This is the complete guide on how to make tile floors shine without wax where we have discussed everything you need to know.
Tiles have a special place in many people’s hearts because of how much they can do for a space. But, as you may know, tiles require a lot of upkeep to keep them looking beautiful and clean.
In order to maintain their original appearance, tiles should be cleaned regularly with tile floor cleaner or soap and water.
However, if the tiles are sealed with wax or varnish, this can make them very slippery. Waxes can also cause tiles to become discolored over time, as the wax build-up will wear off unevenly and expose patches of tile.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to clean tiles without having to use any waxes. All you have to do is mix a few simple ingredients together and the tiles will look shiny and new. Read on to find out how to make tile floors shine without wax.
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Ways On How To Make Tile Floors Shine Without Wax
Tile floors can accumulate a lot of dirt and grime over time. You may find yourself wondering how to make tile floors shine without wax.
Luckily, there are some simple ingredients you can use to quickly clean tiles and restore their shine without using any waxes. Below we have listed some of the most common ingredients that can be used to clean tiles.
Sweeping & Vacuuming Your Floor
Although it may seem like a bit of an obvious step, sweeping and vacuuming your floor regularly is the first thing you should do to keep tiles looking beautiful and shiny.
This will remove any dust and dirt that has settled on top of or in between tiles. If you have pets, catching their hair or any other debris early will make cleaning your tile floors much less of a hassle.
Sweeping and vacuuming your tile floors regularly will help prevent dirt from becoming deeply embedded in the tiles and causing them to look discolored.
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Use Mixture Of Ammonia And Water
One of the best ways how to make tile floors shine without wax is by using an ammonia and water mixture. All you have to do is mix one-part of ammonia with three parts water in a spray bottle, shake it up to mix, and then spray it or soak a dry sponge or mop then start scrubbing and let it sit for 10 minutes.
You can then rinse it with some clean water and wipe it dry. Not only will this clean your tiles, but as the ammonia eats away at dirt and grime, it will also disinfect them as well.
Also, there are ammonia-free tile cleaners available that can be just as effective. Use either of these chemicals to clean your tiles and you will find they look like new again.
Ammonia is one of the best ingredients to use to clean tile floors as it is very effective at cutting through dirt and grime as well as disinfecting them.
It also doesn’t leave behind any residue, so you don’t have to worry about adding wax or varnish later after cleaning your tiles.
Ammonia and water mixture works great on c hipped or scratched tiles as well. If you have any damaged tiles, make sure to patch them up before using the ammonia mixture on your tile floors.
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Clean With Baking Soda
If you have dull dirty looking tiles, instead of buying an expensive product to restore the tile finish it is much more cost-effective to use baking soda.
This works incredibly well on sealed or waxed tiles as well as ceramic or porcelain tiles. It will give a great shine and remove any dirt that has been lying in between the tiles.
In a spray bottle, mix one part of water with three parts baking soda. Shake it up and spay onto your tiles. Let them soak for ten minutes and then scrub off the residue with a dry mop or rag.
You can also use a dry sponge or cloth to apply by hand if you prefer. Then rinse the tile properly with warm water to remove any remaining residue.
You may need to scrub a few times if your tiles are extremely dirty. If the baking soda starts to dry up, you can always add more water to it while still allowing some foaming action to take place.
When trying to figure out how to make tile floors shine without wax, baking soda is one of the best ways to restore dull tiles.
It can be used on all surface types including sealed tiles like ceramic or porcelain tiles. Baking soda will also work well on any tiles that have been previously waxed or polished as this will help remove the build-up and bring back the shine.
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Use Natural Vinegar
White distilled vinegar is another excellent natural ingredient that you can use to clean tile floors and get them looking like new again.
All you need to do is put one cup of vinegar in a gallon of water and then apply it to your floor. You can either mop or spray the solution onto your tile floors, making sure to get some on the grout lines as well.
Finally, once the entire tile floor is inundated with solution, re-mob the surface using clean warm water. Wax build-up is another problem that you may need to fix if you are trying to find the best way to make tile floors shine without wax.
