If you want to clean your kitchen's old tile floor and have it look just like it did the day it was originally installed, then follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Gather Up All of the Supplies You Will Need for This Project
To clean tile like a professional floor cleaner, you will need the following supplies:
- a bottle of muriatic acid
- a bucket
- a sponge
- a nylon bristle brush
- a mop
- rubber kitchen gloves
- eye protection
- grout sealant
In addition, you will need cold water to mix with the muriatic acid to dilute it.
Step 2: Dilute the Muriatic Acid with Water
Since muriatic acid is too strong to use directly out of the bottle, you need to dilute it with water in accordance with the directions on the bottle before putting it on your kitchen's tile floor. Typically, you will be mixing one part of acid with five to ten parts of cold water.
Make sure you dilute the acid outdoors and wear your gloves and eye protection.
Step 3: Apply the Muriatic Acid Solution to the Floor and Scrub It with Your Brush
Wearing your long kitchen gloves and using a sponge, squeeze a liberal amount of the diluted acid onto the tile's floor's surface. Let the acid sit for a moment to dissolve any dirt and grime buildup, and then scrub it clean with your brush.
If your tile floor has lots of grease or hard water buildup on its surface, you may need to apply more acid and scrub the floor a second time.
Step 4: Mop the Floor with Clean Water to Remove the Muriatic Acid
When you are finished scrubbing the floor, then you need to remove the acid from the tile. If you do not do so, then it will etch the surface of the tile and ruin it.
To remove the acid, mop the floor with a liberal amount of cold water. When the acid has all been removed, spot clean any areas were dirt remains, mop with clean water again, and then allow the floor to thoroughly dry.
Step 5: Seal the Tile's Grout to Prevent Future Dirt Buildup
Finally, once your kitchen's tile floor has dried, then you should seal the grout to prevent future dirt buildup and keep it looking great. You can purchase grout sealant at your local home improvement store, and it is easy to apply to the grout.
If you don't have the time or ability to do this cleaning yourself, consider hiring a professional company like Steamology Carpet and Tile Cleaning.