How to Clean Tile Flooring

MY TWO FAVORITE WAYS TO CLEAN TILE FLOORING

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STEAM CLEAN
My favorite way to deep clean tile flooring on a weekly or bi-weekly basis is by using a steam cleaner. Steam cleaning is about as simple as it gets and uses just water to clean.  All it requires is a quick initial vacuum or sweep to remove dirt and crumbs and a couple minutes to heat the water.

Here are a few other floor mops I’ve used and recommend if you want a floor cleaning machine. If you are looking for a steam mop that is multiple-purpose, I am loving the Dupray Neat Steam. I’ve been using it for tile floors, around toilets, to sanitize furniture and more. My favorite floor steamer is the Bissell Steam Mop – great for tile, vinyl, linoleum – it has different temperature settings for different floor types. The Bissell Crosswave is another great machine – works on any floor surface, has a wet/dry vacuum, and it can clean rugs. It takes a little more time to take it apart and clean after each use but the dirty water tank is pretty satisfying.

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ALL-PURPOSE FLOOR CLEANER

Try this DIY Recipe for ANY floor – this recipe is for a 16 oz spray bottle and is super easy to mix up. Use it in a spray bottle or in a refillable mop.

FLOOR CLEANING SPRAY

• 1 3/4 cups warm water
• 16 oz. spray bottle (HERE’S MY FAVORITE GLASS SPRAY BOTTLE + PICTURED LABELS)
• 1-2 drops of Sal Suds or castile soap (both can be found in my Amazon shop HERE)
• 3-5 drops ESSENTIAL OILS if you’d like a little scent – some of my favorites are lemon + clove for the castile and pine + lemon for the Sal Suds (it has a pine-y scent already)

My favorite application for deep cleaning as small area is with a spray bottle and microfiber cloth but you can also spray and use a microfiber mop or spray mop (you can see my favorites here) or pour the solution into a small bucket and wipe up with a microfiber or cleaning cloth or with a mop.

If you prefer using a DIY cleaner, I have a couple more DIY recipes that are perfectly suited for tile floors. Both contain readily available household ingredients and are safe to use on any sealed tile floor. The Lemon and Peppermint Tile Cleaner is mixed and sprayed while the Citrus Tile Floor Cleaner is intended to be used for mopping. If you prefer not to use essential oil or don’t have any on hand, you can certainly eliminate them as they are mostly intended to just add scent.

LEMON AND PEPPERMINT TILE CLEANER:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup warm water
• 5 drops lemon essential oil
• 3 drops peppermint essential oil

Add the ingredients to a spray bottle and shake to combine. Spray thoroughly on tiles and allow to sit for 5-15 minutes. You can scrub if necessary, rinse and allow to air dry or dry using a clean cloth.

CITRUS TILE FLOOR CLEANER:

• 1/4 cup Borax
• 1 gallon hot water
• 5 drops lemon essential oil
• 5 drops orange essential oil

Mix the Borax, water and essential oils in a mop bucket, stirring to dissolve. Mop as you normally do. Rinsing is usually not required. If your floors are extra dirty, you can add a drop or two of castile or dish soap to help cut the dirt. You may want to have a bucket of clean water on the side to rinse instead of using the cleaning bucket water. This will help eliminate streaking.

Please note: If you have marble, granite, or travertine tile you should not use vinegar, lemon, or anything acidic to clean them because the acid will etch the stone. Steam cleaners work well as does the Floor Cleaning Spray recipe in this post. You can also use the Stone Cleaning Spray on your floors or tile.

Once you’ve cleaned up your little or big mess, move on to more important things! I hope this post helps clear up some questions and gives you some ideas of methods and products that work!  Did you know that Thursday is Floor Washing Day?  Check out more about the Clean Mama Routine here.

Looking for my favorite grout cleaning methods? Check them out here.