If there’s one cleaning product that is popular in the market, it’s tile floor cleaners. And there are plenty of them. After all, everyone loves when their tile floors are clean, sleek, and shiny. However, chemical-based cleaning products can negatively affect some people’s health. If there are children in your house or anyone in the family sensitive to harsh chemicals, you might want to use vinegar as your natural cleaning agent.
There are a lot of natural homemade solutions that you can use for cleaning tile floors. But vinegar is a very efficient tile cleaner, especially for ceramic, vinyl, laminate, and porcelain tile floors. Vinegar is a multi-purpose cleaner that can easily dissolve dirt, germs, mold, and much more.
Are you interested in how you can utilize vinegar to clean tile floors? Find out how you can properly care for your tile floors here!
How Does Vinegar Clean Tile Floors?
Vinegar is a non-toxic product that can safely disinfect, deodorize, and clean hard surfaces. When tile floors become dirty or soiled, this natural solution can effectively clean them without having to breathe in harsh vapors.
Vinegar is a mildly acidic solution that does well with hard water stains and grease. The floor may smell like vinegar when you use this solution, but once it dries, it will leave a natural and fresh scent.
What are the Best Ways to Clean Tile Floors?
Cleaning tile floors is not a burdensome chore. You can follow this guide below to clean your tile floors effectively.
Remove Any Dirt by Sweeping or Vacuum Your Tile Floors
Removing the dirt from your floor tiles is a must. The best way to start cleaning the tiles is to sweep or vacuum the floor.
Prepare Your Floor Cleaning Solution
Of course, you can use store-bought chemical cleaners to clean your tile floors. However, for health purposes, natural cleaners are effective and the safest option you can use to clean your tiles.
Mop the Floor
Mop the floor twice. First, you should mop the tile floors with the vinegar solution and then rinse it with water. You can use detergent if you want to keep your tile floors shiny. For the second time, mop the floor again and rinse them with water to make sure that it is not slippery or sticky for safety purposes.
Dry the Tile Floors
After you have mopped your floor, the last thing you should do is dry your floor tiles. Use a clean cloth or a fan to dry them.
How to Clean Tile Floors with Vinegar?
Vinegar can clean a variety of tile floors. However, cleaning natural stones like marble, travertine, and granite with vinegar is not recommended. If these are different from the type of tiles you have at home, follow these steps to clean your floor tiles properly.
Things you’ll need:
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1-liter warm water
- Spray bottle
- Damp cloth
Step 1: Mix the white vinegar and warm water and pour them into the spray bottle.
Step 2: Spray the solution onto the tiles and wipe them using a damp cloth. Alternatively, you can soak a clean, soft cloth in the solution and use it to wipe the tiles.
Step 3: Rinse the tile floors with warm water and leave them to dry.
Can You Use Vinegar on Tile Grout?
Generally, you can clean tile grout with vinegar. Vinegar is a safe, natural cleaner that you can use to clean away dirt on your tile grout. However, do not use vinegar on grout that needs to be is not sealed or is in poor shape. If vinegar penetrates the grout’s pores, it will weaken the material.
However, if the grout is in good condition and the only problem is the dirt or mildew, you can use vinegar to remove it. Just spray or pour white vinegar into the affected area and leave it for about 10 minutes. Use a toothbrush and brush away the dirt in a circular motion. Rinse the grout to finish the procedure.
Can You Use Vinegar on Shower Tiles?
Absolutely! However, cleaning shower tiles are tricky because they can accumulate a large amount of grime. If you want to clean your shower tiles with vinegar, follow these steps:
Step 1: Close the door and windows of the shower area. Run the hot shower for a few minutes as you get ready to clean the shower tiles.
Step 2: Use the vinegar and water solution to clean the grout and tiles of the shower. Scrub them with a toothbrush in a circular motion to remove tough stains.
Step 3: Rinse well. You can use a squeegee to remove any streaks.
To minimize your grime problems, make it a habit to wipe down the walls after you shower using a clean, dry cloth. Pay attention to the corners of the shower, including the bottom of the walls, to prevent the buildup of water that causes grime.
Can Vinegar Damage Tile?
It depends on the type of tile floor. For tile floors made from ceramic, porcelain, vinyl, and laminate material, you can use vinegar to clean them, whether they are glossy or not.
For other types of tile floors like granite, marble, and terracotta, it is not recommended to use vinegar on them. Use neutral cleaners, as vinegar may harm these types of materials.
How Long Should Vinegar Sit on the Tile?
Vinegar can do wonders for about 10 to 30 minutes. As such, you can safely leave this solution around this time. For stubborn dirt, you can leave the vinegar on the tile floors and grout overnight.
Practical Tips for Cleaning and Maintaining Floor Tiles
Tiles are one of the best flooring choices in the house because of their beauty and ease of maintenance. Cleaning them may sound like a tiresome house chore, but it is satisfying once you start doing them, especially when you see the result. Here are practical tips to keep your tile floors squeaky clean.
Schedule a Time for Cleaning Session
If you don’t want a major tile cleanup, you should regularly schedule cleaning of your tile floors. Prevention cleaning is the best for long-lasting floor tiles.
Use Natural Cleaners
Preferably, use natural cleaners like vinegar, baking soda, or lemon to clean your tile floors. These household ingredients can safely and effectively eliminate dirt.
Mop the Floor Weekly
Make it a habit to mop your tile floors at least once weekly with one of the natural cleaners. And don’t forget to dry the floor after mopping them to avoid accidents.
Change Water Frequently When Cleaning
Change the water frequently to determine whether you are effectively cleaning your tile floors. If the water you use to mop the floor stops turning dark, the floor is clean.
Use Doormat
Place doormats on every door of the house. This will prevent the buildup of mud or water in the home, especially in inclement weather. If your bathroom has floor tiles, you can use a bath mat to dry your feet and prevent water from dripping on the bathroom floor.
Conclusion
Those who are not into eco-friendly or natural cleaners may be surprised by the answer to the question, “Does Vinegar Clean Floor Tiles?” To reiterate, though, yes, vinegar can clean floor tiles.
Cleaning your kitchen, bathroom, and shower tiles should be relatively inexpensive. Vinegar is an affordable and great alternative that can cut scum or grime on floors and remove dirt and challenging stains.
Vinegar can clean a lot of things. If you wear makeup and want to start cleaning your makeup brushes the natural way, read our article – Can Vinegar Clean Makeup Brushes?