Simple tips to ensure that your floor tiles stay clean longer

Take care of your floor tiles with a soft touch and a few clever cleaning procedures to keep your tiles and grout looking new. Discover how to clean floor tiles and grout, which cleaning products and equipment to use, and how often your floors should be cleaned.

Your kitchen or bathroom is not completely clean until the floors have been cleaned. While you do not need to do this task every time you wash down the counters, it is important to keep an eye out for symptoms of dirt or grime on your tile flooring. A hazy coating on the floor or unclean grout are both symptoms that your flooring needs more than a quick cleaning. When cleaning your floor tiles, be careful to use the right approach for your kind of tile, since suggested cleansers and mops differ by material. These are the finest methods for cleaning floor tiles regardless of their material composition.

How to Clean All Types of Floor tiles

You would not clean a stainless-steel refrigerator with an enamel cleaner. The same holds true for your tile. While floor tiles are quite durable, several types of tile need specific maintenance. While ceramic and porcelain floor tiles need little maintenance, rougher tiles such as slate, marble, granite, or limestone require customized care and sometimes specialized cleansers.

Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Floor Cleaning

Ceramic and porcelain tiles are very durable, and with a few simple cleaning instructions, these kinds of flooring can remain gleaming. To clean ceramic and porcelain tile, follow these easy steps:

1. Remove loose debris: Sweep or sweep your floor tiles on a regular basis to keep them looking new. Although ceramic floor tiles are dirt-resistant, sand and grit may degrade the glazed surfaces. learn more about floor tiles at http://hawthorneatconcord.com/12-best-subway-tile-ideas-for-your-bathroom-and-kitchen/

2. Use the proper floor mop: Clean tile with a light detergent and clean water, rather than a sponge mop. These mops are ideal for cleaning tile since sponge mops have a tendency to drive unclean water into grout lines, making them more difficult to clean. While mopping, be careful to replace the water often; unclean water produces a foggy floor.

3. Keep an eye out for tile stains: If you see a stain, first establish what sort of material caused it. Use the proper cleaner for the stain for the most effective clean.

4. Keep an eye out for soap residue: If your tiles continue to seem foggy after washing, you may be dealing with soap residue. Use a nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner to remove the film. On ceramic or porcelain floor tiles, you might alternatively use a DIY cleaner containing a moderate acid (such as fresh lemon juice) (but never on stone tiles).

5. Dry the tiles: Do not allow standing water on your glazed floor tiles to dry naturally, since this will result in water stains. Take care of this by quickly drying the floor with a clean, lint-free cloth after washing.

A close-up of a building Description automatically generated with low confidence

Editor’s Recommendation: Take care of your knees and dry tiles in the simplest manner possible: Use your foot to move the cloth across the floor.

Cleaning Stone Floor tiles

When dealing with natural stone tiles such as slate, granite, or marble, use caution. Chemicals in conventional cleaners have been known to cause harm to the surface of these materials. Rather than that, clean your stone tiles using natural stone cleansers.

  • Slate Tiles: You may also use a mild detergent on slate floor tiles, as long as the detergent does not contain any acidic ingredients, such as lemon or vinegar. If your slate tile is covered, immediately dry it with a soft towel to eliminate water marks.
  • Marble Tile: While marble is an aesthetically pleasing material, it is also a high-maintenance material. Avoid using anything with an acidic PH level to clean marble tile. Cleaners containing lemon or vinegar should be avoided, since they have the potential to etch the tile’s surface. Additionally, avoid anything that might harm the marble, such as bristly brushes or scouring powders.
  • Granite Tile: Similar to slate and marble floor tiles, granite tile should be cleaned with a pH-neutral mild detergent. Abrasive cleaners have a tendency to leave streaks or discoloration on the tile. Additionally, you may choose to buff a polished granite floor to maintain its luster and cleanliness. learn more about pH-neutral mild detergent by clicking here.

