Commercial Floor Cleaning: Ceramic Flooring

Although flooring trends are ever changing, the floor style currently on the rise is ceramic flooring. This type of floor is trending for the following reasons:

• It is easy to clean and maintain.
• It is available in a wide variety of designs, colors and glazes.
• It is made from sand and clay, which are sustainable materials.
• It is highly durable.
• It is relatively inexpensive.

Although all the aforementioned points are true, over time, soiling can occur thanks to stains and grime build up. Often, grime becomes trapped in the grout lines and pores of ceramic tile. Eric Hickman, who is a cleaning expert and product manager for Powr-Flite, says the following about ceramic tile soiling:

“If neglected, these floors can then develop a soiled appearance and bacteria and mold can even develop. To avoid this, proper care and cleaning is imperative to maintain ceramic tile’s appearance.”

Cleaning professionals are encouraged to use the following tips when caring for ceramic flooring:

• When mopping, always use a clean mop and bucket combined with a mild ph7 cleaner.
• Clean the floors daily. To accomplish this, it is more effective to use a backpack vacuum cleaner instead of sweeping the floors.
• Ceramic floors need to be machine scrubbed when heavily soiled.
• Utilize a wet-dry vacuum to remove soils and solution from flooring after scrubbing. This helps prevent resettling on the floor.
• Use a cylindrical brush floor machine. Hickman recommends his brushes because his brushes make machines more effective at removing soils within the grout or floor’s pores.
• Avoid using a sealant or finish on ceramic tiles as it is usually unnecessary and just increases the costs and time it takes to maintain the floor.