Popular in the South, Mexican Saltillo tile is a beautiful, rustic, natural-looking tile made from sun-dried clay. It is commonly found in kitchens, bathrooms, breakfast nooks and sun rooms. The tile is sturdy and reliable but can be tricky to clean. Read on to learn clean Saltillo tile.
Instructions
1. Sweep and vacuum the entire floor. Engage the brush on your vacuum for better results. Be careful not to bang your vacuum around on the tile and risk chipping it.
2. Check for loose tile, cracks, chips or debris. Saltillo is sturdy, but it does have sensitivities and can become scratched and damaged. If you have serious cracks, you may need to reseal. Investigate this issue further before doing a thorough cleaning.
3. Rinse and scrub the floor with water to remove surface dirt.
4. Purchase a tile cleaner that is specifically made for Saltillo. Unfortunately, this kind of tile needs special treatment, so your options are limited when it comes to product. Buy a deep cleaner that removes dirt and grease, no matter which brand. Carefully follow the directions.
5. Finish your cleaning with a gentle polish. Saltillo hates wax, but it loves polish. There are plenty of polishes available that are safe to use.
Tips Warnings
There are several different varieties of Saltillo, and the tile can be laid down and sealed in a number of ways. Determine the type of Saltillo you have and how it was installed before cleaning.
Never wax a Saltillo floor. Waxing can do permanent damage to the tile and force you to have to strip and re-seal the entire floor.
Never use any kind of oil on a Saltillo floor. Polish is fine, but oil will soak right into the pores of the tile and do permanent damage.
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