How To Clean, Maintain & Restore Commercial Porcelain Floors

Don’t Let Grit & Grime Wear You Down

Clean floors are essential for maintaining a professional and hygienic environment, especially in busy areas where first impressions are crucial. Porcelain tiles are a popular flooring option for homes and large commercial buildings with high-traffic areas—like your company’s reception. They are durable and have an aesthetic appeal. However, keeping porcelain floors clean can be challenging, as they can appear clean but still be dirty.

At Industroclean, we are all too familiar with the challenge of keeping porcelain tile clean. In fact, “How to clean porcelain floors” is one of the most popular questions we receive from our clients.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the correct techniques to maintain your porcelain flooring and keep it looking clean and bright for longer.

Understanding the Nature of Porcelain Flooring

While visually appealing, porcelain tiles are porous in nature and tend to soil evenly. Therefore, even though your floors may appear clean, they can still harbour dirt and grime. Over time, you may notice that your porcelain tiles are several shades darker than when they were first installed. This darkening often results from the accumulation of dirt in the pores of the tiles.

Additionally, you may notice lighter spots on your tiles, particularly in areas where acidic spills have occurred. These lighter spots occur because the acidic substance neutralises the pH of the tiles, causing the dirt to rise to the surface.

Incorrect Techniques Can Damage Porcelain Flooring

Believe it or not, our cleaning habits often do more harm than good when it comes to maintaining porcelain tiles.

Most of the time, soiling is inadvertently caused by over-mopping porcelain floors. Too much water and chemicals are used, and dirt is spread evenly across the tiles, where it settles into the pores—creating layers of dried dirt that can be tricky to remove.

How to Correctly Clean Porcelain Floors

Maintaining clean porcelain floors requires proper cleaning techniques, equipment, and chemicals. By following these tips, you can keep your floors looking spick-and-span, creating a professional and welcoming environment for your business.

To effectively clean your porcelain floors, follow these tips:

1. Remove the dry dirt first by vacuuming or sweeping. Masslinn cloths are ideal for this purpose as it’s super efficient with picking up dust, debris, and particles, leaving your floors spotless.
2. Perform spot mopping for wet or sticky dirt using a microfibre mop (we recommend Vileda Microfibre Flat Mopping System) and Progen quick-drying detergent.
3. Use water only on alternate days. To prevent chemical buildup, alternate between Progen solution and plain water for mopping.
4. Avoid using spaghetti mops, as they hold too much water.
5. For high-traffic areas, consider periodic scrubbing with a single disc machine and wet & dry vacuum cleaner.
6. For larger areas, use a walk-behind auto scrubber for daily maintenance. We recommend the Nilfisk Automatic Scrubber-Drier and porcelain tile cleaners such as Proscrub XP.
7. Follow the instructions on cleaning chemicals. Always dilute according to the manufacturer’s instructions to increase the lifespan of your tiles.
8. Protect from the start. Using entrance matting can help stop dirt in its tracks and prevent it from entering your building in the first place.

Download Our Porcelain Tiles Maintenance Sheet

For more information on cleaning, maintaining, and restoring porcelain floors, download our easy-to-understand porcelain maintenance sheet here, or contact our team for custom product advice.