Tile flooring can be a beautiful, classy addition to any home—but not if it's damaged by improper cleaning. Tile requires special care to stay looking its best, and unfortunately, many common cleaning techniques for other surfaces are wrong for tile. When you clean your tile floor, watch out for these common mistakes to avoid the need for new flooring.

What Not to Do

1. Let Spills Sit

While this isn't strictly a cleaning technique, it's important enough to be worth mentioning: do not let spilled liquids sit on your tile! Any spill should be addressed immediately, before it has time to soak into your grout.

2. Use Harsh Cleaning Products

Bleach- or ammonia-based cleaners may be great for disinfecting the rest of your bathroom, but keep them off your tile flooring. Both types of cleaners will discolor your grout. Milder all-purpose cleaners are enough to get the job done and won't make your tile floor look grimy.

3. Rely on Abrasives

Scrubbing with steel wool or abrasive cleaning powders will damage the finish of your floor tiles. Instead, use a soft cloth or a mop to wipe the surface down.

4. Use Oil-Based Cleaners

Glazed, shiny tile is already slippery enough; adding oil to the mix is a recipe for a fall. Skip the oil-based cleaners and stick with water-based options which rinse away and dry easily.

5. Leave the Tile Wet

Even water can damage your tile over time. Lingering dampness encourages mildew to grow in your grout, while letting floors air-dry encourages water spots and stains. For the best results, hand-dry your tile flooring immediately after cleaning.

Rough treatment will leave you with dingy tile and dark grout. For a pristine look, treat your tile flooring with care, and if you have any questions, ask a flooring company for advice.

CarpetMasters Flooring Co. provides flooring repair and installation in Chesterfield, MO. Contact them today for carpet, tile, hardwood, and any other type of flooring. You can reach them at (636) 532-1311 or get in touch online.