Natural Ways To Make Tile Floors Shine

Tile floors lose their shine over time due to dirt, stains and wear. Those dull floors can make your whole room look outdated. Instead of ignoring dull floors, give them new life to restore them to their shiny glory. Commercial products may cost a lot of money, and it can be difficult to determine which ones will clean your floor the best. To save money and help to protect the environment from dangerous chemicals, use natural ingredients in your home to clean your floors and make your tile shine.

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Vinegar makes a yummy addition to many recipes, but it's also a powerful natural cleaner that works for many different cleaning needs. Combine 1 part water with 1 part white distilled vinegar in a 1-gallon bucket. Stir the solution to mix the vinegar into the water. Using undiluted vinegar can damage your tile's grout. Vinegar will disinfect the tile floors and deodorize them. Mop the floors with the diluted vinegar. Always wring out the excess liquid to prevent saturating the tile. Alternatively, you can pour the diluted vinegar into a spray bottle. Spray the floor in small sections and mop each area until you have cleaned the entire floor.

Combine 1/4 cup of ammonia with 1 gallon of warm water in a bucket. Soak a mop in the solution and wring out the excess water. Mop the tile floor to disinfect it. If the tile floor contains odd yellow discolorations or mildew, the ammonia will return the tiles back to their original shine. Dip a sponge or a nylon scouring pad in the solution and scrub on the floors gently. Rinse the ammonia solution with clean water, and wipe the floor with a washcloth to remove any lingering residue.

Baking soda will remove tough tile and grout stains if the floors appear dirty or discolored. Think of it as a natural tile polish that helps rejuvenate your floors. Combine an equal amount of baking soda with warm water to create a thick paste. Dip a soft-bristle toothbrush into the baking soda and scrub the grout and tiles. Allow the baking soda to sit for 10 minutes, then rinse the tiles with warm water. Repeat the process on the tile floor to remove any obvious stains.

When you have tough soap scum or dirt buildup on tile floors, you can return the shine by combining common household items to create a powerful cleaner. Combine 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 1/2 cup of ammonia and 1/4 cup of borax. Add 1 gallon of warm water to the ingredients and stir slightly to combine them well. Mop the tile floor with the cleaning solution, then rinse the floor well. Allow the floor to air-dry completely.

Once you clean your tiles with natural options, you can apply a high gloss tile sealer to get a little extra shine. Plus, the sealer helps protect your tiles to keep them looking great even longer. Choose a product designed for your type of tile. Most high-gloss sealer is designed for stone tiles with porous surfaces rather than ceramic tiles. If you use it on ceramic tile, test it out on a sample tile or in a hidden area first to make sure it bonds well, as the non-porous ceramic surface can cause issues. Keep in mind that a topical sealer can become scratched or fade over time, so the results may not last. You can strip and reapply the sealer.

Dull tiles leave your room looking drab. With natural ingredients you already have in your home, you can spiff up your tiles and make them look shiny and new.