Cleaning
How To Clean High Gloss Floor Tiles Without Streaks!
As many of you know, we are in the middle of converting our house, and we have completely remodeled our kitchen. The biggest headache of all was deciding what type of flooring to use. We wanted something practical, modern, and fresh, but my main priority was that it needed to be easy to clean.
Cleaning is where I became unstuck because I love the look of high gloss tiles and how they give any home a wow factor, but I worried I’d not be able to clean them without getting streaks.
We went back and forth with many different ideas, such as wood, laminate but I had my heart set on the high gloss tiles. I loved high gloss porcelain floor tiles because they always look beautifully shiny and clean, and anybody who knows me knows how much I love polished surfaces. So after a lot of procrastination, we finally decided on the white marble effect high gloss floor tiles.
I had finally decided, but how on earth would I be able to keep them clean. I needed to clean high gloss floor tiles without causing streaks. Although they looked exquisite, they also looked like a lot of high maintenance to me!
I figured it would be trial and error until I found the secret to keeping high gloss floor tiles streak-free!
Having high gloss surfaces means that you need to keep on top of keeping them clean as they can soon start to show fingerprints, water spots, mud, scuff marks, and paw prints. I needed to find out how to clean white high gloss floor tiles with the least amount of effort possible because, like most of you, I have a chaotic, busy family life.
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I first started cleaning my tiles with an E-Cloth Mop like this one. The E-cloth mop was my go-to when I had my cleaning business because it has removable pads, so it’s easy to change when they get dirty rather than contaminating your clean water. This mop did a good job, but it didn’t leave the gloss tiles altogether streak-free, which meant that I had to dry the tiles after I’d mopped, which was both time-consuming and laborious on my back! I was also worried that if the mop head moved slightly on the mop, then the Velcro may scratch the surface of my lovely shiny tiles.
So, I decided to try the Vileda spin mop like this one. I think it’s the same as the O-Cedar brand if you live in America and the rest of the world. I had heard great reviews about these mops, so I thought I’d try one and put it to the test.
So here are the steps I use to clean my white high gloss shiny tiles to get a streak-free finish without any harsh chemicals or expensive cleaning agents.
How to clean gloss ceramic tiles without streaks
Follow these simple steps for a streak-free shine!
- Vacuum
Vacuum the floor thoroughly. I use this shark duo cordless vacuum as it’s great for pet hair and use on hard surfaces. Vacuuming picks up dust and grit and stops it from resettling. Vacuuming is an important step not to be missed!
- Sweep
I Sweep the floor thoroughly to pick up any little bits that the vacuum may have left. It may seem strange to sweep after you vacuumed, but you’d be surprised at how much dust and grit may be left on the floor after vacuuming. Sweeping was always an important step I followed when cleaning clients’ floors and was the best way to prevent debris and hair from being left after mopping. It is a vital floor cleaning step that helps prevent the build-up of dust and hair from getting pushed into the corners of your floor, and you mustn’t miss this step as it will save you so much time after you have mopped.
- Prep the stains
After I vacuum and sweep the floor, I take a multi-surface cleaning solution and go around the floor checking for any dried food spillages and stains. I spray the cleaning solution onto the stains to help to soften them while I get my bucket of water ready.
- Use piping hot water.
Get your water as hot as you can get it, as this will help the water evaporate quickly on the floor, preventing smears and water spots.
Warm water sits for longer on the surface of your tiles and leaves water spots that will need to be dried and polished with a towel.
Add a couple of drops of dish soap and a capful of disinfectant to your piping hot water. - Spin, spin, then spin again.
Dip your mop into the bucket of water and disinfectant solution, then spin until the mop is almost dry. When you think you’ve finished spinning keep spinning even more!
The spinning is a crucial step and will help prevent smears; the drier your mop is, the fewer smears will appear on the surface of your tiles. - Don’t forget the edges.
There is always a small amount of debris that gets pushed between the skirting boards and the floor. To clean up any little bits of dust and hair that may have accumulated while you mopped, go round the edges of your floor with a paper towel or soft microfiber cloth.
Please note you should change your water after cleaning every 30 feet of kitchen tiles. It is essential to use clean water to achieve a very sparkly high shine surface and to make your tiles shine.
FAQs
I have two kids, a husband, and two cats, so I vacuum and sweep my high gloss Porcelain tiles at least once a day. I tend to mop every other day during the winter due to the muddy footprints, but in the summer, every three days.
High traffic areas such as the back door will get cleaned with a floor cloth at least once a day.
I also wipe up any spillages immediately to prevent dried on food stains.
I find high gloss tiles extremely easy to keep clean as there are no little grooves that you would find in wooden tiles or laminate flooring. The smooth surface means that there’s nowhere for the dirt to hide, and it slides straight off with zero scrubbing. The tiles stay shiny and fresh-looking; even on the days that I haven’t mopped, they still look exquisitely clean. I’m thrilled with my choice of glossy floor tiles and don’t find them hard to clean at all.
Black floor tiles can be somewhat more challenging to keep clean. You need to make sure that your water is very hot and that your mop is almost dry. Use the same method I’ve stated above, and you should find that your black gloss tiles remain streak-free. If you have a problem and your tiles dry too quickly, you can go over them with a soft towel to buff out any streaks.
Initially, I wanted a light grey grout with my white marble tiles; however, I decided to go for a slightly darker grout, and I’m glad I did now as it looks great.
I’m not constantly trying to keep it clean.
I would personally avoid white grout for floors as it is impossible to keep clean in high-traffic areas. A slightly darker grout stays cleaner, especially with pets and kids.
I have never tried this method; however, I know some people that have. I would imagine baking soda would probably leave a slight film which is not ideal on high gloss. I wouldn’t use baking soda neat, in a paste or poultice, as this could take the surface shine off the glossy finish. A diluted vinegar solution may work well on the tiles to prevent streaking, but the acidity may cause a problem and damage the surface of the glossy porcelain tiles over time.
Any mop that you can get completely dry is best for glossy tiles; that’s why I love the vileda spin mop. I particularly like this vileda mop as it can spin the mop head completely dry. After use, the dirty mop head can be washed in the washing machine and dries very quickly. You can also get spare heads, so it is easy to change the head after cleaning 30 feet of floor.
Head over to this post to find out how to clean travertine tile floors
It’s a matter of personal preference, but I like as many shiny surfaces as possible in my home to make it look clean and sparkling and give it a fresh pop!
I think it’s all about the technique rather than the cleaning products. I prefer to use a few drops of dish soap, and a splash of disinfectant, it’s the best cleaner I’ve found for cleaning porcelain tile floors.
The best steamer to use on high gloss tiles is a Bissel steam cleaner like this one. The best way to keep your tiles shiny is to set the steamer to half to three quarters and press the trigger in bursts so you are not soaking the floor.
Do you have any tips for how to clean high gloss floor tiles let us know in the comments!