Luckily, vinegar is also very effective at removing wax build-up as it dissolves any residue that may be left behind after mopping your tiles.
Simply re-wet your tiles with more of the solution and allow them to soak for about five minutes. Once this time has passed, scrub with a soft brush, rinse again with clean warm water and allow your tiles to dry.
You should see a significant difference in how dull or shiny your tiles are after using this process. Vinegar is also an inexpensive alternative to commercial cleaners that have been designed to clean tile floors.
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Apply High Gloss Tile Sealer
On sealed tiles, you may be able to settle for simply adding some more sealer. However, on unsealed tiles the best way to make tile floors shine without wax is something called high gloss tile sealer.
This product can help restore old looking cement, ceramic or any other tiles that have dull look. Simply mop the solution onto your tile floors and allow to soak in for about few minutes.
It may be helpful to add a bit more water after this time period has passed, but it will depend on the sealer you are using.
Generally, you should see the same type of results that occur when applying a high gloss sealer to any other types of surfaces including wood or concrete.
Those sealers, in addition to giving your tiles a high-gloss finish, make the surface stain-resistant and increase moisture vapor transmission.
You’ll need to select a product that is appropriate for the kind of floor tile you have.
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Use Soapy Water
You can also use soapy water to shine your tile floors. This is an especially great option when you are in a pinch and need to clean the tiles quickly.
Soap tends to provide the best results on unsealed tiles or sealed but lightly soiled surfaces that have not had any previous coatings of wax or polish applied to them in the past.
Make sure to use dishwashing detergent when trying to figure out how to make tile floors shine without wax. You can use a sponge or cloth with a handle that you dip into a bucket of soapy water and then scrub the tiles down, making sure not to miss any areas.
Cleaning off any dirt before using a solution like this will ensure that you are getting the best results possible. This method is great for small jobs around the house or for professional contractors that need to quickly brighten up their floors before a large event.
When trying to figure out how to make tile floors shine without wax, vinegar and baking soda are excellent choices. They can be used together in order to create a paste that removes tile residue and leaves behind a shiny finish.
Shine Them Using Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is also great at removing grime and making tile floors shine. This solution has the added benefit of being able to kill any bacteria that may be present, causing it to work well when you are concerned about getting rid of germs or other types of dirt.
As long as you are careful when applying it, undiluted lemon juice may also be used to wipe down tiles in order to get rid of dirt and stains.
Simply mix one part lemon juice with three parts water in separate containers before dipping your rags into the mixture and using them to clean the floor.
The final step is to allow your tiles to dry. Depending on the room you are working in as well as how much liquid is present, this may not take very long at all. In some cases, it may be necessary to wipe your tiles down with a towel or let them air dry.
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Can You Restore Dull Ceramic Tiles?
Yes. Old-looking ceramic tiles may always be restored to their original luster and sparkle, even if they have lost their gleam and luster as a result of dirt, dust, stains, or regular use.
To clean and restore dull-old-looking tiles in one go, use baking soda solution to remove any stains then mop the floor.
There are many other natural cleaners that can be used to restore dull-looking ceramic tiles. If you’re looking for more information on how to clean tile floors, shine cement or make other types of stone look beautiful again without the use of waxes or polishes you can try using above mentioned natural cleaners.
Use them on floors, porches, pavements and other concrete structures to get rid of stains or restore their original look.
Reasons Of Dull Tile Floors
There may be several reasons of why your floor tiles look dull and lifeless. One reason could be because they haven’t been cleaned properly or at all.
Another reason may be that tile grout is dirty and needs proper cleaning and resealing. Using improper materials for daily cleaning like harsh chemicals can damage tiles in the long run.
This is why it’s essential to make sure you are taking care of your tile floors the correct way by using products that are made specifically for this purpose.
Tile flooring may become dingy if tile sealers, which provide tiles a high sheen, are exposed to certain chemicals.
Drawbacks Of Wax Finish On Tile Floors
Waxing may help your ceramic tile and other flooring shine again but it eventually wears off over time. When you wax tiles, the protective coating is also worn away in the process, resulting in your surface becoming dull once again after a certain period of time.
