How to clean indoor porcelain tiles

The method of cleaning internal porcelain tiles will depend on the type and finish of your porcelain tiles. Matt finish textured porcelains present a different set of cleaning issues to a fully polished porcelain tile.

Textured interior tiles can quickly collect dirt & grime, this can be obvious on both lighter and darker coloured tiles.

Firstly, we will explain the different types of porcelain and then recommend cleaning solutions.​

An overview of the different types of porcelain used on floors and walls

Polished porcelain. This type of porcelain often has a mirror finish and is usually an interior tile. Normally it is micro-porous so could be sealed (often they are left unsealed). We would recommend cleaning with an everyday gentle cleaner like Ph Neutral Floor Cleaner. Polished porcelain has a mirror finish which suffers from obvious scuff marks and streaks left from mopping or just easy to remove scuff marks. Polished porcelain should not require a stronger cleaning agent than our Ph Neutral Floor Cleaner.

Glazed porcelain or fully vitrified porcelain. This is the largest group of porcelains found on interior floors. It is likely that your porcelain tile falls into this category/type of tile. This type of tile will be totally non-porous, it might have a sheen but can also be in a matt finish. Matt finish tiles often have an anti-slip texture. We recommend Floorseal Ph Neutral Floor Cleaner for everyday cleaning. Or for periodic deep cleaning use Floorseal Intensive Tile Cleaner.

Unglazed or semi-vitrified or micro/semi-porous porcelains. This is a much smaller group of porcelains which will absorb a little liquid, this type of porcelain is not so common. It will almost certainly be in a matt finish – they will be porous to some degree. We recommend Floorseal Ph Neutral Floor Cleaner for everyday cleaning. Or for periodic deep cleaning use Floorseal Intensive Tile Cleaner.

Cleaning interior porcelain tiles

For everyday cleaning of any kind of interior porcelain tile, we recommend using Floorseal Ph Neutral Floor Cleaner. It is a gentle cleaning agent which can be used regularly to clean and disinfect. You do not have to dilute the product to an exact rate, usually 100ml to 200ml or (just 3 – 4 capfuls) in 4 or 5 litres of warm water is adequate.

This product is a gentle daily use cleaner & sanitiser, it is safe to use on any porcelain tile fitted to floors or walls. This cleaner is mild enough to be applied by hand using a sponge (for cleaning walls or around taps etc). Or apply with a general stringy mop or microfibre flat mop.

How do you deep clean porcelain internal tiled floors?

For deep cleaning interior porcelain tiles use Floorseal Intensive Tile Cleaner. This cleaner can be used on fully vitrified or semi vitrified tiles. It is particularly effective for cleaning and sanitising textured anti-slip tiles that easily attract dirt.

Intensive Tile Cleaner will succeed where general cleaners fail. If you have a pet which is causing your tiles to quickly become grimy, an occasional deep clean with Floorseal Intensive Tile Cleaner will remove really ingrained dirt. Take care around painted and varnished surfaces with this cleaner, however.

You can then use Floorseal Ph Neutral Floor Cleaner for everyday general cleaning, once the surface has had a deep clean.

Floorseal Cement & Grout Haze Remover will remove cement-based grout hazes. Suitable for use during the installation of porcelain tiles. Cement & Grout Haze Remover can be used to remove cement-based grout hazes after grouting. Please note that this product will not remove resin or epoxy resin-based hazes. However, resin-based grouts are normally only used on external installations.

So, what is the best cleaner for porcelain tiled floors?

As discussed, it depends on what you need your cleaner for and the type of the tile.

For interior porcelain tiled floors, Floorseal Ph Neutral Floor Cleaner is suitable for general everyday use. Floorseal Intensive Tile Cleaner is suitable for periodic deep cleaning of really grimy porcelains.

A reminder of the recommended application methods for cleaning porcelain floor tiles:

Floorseal Ph Neutral Floor Cleaner. – Mix 100ml to 200ml with 4 or 5 litres of warm water and mop on. Dilution rates do not have to be exact. For general everyday cleaning & sanitisation of any type of porcelain tiled floor.

Floorseal Intensive Tile Cleaner. – Can be used diluted from 1:10 with clean water to being used neat. A dwell time of 10-15 minutes can really boost the cleaning power of this product, as well as agitation with a mop. For use on ingrained dirt & grime on interior floors, particularly useful on semi-textured matt finish porcelains. Rinse heavily after use.

Further information

Please Click Here to view our products & accessories for cleaning and sealing porcelain. This includes all of our handy ‘how to’ guides for cleaning and sealing interior or exterior porcelain.

The information contained within this article is not exhaustive. If you need further information please contact Floorseal on (01484) 861461 or email us info@floorseal.co.uk our web address is www.floorseal.co.uk.