Porcelain stones are a great investment. Their natural beauty and durability promise years of functionality and style. However, bad maintenance habits by many home and property owners can reduce the value of porcelain stones.
Without proper care, porcelain stones can become disfigured, discoloured, or broken. Improper maintenance is a sad way to treat porcelain tiles, which are regarded as some of the best and most sophisticated tiling materials in the industry.
The nature of porcelain stones
Unlike other natural stones, porcelain often has a dense and low-absorptive body, making it relatively resistant to the penetration of common contaminants like dirt and stains. However, dirt and debris can still scratch the surface of tiles and also lead to discolouration.
This protective quality also means that top sealers and most chemicals cannot be applied to porcelain stones, unlike natural stones. Fortunately, most porcelain tiles, except textured porcelain, are fully glazed and require no sealants.
To impede the collection of dirt on your pristine porcelain tiles, you need to have some form of surface protection. The exact specifics on maintenance depend on the surface texture and soil load of your porcelain tiles. The best option is to match the maintenance requirements with the manufacturer recommendations.
Here are a few tips to guide you when it comes to maintaining the quality and appearance of your porcelain stone tiles.
#1: Invest in a daily cleaning program.
While porcelain stones are naturally durable, you need to invest in a regular cleaning program to truly get your money’s worth and prolong the life of the stones.
You need to first consider the potential sources of dirt and disrepair. For porcelain stones lining the entryways or lobbies of buildings, you need to look at the dirt and debris being tracked in by people coming from the outside.
If you only invest in monthly or even weekly cleaning, the dirt will quickly accumulate. As more people track in dirt, the accumulated debris will begin scratching and destroying the stone. Unsealed textured tiles are especially vulnerable to dirt trapping in the groves. You need to have a daily or even hourly cleaning program in place, especially for high-traffic areas.
#2: Do basic cleaning with mopping and vacuuming.
It may seem like a no-brainer, but many facility owners don’t know where or how to start cleaning porcelain stones. Typically, regular cleaning involves dust mopping with an untreated dust mop and then vacuuming after. Dust mopping is a required step in order to remove large and coarse abrasive materials. Vacuuming takes it one step further by removing finer grit and debris.
After dust mopping and vacuuming, the next step is damp mopping. Damp mopping involves using a cleaning solution. Often, this solution should be non-oil, non-acidic and also non-soap-based.
In most cases, you need to saturate the floor with the cleaning solution, allowing it to stand for five minutes. Wipe away the cleaning solution and rinse with water.
For high traffic locations, scrub the floor at least once a day.
#3: Don’t use ammonia or acidic cleaners.
There are some cleaning solutions that can definitely do more harm than good to your porcelain tile surface. These include cleaners with ammonia, bleach and/or acid.
Similarly, oil-based detergents and wax cleaners will also not improve the state of your porcelain tile.
All of these agents can change the colour of an unglazed porcelain tile, ruining the look of your floor. Plus, using steel wool pads can lead to steel particles leaving rust stains in the grout.
Get in touch with our tile experts today!
Looking for high quality porcelain stone tiles that give off a natural vibe? Ideal Tiles has designer tiles which are elegant, durable, and easy to maintain. Contact our experts today!
