caring for your home before the cleaners come

Preventing And Cleaning Mold For Ceramic Tile Floors

Tile is an attractive material choice for flooring, and ceramic tile is a very popular option thanks to its durability and affordable cost. Since tile is most frequently found in the kitchen and bathroom of homes, it's not surprising that mold and mildew is a common problem. If you have ceramic tile flooring and want to know how to prevent and clean these annoying stains, here is some helpful information to ensure that your ceramic tile stays beautiful and clean.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is the moistest room in your home, and as water gets on the surface of ceramic tile or into grout lines, it encourages bacteria and mold to grow. In order to prevent this, always use your bathroom's ventilation fan whenever you take a bath or shower to help keep the air circulating and keep humidity levels low. Use bathroom rugs to prevent standing water from sitting on top of the ceramic tile. Wipe your bathroom floors down weekly with a cleaner designed for ceramic that contains mold killing ingredients in order to keep it at bay.

The Kitchen

One of the busiest rooms in the home, kitchens are susceptible to spills and food messes which can create a stain-prone environment. You can easily keep mold and mildew at bay by mopping your ceramic tile floors with hot water once a week. The hot water kills off any mold spores and will keep the floors looking shiny and new. If you happen to spill something, it's important to wipe it up immediately. Follow up by wiping the affected area with an antibacterial wipe to kill any lingering bacteria or mold. 

Cleaning Your Tile

You can easily clean ceramic tile floors using some simple home mixtures. One good ingredient known for its mold killing properties is vinegar. White vinegar works best on mold and you can simply mix it with warm water to wipe away mold and mildew in a flash. Another great option is to use bleach, but it should be mixed at a much lower ratio of about ten percent bleach to ninety percent water to avoid damaging the protective coating on your ceramic. Scrub the area well until the stain lifts. This mixture is highly effective for removing mold and almost any other stain you may get on your ceramic tile. With some simple maintenance and diligence, you can enjoy beautiful, mold-free ceramic tile floors for many years to come. 

If your ceramic tile floors are particularly dirty, consider hiring a tile floor cleaning service for assistance.