The Best Way to Clean Resistant Floor tiles

Resistant tile, which is made of linoleum, vinyl, cork, and rubber, is an excellent choice if you want a surface that is easy on the feet and requires no care. When cleaning your resilient floor tiles, keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Vinyl Tile: This very durable flooring option is also quite simple to maintain. Simply sweep or vacuum debris from the floor and mop with a vinyl cleaning solution or a solution of water and vinegar. Never use an abrasive cleaner or scrubbing tool on vinyl, as this may cause the surface to scratch.

• Linoleum Tile: Often confused with vinyl flooring, linoleum is a distinct substance with unique maintenance needs. Following sweeping or vacuuming, clean the linoleum tile using a linoleum flooring cleaning solution or a mix of Borax and water. Rinse well and allow the floor to dry. Apply a layer of wax or liquid wax and buff to a sheen every 3 to 6 months to preserve your linoleum flooring.

• Cork Tile: The cleaning care required for cork floor tiles varies according to the finish on the tiles. If the cork surface has been treated with polyurethane (which the majority of cork floors are), clean it with water and a little detergent or white vinegar, then thoroughly rinse. If the cork is not polished or waxed, follow the polyurethane cleaning procedures but add solid or liquid wax once the tile dries.

Editor’s Tip: Never clean any of these tile kinds with a steam mop. They are not meant to withstand high temperatures or excessive wetness.

A picture containing indoor, floor, wall, room Description automatically generated

How to Remove Grout from Tiles

The true key to beautiful floor tiles is clean grout. Due to the porous nature of grout, which collects grease and other stains, it may be difficult to maintain clean. How to restore the appearance of your grout:

1. Create a homemade grout cleaner: Rather than purchasing commercial cleaners, create a paste of baking soda and water.

2. Scrub grout: Apply it to the stain, let it lie overnight, and then scrub the stain with a firm nylon brush in the morning (a metal brush will damage the grout). Repete as needed.

3. Seal grout: Coat the grout with a silicone-based sealant to protect it from future stains. This procedure is most effective when performed 10-14 days after the grout has been laid or refreshed.

How to Know the Right Tapware for your Kitchen

The choice of perfect tapware from identifying a good one when you see it. You will agree with me that we have all bought one or more things we thought were excellent. Only for us to get home and discover that we have been sold short of what we bargained for. What if you knew earlier by mere examination what items will serve you perfectly before bargaining for them? That is the kind of knowledge that this article will give you. 

General conditions for choosing tapware for your kitchen

We are not underplaying the required effort to make a perfect tapware choice, especially for your kitchen. We are saying that your choice will not just have to look guide and come in your chosen style, it will also serve all its essential functions for a long time. By the way, what are the crucial tasks of tapware? It is to deliver water flow for 

  • Cleaning of clothes, plates, body and other parts of the home
  • Preparation of food for everyone
  • Drinking water
  • Washing other items like your car

So, when you go out shopping to replace your tapware or a new purchase, you keep these needs in mind. In other words, don’t just pick the first tapware that you come across simply because it is catchy. Ensure that it can cover all the basic needs that we have itemized. Also, take your time to carefully examine the design, style, colour and material to ensure it fits your kitchen needs. So, below is a list of the most important things you should consider before you buy.

Consider your kitchen style

The general style or design of your kitchen is an essential factor to select the right tapware. Can your kitchen accommodate a single tapware or a double tap for a dual basin in a simple test? Although, you can enhance any of the two sides to accommodate the other one. But you still need to search for the correct item among the tapware that will blend without fault into the scheme of things in your kitchen. You can read about 12 Best Subway Tile Ideas For Your Bathroom And Kitchen by clicking here.

For instance, if your kitchen is an ultra-contemporary cooking zone, you need minimalist tapware to complement that feature. Such tapware shows clean and sharp lines with a high-shine finish perfect for your personal space. On the other hand, if your kitchen is more traditional or country-type, you should go for tapware with more unique features. Such features include gentle curves and some decorative details for a facelift. This set of tapware can really add an extra touch of charm and elegance to your collection. 

