Carpet cleaners provide a great way to get rid of tough stains on carpeted floors. But can you carpet cleaners on tile? If so, how? If not, why? We've researched the possibility of using a carpet cleaner on tile, and share our findings with you in this post.
It's not recommended to use carpet cleaners on tile, as they can potentially damage the carpet. The only exception is if the carpet cleaner was designed to tackle tile floors in addition to carpet specifically. In which case, it will be safe to use. Also, there other cleaning tools that you can use to clean tile floors effectively.
To prevent damage, it's best to use the right type of equipment when cleaning your tile floor. Continue reading to learn more about why you shouldn't carpet cleaners on your tile floor and what to use instead.
Why You Shouldn't Use Carpet Cleaner On Tiles
Carpet cleaners are made for a specific purpose, and often this doesn't include cleaning tile or hardwood floors due to the way they are constructed. And in some cases, the cleaning agents used in their solutions should not be used on tile. Also, the brushes used in most carpet cleaner devices are fairly coarse and may cause significant scratching to tile floors, especially when they are spinning at high speeds--which many do.
Running them across a flat surface such as a tile floor will cause them to push the dirt around instead of lifting it up and away from the surface. As a result, the sprayed cleaning solution will remain on the tile, making it a wet, dirty mess. However, if you prefer not to mop your tile floor and want to use a different cleaning tool, you're in luck. Let's take a look at a couple of options available for cleaning tiles.
Tools to Use on Tile Floors
Wet-Dry Vacuums
A wet and dry vacuum is essentially a vacuum and steam mop in one. The device uses two buckets to store liquid and solid waste separately. The cleaner can pick up dirt in one tube and dispense liquid and cleaners from the other tube. These vacuums typically come with several attachments to tackle dirt on various surfaces, including tile floors, area rugs, and upholstery.
If you're looking for a cleaner that can remove dust from your living room couch and clean your tile floors, a wet and dry vacuum is the perfect cleaner to use. Wet-dry vacs include filters that will need to be changed periodically. However, it's fairly easy and simple. You can buy these vacuums available online or at local hardware stores.
Learn more about this wet dry vac on Amazon.
Steam Mops
Steam mops operate by heating water through a reservoir to over 200 degrees Fahrenheit and then sending the steam down into the head of a mop pad. The steam penetrates the pad to help loosen and lift dirt and grime from tile floors. It's not like traditional mops that absorb the dirt and require occasional wringing.
Instead, the steam from the mop can sanitize the floor and remove dust mites simultaneously. Not only is this a faster method of cleaning, but it's more effective. The great thing about steam mops is that they come in various sizes, styles, and various attachments for use in several different applications.
However, it is important to ensure that the steam mop is suitable for the type of floor you have and is used correctly. For example, it's always better to sweep your floors before applying the steam mop, as heavily soiled floors can cause it to smear dirt all over the floor. Also, using a steam mop on floors that aren't sealed can be disastrous, and it can damage your floors as well. If you're looking for a more convenient way to mop your kitchen and bathroom floors, a steam mop is a good option.
Learn more about this steam mop on Amazon.
What is the best way to clean tile floors?
There are several different ways to clean your tile floors effectively. However, the best way really depends on the tools that you prefer to use and the level of cleaning needed for the floors. If you don't have a steam mop or wet-dry vacuum, you can absolutely get your tile floors clean the old-fashioned way with a broom, mop, and a few commonly used household cleaning products. Let's take a look at how.
Things you'll need:
- Bristled broom & dustpan (or vacuum)
- Mop
- 2-gallon bucket
- Baking soda
- Distilled vinegar
- Orange or lemon essential oil
- Mild dish soap
- Commercial tile floor cleaner (if you don't have DIY products)
1. Sweep or Vacuum the floor
Start by vacuuming or sweeping the floor to remove any loose dirt and debris. It's always best to start from the farthest side of the room and work your way back to avoid tracking dirt on areas that you've already swept. This usually means starting from the area of the room farthest from the entry area or door.
2. Create your cleaning solutions
Next, in the two-gallon bucket, combine 1/4-cup baking soda, 5-10 drops of essential oil, 1/4-cup distilled vinegar, and 1-tablespoons mild dish soap, with two gallons of warm water. Then, in a small bowl, mix 1-cup of baking soda with 3-tablespoons of vinegar. Mix it with a spoon until it becomes a watery paste.
Check out this essential oil set on Amazon.
3. Clean the grout & mop the floor
Take the baking soda paste and use a bristle brush to apply it to any stained areas in the grout. You may also need to let it sit on deep or large stains for anywhere from five to 10 minutes before scrubbing them away. After you've cleaned the grout, go over the tiles with your mop, making sure to focus on any obvious stains.
4. Rinse the floor with a damp mop
After you have cleaned the floors and grout, refill your mop bucket with warm water. Then go over the floors again to ensure that you've removed all of the baking soda paste and cleaning solution.
How do professionals clean tile and grout?
Professional cleaners typically use a combination of acetic acid and either steam mops or wet-dry vacuums to clean tile and grout floors. You'll be interested to know that acetic acid is also found in distilled vinegar, which is why it's so commonly used in cleaning applications. Though the equipment used by professional cleaners for tile and grout is commonly more expensive, you can definitely get the same results using commercial or DIY cleaners combined with steam mops, wet-dry vacs, or typical string mops.
Check out this commercial tile floor cleaner on Amazon.
You can, but it's typically not recommended. The reason is that the ingredients in the carpet cleaner may not be safe for the tile surface. If you plan to do this, it's best to start off using a small amount of carpet cleaner on an inconspicuous area as a spot test. If you don't see any discoloration or surface scratches on the tile, it may be safe to use on the grout for future cleaning.
However, a more trusted method would be to use a commercial grout cleaner or make your own homemade cleaner using a cup of baking soda and 3-tablespoons of vinegar. If your grout is significantly dirty, you can also add 2-tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide.
Check out this grout cleaner on Amazon.
Do steam cleaners really clean grout?
Steam cleaners can be helpful with cleaning grout by loosening dirt and debris and making it easier to remove. However, they probably won't beat a good brush scrubbing--which is commonly needed to remove stubborn discoloration and mold and mildew from grout surfaces. If you prefer not to scrub the grout, consider applying a commercial or homemade cleaner and letting it sit on the grout for about 10 to 30 minutes to lift any stubborn stains before applying the steam mop.
Can you use a Hoover carpet cleaner on tile?
It's not recommended, as this device is intended for carpet and upholstery surfaces. Instead, consider using Hoover's Floormate Deluxe, which is great for cleaning tile floors.
Learn more about the Hoover FloorMate Deluxe on Amazon.
Can you use a Bissell carpet cleaner on tile?
It's not recommended, as this device is intended for carpet and upholstery surfaces. However, Bissell does make a hard floor Spin Mop that can effectively clean your tile.
Learn more about the Bissell Spinwave Mop on Amazon.
Wrapping things up
We hope that this post has helped explain why you shouldn't use carpet cleaners on tiles. Remember, it's always best to first spot test new cleaning products before using them on your floors.
Before you go, be sure to check out our other posts:
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