Much has been said about vinegar and baking soda’s usefulness. They are so versatile that they are used for a wide range of applications more than what they were intended to be used for in the first place.
They are the usual components in most DIY remedies and what is convenient about them is that they are staples in our household and are usually just found in our kitchen. We need them for our day to day activities and it just so happened that they offer more benefits than just your average must-haves.
One such benefit is for thorough and effective cleaning. This article will teach you how to clean tile floors with vinegar and baking soda plus any other useful information that we can find. Let’s get going!
How to Clean Tile Floors with Vinegar and Baking Soda? A step by step guide
Whether it’s stubborn stain or darkened grout, vinegar and baking soda will take care of it. Some solutions require only vinegar some only baking soda but for more potent solutions they are used together and mixed on a solution that will get rid of all types of dirt and grimes, even some that have already latched onto your tile floors for a long amount of time.
STEP 1: Pre-cleaning process
As always please make sure to clean the tile floors while they are still dry. Try to sweep loose dust, dirt or debris before using any liquid solution.
This will make sure that no dirt would just turn into mud when the floor is all wet. Also, some dirt especially the ones that have been on the floor for a long time might further damage your tiles. So it’s important to sweep the area first before doing anything else.
What’s also recommended is to vacuum the whole place, this is to make sure that the area is thoroughly cleaned as a vacuum cleaner should be more efficient. Watch out for the corners and all tight spaces and make sure you go through them as much as possible.
Next is to make sure to move any furniture that might get in the way of your cleaning process. Also, remove any items or electrical appliances that might be obstacles as you don’t want to damage them either.
Related Post: Best Vacuum For Shag Carpet
STEP 2: Prepare your solution
Prepare at least 2 gallons of water, most of the time this amount should cover any area but when necessary prepare more on a bucket.
Then add a cup of distilled white vinegar. White vinegar is typically used for cleaning because of its right amount of acidity that is just enough to clean any dirt off but at the same time won’t do any unwanted damage towards any surface especially your tile floors.
Mix it well about ½ to 1 cup of white vinegar per gallon of water should work. Diluting the vinegar will prevent it from bleaching your tile floor’s color. Your apple cider vinegar should also work as it’s got enough acidity as well.
STEP 3: Mop Time
Mop in a circular side to side motion and make sure to spread the solution on the entire surface of the floor. Don’t forget any corners or under some furniture that you weren’t able to move aside.
Also, don’t forget to wring as much solution as you can from the mop, you don’t want to over saturate your tile floors with it.
STEP 4: Rinse Time
After applying your solution, make sure to replace the content of your bucket with clean water. This is an important step because you don’t want to leave the solution onto your tile floors which would be counterproductive.
Rinse the floor with clean water as needed making sure to wring the mop every time. Use an absorbent towel or make sure your tile floor is dried properly with air. You also need to make sure the grout is dried up to prevent the growth of mold or any mildew that thrives in moist or warm spaces.
So that was vinegar so far. What about baking soda?
Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about baking soda. We mentioned earlier that their combination is more potent right? So here’s a way to deep clean your grouts both with vinegar and baking soda in the mix.
STEP 1:
First is to combine vinegar with warm water on a spray bottle. This is such a good must-have for a cleaning solution.
STEP 2:
Sprinkle baking soda along the grout line that you are about to clean. Do grid-like patterns (small squares) when sprinkling for maximum efficiency.
STEP 3:
Spray the area with baking soda with your vinegar solution. This will start a chemical reaction over the grout which would start the cleaning process. Leave the solution be for about 5-10 minutes.
You can also wait until the foam created by the mixture to die down before you start with our next step.
STEP 4:
Using a stiff-bristled brush go ahead and scrub the area clean. Trust that your solution will be able to remove even the most stubborn stain or dirt. Rinse the floor as desired right after.
Brushes for grout are sold cheap in your local stores or you can also use old toothbrushes.
Some Tips on How to Maintain Your Tile Floors Properly
- Avoid using chemical cleaners. There are ready to use floor cleaners in your local stores but do be careful and check the labels for the ingredients. Some may cause more harm than good towards your delicate tiles.
- Do clean regularly. Still, nothing beats regular cleaning, use your vacuum cleaner to efficiently do so. This won’t give dirt or any other debris a chance to build up not just on your bare floors but also on your carpets or rugs. It should prolong their lifespan too.
- Wipe spillage immediately. We can’t stress enough that letting a spillage be for some time will permanently damage your tile floor. So make sure to wipe spots of spillage as quickly as you can.
Another type of solution!
If the aforementioned solution doesn’t work try this one out:
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup of dish washing detergent
- 1 2/3 cups of baking soda
- 2 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar
Stir until lumps are dissolved then put in a clean spray bottle. Keep for any cleaning use in the future. It’s a great must-have we assure you.
It will tackle stubborn stains, grimes and dirt that has accumulated in your grouts for a long period of time.
Where not to use vinegar?
Be careful not to use vinegar on some tile floors, especially some natural stones like marble or limestone, and also travertine. Make sure to know your tile first before applying not only vinegar or baking soda but any other delicate solutions.
Final Thoughts…
A lot of DIY remedies are ordinary things that we use every day. If we know where to look and do a bit of research we might be surprised at how useful some of the things that we usually find in our kitchenware and not only for cleaning but for things like laundry or even restoration.
We hope that we’ve fulfilled your mission for reading this article today and now know how to clean tile floors with vinegar and baking soda. Stay tuned for more DIY tips and have a great day!