Tile Maintenance Tips for the Holiday Season
Your annual home maintenance checklist probably includes items such as cleaning gutters, inspecting the HVAC system, and replacing smoke alarm batteries. However, you may be missing an essential item — tile maintenance. With winter weather on the way, it’s important to keep your tile surfaces in top shape. This means focusing on cleaning and maintenance before storms and holiday visitors arrive.
How can you ensure your tile looks great for holiday gatherings and minimize maintenance during this busy season? Here are a few tips to keep you on track for pristine tiles and happy house guests.
Tile Maintenance For Your Floors
Tile maintenance will vary between flooring and countertops or backsplashes because these surfaces are used differently. Flooring must withstand foot traffic and the intrusion of outside materials like dirt, slush, and salt. Cleaning is important, but so is preparing for extra traffic and inclement weather.
Clean and Seal
Before the weather turns nasty, schedule a cleaning session to really get floors sparkling. Make sure to include maintenance tasks like grout cleaning and repair if necessary.
Next, speak with a flooring specialist about whether your tile needs a sealant to protect your floors from stains. In general, you will need to seal any natural stone, such as slate, marble, limestone, or travertine. An impregnator sealer will absorb into the surfaces of the stones to prevent water intrusion and staining. With the exception of some polished porcelains, porcelain and ceramic tiles do not need to be sealed.
Add Non-Slip Rugs
Once your tile maintenance is complete and your home is ready to entertain, it’s time to consider preventive steps. Adding the right rugs at entryways not only enhances decor but also can meet practical needs.
Non-slip rugs increase guests’ safety as they enter your home. An absorbent mat will soak moisture and grime to keep it off your clean floors. You can also choose washable rugs that go right in the laundry to spruce up between visitors.
Adopt a No-Shoe Policy
Keeping soiled shoes off your floors is a great way to minimize daily cleaning tasks. If you institute a no-shoe policy, make it easy for guests to comply. Place a bench and shoe cubbies by the front door and consider offering guests slippers or gifting them cozy, non-slip socks to wear during their stay.
Stay on Top of Spills
With holiday feasts and revelry in the works, accidents are bound to happen. Keeping up with tile maintenance and cleaning means addressing food or other spills as quickly as possible. Make sure to let guests know where cleaning supplies are located in case midnight snack runs become messy.
Keeping Countertops and Backsplashes Looking Lovely
Floors aren’t the only areas that require tile maintenance. Tiled countertops and backsplashes also deserve some pre-holiday attention. Before you host family and friends, you can take steps to refresh kitchen and bathroom spaces.
Steam Clean Grout
Over the years, grout can get grungy and even crack or chip. While you needn’t engage in full grout restoration annually, you should at least perform a deep clean.
After cleaning the area to remove surface dust and grime, scrub grout lines with a small, handheld steamer with a soft, nylon brush. Next, rinse the area and allow it to dry completely. Finally, apply a sealer to prevent moisture, stains, bacteria, and mold from penetrating the grout.
Reseal Stone Tiles
Stone tiles imbue your home with the beauty of nature and strong, durable surfaces. However, stone is naturally porous and must be sealed to prevent staining, water intrusion, and other potential harm.
How often you seal stone as part of your tile maintenance routine may depend on several factors. Consider the type of stone, the volume of foot traffic, and what cleaners you have used on it.
A lighter stone in a high-use area may require sealing 1-2 times a year. For less wear and tear, every 1-3 years might suffice. Darker stone could go as much as 3-5 years between treatments. However, annual sealing is an easy way to stay on top of this necessary maintenance.
Sanitize After Cleaning
Cleaning is the first step to preparing safe and hygienic shared spaces for family and friends. To minimize the spread of germs, regularly sanitize surfaces that are frequently touched, like countertops. All-purpose cleansers can be used on most ceramic and porcelain tiles. Please follow the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations if you have a crackled, glass, or metallic tile. All natural stone should be cleaned with a pH-balanced cleaner.
Keep Cleaning Supplies Handy
Annual tile maintenance can be a bit more involved than daily cleaning. Once the job is done, however, preserving a pristine appearance is easy. Stock up on cleaning supplies like suitable sprays and absorbent microfiber cloths.
From there, just place them around the house in areas prone to messes. When accidents occur in an entryway, kitchen, or bathroom, having supplies in easy reach makes for quick cleanup.
Add Tile Maintenance to Your Annual Home Checklist
Caring for your home is ongoing, but preserving a clean interior and property value makes it worthwhile. Tile maintenance is integral to the equation, especially when addressing concerns like winter weather and added foot traffic around the holidays. With the right supplies, preventive care, and scheduled maintenance, your tile will remain functional and beautiful year after year.
When it’s time to upgrade flooring or countertops, the experienced team at Atlas Marble & Tile can help. Contact us now to learn more about our tile selection and services.
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