Wondering how to clean tiles with a steamer? First things first—yes, it is possible! While you’re doing a deep clean of your kitchen and cleaning the cabinets, you may want to clean the floor tiles, too. We’ll explain how you can achieve the best cleaning results with little effort on your part.
Whether cooking Sunday dinner got a bit out of hand, the kids ran amok through the house with dirty shoes, or the dog knocked over the garbage can in the bathroom—a steam cleaner can help get rid of stubborn dirt. The advantages of a steam cleaner for tiles are many, and because tiles are durable, they take to steam cleaners well—more sensitive materials like carpets need different methods for cleaning. Especially after a major mishap, or simply for regular basic cleaning, steam cleaners for tiles are a good device. We’ll explain how your tiles will soon double as mirrors—that’s how clean they’ll be after steam cleaning them!
The three most common steam cleaners are all suitable for tiles. While a steam mop mainly serves as a replacement for ordinary mops, floor steam cleaners and steam vacuums are the better choice if you want to clean large surfaces. However, all three devices work on the same principle and achieve comparable results. So if you already have a steam cleaner, you’ll be pleased to hear that you don't need to buy another one for steam cleaning tiles.
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Before you clean floor tiles with the steam cleaner, remove dust and debris using a vacuum cleaner. Otherwise the dust matter, in combination with the steam, will cause streaks and any debris can scratch the tiles—not what you’re after. Giving the floors a bit of a pre-clean before using steam and a mop is always a good idea.
First of all, take care of the grout. This is where a lot of dirt collects, and these areas are more sensitive than the tiles. Because steam cleaners do not require any cleaning agents, they are safe to use on most grouting materials. If you encounter stubborn dirt, simply scrub the grout carefully with a round brush attachment on your steamer.
Now the tiles themselves get put in the hot seat (…the steamy seat?). For this, you can use the full power of your device and, in doing so, also "steam away" stubborn, dried dirt. Try to wipe as evenly as possible over the entire surface so that you don’t get any puddles anywhere.
When you're done cleaning, wipe again with a dry cloth. This will prevent streaks and make your tiles shine again.
A steam cleaner can also be used to clean tiles on your kitchen or bathroom walls without causing any problems. In this case, it is best to work from top to bottom on the walls in question—but otherwise proceed in the same way as for the floor.
- Easy to use
- Better for the environment—no paper towels needed
- Recommended to remove allergens
- Can be effective for removing stubborn stains
We hope you’ve found these tips helpful. For more cleaning advice, check out the cleaning section on our website.