Textured tiles are dirty tiles

While most people are aware of the need to seal absorbent tiles in order to prevent dirty tiles and make them easier to keep clean, we are seeing more and more that most people do not think about the surface’s texture when thinking about cleanability.

Even finely textured finishes can cause dirty tiles

And it is not always the heavily textured non-slip tiles that are dirty tiles. More often it is very finely textured matt finish surfaces that are harder to clean. In these tiles the surface pore is smaller, so traditional cleaning systems find it harder to get into the smaller spaces (pores) to remove contamination. This means the dirty tiles are nearly impossible to get clean.

If your tile has a fine texture that makes it difficult to clean there are options available to make the tile easier to clean.

• While penetrating sealers do not change surface texture, there are a range of topical sealers that sit just inside and just on top of the surface. These are good options for internal sandstone ,limestone, slate and terracotta surfaces that have textural issues.
• On porcelain and ceramic surfaces coatings are less effective as they do not bond as well and tend to mark and discolour quicker. In these cases Slique can smooth the surface of the tile itself to a smoother finish, creating a satin shine that is permanent. This process smooths the micro pores and makes the tile easier to keep clean.
• Changing the way the tile is cleaned can sometimes fix this issue. Traditional wet mopping is the worst process possible for finely textured tiles and actually helps push dirt into the micro pores. By showing you the right cleaning processes it is possible to greatly slow contamination, and give you the ability to easily clean dirty tiles when necessary. Click here to read our Tile Cleaning Advice.