
Kitchen tiles are aesthetically pleasing and easy to maintain because you can easily wipe them off. Modern kitchens have tiles on walls, floors, and sometimes the counters.
The kitchen needs constant cleaning because germs can easily breed there. One of the problems with having kitchen tiles is figuring out your cleaning routine so that your tiles don’t collect dirt and grime.
So, how can you make kitchen cleaning effortless, and how can you ensure your tiles look sparkling at all times? Let’s find out!
Before You Begin
Cleaning kitchen wall tiles depends on what kind of walls you have installed. Before you start cleaning, confirm which type of tile you have so that you use the correct cleaning equipment and supplies.
Tiles come in two forms: plain, shiny tiles mostly made of ceramic or porcelain and textured tiles. Ceramic and porcelain tiles can handle tough tools such as scouring pads and dish sponges. Textured tiles are a little more fragile, so you’ll have to use something soft such as a microfiber cloth or soft sponge.
You will need to wear protective gear, including cleaning gloves and goggles, especially when using abrasive solutions.
Choosing Cleaning Supplies
Kitchens can quickly become breeding grounds for germs, so you’ll need a disinfectant that can kill germs. If you need a quick solution, you can buy proprietary disinfectants such as Clorox.
A baking soda-vinegar solution can also make an excellent homemade disinfectant. We commonly use white vinegar for this purpose; however, it’s also the perfect choice if you need to remove grease and smoke stains. White vinegar is usually odorless, so if you want your house smelling clean and fresh, add lemon juice or a bit of essential oil to the solution.
Baking soda works the same way as white vinegar when cleaning and clearing grease from tiles. You can either use them separately or together.
The next essential ingredient you need is soap. There are many proprietary liquid cleaners you can use to make soapy water. Vegetable oil and salt are also readily available products that you can use to clean tiles effectively.
Cleaning Kitchen Wall Tiles
Before cleaning the tiles, gauge to see how dirty the tiles are. This will determine the strategy you use.
If you’re doing a routine clean-up, start by putting disinfectant into a spray bottle, spray the wall with it, and wait five minutes.
Pick the ideal cleaning material for your tiles (cloth, scouring pad), wet it with a warm soapy water solution, and then wipe the wall until wet. Let it sit for a minute or two, and rinse the material to remove the soap.
Wipe the wall with a clean cloth or scouring pad and periodically rinse the material when it gets soapy. Repeat until you’re satisfied with its cleanliness.
Wait until the wall dries, then wipe it with a clean, dry cloth. This will give your tiles a shine.
Cleaning Kitchen Floor Tiles
Kitchen floor tiles require cleaning after every meal because you will most likely splash or spill whatever you’re cooking onto the ground. To clean floor tiles, make sure to follow the steps below:
- Use a broom or vacuum cleaner to remove any solid debris left on the floor
- Create a good cleaning solution using water and your favorite cleaning products
- Wet an absorbent cloth, such as a mop, with the cleaning solution and wipe the floor with it
- Let the tiles dry completely before going back into the kitchen
- Run a clean, dry cloth on the floor
Removing Tough Stains
Anything can happen in the kitchen. To remove tough stains from kitchen tiles, you first need to gauge what kind of stain it is. The most common tile stains in the kitchen are grease stains, and we’ve already discussed what you can use to clean them.
Kids love sharpies, and they may accidentally use permanent markers on your walls. If this happens, you may need to saturate a cloth with hydrogen peroxide or diluted bleach onto the stain and rub the stain directly before using your standard tile cleaning routine. Hydrogen peroxide can help get up juice, wine, blood, coffee, and tea stains.

Cleaning Grout
Grout is the white or colored substance separating two tiles, and these are usually the first to discolor. To clean grout, create a baking soda-warm water paste.
Use a small soft-bristled brush to apply the paste, leave it for around 20 minutes, and then scrub the grout. Start with grout tough stains when cleaning the kitchen tiles, then clean the tiles with clean soapy water.
Kitchen Tile Maintenance
You should maintain your kitchen tiles in order to increase their shelf-life by taking these careful steps:
- Clean after yourself as you cook (this means wiping any spills as soon as they happen in order to prevent staining)
- Vacuum daily so that you’re not stepping on food bits as you walk around the kitchen
- Use adequate cleaning supplies, including a generous supply of disinfectant, to avoid infections and diseases
Steam Cleaning
Steam cleaning is a cutting-edge method of cleaning and disinfecting a surface simultaneously. Earlier steam cleaning machines were meant for professional cleaners in the past, but, these days, you can get a compact one for home use.
First, perform the standard cleaning procedure as mentioned above. Read your steam cleaner’s user manual to find out how to clean tiles, and follow their step-by-step instructions to clean.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know the best cleaning methods to use for your floor and wall tiles, you just have to choose your cleaning supplies. This is a matter of personal preference, from naturally derived to more chemically filled cleaning products, it all depends on you and what you have handy!