Tile Care and Maintenance

With minimal care and maintenance, your Taylor Tile floor or wall will last a lifetime.  Weekly damp mopping, possibly with bleach water if necessary, or simply vacuuming, will keep your floor clean.  Using an oil base soap (such as Murphy’s Oil Soap) to clean the tile will maintain the attractive patina of the surface of the smooth tile;  Mop and Glow type products used on acrylic sealed interior tile will maintain this finish for many years.  Harsh chemicals are not necessary or advisable on properly sealed tile.  Ammonia cleaners should be avoided, because they tend to strip the sealers from the surfaces.

If you have a house with 25 to 40 year old Taylor Tile, you may need to do some special cleaning.   Years of improper cleaning and neglect may have left a residue of gray dirt that is difficult to remove.  Tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) with hot water and a soft brush will remove most of these years of grime, and then the tile can be resealed.  Please avoid any abrasive cleaners, as the tile surface can be irreparably damaged.

It is probable that sealers will have to be renewed from time to time. Where high traffic paths begin to lose their shine, spot applications of sealers will restore the finish you wish to maintain.  Exterior sealers need to be renewed when water visibly darkens the tile surface.  As time passes, this will be less frequently necessary. Be sure the tiles are clean first.

For exterior  and interior tile, there are two cleaning procedures that must be avoided:  acid washing and pressure washing.  Both techniques can erode the surface of any concrete product, leaving you with a porous surface more easily stained.  Cleaning with soap, water and bleach will do the job.  Interior tile can be most easily maintained with a Spic and Span type cleaner;  exterior tile, after sealing, can be hosed  clean with your garden hose, and scrubbing with a stiff broom with bleach will not harm the tile.  Exterior siloxane sealers should  be renewed once a year, or when it is obvious that water darkens the surface.

Stains and outdoor algae can best be removed by using a high concentration of bleach, soap, and water – or even straight bleach poured right on the stain.  This will not hurt the tile, and if you let the bleach sit for a few hours, especially in the sun, chances are you can just rinse off the dirt.  Sealing the tile will help prevent stains from causing any problems.