When tiling a floor many people think, that once stone floor tiles or unglazed ceramic floor tiles are sealed, they are completely protected from stains and heavy duty cleaners. In reality all a tile sealer really does is buy you time. Once these porous tiles have been sealed and liquids are spilled on them, for a brief moment the liquid will pool on the surface of the tiles, rather than soak right into them. This gives you a chance to wipe the spill away. The quicker you wipe up the spill, the less chance you will have of winding up with a stain.

Just because you have sealed natural stone or unglazed ceramic tiles does not mean your floor tiles and grout are protected enough that you can now clean the surface with heavy duty cleaners. Only the gentlest of cleaners are appropriate for these surfaces. It is well worth it to purchase the cleaner designed especially for washing your specific floor tile surface. Keep in mind that the cleaner that's right for limestone floor tile may not be right for granite floor tile. It is best to use the cleaner that was designed for your chosen tile.

After tiling a floor with a glazed ceramic floor tile, avoid multisurface cleaners completely. These cleaners may contain waxes, oils, or acids. The ingredients are sure to discolor and disintegrate your tile grout. For cleaning your glazed ceramic tile simply use dishwashing soap and warm water. If you should need something stronger, use white vinegar instead.

For cleaning vinyl, laminate, or cork tile flooring, purchase a product formulated particularly for them. When you are using this cleaner, be sure to use a damp mop and not a soaked one. When you apply too much moisture to these tile surfaces, it can shorten the life of the adhesive underneath. Even more important than mopping these tile surfaces is the need for routine vacuuming. Nothing is worse for them than tracked in dirt. Tracked in dirt can permanently scratch the surface of them, especially when tracked in by foot traffic and dragged by the sliding of chair legs.

Floor tiles are extremely durable and easy to clean, when they are properly installed. Just keep in mind that stone and unglazed ceramic floor tiles will need to be sealed regularly.

The key to making your floor tiles last and look good for many years to come, is to use the cleaning product specifically designed for their surfaces.