It is done

[PennLady]

I -- with some help from PennGirl and Mr Penn -- have finished scrubbing our ceramic tile floor in the kitchen and front hallway. This has taken something like 7-10 days; it's a big floor and no way was it all getting done at once.

Now the problem is trying to keep it from getting that dirty again. But it's ready for Christmas, at least.

 

[TE999]

Don't forget to seal the grout lines if you haven't already. Clean grout lines cover a multitude of sins when you don't have time to clean thoroughly. I use a wet Swiffer on our tile floors and it works great.

 

[PennLady]

Don't forget to seal the grout lines if you haven't already. Clean grout lines cover a multitude of sins when you don't have time to clean thoroughly. I use a wet Swiffer on our tile floors and it works great.

After the holidays we will look into sealing the grout and the tiles. The tiles are textured, which makes it even easier for them to look and get dirty.

 

[R. Richard]

I use a product called Murphy Oil Soap on my tile. I have never found anything better.

 

[TE999]

After the holidays we will look into sealing the grout and the tiles. The tiles are textured, which makes it even easier for them to look and get dirty.

A-ha! The textured variety. You do have an extra level of difficulty there, I'll grant you. Mu casa being a Florida home, the kitchen, three bathrooms, hall and foyer floors are all covered with glazed ceramic tiles. It was a colossal PITA sealing the grout, but the result was well worth the effort.

 

[PennLady]

A-ha! The textured variety. You do have an extra level of difficulty there, I'll grant you. Mu casa being a Florida home, the kitchen, three bathrooms, hall and foyer floors are all covered with glazed ceramic tiles. It was a colossal PITA sealing the grout, but the result was well worth the effort.

I tell you, I know this tile is expensive and all but I swear I'd trade it for good old linoleum sometimes. We are the third owners; the original owners owned it for 30 years or so then sold, and the next had it for about two years, and then we bought. I'm pretty convinced that probably before the first sale, the original owners did various upgrades in the house, including that floor. I could definitely live without it.

It looks nice when it's clean but with four people, including two kids, it's not going to stay that clean for too long.

 

[sr71plt]

When our house has gotten around to needing this sort of attention, we've usually just moved.

 

[PennLady]

When our house has gotten around to needing this sort of attention, we've usually just moved.

Right now the floor looks as good as when we moved in five and a half years ago. Maybe I can wait that long to scrub again.

 

[TxRad]

Right now the floor looks as good as when we moved in five and a half years ago. Maybe I can wait that long to scrub again.

Putting a good tile sealer on the whole floor might be the best solution. Just be aware of the slip factor.

 

[njlauren]

Textured tile can be a pain in the ass to keep clean. There are compounds designed to seal ceramic tile that I highly recommend (home depot, Lowes, or a tile store will have it), and that grout sealer will go a long way to helping. Usually with the tile you have to use a stripper compound, then the sealer, but it is worth it, the textured tile tends to be porous and holds the dirt, and grout, well, it is a dirt magnet, too. In my experience with proper sealing, all you have to do is damp mop it and it will come up looking great. Murphy's oil soap might work, I never tried that on ceramic tile (works great on wood floors) and is relatively gentle stuff.

 

[Verdad]

I sympathize. We finished redecorating the bathroom some ten days ago, and have been cleaning like maniacs since. The dust from the works had gotten into most unbelievable places. All done now, though, and not a moment too soon.