Good job, my friend!
It was a wise decision to keep your bathroom floor rough so you and your family remain safe. I don’t deny the fact that textured tiles are not only safe but attractive too. But the issues that people face in cleaning them cannot be overlooked.
Cleaning rough bathroom tiles can be a bit tricky as the knots and texture can become hiding places for germs, dirt, and debris. The texture can also give an illusion of shadows, while in reality, it is dirt accumulated in the tiles. Even soap scum and other buildup are comparatively harder to clean in these tiles.
Not to worry! I have simple methods for you, most of which include usual household items.
How to Clean Rough Bathroom Floor Tiles (7 Methods)
Method 1: Cleaning with Bleach
Note: You should use powdered oxygen bleach to minimize any harsh effects on the surface of your tile.
YOU’LL NEED
Protective gear (Eyewear, rubber gloves, nose mask)
Broom
Bleach (preferably OxiClean powdered bleach)
Bucket of warm water (2 gallons)
Mop
Soft-bristled brush
Old towel/s
STEPS
STEP 1- Wear your safety glasses, rubber gloves, and nose mask.
STEP 2- Sweep your bathroom floor to remove any large pieces of debris and loose dirt.
STEP 3- Pour 3 tablespoons of the powdered bleach into a bucket filled with 2 gallons of warm water, and stir thoroughly.
STEP 4- Use a mop to apply the bleach mix to the rough tile floor thoroughly. Leave for 10 minutes to allow the bleach to work on the tiles.
STEP 5- Rinse your floor thoroughly with warm water to remove all traces of the bleach.
STEP 6- For areas with tough knots and stubborn dirt, make a paste of oxygen bleach and very little water.
STEP 7- Apply the paste to these areas and use your soft-bristled brush to scrub, be careful not to scrub too hard to avoid damage to the tile surface.
STEP 8- Rinse thoroughly with warm water and use old towels to soak up excess water.
Method 2: Cleaning with a Steam Mop
The steam that comes out of the mop loosens the dirt and grime embedded in the rough tiles. It is likely that the bathroom floor is a breeding ground for different kinds of bacteria and even mold and steam is a natural killer of germs and mold.
This method is a great standalone method and can also be used in combination with some other methods.
YOU’LL NEED
Broom
Steam mop (with a microfiber pad)
STEPS
STEP 1- Sweep your bathroom floor with a broom to remove all loose dirt and debris.
STEP 2- Fit a new microfiber pad onto your steam mop.
STEP 3- Push the mop slowly around your bathroom floor, using wide and sweeping strokes.
STEP 4- Allow your floor to dry for 10 minutes.
Precaution: Do not to hold the machine on one area of your tile floor for too long, as the high temperature of the mop may etch, damage, or discolor the rough tiles. You should also be careful not to use the steam mop too frequently as it increases the risk of damage to your tile and may accelerate damage on old or already damaged rough tiles.
Method 3: Cleaning with Vinegar
Vinegar is an all-purpose cleaning agent that is quite popular among homes. It has Acetic acid in it that can dissolve hard-water marks on your rough tiles and even remove rust stains. (Source)
Precaution: Vinegar tends to wear the sealing layer of stone floors and may etch the stone's surface. It is important to clean off the vinegar afterward and not use it often.
YOU’LL NEED
Protective gear
Broom
White Vinegar
Warm water
Spray bottle
Long handle scrub brush
Old towel/s
STEPS
STEP 1- Remove all the items such as beauty products, hairdryer, etc from your bathroom floor, if you have any.
STEP 2- Sweep your bathroom floor with your broom to remove the loose dirt and debris.
STEP 3- Make a cleaning solution by mixing a cup of vinegar with a cup of warm water.
STEP 4- Pour the solution into a spray bottle and shake thoroughly.
STEP 5- Spray the vinegar mix onto your bathroom floor and leave for 3 minutes to work on the rough knots and stubborn areas on your tile.
STEP 6- Use the long-handle scrub brush to scrub thoroughly, trying not to be too harsh on the tile.
STEP 7- Rinse the rough tiles with warm water, making sure to thoroughly remove the vinegar mix. Use the old towels to soak up the water and repeat till all traces of vinegar are removed.
Method 4: Cleaning with Dishwashing Detergent
This is a seemingly simple method but is in fact recommended by professionals. Dish soap works well in cleaning ceramic textured tiles. It is safe for the skin so you won’t have to worry about skin problems as well.
If you happen to spill any oil-based beauty products on your rough bathroom floors, this method will be effective in cleaning up the mess.
YOU’LL NEED
Broom
Dish detergent
Warm water
Soft-bristled brush
Old towel/s
STEPS
STEP 1- Remove all large items from the bathroom floor and sweep it to remove the dirt and debris.
STEP 2- Mix 3 tablespoons of dishwashing detergent with a gallon of warm water.
STEP 3- Use the detergent mix and a soft bristle brush to scrub the rough tiles thoroughly. Repeat this process until the embedded dirt loosens from the tile, especially in heavily dirty areas and stubborn spots.
STEP 4- Rinse your bathroom floor with warm water to remove the detergent water.
STEP 5- Use dry old towels to absorb all the water from the floor. Wipe the tiles again with dry towels.
Method 5: Cleaning with Aqua Mix Concentrated Stone & Tile Cleaner
When you have tough stains and buildups that usual homemade cleaners are not able to handle, you need to turn to commercial cleaners. While choosing a good tile cleaner, you need to consider the type of tiles it can handle as well as its safety.
