How To Clean Floor Tile
If you have an older home, restaurant, or even gas station, you may have quarry tile that needs cleaning. Quarry tile can develop a beautiful finish over time, but it can be a bit difficult to clean due to the fact it’s not glazed. Because it’s often not glazed, you’ll need to mop up spills quickly so they don’t stain. For the most part, all this floor needs to be clean is a simple mopping with warm water and a strong mop. Alternatively, use a pH-neutral cleaner if you need to do deeper cleaning on your floor.
Method 1: Performing Maintenance Cleaning

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Wipe up spills quickly. Because quarry tile is usually unglazed, it can be stained if you’re not careful. When something spills, be sure to wipe it up as quickly as you can so it can’t stain the floor. You can use a bit of warm water for cleaning, but wipe it up once the area is clean.[1]

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Method 2: Mopping the Floor with Warm Water

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Method 3: Deep Cleaning the Tile

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Pick a pH-neutral cleaner. You don’t want an acidic or basic cleaner for this type of tile, so pick a cleaner that states it is pH neutral. You can find special cleaners specifically for quarry floors, if you prefer.[7]
- You can also make your own cleaner. Mix 0.5 cups (120 mL) of baking soda into 1 gallon (3.8 l) until the baking soda is completely dissolved. Add 5 drops of liquid dishwashing detergent, and stir gently to combine.

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Mop the floor. Run the mop over the floor, focusing on particularly dirty spots. Scrubbing is fine on the dirty areas, though you don’t want to use anything too abrasive. Keep in mind that this tile will always have a matte finish.[9]
- You may need to scrub the grout a bit harder, but it will likely still get darker over time.[10]

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