Best Tricks to Clean Tile Floor

When you think about the easiest types of flooring to maintain, most people think of tile. Tile floors are extremely durable, easy to clean, and can resist most major stains. However, without some simple maintenance, even tile floors can lose their luster and can develop stains, usually starting in the grout. Grout is porous and sucks up liquids and materials easily and, thus, can grow all kinds of bacteria and mold. Luckily, there are some simple tricks that will help you to clean tile floor.

The single best trick to clean tile floor is to clean up all spills and messes immediately!

The first trick to keeping your tile floors clean and glossy is to clean up all spills and messes immediately. Letting spills site on the surface will only allow them to infiltrate the grout and dry, dulling the surface of the tile. Even water and mud tracked in on shoes should be cleaned up immediately. The particulates in the water carried in on your shoes can scuff the surface and the moisture can feed any bacteria in the grout.

Make sure that you seal your tile as soon as possible after the tile has been installed. If you did not install the tile yourself, you must have the tile thoroughly cleaned and sealed to guarantee its longevity. To clean the tile you can use a commercially available cleaner of you can make your own cleaner. To make your own natural cleaner, mix 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and about 6 cups of water in a spray bottle. Spray liberally over your tile floor and scrub with a dry Swiffer scrubber or a lightly damp sponge mop.

Once you have thoroughly cleaned your tile, let it completely dry. Seal the tile with the sealer recommended by the tile manufacturer. Follow all of the directions carefully; too much sealer will cause the tile to become cloudy.

If your tile floor becomes scaly, or yellowed with too many layers of wax, you are going to have to strip the floor. You can use commercially available strippers, just make sure to follow the instructions and wear protective clothing! A good homemade wax stripper can be made from 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of ammonia and a gallon of cool tap water. You may have to reapply the stripper if there are many different coats of wax. Once you have all of the wax up, clean the entire surface with clean tap water. Let it dry completely, and reseal with a new coat of wax.

Tile floors can last a lifetime, if you just do some routine maintenance! It is time consuming, but will make your floors look great and repel stains!

Related Posts:

• Keep Your Shower Tile Cleaner, Longer
• Cleaning Tile Grout
• Floor Cleaning Tips Recap

Removing White Burn Marks From Your Wood Table

I bought a very nice looking wood table off of a friend who was moving and had no need for it. It had a small white discoloration in the finish, but otherwise was just fine. I found the cause of the discoloration the first time I placed way too warm of a plate on it. The cheap finish discolored instantly. Surprisingly, wiping the burn mark with a furniture wipe actually removed the majority of the discoloration. To remove the deeper burns, rub the discolored area with very fine steel wool. Polish the area and wax the whole table once you are done.

Keep Your Tile Shower Clean Longer

Here's a simple trick to keep your tile shower clean longer. Once you have completely cleaned it, apply a paste wax and buff out with a clean towel. The wax will keep water stains, mildew, even soap scum from attaching to the surface. Reapply once you notice that the water stops running off it as easily. This is a great trick after your big spring cleaning, it will save you a ton of time and keep your shower looking great longer!

Making Your Own Candles

I have told you before that my wife and I are big fans of candles. When it gets cold outside, we tend to light a handful of candles to add a feeling of warmth and they fill our home with wonderful smells. There is only one problem with candles, they get expensive quick. Especially the really good ones that don't just smell like soap. We decided to try to make our own to control the cost. I have to tell you, it is really easy and very inexpensive. There are just a couple of tricks that will save you a ton of time and trouble. First, soy-based candles are the easiest to make, the basic ingredient is cheap, and they are safer than the gel-based candles to burn. We get our soy candle base from a local candle-making shop, but it is available at most craft stores. Second, always buy pre-made wicks. They are cheap and will save you a ton of time trying to get them right. Thirdly, only buy scents that are especially made for candle-making, you are going to burn what you make, don't risk adding something flammable to your candles.

To make the candles is simple. Using a hot glue gun, attach the wick to the bottom of the candle container. Failure to do this will cause it to float when you pour in the candle wax. Then, in a Pyrex measuring bowel, melt the soy wax pellets in your microwave. Add more soy as the pellets melt to arrive at the desired amount of liquid for your container that will hold the candle. Once the pellets have completely melted, stir in your favorite scents and pout into the container. Support the end of the wick until the wax begins to set. I found that the dozen or so sets of chopsticks that have filled one of my kitchen cabinets worked great to stir the wax and also provided the right size support for my wicks by simply laying them across the top of the candle container. Also, the chopsticks were free from my local favorite Chinese restaurant and they are disposable. Make sure that you clean the Pyrex bowel the second that you have finished pouring the candle, once the wax sets fully it because a huge chore to clean. Once the candle has completely cooled, light and enjoy!

Removing Wax From Carpet

I love candles. I find the ambiance they create and the smells they emit fantastic. I even started making my own candles a few years ago. I have, while melting some wax, spilled it on my carpet. To remove wax from carpet, gently remove as much wax as possible using a dull knife or similar object. Do not pull up the fibers and threads of the carpet as this can lead to a bald spot. Once you have removed as much wax as you can, cover the spot with a piece of brown paper bag. Run a warm iron over the bag. This softens the wax which will adhere to the paper bag. Remove the bag and repeat as necessary. Be careful of the iron's temperature. If you let it get too hot it will burn the carpet. A warm hair dyer and some paper towels (or even newspaper) will work as well.

Removing color stains left behind after removing candle wax

If you used our tip Removing Candle Wax, there can sometimes be color stains left from the dye in the wax. On many surfaces you can dab the area with a paper towel with paint thinner to remove the stain. Be sure to test an inconspicuous area to make sure that your cleaning solution is not going to damage your surface.

Removing Candle Wax

I have always found candles to really warm up a space. Their flickering glow provides both ambiance and usually wonderful scents. Wax cleanup after the candle is done is another story! In order to remove candle wax from walls or other surfaces use an iron and facial tissue. Set the tissue over the wax and gently iron at low heat. If the wax is particularly stubborn, risk higher heat levels. I have found that the "synthetic fabrics" setting works best on my iron. When the wax saturates the tissue or the tissues begins to brown, apply a new tissue. Carefully peel back the tissue to not damage wallpaper.