YOU’LL NEED
Protective gear
Broom
Aqua mix tile cleaner
Mop
Soft-bristled brush
Warm water
Towel/s
STEPS
STEP 1- Wear your protective gear.
STEP 2- Remove all items from your bathroom floor. Sweep your bathroom floor to remove the dirt and debris.
STEP 3- Mix 30ml of the Aqua mix tile cleaner with 3.8 liters of warm water in a bucket.
STEP 4- Use a mop to apply the solution to your bathroom floor rough tiles thoroughly. Leave the solution for 2 minutes to allow it to work on the dirt and debris.
STEP 5- Use the soft-bristled brush to scrub the rough tiles and get the dirt out.
STEP 6- Use a mop and warm water to clean the solution immediately. Use a towel to soak up any excess water.
Method 6: Cleaning with Baking soda
Baking soda is a mild abrasive that is considered a natural cleaner. (2) It can loosen and remove stuck-on dirt and grime on your rough bathroom floor. The dirt ingrained in the texture of your tile will also get a nice scrub with baking soda.
Baking soda can also be used on black tiles in your bathroom.
Adding vinegar to Baking soda will increase its effectiveness.
YOU’LL NEED
Broom
Baking soda
Warm water
Scrub brush
Vinegar
Mop
STEPS
STEP 1- Clear your bathroom floor and remove any bathroom furniture. Sweep it to remove the dirt and debris.
STEP 2- Make a thin paste of baking soda and warm water.
STEP 3- Apply the paste to your rough tile floor in batches and use a scrub brush to gently scrub it into the tile and grout, focusing on stubborn and tough areas.
STEP 4- Leave the baking soda for 5 minutes to work on the tile. In the meantime, make a solution with a cup of vinegar and a cup of warm water.
STEP 5- Spray the solution over your baking-soda-covered tile and scrub again. Leave the tile for another 5 minutes before cleanup.
STEP 6- Use a mop and warm water to clean away baking soda and vinegar from your tile. Repeat this process until all traces of the baking soda and vinegar are gone.
STEP 7- Leave your rough tile floor to dry.
Method 7: Cleaning with Barkeeper’s friend
YOU’LL NEED
Protective gear
Broom
Warm water
Barkeeper’s friend
Long handle brush
Soft-bristled brush
Old towel/s
STEPS
STEP 1- Wear your protective gear.
STEP 2- Remove all large items from your bathroom floor. Sweep the floor to remove any debris or dirt, then dampen the tiles with water.
STEP 3- When the floor surface is wet enough, sprinkle Barkeeper’s friend all over the tiles. Pour enough to lightly coat the floor.
STEP 4- Use the long brush to lightly move the barkeeper’s friend around the tiles, this is to ensure it gets into all corners and spots of the floor.
STEP 5- Allow the Barkeeper’s friend to sit for 10 minutes while sprinkling water intermittently to ensure the floor doesn’t fully dry.
STEP 6- Use the long brush to thoroughly scrub the floor. You will then use the soft-bristled brush for stubborn areas or very dirty areas. Sprinkle water on tough spots, add Barkeeper’s friend, and scrub with the brush.
STEP 7- Rinse your floor with warm water to remove the Barkeeper’s friend. If there is still residue caught in the tiles, add water to the spot and gently scrub the barkeeper’s friend out of the tile.
STEP 8- Use dry old towels to absorb the dirty water and dry your bathroom floor properly. You can also use a wet vacuum to absorb the water if you have one.
Bonus Method: Cleaning with Magic Eraser
YOU’LL NEED
Broom
Magic eraser
Warm water
Mop / old towel
STEPS
STEP 1- Clear your bathroom floor by removing large items and opening the space.
STEP 2– Sweep the floor to remove any debris or dirt, then dampen the tiles with water.
STEP 3- Use the magic eraser to scrub the knots of your tile with debris and do a general scrub. Make sure to scrub thoroughly to remove all dirt and debris.
STEP 4- Rinse your rough tile floor with warm water to remove the loosened dirt and debris.
STEP 5- Use a mop or old towels to soak up the excess water from your bathroom floor.
How Often Should You Clean Rough Bath Tiles?
It is very important to keep your tiles clean and germ-free, this can only be achieved through regular cleaning.
I recommend that you have a dry and wet cleaning schedule.
Dry Cleaning
Your dry cleaning schedule should be once a week.
I recommend that you sweep with a broom or vacuum (preferably with a soft bristle attachment) your bathroom tiles once a week to remove any debris or dirt from the floor
Wet Cleaning
Your wet cleaning schedule for rough tile bathroom floors should be once every two weeks.
This cleaning should be especially focused on spot cleaning the grout or rough surface of the tiles to clear debris, germs, and dirt that can be caught on the tile surface.
Tips for Rough Tile Floor Cleaning
1- In addition to maintaining and cleaning your rough tiles, you also need to take of your grout as it is porous and sits below the tile level, which causes the dirt to get pushed into these joints. You should use a good sealing product to seal the grout.
2- If you see a cloudy appearance on tiles, it may be due to using the wrong cleaning product or sealer for those tiles. You will need to get the sealer removed by a professional in such as case.
3- Do not use scouring pads on the tiles as they can leave permanent scratches on the floor.
4- Even rough floors can be slippery. Vinegar, baking soda, lemon, dish soap, bleach, etc. are all good cleaning agents to clean slippery bathroom floors.
Conclusion
Regular and thorough cleaning of your rough tiles using any of the above methods will get rid of germs, dirt, and debris and ensure you have a clean bathroom for yourself and your family.
Carefully go through the precautions and each step before picking up your cleaning material. You can also check these methods that do not involve much scrubbing.
Cheers!
