Cleaning ceramic tile floors (1 Viewer)

[Andrew Grall]

Hi folks,

We recently moved to a wonderful new house in Tucson, and there is a lot of ceramic flooring in the house. What is the best way to keep these floors clean?

We would prefer not to sweep and mop all the time... Any recomendations for a light vacuum that cleans tile well? We could follow that with our Swiffer Wet-Jet... Or is the FloorMate by Hoover worth the money?

Thanks for any tips!

 

[MarkHastings]

I had ceramic tile put down a year ago and the guy told me not to use any cleaners on the tile. He said "Just water" and if you must, use water and vinegar.

I've never used the vinegar though. I've just used water and everything is fine. I bought one of those Swiffer sweepers (the dry ones) to 'tidy' up because vacuuming it didn't seem to work to well.

 

[CapnSharpe]

I used to clean my tile floors using the cleaner available at johnbridge.com's store. It worked great and doesn't damage anything. In fact, I just ordered some stone cleaner for my slate fireplace.

 

[Todd Hochard]

The Swiffer Wet-Jet stinks, IMO. There is no substitute for a mop and bucket, and the job will go much faster, believe it or not. I don't have any tile any more, but my entire house in FL was tile, save the bedrooms, and after trying this, that, and the other, I went back to old fashioned mop.

I got one of those rope-looking ones at Target, that you twist the head on to wring it out. Most of the time used warm water, occasionally some lemony cleaner. After six years, it didn't to a thing to the tile. Tile isn't something you really have to be nice to, and the grout held up, too. Well, the high traffic areas of grout got a little darker over the years, but c'est la vie. You can scrub that out with a brush if you like- I didn't like.

Oh, and that wide (12-14in or so) angle head broom at Costco made quick work of the sweeping. Then I'd vac up the pile.

 

[MarkHastings]

No, not the Wet-Jet, the Sweeper - The dry one (for dusting the tile). It's like a dust cloth on the end of a pole and it slides under the fridge and table, etc. without killing my back. The ceramic tile is not very "kneeing" friendly at all!