| We all love ceramic tiles. It has an interesting texture, | | | | cleaners occasionally. There are some products out |
| it looks better than linoleum, it is okay to get it wet, | | | | there that are less harmful than others. They are |
| and does not leave splinters like wood. But adding tile | | | | biodegradable, contain no harmful substances, and are |
| to a house can cost thousands or even tens of | | | | eco-friendly. Sometimes you need a spray bottle full |
| thousands of dollars. How can you keep your tile | | | | of bleach but using soap can limit this and keep the |
| looking new and clean? There are things that | | | | tiles looking great for years to come. |
| everyone should be willing to do when adding tile to | | | | About 1-2 times per year you need to have that tile |
| their house whether it is in their kitchen, bathroom, or | | | | resealed. Before sealing it be sure to prepare the tiles |
| anywhere else. Be sure to sweep the tile regularly, | | | | for sealing. Otherwise you will simply seal the dirt |
| use gentle all purpose cleaners, and have your tiles | | | | right into the tile. Be sure to sweep and clean away |
| sealed. | | | | all dirt and debris before sealing. There are products |
| The first and possibly most important piece of | | | | out there that work well for this. It may be worth |
| maintenance is sweeping tile regularly. It may take 5 | | | | considering one of these products at this point. Since |
| minutes per day to sweep but ignoring this could | | | | sealing is a bit more permanent than simple scrubbing |
| cost many hours or dollars in the future. Sweeping | | | | you want to be sure the tiles are cleaned. |
| regularly prevents dirt and debris from getting ground | | | | Those ceramic tiles that you put in the kitchen, |
| into the bumps of the tiles or the spaces between. A | | | | bathroom, or anywhere else in the house were |
| few minutes with a broom and dust pan prevents | | | | expensive. Treated properly they will look good for |
| this dirt from getting stuck in the tiles and help keeps | | | | years or even decades. Just remember that it was |
| them looking as new as the day they were installed. | | | | no small investment and that if you do not maintain |
| Another important thing to do regularly is clean your | | | | your tile, you could find yourself paying to remove it |
| tiles with a gentle all purpose cleaner. Harsh chemicals | | | | and to put new ones in. Simply sweeping and cleaning |
| may strip tiles of their color, eat away at the tiles, or | | | | at least once a week and resealing the tiles once |
| even hurt the people or pets walking on them. Using | | | | every 6 to 12 months can be the difference |
| soaps, vinegars or other gentle household cleaners | | | | between loving your tiles for 30 years and replacing |
| regularly can work just as well as using industrial | | | | them every few years. |