How to clean tile floors (and the grout between them)

Step by step

1. 1

   Remove loose grit

   Sweep, dust-mop or vacuum the whole floor, paying attention to the grout lines and corners.

   Why: Grit scratches finishes and gets ground into the grout when you mop over it.

2. 2

   Mix a neutral cleaner

   Dilute a neutral cleaner made for tile, or a nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner, exactly as the label says. More is not better here. Fill a second bucket with clean rinse water.

   Why: Neutral cleaners are safe for the glaze and the cement grout. Extra detergent just stays behind as a film.

3. 3

   Mop a section at a time

   Wring the mop well and work in small sections, rinsing the mop in the clean-water bucket before dipping it back into the cleaner.

   Why: Keeping dirty water separate stops you spreading the soil you just lifted back across the floor.

4. 4

   Rinse with clear water

   Go over the floor again with a mop and fresh water. Change the water as soon as it looks cloudy.

   Why: Detergent left behind dries to a sticky film that attracts dirt and dulls the tile, which is why floors can look worse a day after mopping.

5. 5

   Buff dry

   Dry the floor with a microfiber cloth or towel, especially in rooms with hard water.

   Why: Water left to evaporate leaves mineral spots on glossy tile.

What tile is made of, and what that rules out

Glazed ceramic and porcelain tile are dense and nonporous, so the Tile Council of North America notes they often need nothing more than water. The weak point is the grout: cement-based grout is porous and alkaline, so it absorbs dirt and is attacked by acids. That's why routine use of vinegar and other acids is out, even though the tile itself would tolerate them.

Oil soaps, wax-based and pine-oil cleaners are also out. They leave an oily or waxy film that settles in the grout. Powdered abrasive cleansers can scratch tile, and coatings on glazed tile are unnecessary: the glaze is easier to clean and longer-lasting than anything you put over it.

How often: sweep or vacuum as needed to keep grit off, and damp-mop about weekly, or more in kitchens and entryways.

Deep cleaning a really dirty tile floor

For heavy soil, use a stronger alkaline tile cleaner diluted per the label, let it sit a few minutes, then scrub the grout lines with a nylon brush. The key step is getting the dirty solution off the floor: a wet/dry vacuum extracts it far better than a mop, which tends to push it back into the grout. Follow with one or two clear-water rinses, extracted the same way. This is essentially what a professional tile clean does, with heavier equipment.

If the grout is still dark after that, treat it separately (see how to clean tile grout). If the tile has a dull, sticky haze, it's usually old cleaner residue: repeated clear-water rinses remove it.

By situation

Wood-look tile

Wood-look plank tile is almost always porcelain, so clean it exactly like other porcelain tile. It isn't wood: wood-floor cleaners and wood-floor rules don't apply, and textured surfaces may need a soft brush to get dirt out of the grain pattern.

Bathroom tile floors

Bathroom floors collect hair, soap residue and mineral spots. Vacuum first, mop with a neutral cleaner, rinse and buff dry. For white mineral spots, see hard water stains, and avoid using acids on the grout around the toilet and tub.

Marble and other natural stone tile

Marble, travertine and limestone are calcium-based and etch with acids. They follow stone rules, not tile rules: pH-neutral stone cleaner, no vinegar, no abrasive powders. See how to clean marble floors.

Unglazed tile (quarry, terracotta)

Unglazed tile is more porous than glazed tile and may need sealing. Follow the tile maker's guidance on sealers and cleaners, and avoid oily cleaners that soak in and darken it.

Cleaning tile floors with a mop

Flat microfiber and sponge mops both work. Use a separate rinse bucket, wring the mop until it doesn't drip, and change the rinse water often. A string mop holds dirty water and redeposits it in the grout.

What not to do

• Don't use oil soaps, wax-based or pine-oil cleaners. They leave an oily or waxy film in the grout that traps dirt.
• Don't use vinegar or other acids as your routine cleaner. Acids gradually attack cement-based grout.
• Don't skip the rinse or use extra detergent. Residue dries to a sticky film that attracts more dirt.
• Don't scour with powdered abrasive cleansers. They can scratch tile surfaces.

Other methods that work

Plain warm water

For lightly dirty glazed tile, a damp mop with water alone is often enough, and it leaves no residue to rinse.

Caution: It won't cut greasy kitchen soil; use a neutral cleaner there.

Alkaline tile cleaner for heavy soil

A stronger alkaline cleaner used occasionally lifts ground-in grease and dirt, followed by a thorough rinse.

Caution: Not for marble or limestone without checking the label. Wear gloves and never mix it with other products.

Stain still there?

The floor feels sticky after mopping

Too much detergent or no rinse. Mop again with clear water, changing it often, until the floor no longer feels tacky.

The tile looks clean but the grout stays dark

Mopping doesn't reach into the grout. Scrub the joints with a nylon brush and an alkaline tile-and-grout cleaner or a baking soda paste, then extract and rinse. Mildew and deep stains need the steps in the grout guide.

Streaks or water spots after drying

Minerals or residue. Rinse with clean water and buff dry with a microfiber cloth instead of letting it air-dry.

Safety

• Never mix cleaners, especially bleach with ammonia or acids. See what never to mix.
• Wet tile is slippery: keep people and pets off until it's dry.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

More guides for this room

• How to clean area rugs by hand, in the washer or outside
• How to clean carpet at home, and get smells out of it
• How to clean hardwood floors without damaging the finish