Blog posts of '2020' 'February'

How to Clean Tile Floor Grout

Tile floors will not appear completely clean unless the dirty grout is cleaned as well.

Create a paste of baking soda and water.

Scrub it gently into the grout with a toothbrush or grout brush. 

Rinse with warm water and allow to air dry. 

Try removing small grout stains with a white or pink pencil eraser, like you would erase a mistake on a piece of paper. 

For stubborn stains, use a toothbrush or sponge to apply grout cleaner or a solution of three-quarters bleach and one-quarter water to the grout lines and rinse with warm water. Avoid getting the bleach on the tile. 

The best way to clean tile floors depends on the type of tile you have and usually only requires the application of warm water and elbow grease. Keeping your tile floors free of dirt and debris can mean that deeper tile floor cleaning will be needed less often.

Ceramics are generally made by taking mixtures of clay, earthen elements, powders, and water and shaping them into desired forms. Once the ceramic has been shaped, it is fired in a high-temperature oven known as a kiln. Often, ceramics are covered in decorative, waterproof, paint-like substances known as glazes.

Cost Comparison

With all other factors equal, ceramic tile is cheaper than porcelain tile. Ceramic tile tends to run about 60 to 70 percent of the cost of porcelain tile. Both ceramic and porcelain tiles in the top 15 percent of their price ranges tend to be close in terms of price. But going below that top 15 percent, prices dramatically diverge between porcelain and ceramic tile.

Unless there is some anomaly in pricing, ceramic tile will nearly always be cheaper than porcelain tile. Porcelain is more expensive to manufacture than ceramic tile, resulting in higher retail prices.