Consider the kind of finish you want your tapware to have

There are several classes of tapware finish out there for you to explore. Ranging from polished chrome or stainless steel to brushed brass or bright copper. All these options are exemplary when it comes to their abilities to transform your kitchen looks. There are no general or universal rules as to which of the finishes are the best. It all depends on the preferred choice of the buyer. However, we still have some suggested ideas as to finding the right ones that fit just right. 

For instance, your choice of tapware must be that which synchronizes with the appliances in your kitchen. Not only so, try them out with your cupboard and the other furniture. Do the colours and styles match? You may need to consider the age and times that your kitchen represents. Do you have a vintage appearance, or it is more like a modern contemporary style? All these factors have a way of controlling the harmony and cohesiveness of different items in your kitchen. They are all part of the design for a modern kitchen and interior features and functions. 

Is coloured tapware a better choice?

It is easy for people to just opt-in for the chrome finish since it has shiny and attractive looks. But if, like me, you still prefer something a little more daring than the conventional types, then you need to go for better eye-popping choices. Instead of the copper, chrome, and stainless steel finishes and colours, you need to explore colours like sky blue and even shiny black. The attractive standard colours usually come with mixer taps that allow you to spy into the culinary zones. 

Meanwhile, if, on the other hand, you still don’t like the bright tones, you can choose the bright tones of finishes. In fact, black tapware is an excellent alternative if you don’t decide which colour to choose. More so, those black tapware are incredibly versatile and can become great additions to the already bright backgrounds of your kitchen. You can even explore some more sophisticated choices among them.

What shape and size of the spout do you prefer?

Perhaps some people don’t even realize that the shape, style and size of the spout can make a huge difference in your choice of tapware. You need to understand early that the size and size of the fixture can determine how versatile your tap will become after installation. For instance, if you have a big sink basin and your spout length is very short, then you will struggle to use it appropriately when the time comes to wash oversized items.

On the other hand, L-shaped tapware comes with a low profile and is very subtle in style than the C or U-shaped ones. However, the latter stands tall over your kitchen sink and gives you the liberty of extensive use. And in terms of aesthetics, the long spout instantly attracts the eye of everyone who walks into the kitchen. Meanwhile, the taps with medium or high fixtures are both practical and show appeal. They can accommodate large pots, trays and pans with ease when washing.

Pick the right mounting style

The mounting style of your tapware during installation is also essential, and you must begin to work it out from scratch. Are you going to mount the tapware on top of the bench, wall or directly into the sink? Your kitchen design style may still influence this, but you must have made that decision before buying the tapware. For instance, tapware that you mount to the wall behind the sink leaves some space on the benchtop.

This space can be beneficial when you need to clean. The tapware you mount on the bench may be more useful for visually appealing and seamless functioning. On the other hand, the significant benefit of sink-mounted tapware is that this tapware are more generally easier to install and maintain. At least, the tapware is better than the benchtop-mounted tapware as well as the wall-mounted tapware. Make your choice in the vast tapware industry.

12 Best Subway Tile Ideas For Your Bathroom And Kitchen

Do you intend to cover the walls in your bathroom and kitchen with a unique subway tile? And you are wondering about the subway tile idea that will beautify your kitchen and your bathroom? This article will help you. We will suggest the best subway tile ideas that will give your kitchen and bathroom that lovely look. Click here to read more about Subway Tiles Ideas.

There are countless subway tile ideas, but not all can fit in the kitchen and bathroom walls. It is expedient for you to know that places like kitchen and bathroom in homes must be attended especially with subway tile that will brighten it up. 

If you want to give your kitchen a bright touch with a trending style, then there’s nothing else for you to consider other than subway tiles. Subway tile became an instant classic when it was introduced in New York City. After some decades, this easy to clean, cheap and durable tiles have been suitable for kitchens and bathrooms.

