kitchen tile flooring

Three tips to keep a tile installation looking great

There?s nothing quite as welcoming as gleaming tile installation or backsplash, a sparkle that?s always impressive. But, unfortunately, as time goes on, no matter how much cleaning you do, your tile flooring may start looking a little dull and unkempt. That?s because at one point or another, dirt and grime get into the grout between the tiles, making your installation appear unsightly, even though you regularly scrub it.

In order to better understand how to keep your tile flooring or kitchen backsplash looking great, our professionals at CW Floors in San Antonio, Denton, and Rockwell, TX, would like to provide you with the following 3 helpful tips.

1. Regular cleaning makes a big difference
While a professional cleaning can make your ceramic or porcelain look good as new, nothing can quite compare to regular upkeep to enhance the polished appearance. Remember, even if you spend a lot of time cleaning tiles, if you don?t do it on a regular basis, you?re allowing dirt to penetrate the grout and stain it, not to mention mold growth. Deter these things with frequent maintenance and cleaning, so stains, yellowing, and mold doesn?t have the chance to set in.

2. Mind the products you use
The vast majority of people believe that ceramic and porcelain need heavy-duty products to get the best shine, and often make a bee-line straight to the chlorine. Yet, this isn?t the case if you clean regularly. A non-toxic solution is a simple water and vinegar mix, and it?s one that incredibly effective. If the issue is brightening the grout, you can work wonders and lift stains with a combination of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, by simply scrubbing it into the grout and rinsing it with clean water. If stains are bad, then a professional clean is usually the best answer.

3. Know when you need to replace or re-grout
Even if you?re fastidious in your cleaning, if you see any pieces of grout flaking off or falling out, then you may need to re-grout the entire tile installation. Broken tile flooring, on the other hand, is a sure sign that you?ll want to consider putting in a new installation, as broken pieces aren?t only unattractive, but they?re also the perfect place for bacteria to grow.