What is a Hybrid Tile?

Hybrid tiles are known as a revolutionary innovation in the tile industry. It has brought a new shape into our homes. Traditional tiles are made out of single materials like ceramic, porcelain or glass. On the other hand, hybrid tiles are made out of multiple materials. This attribute gave a unique appearance for hybrid tiles. 

If you clean your hybrid tiles well, they will stay in their original condition for an extended period. Here are 7 valuable tips you better keep in mind when cleaning and maintaining the hybrid tile flooring.

1. Clean spills as soon as possible with a dry cloth

“ My idea of superwoman is someone who scrubs her own floors” 

                                                                                          ( Bette Midler)

Hybrid tiles are normally waterproof. A wine spill from yesterday’s party can cause a lifetime stain. So, it’s important to clean a spill with a dry clean cloth immediately. If the stain is tough, you can use diluted rubbing alcohol to remove that. Do not use steel wool or scouring powder to remove those stains.

2. Vaccum, Sweep or Mop; But Never Steam Cleaners

With the powerful suction capability, vacuums can remove all dust and dirt from your tile surface with less effort. Sweep is better to practise daily basis. Mopping is advisable to be done at least once a week in households. It will make your floor germ-free. If you have little children, it is better to mop the tile floor more frequently.

Steam cleaners generate excessive heat. It is not good for the protective top layers of hybrid tiles. Also, high-pressure water can penetrate core layers through the seams and edges. The use of steam cleaners can cause a loss of gloss. 

3. Don’t use abrasive cleaners, steel wool or scouring powder

Steel wool and hybrid tiles are two things that never go along. If you use abrasive cleaner when cleaning your tiles, it will scratch your tile surface. Your tiles surface will deteriorate with time. The best option is to use a slightly damp mop and a soap-free, non-abrasive cleaner. It will make your tiles shine. It is advisable to not use soap-based detergents since they give a dull look.

4. Never Drag Furniture across the floor

We need to move the positions of furniture from time to time, especially when cleaning. However, if you drag furniture on your hybrid tile floor, it will scratch the surface. Some furniture can be too heavy to lift. In that case, you can use silicon floor protection under all furniture legs. Then it will minimize the damage when you are moving the furniture.

5. Protect tiles from Direct Sunlight

Hybrid tiles are made out of heat-sensitive material. It is advisable to maintain the temperature between 0° and 55° C. It can weaken the structure of the tiles. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can make cracks in your tiles with time. Also, heat absorption by tiles can increase the temperature inside your house. It will increase energy costs.

You can simply protect your tiles from direct sunlight by window tinting or installing internal blind systems.

6. Don’t Wax, polish, sand or lacquer the surface

You might want some extra gloss from your tile surface. Then you might think, a little bit of wax or polish won’t do any damage to your tiles. But, that’s not true. Hybrid tiles have a protective layer on top of them to resist wear and tear. Applying wax, polish or any other thing can massively damage this protective layer. After the protection layer gets damaged, tiles will fade soon. Therefore it is crucial to clean hybrid floors only using methods and products specially designed for hybrid tiles.

7. Hire a Professional Cleaning Company for Your Hybrid Flooring

It is important to get the support of a professional cleaning company to clean your hybrid floors. It is better if you can get a deep clean service once every six months. This can be slightly different with the foot traffic inside your house. These professional services have cleaning agents specially designed for hybrid tiles. Therefore, you will be able to prolong your tiles’ lifespan. Also, it will preserve your tile surface.

There can be tough stains on your tile surface, which might be from wine spills and food spills. Professional cleaning services use special techniques and powerful chemicals to remove those stains. There are few hybrid floor cleaning services available in Melbourne. It is worth having the service of a professional cleaning company once in a while.