How do you clean your ceramic, stone or vinyl tile floors?

I use a Swiffer mop, but instead of the disposable thingies, I use a regular washcloth soaked in about a half-vinegar, half-water solution. If you want to get fancy you can add a few drops of essential oils for a nice smell. Then I can chuck the washcloth in the laundry.

I like to vacuum first, then wet mop. If the vacuum isn’t done first it seems like the wet pass makes mud.

With a mop. I got a nice long lasting mop at the restaurant supply store, with a removable head so I can wash it. I got a Rubbermaid mop bucket with a wringer because it was on sale, because that is the only way to dry a floor after you get it wet. I have several cats and I really needed good equipment to control the dander and loose fur.

For quick clean ups, I use a Swiffer. But I have a Shark steamer that I used to clean and disinfect (lots of pets).

We have staff for that…silly

Our cleaning lady ran away to Texas after being with us for 23 years. She was greatly feared by the wife & I and ordered us around like a marine drill instructor. We were trained & quite fit at “precleaning” the house and part of my job involved trips to the 2 janitorial supply stores searching out the items on the lists that would appear like manifests on the kitchen table. I swear, even the woman’s handwriting threatened severe repurcussions for any lapse in obedience. But the truth is that I found those janitorial stores every bit as fascinating as any tool department or really good hardware store. She also cleaned for 3 other couples who are our friends, and at her going away dinner party, after thorough lubrication, I had the impertinence to break discipline and announce to the table that a summer in Texas would surely disabuse her of errant ambitions. Fortunately the width of the round table negated the likliehood of her powerful hands reaching my throat, but in reply to my “you’ll be back”, she tilted her head in my direction and with a look an eagle might bestow on a fat rabbit replied “If I come back, YOU’d better not be here.”

Well the gist of this unnecessary narrative is that it is now July and wife and I have lost all the discipline of the former routine enforced through “living in fear” and the house shows it. We attempt to scrub up the floors and bathrooms, but are totally haphazard about all of the chores. Frankly, we could use the threat of the lash from our former iron chancellor.

The stuff we use on the tiles comes in a big gallon jug. It’s: Santora Sales
SUPER GREEN
all purpose cleaner and film remover.
I pour perhaps half a cup in 2 gallons of hot water and mop with a sponge mop that requires these ridiculously expensive Italian sponge inserts. I’m afraid to try anything other than the things from those lists in case Katherine returns to catch me at it. We don’t rinse the floors.

I’d probably use a sponge mop and vinegar and water. Occasionally I’d get down and dirty and do it by hand to get in the cracks.

Just water and air. That is, I let erosion do it.

No amount of cleaning will make a vinyl tile floor pleasant to behold.

For my tile I sweep or vaccuum and then swiffer. Then I mop with a not very damp sponge mop. The trick to keep the grout clean is not soaking the dirt into the grout. Swiffer gets even the small particles of dust, and using very little water on the mop helps too. I only mop about 1 or 2 times a month, not every time a sweep and swiffer. In the kitchen sometimes I need to spot clean with a mop or damp paper towel, or what have you.

You can use a washable dry cloth mop that attracts dust instead of swiffer, but you need something like that if you want to keep the grout clean for years.

I live in Florida, in houses with as much as 2,000 sq. ft. of tile.

I usually use pine sol and water. I also have used murphy’s oil soap if wood floors are in the same house. Just a mini bit in a few gallons of water. For a while I used a blue liquid that smelled great. I don’t remember the name.

FWIW: I would seriously discourage you from using Murphy’s Oil Soap on your hardwood floors. It makes a hellacious mess of the job when you get them refinished.

@Seek I use it maybe three times a year, and a super mini amount, and only on certain types of hardwoods. Most hardwoods I’ve had have a clear coat of some sort that I just swiffer and use a damp mop once in a very blue moon. Just water.

What happens when you refinish? What’s the “mess” from the product?

Too much Murphy’s leaves a greasy film. You can’t use it very much. In my opinion.

When you have the floor professionally buffed and recoated, the machines use a screen to cut a thin layer of the varnish off the floor. It becomes a very fine dust. The oil soap mixes with the dust and turns the whole thing into a gummy mess that not only needs to be cleaned off your floor before it can be finished (or you’ll end up with streaks, pimples in the finish, orange peeling, etc) but also has to be cleaned out of the equipment.

It adds up to two dollars per square foot to the job, depending on exactly how much of a pain in the ass the job becomes.

@Seek Good to know.

My mother used to have a friend who used Murphy’s oil soap to clean her face…..She looked really young for her age, and she swore by it.

^^That’s the first time I heard that one.