How to Remove Stains from Porcelain Tiles – Quick Fixes

Porcelain tiles are among the most durable tiles requiring minimal effort to maintain. Proper care and maintenance and the tiles can last for decades, still giving your house a gleaming look. The porcelain tiles are made from a unique type of clay and then subjected to extreme heat. Finally, they are glazed with glass. These processes make them hardy and a worthy flooring option. Although they are easy to clean, when stained, it becomes problematic.

Clean stained tiles with a porcelain stain remover or a mixture of vinegar, baking soda and water. Clean the stain with your cleaner of choice followed by a second cleaning with hot water then dry up the tiles with a clean and dry piece of cloth. Repeat the steps until you get the desired results.

Additionally, porcelain is a perfect choice if your home has high foot traffic and removing stains from it should thus be prioritized for a clean look.

Does Porcelain Stain?

Yes. Porcelain, like other tiles, is susceptible to staining. The common stains are hard water scum, mold, oil, sugary tea, grease, grout haze and acid. Luckily, there are ways to get rid of these stains and have them as sleek and new as before. Porcelain and ceramic tiles are quite comparable and some of the fixes for one type of tile might apply to the others.

How to Remove Stains from Porcelain Tiles

Below are the different ways you can remove the stains from porcelain tiles:

Hydrogen Peroxide

You need to have baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and a soft brush for this to work.

Then follow these steps:

1. Make a paste of the two components by mixing baking soda with sodium peroxide.
2. Apply the paste directly to the stain.
3. Allow it to sit for 5 hours or overnight. Remember to caution your household from stepping on the paste.
4. Scrub the stain with the soft brush until it all comes off.
5. Clean with warm water until the entire area matches the rest of the floor.

Repeat the procedure to your satisfaction.

Muric Acid

Ensure you have the muriatic acid, glass container, scrub, gloves, water and a paintbrush.

Next, follow these steps:

1. Aerate the room by opening up the windows and door. This is crucial as it’s not advisable to intoxicate the working area with fumes from the muriatic acid reaction. 
2. Fill up water in a container. Let the size of the stain guide you on the water needed.
3. Measure the acid amount you need in a glass container. Avoid metallic containers as they can react with the acid. The ratio of water to acid should be such that for every gallon of water, use a glass of acid.
4. With the paintbrush, apply the mixture to the stained section.
5. Allow the mixture to soak the stain for around 5 minutes.
6. Water the section with a gallon of water.
7. Scrub off the stain. Ensure you have the gloves on to protect you from a reaction.
8. Rinse and ensure the entire stain is removed.

Repeat the process if needed.

Steam Cleaning

So you thought steam cleaning is only for carpets? Damn wrong! In fact, it’s among the best options for removing stains on porcelain tiles.

And you only need to have the steam cleaner, water, dust mop, and a microfiber cleaning cloth.

Once you are all set, follow these steps:

1. Remove the top dust on the stain with a light mop.
2. Fill the cleaner with water.
3. Attach the cleaning cloth to the steam cleaner and connect it to a power outlet.
4. Work the cleaner to release the steam through the cloth.
5. Mop the stained part by moving the cleaner to the edges till you get it off.

If you’re not satisfied with the results, repeat the whole process.

Ice Cubes

Ice cubes work perfectly on the fresh stain, especially tar and wax stains. All you need for this procedure is water, ice cubes, thinner or turpentine.

Here is how to do it:

1. Let the packed ice cubes rest on the stain till it solidifies.
2. Using a blunt object, scrub off the stain till it comes off. Control the pressure you exert so you don’t affect the grout and unaffected areas.
3. Use turpentine or paint thinner to remove the stain.
4. Wash conventionally until the surface is clean enough.
5. Mop the area dry.

Repeat each of the steps to get the results you desire.

How to Remove Common Stains From Porcelain Tiles

Now let’s look at getting rid of different types of stains. Some of these stains are easy to remove, while others might take up a bit of your energy.

The common stains on porcelain tiles include:

Tea or fruit juice

A tea or fruit juice stain on porcelain tiles is an eyesore that needs to be removed immediately. To remove the stain, arm yourself with a clean cloth and hydrogen peroxide then follow these steps:

1. Dip the edge of the cloth in the hydrogen peroxide.
2. Rub off the entire stain.
3. Clean and rinse the section with the stain.

Tea or fruit juice stains aren’t permanent and should easily come off.

Hard Water Scum

Your bathroom can suffer from hard water staining if your water is highly concentrated with limescale, magnesium and calcium components. Scum leaves a whitish layer on your tiles that is not appealing. 

To remove the scum, you need white vinegar, baking soda or water, and a microfiber cloth or scouring pad then follow these steps:

1. Prepare a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda.
2. Saturate the cloth with the mixture.
3. Apply gently on the affected area. There is no need to scour with pressure.
4. Leave the paste to be sucked up by the stain throughout the night.
5. Rinse the affected tiles – they should now be sparkling clean. 

If you can still spot the scum, repeat the procedure till you are satisfied. At times, the scum might fall from another part of the bathroom such as a stuck showerhead. Still, the method is the same as detailed above.

Oil stains

Oils on porcelain are unappealing and pose a hazard given the slipperiness. Don’t risk falls. Instead, arm yourself with a bar of dish soap, hot water, rubbing alcohol solution, a container, and you are good to go.

