Cleaning terracotta floor tiles

[spiff_257]

You've dumped the Tesco's carriers on the kitchen floor and you start unpacking them one by one. You get to the last one and notice that there's a pool of washing up liquid under it soaking into your terracotta floor. You mop up the mess but when it dries it leaves a large, dark mark. You try cleaning the tile with soap and water and detergent but it doesn't move. The wife's furious. These are Fired Earth (cost the Earth more like) San Genis tiles sealed with linseed oil. How can I shift this deep stain?

Paul.

[Christian McArdle]

Try Lithofin StainAway. Test on an inconspicuous or spare tile first.

Personally, I would have sealed the tiles with Lithofin in the first place, which may well have prevented the stain in the first place. However, given the Linseed oil, it appears SO might have insisted on a natural method...

The Lithofin treatment would have involved "Terracotta Impregnator" topped with "Terracotta Sealant". They do have a traditional method too, which is "Terracotta Classic Primer" followed by "Terracotta Classic Wax". However, this is unlikely to be as stain resistant. Personally, I'd be tempted to use "KF StainStop" instead, although I would do some test tiles and test (a) the visual effect and (b) stain resistance on the tiles in question.

Christian.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Caustic soda or bleach the lot, and then wash em clean, and then refinish.

Then talk to the wife about vinyl./

[Talon2000uk]

Hi

My first email to the group... (I'm a painter decorator).

Is there a chance the detergent has broken down the l> You've dumped the Tesco's carriers on the kitchen floor and you start

[Paul]

Many thanks to everyone for the advice. I'm going to try the Lithofin product first as I've got some Original Style Victorian tiles that need a bit of a clean too. I'll write back and let everyone know if I manage to get the beggars clean.

Paul.