Not Riled About Tiles


I figured there had to be an easier way to clean tile floors. And waddya know - there is!

Imagine my surprise to discover the best primary cleansing method is.... (drum roll please) ... hot water.

That's it.

No "and", just hot water. Well, maybe “and” a mop!  

Apparently tile floors need to be swept daily, and then damp-mopped about once a week as a Maintenance Clean. Damp-mopped = swish mop head in warm-to-hot water, wring well, mop floor. Repeat.

How easy is that?

Please note: the above ^ assumes you wipe up spills as soon as they happen, especially if they’re yucky spills like dog sick or meat juice. Yeeeughh!

About once a month, or when the water gets dirty really fast, or you think it's about time (whichever level of pickiness you're at), you need to give it a go-over with some sort of cleaning solution. However, good old hot water is the ticket for optimum cleanliness and minimum fuss.

The cleaning solution isn’t much work either (and it’s environmentally friendly).

For ceramic tiles; a capful of rubbing alcohol in a bucket of water should do the trick. Vinyl floors will use a cupful of white vinegar instead of alcohol, and stone floors require only a squirt of dishwashing liquid.  

(Check that your floor isn’t sticky after a wash, you may need to give it a quick rinse if it is.)

Well, well, well. Three holes in a field. (My late grandfather's favorite saying. I love it, and I've never been able to hear anyone say "well" without thinking of it and him.)

P.S. About sweeping, remember that anything abrasive will damage the surface, shine, and (if there is one) sealant of the floor. The best way to sweep the floor is either using a vacuum cleaner with a bare floor attachment, or with a soft duster mop that has a removable head that you can just pull off and toss in the washing machine.

Huh. Himself was right about the sweeping. Sigh. How frustrating! J

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