Whether your tile floors are new or old, you always have a chance to rejuvenate their shine and make them appear more appealing with the right shine solution. Tile floors are one of the most sought-after interior floor decoration options.
You will notice that there has been a change from contemporary kitchen and bathroom ceramic tile floors to more modern options today. Floor tiles are resistant to a serious amount of damage, such as heavy abrasion and scouring, which means they are durable in the long run.
Helpful Information about Floor Tiles
Though all flooring options have their weakness, maintenance is the real cause of concern for tile floors. Although they appear attractive and unique depending on the style, color, and size that you choose, improper maintenance can result in damage and long-term plainness.
Natural tile polish can wear off with time, especially when you don't maintain ceramic tiles. However, there are various ways to make your tile floors shine, and yes, you can make tile floors shine without wax is entirely possible.
Stains and dust spread on different types of tiles over time. But, with the right cleaning process, you can shine your floor tiles.
How To Make Tile Floors Shine Without Wax?
Before we discuss how to shine tile floors without wax, there are certain things that you should keep in mind. The main reason house owners like yourself go for tile flooring options is their shine and appearance.
Tile floors can match nearly all types of interior designs. But since they are so durable yet versatile, it is pretty common for tile floors to get damaged. The most common damage to tile floors comes from dust and stains commonly transferred from household footwear.
On top of that, if you leave the tile floors unattended, they become dirtier and start to lose their appearance further. Considering that factor, most house cleaners go for the wax solution, which involves cleaning and shining the floors with wax.
Now, this solution has no downside except that wax forms unattractive residue on the tile floors. Regardless, there are simple and natural products that offer simple cleaning solutions and replace chemical products such as wax solutions.
Before Making Tile Products Shine in Your House
You should know that furniture doesn't have to be present when you begin the process of shining your tiles without wax. To properly clean the tile floors in your house, you need to expose every inch of your tiles, possibly to the simple and natural products that you will use.
If it is not possible to entirely remove the furniture from the parts of the house where the flooring comprises tiles, you can push it against the wall as much as you can.
Make sure that you remove any dust particles and carefully vacuum the floors. Once you remove furniture, you will have greater floor space to work the cleaning solution and gain maximum results. You have to remove the dust and dirt first. After that, you can begin with either one of the cleaning solutions below.
Solution #1
Among the several natural options to remove stains from tiles, vinegar is the most common one. Vinegar is a common household cleaning material that removes dirt and dust to return the shine to appliances and utensils.
For dirty floors, white vinegar solution is extremely helpful. Since it is an edible food item, harsh fumes don't rise during the cleaning process. These harsh fumes might not be a more significant concern than the pungent smell resulting from the vinegar cleaning solution.
However, once you clean your tile flooring, you will notice that white vinegar returns the shine and natural scent back to the floor if you follow all the steps right.
Steps to Follow
1. Put warm water in a mop bucket and mix it with a relatively small amount of vinegar. Make sure that you vacuumed the tile floor to remove loose dirt and dust beforehand.
2. After that, dip the mop into the vinegar solution and slowly start mopping the tile floor. Once you have wiped the entire floor and reached as many corners as possible, you can leave the floor to air dry, which is the most effective approach.
3. You can use a soft towel to remove any leftover solution from the floor if you wish. Use a spray bottle to pour baking soda over the floor where you notice any heavy stains (make sure the tiles are wet at the time)
7. Once done with the baking soda, use a soft cloth to wipe the floor surface lightly. Keep the windows open before you begin applying the vinegar solution to avoid the stagnant smell.
Solution #2
While baking soda is a cooking item, certain chemical properties make it suitable for cleaning different house parts. If you notice, baking soda makes the dough rise, resulting in carbon dioxide gas formation.
That is one of the major properties that help remove stains and damages to revive the shine of your tile floors. If you think that your tiles have grout stains, you can use sodium bicarbonate to remove them.
Steps to Follow
1. Create a baking soda paste using warm water and an equal amount of baking soda.
2. Use the resulting thick paste with a soft brush (or an old toothbrush) to scrub any tough stains off your tiles. Noticeable stains are hard to remove, but baking soda is effective in doing so.
3. Leave the thick paste on the tiles for a few minutes (usually 10 minutes).
4. Rinse the tiles with warm water and repeat the process gently if any stubborn stains remain on the floor.
Solution #3
Using the soap and water solution, you can remove any noticeable stains on the tiles that you think may become hard to remove in the future. While mild, this cleaning process is effective.
Steps to Follow
1. Mix warm water and soap to create a soap-water solution in a mop bucket.
2. Squeeze the mop tightly after dipping it in the soapy solution to start wiping the tiles. Remove or replace the grout if it darkens during the process.
3. After wiping with a mop, wipe the surface using a soft towel to ensure the tiles absorb the soapy water. Once done, rinse and remove any excess water.
Solution #4
Ammonia can make tiles shine, as well as any other type of flooring. However, you must remember that a non-porous ceramic surface might react differently with an ammonia or vinegar solution than a porous ceramic tile surface.
Steps to Follow
1. Mix a small amount of ammonia with warm water in a bucket to create a new ammonia solution.
2. Soak a soft brush or mop in the solution and start wiping the floor. Wring it perfectly so that no excess liquid remains in the mop.
3. Mop the floor to disinfect it and remove tough stains using the ammonia solution. Remove excess water after completion.
4. Let the floor air dry once you have removed excess water from the floor.
How to Make Tile Floors Glossy?
You can clean your tile floors like other people using various chemical products. However, you should know that chemical products damage your tiled floors rather than cleaning them and returning their shine. Since most high gloss sealers are for ceramic tiles because of their porous surfaces, make sure you use the right gloss sealer for your existing floors.
But, once you have cleaned your tiles and returned their shine to a particular level, using a high gloss sealer may be advisable. Here's how you can do that.
Step-by-Step Shining Solution for Non-Wax Tile Floors
1. If you have already used any natural options to clean your tiled floors, go for a high gloss sealer to improve the shine of your flooring.
2. Remove loose dirt from the floor before applying any high gloss sealer on the bathroom, living room, or kitchen tiles.
3. Strip away any existing gloss or topical sealer before applying the first coat of the sealer on the tiled floor.
4. Once you apply and let the first coat of sealer dry, you can apply a second coat on the floors but in a different direction with a spray bottle.
5. Make sure that the gloss sealer is dry before you let anyone walk on the tiled flooring.
Wrap-Up
The most common stains on tile flooring result from outdoor shoes and footwear used inside the house. The dirt from outside can build in the gaps between tile floorings and permanently damage its appearance. However, cleaning and returning the shine of your tiles is not a difficult task at all.
Using any one of the solutions above can result in a shiny appearance on your tile. But, if you have ceramic tiles or stone tiles, you should check which solution might not work for each one of them beforehand. Rather than letting your beautiful and appealing tile flooring catch dullness, you should get a soap and water solution ready. For tougher stains, you can use other effective solutions from above.