How To Make A Kitchen Floor Tile Look New

The kitchen is a busy place where it’s easy to make a mess or cause some damage. If your kitchen floor tiles are damaged or looking a little outdated, you are probably wondering how to make them look new again. But chances are, you don’t want to hire an expensive professional when you can do it yourself. We have thoroughly researched how you can make the kitchen tiles look brand new.

If you want to make the kitchen floor tiles appear new again, there are a couple of tried and true methods that you can do on your own. They can sometimes be combined for a greater effect:

• Deep clean the tiles and grout
• Repair all of the damage
• Refinish the tiles
• Paint the tiles or grout

The kitchen is always a part of daily life, whether you’re making memories or rushing to work. It deserves to look nice, and serve you well. But all kitchens are also unique, so keep reading to learn how to clean different kinds of tiles, and how to update them with new styles, colors, or flooring.

How do you deep clean kitchen tile floors?

Instead of just using water and soap, you can deep clean any floor using power tools and commercial floor cleaners. But there are some basic steps you should follow in order to achieve the best results.

Identify the Tile and Cleaner

Before you begin using any floor cleaners that happen to be lying around, keep in mind that your cleaning process is going to change based on what kind of floor tiles your kitchen has.

There is a surprising variety of unique floor tiles for your kitchen, from plastic-based vinyl to natural stone. But some of these materials will not respond well to the wrong kind of floor cleaner. You can end up making the kitchen look much worse instead of restoring the flooring.

Sometimes, you may even have to purchase a floor cleaner that is designed for specific kinds of spills. That means you might require multiple kinds of floor cleaners, and they must all be compatible with the floor material. Once you have all of the correct cleaners assembled, you can turn to your power tools.

Pressure Washers

Click here to find this indoor and outdoor pressure washer on Amazon.

Since kitchen floors tend to take up so much surface area, you can save a lot of time and trouble by renting or purchasing a pressure washer. Sometimes known as a “power washer,” this power tool is simply just an elaborate water pump that is easy to put together and not too heavy to use.

It will remove both thick residue and fine dirt from your kitchen tiles. In fact, some can even remove unusually tough stains such as mildew. This is especially handy in a kitchen where longstanding moisture allows mold and mildew fungi to grow.

Most of the time, you can use a low-pressure setting to avoid damaging weaker tile materials. But you should consider if there is existing wear and tear before subjecting the floor to a pressure washer. You can severely harm the kitchen if you use a pressure washer on existing damage in the tiles or grout.

Clean the Floor Grout

Floor grout will always be found between the edges of your tiles, no matter what the floor is made of. That’s because grout is an essential sealer, which is designed to protect the edges of floor tiles.

However, your floor grout isn’t just a practical addition. Your floor grout has a tremendous impact on the appearance of your tiles, so it cannot be overlooked. In fact, your grout can sometimes be the primary issue instead of the tiles themselves.

Apply the Cleaner

Once the floor is clean and tidy, you are free to evenly distribute the floor cleaner across your tiled floor. Bear in mind that your average commercial floor cleaner is harsh enough to remove any existing surface layers, such as glaze or wax. You may have to wait a little bit longer for the cleaners to remove especially tough stains.

Don’t forget that floor cleaners remove dirt so effectively that you are likely to leave ugly streaks across the tiles unless you’re careful. You can avoid worrying about this altogether by purchasing specially designed spray mops, which correctly distribute cleaner and mop for you.

Click here to see this Bona floor cleaner mop on Amazon.

What is the best cleaning solution for ceramic tile floors?

For those who aren’t interested in commercial cleaners, you can actually use a blend of water and vinegar to clean ceramic tile floors. That’s because vinegar isn’t a toxic substance, which can also be safely used indoors.

Some people also mix in some baking soda with vinegar when they mop ceramic tiles. This can be considered the best solution if you’re looking to save some money, and can only commit to a DIY cleaning.

Click here to find this ceramic floor cleaner on Amazon.

However, your best bet is still a trusted commercial cleaner like Black Diamond. It will probably require less work, and it is also safe to use as long as you choose the compatible cleaner. Each of the brands should have its own instructions for the ideal application.

Repair all of the Damage

This can seem clear, but it may be time to finally invest in fixing those dings that have accumulated over time. Consistency is one of the most attractive things in any room, and damage creates an eyesore. Different kinds of damage will require various solutions.

But any scrapes or dents can distract from a floor that is routinely mopped. Depending on the material of your floor tile, it may not be as expensive or time-consuming as you imagined. A properly repaired floor will always look new, despite fading colors or a bit of dirt.

Refinish the Tiles

You can sometimes strip an existing finish from the floor tiles, and apply a new tile finish. This is best achieved by renting or purchasing a floor buffer. A floor buffer is a power tool that uses rotary brushes to automatically scrub the floor.

Click here to find this floor buffer on Amazon.

Once you have removed the previous layer of floor finish, you can use any microfiber pad to apply a new finish of your choice. Begin distributing the new finish on the far end of the room, and work your way backward to the entrance.

How can I update my kitchen floor tiles without removing them?

Sometimes, it can seem too costly to repair all the tiles of your floor when all you want to do is restyle. Fortunately, you can always replace the floor grout, repaint the color of your tiles, or cover them up.

Replace Grout

Grout is relatively easy to replace, and it won’t cost nearly as much as replacing your entire floor. But you can choose different grout colors to drastically change the personality of your floor.

For example, you can create contrast between your grout and tiles in order to make the pattern really pop. When you add new grout, you can read the post Should Kitchen Floor Grout Be Sealed? to make sure it lasts.

Can you change the color of kitchen floor tiles?

You can only repaint certain kinds of floor tiles because many popular tile materials will not bond well with paint. Vinyl floor tiles are plastic-based, and plastic isn’t a naturally porous material. So, the paint will end up peeling away fairly soon.

You will always use a primer to help improve the adhesion, but this still won’t allow reliable results on certain materials. Remember to prepare grout paint in addition to floor paint, to fix any spillover from the new tile color. You can read the post How To Paint The Kitchen Floor [A 5-Step Process] to make sure you get the job done right.

Can I put laminate over tile?

Laminate flooring is often used interchangeably with “floating floors.” A floating floor is not secured directly into the subfloor. Instead, it is locked together by tongues and grooves. This simple process makes laminate flooring ideal to install on top of an existing tile floor.

But first, you’ll have to make sure that the tiles aren’t too damaged. If they’re uneven, it can affect the laminate floor. Also, be certain that the floor won’t be raised too high up. You will have to add a thin underlayment beneath the laminate flooring, just like anything else.

If the floor is too high, it can make the heights of all your other fixtures feel awkward. You may even find that the toe kicks are too short. So, consider how tall your floor tiles already make the floor beforehand.

Summary

Kitchen floor tiles come in a range of different materials, but the cleaning process more or less remains the same. The most important step is being able to identify which cleaning solution and methods are best for your own kitchen. Now that you know how to properly clean, paint or fix your tiles and grout, the kitchen floor will look like new in no time.