However, let us begin with the benefits of using subway tile in your bathroom and kitchen:

  • Subway tile will brighten up your bathroom and kitchen: there’s no other shape of tile that can bring more light to your kitchen and bathroom like subway tile. Don’t forget that subway tile is made of ceramics. Subway tiles are light reflective.
  • Subway tiles are easy to clean: you can easily clean up any stain on subway tile with water. It is easy to clean, unlike tiles of other shapes. Its smoothness allows water to wipe away the unwanted stain easily.  Luckily, you will get to understand this if you can try to use glass subway tiles.
  • Subway tiles are not expensive.

Therefore, let us proceed to the best subway tile idea for your bathroom and kitchen:

Dark grey herringbone

Dark grey subway tile can be laid in a herringbone pattern in your bathroom and kitchen. It adds depth and a seamless finish to the wall. With this subway tile idea, your bathroom and kitchen are kept light and bright with white paint.

Matte navy

Matte navy subway tile backsplash will add a fresh and modern note of low-key colour and interest to your kitchen. This unique subway tile idea is specially designed for kitchens. Recently, research has shown that this unique subway tile is the best for the kitchen and bathroom.

Glossy white vertical

Glossy white vertical is a polished, textured, glazed white subway tile. This beautiful tile will add subtle textural interest while blending seamlessly with the white painted wall and thick white floating shelves above. It has been laid in a vertical pattern. The essence of laying this subway tile steeply creates a modern spin on the classic look, and it draws the eye upward. Therefore, glossy white vertical is one of the best subway tiles that will keep your kitchen and bathroom looking more attractive.

Black accent

Black accent is a unique subway tile pattern that is laid way up to the ceiling. This tile pattern also creates depth and interest, and it makes something different within a room. It is so lovely to the extent that people love to use it to cover every wall in their kitchens and bathrooms.

Black and white stripes

This lovely pattern is laid in black and white with the same space interval. It is a unique subway tile for bathrooms and kitchens. Apart from the fact that this pattern is beautiful, combining the two colours will create a dramatic statement without breaking the budget. To complete its beauty in your bathroom, you can use a white shower curtain with black dots’ amps up the effective symmetrical style.

Textured white

This glossy textured subway tile will add interest, and it will remain clean and classic. Combining this unique pattern with a vintage runner on the floor will make your kitchen look more polished. If you are looking for a well-designed subway tile for your kitchen, you just have to consider using textured white.

Splashy metallic

This unique backsplash made from bronzed mirrored subway tiles will add a stunning demonstration of metallic flair to your kitchen. This subway tiles idea is the best way to keep your kitchen more comfortable for you, just like every other room in your house. With this unique tile pattern in your kitchen, you will love to take your meal right there because you will feel refreshed and relaxed.

Dove grey glass

There’s no doubt about it, dove grey glass subway tiles are pretty expensive, but they are lovely to cover the walls in your kitchen and bathroom. Dove grey glass is also one of the most beautiful subway tile patterns suitable for protecting your kitchen and bathroom walls.

Subway tiles paired with original brick

This pattern has been the most sought after in the US. The combination of subway tile with original brickwork will give your kitchen and bathroom an updated feel. This subway tiles idea will create a clean and crisp look for your kitchen and bathroom. You might not understand the beauty of what we are talking about. We will advise you to check it out. It’s wonderful.

Grey subway

If you want a perfect neutral kitchen space, then try the grey subway tile idea in your kitchen. Over the years, these unique subway tiles have become a staple in interior design, showing up in kitchens and bathrooms across the country. 

Vertical offset

White subway tiles are used in a perpendicular offset to lure the eye upward and make a clean, uncluttered setting for a matte black consume hood and simple white free shelves.

Modern farmhouse

You can use classic white subway tiles in an offset running bond pattern to get this modern farmhouse for your kitchen. The all-white colour scheme is punctuated with pops of black, from the shaker cabinetry to the black grout around the subway tiles. Therefore, this subway tile idea is the best for your kitchen.

Finally, you don’t need to worry about the best subway tiles for your kitchen and bathroom. We’ve listed the twelve best ideas for you. Check them out.