Cleaning your porcelain slabs in your Toronto is actually easier than it looks. Unlike marbles, granites and other natural stones, tiles and slabs require little maintenance. Porcelain floors should be swept or vacuumed once to twice a week. Be careful to use a broom or vacuum that's in good shape and won't scratch the floors. When mopping the floors, use a mixture of 1/4 cup of white vinegar to 3.75 litres of water. Porcelain has practically no pores, but can stain on rare occasions. If this is the case, try scrubbing the area with this homemade method using half a lemon dipped in half a cup of Borox. Therefore, you may want a cleaner specially made for porcelain surfaces. Be extra careful when cleaning unglazed or unpolished surfaces since they can adapt the colour of cleaning solutions!
Cleaning Unpolished Porcelain
Cleaning unpolished porcelain is generally easy as long as it's in a low traffic area without a lot of dirt. Make sure to gently sweep and/or vacuum the surface, then soak the surface with a special unpolished porcelain cleaning solution for 5 - 10 minutes. Do not let the solution dry as it may change the colour of the porcelain. Instead, do smaller areas at a time and rinse the surface with clean water using a mop or a rag. Before rinsing, you can scrub out stains or dirt with a soft scrubbing brush. If the stains do not come out, ask you porcelain fabricator or supplier for advice before opting for harsher stain removing methods.
Cleaning Polished Porcelain
Polished porcelain tile is easiest to look after; just sweep or vacuum about twice a week. To avoid scratching the floor, use a brand new dry mop devoid of cleaning solutions or chemicals instead of a broom. The bristles of a broom tend to damage the floor's surface. Polished porcelain should be mopped with a gentle cleaning agent made for polished porcelain that won't wear down the polish. Make sure you follow the instructions on the bottle for best results and thoroughly rinse the area with clean water afterwards to avoid streaking and buildup. For a shiny finish, dry the tiles with a cloth to stop water spotting.
Cleaning Textured Porcelain
While most porcelain surfaces are simple to maintain, a textured porcelain tile or slab requires effort. Regular mopping and sweeping once or twice a week is not enough; one should develop a cleaning routine to extend the life of the textured porcelain. One should start by sweeping and vacuuming any dirt from the floor. When sweeping, use a very soft broom to avoid scratching. Sweep the room in all directions to ensure that you have actually gotten rid of all dust and debris that could be hiding in the different textures. Then soak the surface with specially formulated porcelain solution. Make sure you follow to bottle's instructions and ask your installer the best cleaning and maintenance advice. Let soak for 5 - 10 minutes before thoroughly rinsing with clean water. Scrub or sweep the floor again in all directions. In areas that get a lot of dirt and/or foot traffic, one should scrub/sweep/mop the floor daily.
Maintaining Your Porcelain
Make sure none of your cleaning agents contain ammonia, bleach or acid, as they may cause discolouration. Avoid using detergents with oil, wax, or sealants, or using steel wool pads, since steel bits can fall loose and get stuck in the floor, causing rust. Make sure to put a rug or a mat near an entrance for people to wipe their shoes in order to prevent excess dirt from permeating the porcelain. Follow these tried and true steps and you’ll be enjoying your porcelain slabs in your Toronto home for many years to come!