Hi,

We have very pretty brown, green, blue, white and sand coloured tiles in our hallway (encaustic?). Am I correct in thinking I should treat these as unglazed quarry tiles? The house is edwardian and the floor looks like it hasn't been cleaned in some time. It is basically very grubby, but there's no cement or weird stuff stuck to it, just a few splashes of paint here and there and lots of ground in grub.

We cannot afford a pro at the moment - and believe me I would get one in if I could, as they are really lovely tiles. So, from reading this forum many people buy pro products (HG, Aquamix, etc) and have a go themseves. However, it seems to be a LOT of hardwork and also when they seal the floor, the dreaded white haze seems to appear no matter how well they previously rinsed the floor.

So I'm thinking I'm not going to go down that path. Until I can afford the pro's, what is the most mild cleaning substance I can use on the tiles just to get some of the dirt off and make it look slightly less grubby? I gather it's important not to let dirty water settle on the tiles so I'm planning to clean a couple of tiles at a time with a very mild cleaning solution (I was thinking baking soda?) and then rinse, rinse, rinse - and dry! I think I will not seal it at all, as it seems futile to seal the floor if it's not properly cleaned. It's a temporary fix just to make it look a wee bit better, but I don't want to damage it.

Is baking soda okay, or do you think just water and a bit of elbow grease? Does scrubbing the tiles damage them? What do I use to scrub? A bristle brush or a plastic brush? My main concern is that I do not damage them any further.

I know some would say it's best to do 'all or nothing' with these type of tiles, and I agree, but I would so love to clean them just a wee bit, without compromising the actual tiles. Any suggestions or advice very welcome!

Many thanks.

Radley - with any cleaning type product it can be a case of test and see what works and on an area away from main view!
With tiles of a certain age ingrained dirt is the main problem and I'd test a very small area with soluble Nitromorse.
Although these tiles will no doubt be slightly porous by scrubbing with a nail brush to activate the product, you can then wash off straight away with water to see the result.
Allow to thoroughly dry before even considering a seal/impregnator over the finished surface.
Not sure where you can buy elbow grease but can be a lot of hard work.

tj knows his stuff Radley, welcome to the forum

Thanks timeless John, a patch test sounds like a good idea!

My mum thinks a good old fashioned scrubbing brush and Fairy Liquid is what's needed - and I'd agree - only I have never heard either of these tools recommended for cleaning these type of tiles (I have done numerous 'Google' searches on 'cleaning encaustic tiles' and have been bombarded with conflicting advice!).

I will ponder on... I fear these tiles are going to remain grubby for some time yet!

baking soda is an old method that I havent heard of years, its like cleaning your windows with newspaper, it works but not as effective or as cheap as the correct products

I use baking soda to clean the alloy parts when im restoring /rebuilding carburrettors as the soda becomes harmless with water and doesnt leave a residue

I was looking on the net to buy in bulk and it was over £50 for 10 litres, consideraby cheaper than buying from the supermarket, but not cost effective as a cleaner

Like TJ says Nitromorse on an unseen area is as good as you'll ever get for a clean finish, if that doesn't work nothing will

Just be super careful when using it - gloves imperative although they will swell if they come into too much contact with the stuff

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

So do you think I'm okay to use a natural bristle brush, or should I use a synthetic/plastic bristle?

Originally Posted by Radley

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

So do you think I'm okay to use a natural bristle brush, or should I use a synthetic/plastic bristle?

Natural bristle - the plastic will melt

Originally Posted by Radley

Thanks timeless John, a patch test sounds like a good idea!

My mum thinks a good old fashioned scrubbing brush and Fairy Liquid is what's needed - and I'd agree - only I have never heard either of these tools recommended for cleaning these type of tiles (I have done numerous 'Google' searches on 'cleaning encaustic tiles' and have been bombarded with conflicting advice!).

I will ponder on... I fear these tiles are going to remain grubby for some time yet!

Hi Radley

I wouldn't use washing up liquid, as it contains suspended solids eg salt, which will leave a sticky residue behind, which you will then have to remove also, creating more work.