How to Clean Commercial Tile Floors: The Best Way to Clean Commercial Tile Flooring

From office buildings to schools, fitness facilities, and more, tile flooring is a popular choice for its durability and low-maintenance characteristics. 

Still, cleaning commercial tile floors cannot be overlooked. This is essential for protecting your flooring investment and ensuring a long lifespan. It also prevents safety and hygeine concerns while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing, inviting atmosphere.

We know that large-scale cleaning can be overwhelming, but no matter the size or layout of your facility, you can take a deep breath and relax - we’re going to show you the best way to clean commercial tile floors in this guide. 

Learn how to clean commercial tile floors on a routine basis through traditional methods like sweeping and mopping to more streamlined, sophisticated tactics like using a floor scrubber or sweeper.

If you’re seeking peak productivity to keep cleaning costs low, invest in an industrial floor sweeper machine or commercial floor scrubber here at SweepScrub today. These machines pay for themselves fast, all while helping you reach higher standards for cleanliness!

Why Cleaning Commercial Tile Floors is an Essential Maintenance Task

You may have chosen tile flooring because you were told it’s low maintenance - but no flooring is 100% maintenance-free. 

So why is cleaning commercial tile floors such an important task for any operation? There are three reasons - preventing premature replacement, ensuring safety/hygeine, and the aesthetic side of things.

Enhancing Safety and Hygiene

Properly cleaned floors prevent the buildup of bacteria and mold, which would otherwise compromise the health of everyone who uses the space. 

Moreover, removing spills and sticky residues helps reduce the risk of slips and falls, making the premises safer for customers and employees alike. 

In this sense, learning how to clean commercial tile floors is an investment in peace of mind knowing you’re not at risk of legal issues associated with accidents! 

Preventing Deterioration

Quality tile flooring is something you only have to install once over the course of your life when you take good care of it. It can last 50 years or longer! But, this is only the case if you do your part to protect it from the wear and tear of daily use.

Dirt and grit can act like sandpaper underfoot, scratching and dulling the surface. Businesses can prevent premature aging of their tiles by keeping the floors clean, keeping it functional and visually appealing for longer. Speaking of visually appealing…

Maintaining Aesthetic Appeal

Sparkling clean floors reflect a high level of professionalism and care (literally and figuratively!), enhancing the overall customer experience. This will also maintain morale among your employees.

If you don’t implement regular commercial tile floor cleaning practices, the grout can become discolored and unsightly. This could end up costing you money if it turns away potential customers or dampens the perceived value of your business.

How to Clean Commercial Tile Floors: Step-by-Step Guide

You can see why the best way to clean commercial tile floors is worth the time and financial investment. So, let’s get into how to clean commercial tile floors below.

Assessing Your Cleaning Needs

First, you need to have a good idea of what you’re up against. This means determining the specific type of messes that plague your flooring and how prominent those messes are.

Start by evaluating the amount of foot traffic your floors handle daily. High-traffic areas like entryways, hallways, and common spaces will require more frequent and thorough cleaning than less frequented areas. 

Then you can consider the type of dirt and debris typically brought into the space, which could range from dust and mud to more abrasive materials that could damage tile surfaces - like chemical spills. This information will help you choose effective cleaning products.

Routine Cleaning Practices

You know what they say - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! That’s why the best way to clean commercial tile floors is as often as possible. 

This prevents the need for more abrasive cleaning methods down the road as you’re not giving the dirt and grime time to take hold on your flooring. So, begin with a daily sweeping or dust mopping to remove loose dirt, sand, and grit. 

This helps you mitigate the abrasive action these particles can have on the tile surface, which can dull and scratch the finish over time. Using a soft-bristled broom or a microfiber dust mop is effective in capturing and removing soil without damaging the tile.

However, this can be very time-consuming and tiresome in commercial settings with expansive hallways or layouts. In this sense, it can also be costly to pay an employee to push a broom for a few hours a day.

So, you may consider investing in a commercial walk-behind floor sweeper or industrial ride-on sweeper machine depending on the size of your building. These not only empower you to clean faster but also to clean better, ensuring no dust or debris is left behind.

You may want to follow up by mopping with a mild detergent diluted in warm water. Ensure the mop is wrung well to avoid saturating the tile with water, which can seep into and weaken the grout. Mop the floors in sections, rinsing the mop frequently to avoid spreading dirty water. 

Similar to traditional sweeping, you may discover that mopping is not only too slow but downright ineffective given the fact that you’re merely spreading the mess around the floor. 

For this reason, most buildings of a certain scale ultimately end up investing in a commercial walk behind floor scrubber or industrial ride on floor scrubber. These not only work faster but leave behind a more sparkling tile floor as they pick up dirty water and dry simultaneously. 

We’ll talk more about choosing your equipment later on, but just know this - SweepScrub has you covered whether you need a sweeper, a scrubber, or even a floor sweeper scrubber machine capable of managing both tasks! 

When spills happen, address them immediately while they’re still wet if possible. Use a cloth or sponge dampened with a cleaning solution appropriate for the type of tile. Otherwise, stains will set and become more difficult to remove later on.

Deep Cleaning Methods

Even with daily cleaning of commercial tile floors, you’ll need to implement more deep cleaning methods on a routine basis. This may be necessary once a week, every few weeks, or quarterly - it all depends on the foot traffic within your facility and the types of messes tracked in.

We know that the idea of deep cleaning can sound daunting, but if you follow our advice and invest in the best industrial floor sweeper or scrubber for your business, it’s actually not all that different from your routine cleaning methods! You just may need to use different chemical cleaning solutions. 

