The Best Cleaning Tip for Tile Floors

Now who loves a good tip?? I know I do, especially those tips that actually work!! 

My husband and I are in the process of preparing our home to be put in the market for sale.  In order to make sure the house appeals to the prospective buyers, a deep cleaning most be performed.  

Tile floors are known for their beauty and versatility as well as being "low-maintenance".  My husband had tile floors installed in order to increase the value of our home, he's always thinking like a good realtor and investor.  

Having young kids and three pets, one of which is a puppy in training means that spills and accidents happen very often.  Unfortunately, I don't always see the accidents happen and cleaning the mess right away it's a bit difficult.  

The most important thing to remember it comes to tile floors is making sure that dirt and spills do not have the chance to sit on the grout for a long time therefore becoming embedded.  

While moping floors with our favorite solutions or hot water will keep the actually tile looking clean and shiny, it does not truly clean the actual grout.   Grout is what keep the tiles together which is typically white, with time the grout can become like this:

We can all agree that this "look" really detracts from the beauty of your tile floors.  Taking care of your grout it's just as important but finding the right product to do it can become a problem. 

Some manufacturers recommend an specific solution that can be harsh to your kids and pets.  Before I found this tip on Facebook, my husband would purchase the solution usually found at Lowes.  But I asked him not to use it again because of the strong odor and damaged that actually caused to my cabinets handles as well as my tea kettle.  (I have a beautiful red tea kettle now ).  

I strongly recommend you do this when the kids are not home, Clorox also has a strong smell and you don't want their little noses and eyes to suffer.  

If I'm home, ninety nine percent of the time my kids are home as well.  I chose to get up bright an early and clean the floor while everybody were still asleep.   

I began this process around 7:28 a.m. and I was finished by 8:30... my kids were still asleep... The foyer was perfect room to try this little cleaning tip. 

Product:

Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaning- Clinging Bleach Gel

Steps: 

1.  Sweep

2. Pour Clorox Clinging Bleach Gel all along the grout;

3. Let it sit on the grout for approximately 20 minutes 

I have to confess, I did let the solution sit for a lot longer than the suggested time, I took advantage no one was calling for me and decided to take full advantage of that by cleaning the kids' bathroom.  So it was more like 35 minutes by the time actually got back to tile floors!  

Scrub each line by using a toothbrush then mop the floor clean.  

I didn't have any old toothbrushes laying around so I used one of my regular small scrubbing brushes.  Any small brush will work just fine, you just want to make sure the brush is small enough to actually be able to scrub the grout.

NOTE:  Have a bucket of warm water, a mop and a towel ready.   BE CAREFUL, try not to step on any gel, the floor WILL BE extremely slippery.  

Try to collect all of the left over gel by using a towel, 

Mop the floors with WATER ONLY (I prefer using hot water);   It will take a few times to get rid of all the gel but the results are so worth the hard work.

I suggest doing this at least twice a year to preserve both your tile and your grout.  

Next will be our kitchen!!!