Cleaning ceramic and porcelain tiles

Who this guide is for

This guide is for facility managers, cleaning contractors and maintenance teams looking after ceramic, grès and porcelain tile floors: in supermarkets and shops, lobbies and corridors, schools, hospitals, and office and public buildings.

The manufacturer’s table distinguishes four types of tile, each maintained differently. First work out which you have, then choose the programme below or in the pad finder.

How to recognise your tiles

• Ceramic and grès tiles: often a more porous surface without a glassy sheen, where dirt collects on the tiles and in the grout.
• Matt or unglazed porcelain: a dense, hard body with no glaze, matt in appearance, often in large formats.
• Satin or glazed porcelain: tiles with a glassy glaze and a medium sheen, listed in the manufacturer’s table at gloss 30–60.
• High-gloss porcelain: glazed or vitrified porcelain with a mirror finish, listed in the manufacturer’s table at gloss 90.

If you are not sure which tiles you have, start with the gentler programme, or ask us before using a coarse pad.

The programme by type of tile

The programmes follow the manufacturer’s table of methods. Where a job is missing, the manufacturer does not specify it for those tiles. It does not specify high-speed burnishing for any type of tile.

On ceramic tiles, grès and matt porcelain, RG 400 deep cleans both the tiles and the grout. On matt porcelain with a plain surface you can use the tougher HD 400. For daily maintenance HP 800 is the first choice, which the manufacturer specifies for porous tiles and low-gloss matt porcelain; choose HP 1800 when you want more gloss.

For glazed porcelain the manufacturer specifies daily maintenance only: RG 3500 on satin porcelain at gloss 30–60, and RG 8000 on high-gloss porcelain at gloss 90. RG 8000 is the manufacturer’s pad for delicate surfaces and high-gloss porcelain.

What you need

• The scrubber-dryer or single-disc machine you already own.
• A velcro pad holder, which the manufacturer recommends for best results.
• Pads in your machine’s size: 5" to 28", and 36" and 48" for High Performance and Heavy Duty.
• No burnisher: the manufacturer does not specify high-speed burnishing for tiles.
• Clean water, no detergent.

Step by step

Deep cleaning tiles and grout

1. Sweep the floor and remove coarse dirt.
2. Fit RG 400 to a scrubber-dryer or single-disc machine; on matt porcelain with a plain surface, HD 400 also works.
3. Work with water, in several passes, until the tiles and grout are evenly clean.
4. Pick up the dirty water with a scrubber-dryer and check the result.

Gloss upgrade and daily maintenance

1. After deep cleaning, switch to HP 800. For more gloss, continue with HP 1800.
2. Fit the pad centred on the velcro holder and clean with water only, one pass a day. The pad cleans and polishes at the same time.
3. After work, rinse the pad and let it dry.

Glazed porcelain

1. Fit RG 3500 for satin porcelain, or RG 8000 for high-gloss porcelain.
2. Clean with water only, one pass a day. Do not use coarse pads or a burnisher.

Unless it is an extreme case, the manufacturer recommends water only for every job, from deep cleaning to maintenance.

In practice: supermarkets

In one of Superabrasive’s case studies, supermarkets with high-porosity ceramic and matt porcelain floors first deep cleaned with RG 400 and then cleaned daily with HP 800. According to the manufacturer, high-quality Suprashine pads deliver excellent cleaning results and can even renew the surface.

Where the same building also has terrazzo, stone or concrete, use the stone and terrazzo guide or the concrete guide.

Common mistakes

• Coarse pads on glazed porcelain. For satin and high-gloss porcelain the manufacturer specifies daily maintenance only, with RG 3500 or RG 8000.
• A burnisher on tiles. The manufacturer’s table does not specify high-speed burnishing for ceramic or porcelain.
• The daily pad on very dirty grout. HP 800 is a daily maintenance pad. Deep clean very dirty tiles and grout first with RG 400.
• Detergent out of habit. The diamonds work mechanically, so the manufacturer recommends detergent only in extreme cases.
• One programme for every tile. Unglazed and glazed porcelain are maintained differently. Identify the tile first.
• The wrong pad size. The pad must match the machine’s holder. Check the sizes.

Next step

Find the pad and size for your tiles and machine in the pad finder for ceramic and grès, or choose matt porcelain, satin porcelain or high-gloss porcelain. If you are not sure, send us an inquiry describing the floor and the machine. We suggest the pads, sequence and size, and send you an offer.