Waxed tile floors may be slippery when they are wet or when they’ve recently been polished or buffed with an abrasive material. There are many drawbacks of wax finish on tile floors that you can check below.
High Maintenance
Another significant drawback of using wax to shine your tiles is that it will require you to constantly reapply them in order for your floors to remain shiny.
Wax needs to be regularly polished and buffed with an abrasive pad after all, this is what polishing is all about or the protective coating will wear off within months.
Otherwise, your tiles will become dull and even dirty-looking. Regularly waxing your tile floors can be a dangerous chore as well, since it makes the surface slippery and dangerous during wet weather or when people walk on it with shoes that have rough soles.
If you want to maintain the shine of your tile floor, but don’t want to use wax, there are other ways to do so by using natural floor cleaners and polishes.
Vulnerable To Heat
Another drawback of wax finish is that it makes tile floors more vulnerable to heat. In fact, most floor finishes don’t do well with direct sunlight and high temperatures.
If the temperature gets too hot, you may have to clean your tiles from time to time as they will become dirty-looking again after being exposed to extreme heat.
If you don’t want to clean your tiles frequently, then waxing may not be the answer for you because it will require constant reapplication if you want to keep their shine going.
If there is a spill on the floor, it’s also a good idea to do a thorough cleaning before applying any type of finish.
Not Much Durable Than Other Alternatives
Wax finish isn’t as durable as other types of floor finishes like polyurethane. A liquid resin produced from crude oil, polyurethane is a substance that has been used to cover floors and other surfaces.
Wax not only wears out quickly, but it stains and can be difficult to remove after a while when you want to try something else instead since your tiles don’t shine much with wax anymore.
Some may consider waxing floors as an option in order to add gloss and shine for a few months at best, but if you’re looking for something that can last longer, then wax isn’t the best option you could choose.
Difficult To Take Off
Wax is difficult to be removed once it’s laid down on any type of surface. If you decided to remove wax from your tile floors, not only can it damage certain tiles, but it will also take hours of labor and plenty of elbow grease in order for this task to become successful.
If you are planning to refine your wax finish then it’s best to hire a professional so you won’t damage your floors in the process.
Works For Limited Floor Types
The wax finish on tile floors has a couple of drawbacks, one of which is that it can only be applied to particular flooring types such as bamboo, concrete, hardwood, and linoleum.
This type of finish requires a very smooth flooring surface before it can be applied. The trick to shining tiles is not using wax anymore if you want your floors to shine for an extended period of time without having to reapply wax constantly.
Clean your tile floors with natural cleaners and polishes so they will look as good as new and shiny again.
Steps To Remove Old Wax From Tile Flooring
There are many products available in the market that can help you remove wax from tile flooring. However, you need to be careful when choosing a product because some of them may damage your tiles and grout lines in the process.
Step 1: Use a stiff bristle brush to clean the surface of your tiles then you use a gallon of warm or mild-warm water and add a half-cup white vinegar. Use a mop to clean the surface of your tile floors with this solution.
Step 2: Once you’ve done this, place a cloth on the wet surface and press down to absorb water. Remove the cloth then use a squeegee that has been dipped in warm water to remove the remaining moisture from your tiles.
Step 3: Use a mop with a flat head to clean your grout lines by squeezing some mild-warm water onto your tiles then dipping the head of the mop into a bucket.
Step 5: Fill a fresh bucket with water and grab a mop. Just to be sure that all of the chemicals have been removed from your floor, wash it and rinse it numerous times.
Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 if necessary until all wax has been removed from your floors. Once you are satisfied with the results then clean all your equipment and tools then dry them and put them into storage.
Step 5: Place a drop cloth on the floor in front of your door when you leave so when you come back, all residual water will be absorbed by this cloth instead of forming puddles around your house.
Final Verdict
Cleaning tile floors doesn’t have to involve harsh chemicals or a lot of elbow grease. In fact, you can make your floors shine without wax using natural ingredients and simple methods.
We’ve outlined the steps for you in this article on how to make tile floors shine without wax, so all you need to do is get started! What are you waiting for? Your flooring will thank you.
