Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[janice478]

HI,
I was told I can use a mixture of white vinegar, bleach and water to was my tile floors. Is this a good mixture? If so what would be the ratio? I would love to not have to go back and rinse it all. My whole house is tile floor and I am 65 and live alone. What do you think?

Thanks,
janice478
:D

[Old House]

I would also like to hear from anyone out there on the bleach/vinegar cleaning mixture. I have ceramic tiles in my kitchen and am having a really difficult time keeping them clean. They water stain really badly and so I have to wash the floor pretty well every day.

Help anyone?

Old House

[mrscleannw]

hello janice478 and Old House, welcome.

Don't use straight bleach or other harsh chemicals to clean ceramic tile floors. Using straight bleach could strip the protective finish off the floor. If this happens, your tiles will be dull looking and become susceptible to staining and water damage.

Prior to cleaning the floors, vacuum up dust and dirt using the appropriate attachments.

Regular Cleaning.
For the most part, ceramic tile floors only need plain water for cleaning.

Washing Dirty Floors.
If your ceramic tile floors are particularly dirty, add 2 to 3 drops of liquid dish soap or vinegar to the water and mix well. Rinse the mop frequently. Refill the bucket as necessary.

NOTE: Make sure you don’t add too much dish soap or you could end up with too much suds. This will only make the job longer as it will require more rinsing for the residue to rinse off. If you don’t get all the residue up your floors could become dull.

Have a second bucket of warm water ready for rinsing the ceramic floor after you’ve washed them. Rinse the mop frequently to remove the dirt. Refill the bucket with clean water as needed.

When you have finished cleaning the floor, use a soft cloth, chamois, or sh-mop to dry.

Severely Dirty Tiles and Grout.
If the floors are severely dirty you can use a solution of 25% bleach and 75% water to remove dirt. Rinse thoroughly.

Dirty Grout.
If you have dirty grout, the best way to clean is to use a steam extraction method. This is steam cleaning with hot steam, detergents, water pressure and vacuum extraction. Steam extraction machines dislodge the dirt that is packed in the tiny grout holes and lifts them out once and for all.

Keep your Floors Looking Great.
Use floor mats and always wipe your shoes off, or take your shoes off and put your slippers on.

Always vacuum or sweep before washing floors.
Do not use abrasive cleaners to prevent scratching and dulling.
Do not use straight bleach.
Don’t use ammonia based products as these can discolor some grout.

Mrs. Clean

[jhoclean]

Hi,

Tile grout gets dirty in many different ways. In the bathroom, it's usually mold or mildew causing the grout stains. In the kitchen it could be a combination of food stains, general household traffic and grime, and mildew. No matter what the cause of the staining, start off with the simplest and least acidic cleaning solution first, moving up to harsher chemical cleaners if you are unsuccessful in getting the grout completely clean.

For some stains, simple household items like vinegar or baking soda can be effective cleaners. Use vinegar diluted with an equal amount of water, or make a paste of baking soda and a bit of water to clean the grout with. Spray or dab the cleaner onto a small length of grout and scrub with a stiff brush. Scrubbing in small circles rather than straight up and down will remove more debris from the grout. Rinse well with water and mop up and remaining moisture with a sponge or paper towels.

Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/steamc ... z1DzLN5t9X

[jhoclean]

Hi,

* Clean Water on a Damp Mop
* Cup Rubbing Alcohol in 2 Gallons of Water
* General Household Cleaners (Lysol, etc) Diluted in Water
* Only for Stubborn Stains or Serious Sanitizing: Full Strength Household Cleaner OR a Weak Bleach Solution

Any time you use a chemical, you should mop again with clean water. The ceramic tiles themselves are simple to clean. The problem, of course, is the grout!

[greenj26]

In my experience, cleaning tile is relatively easy, it's the grout that is harder to clean. For white grout, you can use a household bleach mixture (sodium hydroxide). However fro colored grout, you should not use household bleach as it will lighten the pigments on the grout. I would recommend suing oxygen bleach (sodium percobonate) to clean all colors of grout. Unlike household bleach, oxygen bleach doesn't have harsh fumes and is much more environmentally friendly. If you are going to use regular bleach to clean the tile and grout, I would use a respirator. I have used high concentrations of household bleach to get amazing results cleaning white tile and grout before. I used a respirator so I didn't even notice the fumes until I took it off.