How can I clean ceramic floor tiles after laying them?

[Jon Weaver]

I have been laying floor tiles for the past few days and have been religiously cleaning them as I go.

However, even though I am using clean water, buy the time I have got the cement off (there is quite a bit to clean, as I have been making a mess), the sponge is full of 'grey' water.

No matter how hard I clean them, as soon as the tiles dry, they have a milky white surface on them, which I guess is a thin film of dry cement/adhesive.

There must be something which is good for cleaning them, but I guess that as I am still in the 'dirty' stage, there is no point.

Once everything is finished and the floor grouted, what can I use to bring the tiles up to an 'as new' finish?

[chris French]

In message , Jon Weaver writes

If these are glazed ceramic tiles then once they have been grouted, just clean them with clean water and a sponge. You may well find you need to do it a few times.

I saw them doing a tiled floor on the TV recently, on 'This Old house' I think on Discovery H&L. The tiler said that he would probably have to clean it a few times with a damp sponge. His technique was to wet the sponge, squeeze out until damp, wipe it across the floor, turn over wipe again across the floor, then rinse out and do it again. He changed the water often.

If you have the sponge to wet you tend to just wash the grout etc. around rather than pick it up.

Once you just have a very fine 'bloom' on the tiles a dry cloth will polish it off fine.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Ok, the first thing is that youi can simply mop them if all you have left is dust.

If its actually set cement, use brick acid, or limescale remover in teh water you mop with. really nasty gobs of cement you chip off and then use neat brick acid.

Then its down to

wring sponge Wipe ONCE rinse sponge

repeat ad nauseam.

The ky think is that the sponge/floor mess relationship is symmetrical. You will absorb mucjkk off teh floor till the concentration of muck on the sponge equals that on the floor. Ditto the water.

Another trick I hacven;t tried is to shampoo teh f;loor with a et carpet cleaner, or simply flod the floor and wet vaccuum up teh weater.

I ALWAYS add a bit of limecsale remover as well, cos my water is hard.