Foyer tile (same tile as the kitchen)- Hasn't been cleaned in a while. Probably closer to what it should look like.
Asked on May 23, 2020
Best product for sealing very porous tile?
by K. Rupp
+22
Hi fellow home talkers! How are all of you doing? If anyone could help me out...I would really appreciate it!
We have a very porous PORCELAIN tile in our kitchen. It is made to look like white travertine stone. We got it instead of travertine at the time because it was porcelain, didn't stain like travertine and "didn't need to be sealed". The problem is that it has become difficult to clean since it is so porous. When scrubbed with a machine scrubber it does clean up nice, but I can tell I still have to get on my hands and knees to really scrub inside the pits. We are talking hours to get this floor clean!!! It can look like dark seeds even after it has been cleaned because the dirt gets stuck. I have included a couple of pics. The floor that has the worst problem is in the kitchen(of course). First pic is the foyer tile(not bad), 2nd pic is the kitchen tile which was cleaned YESTERDAY!!!
My daughter helps me clean the floors and her biggest complaint is...these floors never look clean. HAHA.
What product would you suggest to seal these tile floors. I have tried to look at products and have no idea what to use on it especially since this tile was not meant to be sealed like travertine. I am hoping a sealer would make them easier to clean? Any suggestions..?
Same tile located in our Kitchen- CLEANED YESTERDAY! Dirt in pits that the scrubber can't get.
If it is porcelain and not a stone, you don't need to seal it. The issue is that the texture of the tile allows dirt to collect in some of the areas. I had the same issue at my last house. I would use a tile cleaner that is slightly acidic and then use a wet shop vac with the squeegee attachment. After I applied the tile cleaner, I would use a deck cleaning brush to scrub the floor. After you use the shop vac- apply some warm water to the tile and clean again to get any of the residue up. DO NOT DO THIS IF THE TILE IS STONE!!
You just have to let chemistry and power tools help you since the tile is a challenge.
I found this product available in Lowe's that might do the trick. Otherwise, I would contact the store where the tile was purchased and see what they suggest. Good luck!
Porcelain tile does not need to be sealed.
I searched the answer on line&like anything else,always contact the manufacturer themselves. But this sounds right&if you a re sealing a clean,grout free time,use the sealer before you grout!! A penetrating Sealer for porcelain/Ceramic tile.
I use a steam cleaner on my tile and it comes out great. No scrubbing!
Hi! Maybe this will help
https://thediyplaybook.com/how-to-clean-and-seal-porcelain-tile-and-grout/
I am on team steam clean over here too!
I go for either the steam cleaner with vacuum attachment or wet/dry shop vac. You need to have something to suck up the cleaner and dirt out of the crevices.
I read were you said that this is an actual porcelain tile made to have that travertine look and feel. One being a porous surface, which is actually the reason travertine and other similar material, even grout requires a sealer. This is just my opinion now... The only way I see you fixing the issue you have is a sealer to fill those voids and allow you to have a surface that is manageable to clean. Otherwise dirt and what have you have plenty of hard to get into places for dirt to settle. I think sealing it will have a result that you would be happy with. Best of luck!