Ceramic tile floors look beautiful in any house. They render a subtle sophistication and elegance to your home plus their durability makes them an ideal choice. However, the pristine white of ceramic tiles is prone to stains and smudges. Dirt and mildew accumulate on the floor which leads to unsightly discoloration. The situation is worse if the tiles are textured. On the other hand, removing these stains is a fairly easy job. You can remove these marks and grouts by using the magical liquid sitting in your kitchen cabinet – vinegar. This article is a step-by-step guide on using vinegar to clean ceramic tile floors.
Step 1: Make a Diluted Vinegar Solution
Concentrated vinegar has high acidity content that can damage ceramic tiles and that’s why you need to make a diluted vinegar solution. Remember to never use bleaches and other cleaning chemicals available in the market. These chemicals are way too strong and damage the delicate ceramic tiles.
- Take about 2 gallons of warm water in a bucket. The warmer the water, the better it is for loosening up stubborn grim and grout.
- Pour a full bottle of vinegar in this warm water. A 500ml bottle of vinegar should do. Stir this solution a few times to mix the two liquids. You can use white vinegar as well as apple cider vinegar because both have high potency rate.
Step 2: Sweep and Mop the Floors
Before moping the floor with the vinegar solution, you should sweep the floor to get rid of any removable dirt present on the floor. Also, clear the floor of all the furniture and appliances that might get in the way of cleaning. Now dip the mop in the vinegar solution and start cleaning the floor in circular or side-to-side motion. Work your way across the floor but make sure to avoid the wooden baseboards along the floor. You will see the results right away after covering the entire floor surface with vinegar and mopping for a few times.
Step 3: Rinse with Water
After covering the floor with vinegar, it is important to rinse the floor surface with fresh water. Go over the entire floor again, this time mopping with fresh water to remove the vinegar solution after it has done its job. Not rinsing with water will leave dirty water splotches all over the floor, which does more damage to the ceramic tiles. Use an absorbent towel to soak up excess water.
Step 4: Removing the Stubborn Grout
Most of the stains on the ceramic tile floor will go away easily, but not the grout between the tiles. In order to clean the grout, you’ll have to work a little more and then you’ll be rewarded with pristine clean ceramic tiles.
- Make more diluted vinegar solution but this time in a spray bottle.
- Sprinkle a little amount of baking soda over the grout and spray it with the vinegar solution. Leave the solution to sit for 5-10 minutes in order to loosen up the grout.
- Use a stiff-bristle brush to scrub the grout and hard stains. You may need to leave the solution overnight if the stain is too hard. Rinse with fresh water and the grout should be gone.