Ceramic flooring is a big benefit to a home. They look great and with special care can last for who knows how long. Ceramic tile is manufactured to withstand a lot of punishment but it takes occasional smart care to preserve their look and the grout too.
First of all, a ceramic floor’s worse enemies are cracking from stress impacts and discoloration from harsh chemicals and lack of care. From the start, after your floors have been laid down or if you’ve just moved in, inspect the grout and tiles for damage. Then, with care walk on the floor with socks on to see if there’s any give underneath the tiles. If so, that means water and other debris can get in and you’re just waiting for a disaster to happen.
You need to clean ceramic floors gently. Simple store brand household solutions will work along with sponges and wet mops. No harsh abrasives nor things like steel wool need be used. They’ll damage the ceramic surface for sure as well as the grout and may discolor it.
Don’t use bleaches. They will ruin your ceramic flooring. Same goes with ammonia. Just don’t do it.
If you’ve got a texture on your ceramic floor you might use a light scrubber or polisher to do so. It’s a mild but deep cleaning that will bring out the quality color without damaging your tile.
Ceramic tiles come in a myriad of colors too and that has to be incorporated in your cleaning solutions as well. Some have bright colors and some dark. Some have highly polished surfaces and some a light rough texture. You need to protect them regardless of surface and color by putting protective mats on the floors and cushions on the legs of furniture and chairs. This will prevent scratching, chipping, and breaking.
Remember, just regular cleaning will do the job. If the ceramic floor is in the bathroom, then daily cleaning is essential. Same with the kitchen. This means using the safest and softest solutions so that regular use won’t damage the surface. If the ceramic flooring is in a room used occasionally, then a weekly cleaning along with regular sweeping will do just fine.
Overall, if you just take the time to take are of your ceramic floors with some smart home cleaning, you’ll see your investment pay off in the short and long term and still have a lovely floor to look at.
Image credit: Jennifer Huls