About Terracotta Tiles:
Terracotta, which literally means “baked earth” in Italian, is made from natural clay, which gives it a characteristic reddish-brown colour. The clay tiles give character to a room.
Terracotta tiles are an extremely durable and resilient tile. They are designed to withstand the harshest elements. If treated properly, terracotta will provide a beautiful floor which will be hard wearing, warm, stain resistant and easy to maintain.
The one big downside to Terracotta is the fact that it has no glaze on the surface and can pick up and store dirt very quickly.
We know the importance of taking care of your terracotta tile floor. Terracotta tile restoration and cleaning is an important aspect of maintaining the natural shine of your floors.
Cleaning Terracotta Tiles:
Terracotta Tiles require regular cleaning with a PH neutral cleaner. If you are attempting to clean them yourself, do not use bleach based or acid-based products, as these may damage the surface of the tile.
Common Terracotta Tile Cleaning Mistakes:
• Using the wrong cleaning products – too harsh a chemical or too abrasive a cleaner.
• Using too much product – dilute as per instructions, more is NOT better.
• Applying too much water to the surface / flooding the area.
• Not changing the water or cleaning solution often enough.
• Not finishing with a rinse to remove any cleaner/chemical residue.
• Leaving residual moisture on the floors – make sure to dry mop, wet vac or dry with an old towel so that there is no residual moisture left on the floors (especially in the grout lines).
Great article. I use Faber MA90 to seal terracotta. Amazing product. It glazes instant
Thank you
Terracotta tiles are a pretty common feature of many homes, but many people don’t know much about cleaning them.
Your article was very helpful.