The Flooring
The first step in keeping your bathroom well-maintained and beautiful, is to sweep your floor! As simple as it sounds, it is strangely easy to forget. You should do this every so often so you can avoid grounding in the dirt to the tile and grout. If you have textured tiles, you may face the trouble of them holding more dirt than the normal tiles.
Mopping the floor assists in keeping the tile nice and clean. The water helps keep the tile shiny and brand new. If you use a cleaning product, be sure to follow the directions. You should definitely not use steel wool or sandpaper.
You should be extremely cautious when moving heavy items. If not, you could chip, scratch, and dig into the tiles and/ or grout. Protective pads are strongly recommended to avoid those possible outcomes. It is recommended to get good mats to prevent the spread of dirt or other substances that could get tracked in.
The Countertops
As opposed to the flooring, countertops are not as easy to maintain. You have to immediately and regularly clean the tiles in the occurrence of a spill or stain. A simple wash rag can take care of the daily cleaning, but you should use special tile cleaner once a week just to get the deep clean.
To clean the sink, you should use a typical bathroom to remove dirt. If you have spilled toothpaste, you should use a cleaner with bleach to help sanitize it as well.
Tile Shower
The DIY Network has a few suggestions of how to clean your tile shower/ bathtub. To begin, they tell us to cover the tub area with a layer of bathroom cleaner and allowing it to sit while you clean elsewhere. By letting it sit, the cleaner will more deeply dissolve oils and soaps. While you wait for it to sit, you can use scrubbing pads to get rid of the bathtub rings.
There are specific brushes meant for tile use, which feature a handle that protects the hand from contact with the tub. The brush can be used on grout and makes it easy to reach cracks and corners. You can also use a toothbrush as a substitution – it works just as well.
The Toilet
Although it is gross, it has to be done. You should begin with a liquid toilet bowl cleaner and let it sit to dissolve and kill the germs. You should then take your sturdy bowl brush and give it a good scrub. Disinfecting the toilet is easy enough with a simple disinfecting spray or an all-purpose cleaner. You should spray the toilet rim, seat, lid, tank, and bowl exterior.
What Not To Do
According to the Orton Maintenance Guide, there are five things that you should absolutely not do.
- You should not use Steel Wool or abrasive powders if you do not want scratches or dull tiles.
- You should not use chemicals with acids, as they can hurt both the finish on the tile as well as the grout.
- You should not use bleach or ammonia to clean your tiles. By doing so, you can change the color of the grout (which is probably not preferred).
- You should not use an excessive amount of water to clean the tiles. If you use too much or let the water sit for too long, it can (and probably will) hurt the grout and/or underlayment of the floor.
- You should not let food or grease sit on tiling for any amount of time. If you let them sit, you could end up causing a stain on the tile.