So, what’s the best cleaner for commercial tile floors? It all depends on the specific tile flooring in question. Here’s an overview of the three most popular styles and our recommendations:

• Vinyl Tile: Vinyl is resilient but can be susceptible to abrasion. Use non-abrasive cleaners and avoid stiff brushes. Ensure any cleaning solution is rinsed off thoroughly to prevent leaving behind a film that can attract more dirt.
• Porcelain Tile: This type is highly durable and less porous than ceramic, making it easier to clean. Porcelain can typically handle more aggressive cleaning methods, but always check manufacturer recommendations to avoid damaging the finish.
• Ceramic Tile: Despite being durable, ceramic tiles are more porous than porcelain, which means they can absorb liquids and stains more readily. Use pH-neutral cleaning solutions and avoid acidic or alkaline cleaners that can break down the glaze.

Be sure to follow manufacturer recommendations when diluting your cleaning solution in your machine, and consider following up with a pass of just water afterward so you’re not leaving behind any residue.

Deep cleaning commercial tile floors also require a bit more elbow grease to get the grout back looking as good as new. You may need a specialized grout cleaner, which will need to be applied with a small brush. 

This is definitely the most tedious task associated with cleaning commercial tile flooring, but be patient and consider working in sections to give your hands a break. Or, consider investing in a steam cleaner to streamline the process. These can penetrate deep into the pores of the grout, removing dirt and bacteria without the need for harsh chemicals.

More Tile Floor Care Advice

There you have it - the best way to clean commercial tile floors! But before we wrap this guide up, we want to offer a few more tips on caring for your flooring to protect it and keep it looking its best.

You should place mats at entrances and high-traffic areas to reduce the amount of dirt and debris that comes into contact with the tile. Regularly shake out or vacuum these mats.

It’s also important to address issues in the flooring promptly to prevent further damage - such as chips and cracks within individual tiles. Damaged tiles can harbor dirt and bacteria and can compromise the overall integrity of the floor.

Follow these tips on how to clean commercial tile floors and you’ll keep your facility neat and tidy for customers and employees while extending the life expectancy of your flooring. There’s just one thing left to do - invest in the floor cleaning solutions you need at SweepScrub!

Invest in the Best Way to Clean Commercial Tile Floors at SweepScrub Today!

SweepScrub is the premier provider of commercial flooring cleaning equipment online. We’ve earned the trust of thousands of businesses by curating a selection of the top models from the most trusted brands and backing them up with exceptional customer service along the way.

From sweepers to scrubbers, sweeper scrubbers, heavy-duty vacuum cleaners, steam cleaners, and even commercial cleaning chemicals - we mean it when we say this is your one-stop shop for all things floor cleaning.

Machines We Recommend for Tile Cleaning

We have the most extensive selection of products on the market, with a full selection of commercial tile cleaning equipment specifically. You can narrow your search for the perfect solution below:

• Nilfisk Advance SC100 Floor Scrubber: This compact powerhouse offers single-pass scrub and dry capabilities that leave floors immediately clean and dry. Its upright design mimics a vacuum but provides a deeper clean with easy maneuverability and durable construction, making it a cost-effective alternative to traditional mopping.
• Clarke ma10 12e Upright Floor Scrubber: This lightweight, walk-behind scrubber cleans both forwards and backward, easily navigating under tables and chairs. Its design ensures efficient cleaning and drying of hard surfaces, much like an upright vacuum, but with superior hygiene and without spreading dirty water. It’s perfect for small spaces.
• Vapamore MR-1000 Forza Commercial Steam Cleaner: Its continuous steam flow and versatile attachments make it ideal for detailed cleaning in restaurants, healthcare settings, and auto shops, providing a chemical-free solution to hygiene.
• Tennant T1 Floor Sweeper Scrubber: The T1 combines sweeping and scrubbing with exceptional maneuverability. Its compact design allows easy access through narrow aisles and entryways, making it ideal for maintaining pristine floors in high-traffic retail or hospitality settings.
• Kärcher BR 75/75 W BP Classic Floor Sweeper Scrubber: This machine offers simplicity and reliability with a powerful cylindrical brush system that ensures thorough cleaning in any environment. Its ergonomic design and easy-to-use controls allow for efficient operation, making it an excellent choice for large areas needing frequent, thorough cleaning.

Not Sure Which Commercial Tile Floor Cleaning Equipment is Right For You?

Don’t play the guessing game - our customer support team is available via phone call, email, and even live chat to offer a personalized recommendation based on your specific facility. 

So, get in touch today and put the stress of cleaning commercial tile floors in the past for good. It’s time to streamline your operations and maintain an impeccable facility with less work!

Closing Thoughts on How to Clean Commercial Tile Floors

Hopefully, this guide on how to clean commercial tile floors has left you feeling clear and confident in your next steps. This process is imperative not only for aesthetic appeal but also for ensuring a hygienic and safe environment. 

Embracing the right tools and techniques, such as specialized scrubbers and eco-friendly cleaning solutions, can transform this essential task from a chore into a strategic advantage for your business. The only thing left to do now is shop at SweepScrub to transform your process!

From factory floor cleaning to how to clean warehouse floor, using a floor scrubber on a gym floor, or anything in between - our equipment can help you enhance cleaning efficiency and results, saving you money in the long run while maintaining a sparkling clean facility.

So, invest in unparalleled productivity and performance today - your commercial floor cleaning equipment is just a few clicks away!