to cleaning tiles, opting for a soft mop is critical step. Opting for a sponge or metal mops will adversely affect the tiles look, making them abrased and dull. Because they absorb a lot of water, and no matter what kind of tile you own, with even the lowest porosity you might be at risk of pushing dirty water over the tiles and inside. They're also ineffective at cleaning the grout as thoroughly as is required. For tiles, soft microfibre mops have proved to be a great solution. They don't absorb a lot of water yet scrub really nicely. 

6. Lemon Juice Solution

Lemon juice has remarkable properties; for a surface that is smaller in area, Lemon juice may be used to restore the sheen of the tiles. Apply lemon juice on your tile floor and wipe the tile with a moist sponge or cloth until the glossy shine is retained. However, because of its acidic nature, one must not allow lemon juice to just sit on the tiles for too long, and hence this solution requires you to wipe of the juice immediately.

7. Ammonia

A water and ammonia combination are one of the most effective tiles cleaning solutions, eliminating stains and restoring the shine of floor tiles with surprising results. Immerse the mop into the cleaning solution and wring it out completely to prevent using too much of it. Mop the floor thoroughly, removing stains, filth, and disinfecting it at the same time. After cleaning with ammonia, you should thoroughly rinse the floor with freshwater and dry mop it.

It's crucial to maintain a regular cleaning pattern, and you should clean more than just your tile. You should also clean your grout too. For your tiles to retain and shine for a long-time regular cleaning and mopping might be the only solution you need. Depending on where you put tile in your home and how much dirt, wear, and stain it is subjected to, not cleaning your tile on a regular basis might result in a damage.


Article Updated - January 11, 2022


Read More Articles:

1. Advantages of Ceramic Tiles
2. Top 10 Tiles Manufacturers in India
3. Guide To 12 Different Types of Tiles

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