Once ready, follow these steps:

1. Get the hot water ready in the container.
2. Add the dish soap to the hot water and vigorously mix the solution.
3. Dampen the cloth with the soapy hot water and rub gently.
4. To get rid of the stain entirely, apply the rubbing alcohol.
5. Rinse with clear water. The stain should clear.

Repeat if needed.

Shoe Markings

You take a seat then you notice a  trail of shoe marks on your floor on the path you have followed. But, no worries, roll your sleeves and get the baking soda, warm water and a soft cloth ready then follow these steps:

1. Mix the baking soda with the warm water. Let the  solution be thick enough.
2. Get your soft cloth and wipe the trail of shoe marks.
3. Rinse with clear water or a damp cloth.

Repeat the process until the shoe markings are cleaned out.

Blood

Blood is quite easy to remove from tiles. Simply dab the blood stain with a cotton swab dipped in bleach or hydrogen peroxide.

Gum, tar and wax

For this procedure, you need ice cubes, a plastic bag, a crafts stick, and a nonflammable paint thinner then follow these steps:

1. Place the ice cubes into the plastic bag.
2. Place the plastic bag on the stain (gum, wax, or tar).
3. When the stain solidifies, remove it with the crafts stick.
4. Use the paint thinner to remove the remaining stain.

Be careful not to damage the tiles in the cleaning process.
Coffee

If you are like me, you always fix a cup of coffee often. Then one day, the coffee slips and stains your beautifully finished porcelain floor. Don’t let that ruin your day. Get that baking soda, warm water, soap, and a clean piece of cloth ready.

Next, clear the stain with these steps:

1. Add the soap to the warm water.
2. Dip the cloth and wipe off the stains.
3. If the stain doesn’t come off, apply a bit of baking soda with warm water and rub it off.

Be careful with baking soda since too much of it can be abrasive when formed into a paste.

Grease

To remove that annoying stain on your tiles, arm yourself with a damp cloth, warm soapy water and a mop then use the following steps:

1. Wipe off the stain with the damp cloth.
2. Clean the section using warm water and a mop.

This should get your tiles looking as good as they were before the stain.

Mold and mildew

You need to have bleach, soft cloth, water, and baking soda for this kind of stain.

Then follow these steps:

1. Mix the bleach with the water at a 9:1 ratio. Meaning that 90% of the solution should be water and 10% bleach.
2. Rub the mold gently with the wet cloth.
3. If the stain fails to come off, make a bleach mixture and baking soda. This time, don’t add water.
4. Rub the stain exerting sufficient energy to clear it completely

Follow this procedure religiously, and without a doubt, all the mold staining your floor should clear.

Paint

Paint is among the toughest stains to remove from tiles and, going by the extent of the stain, can take you long to remove. But with everything ready, it’s quite easy to remove. So, get your paint stripper, a tiles knife, dust mask, cleaning cloth and gloves ready.

Once ready, follow these steps:

1. Scrap off the dried paint with the knife. Now, at this point, you need to protect yourself from any possibility of dust from lead-based paint. So, wear the dust mask and have your gloves on.
2. With a damp cloth, clean the area to check for any remaining stains.
3. If the stain doesn’t come off after scrapping, apply the paint stripper and watch the paint peel off. Then clean the section with warm, sudsy water.
4. Get rid of any remaining paint stain with a scrapper, then rinse it.

Repeat until you get the desired results.

Iodine

Dilute ammonia then use it to clean the iodine stain. Dip a cotton swab in ammonia then wipe the iodine stain with it.

Dye or Ink

Dilute bleach then dip a piece of cloth in it. Place the cloth in the stain then wait for stain to disappear. Rinse after that.

Nail Polish

Use nail polish remover. If it doesn’t fully remove the stain, use bleach or hydrogen peroxide to clean the stain then rinse the solvents off.

For all the methods above, WD-40 is an alternative I removing stains from porcelain surfaces given how it works.

Safety Measures When Cleaning Porcelain Tiles

To have your porcelain tiles lasting for decades, you need to implement relevant safety measures. Here are some of the common ones:

• Routinely, do some deep cleaning of the tiles. Then, forget the water for once and get the special tiles cleaning solutions.
• Avoid ammonia or bleach products as they can change the color of the porcelain.
• Scrap off stubborn stains using a plastic scraper. Avoid digging into the grout as it may loosen the tiles. 
• Rinse and thoroughly dry the tiles to give them a shiny look. 
• Disinfect the tiles routinely to remove any bacteria that could affect your household.
• Avoid both very alkaline or acidic cleaners. Instead, go for neutral cleaners whose pH is 7. 
• Always check if it’s a porcelain stain remover to avoid damaging porcelain tiles.
• Avoid using steel wool since it’ll leave wool particles which eventually lead to rust stains.
• When brushing the surface, use a brush with soft bristles to avoid scratching the porcelain.

These best practices will have your tiles shiny and sleek for a long time.

Take Away

Porcelain tiles cost more than regular tiles. Therefore, the investment you made on the installation should be motivation enough to take care and properly maintain them. Stains on your floor are inevitable and that’s why it’s key to learn how to remove the different types of stains so you don’t have to outsource the service every time it happens.

Let your cleaning cabinet host most solvents to remove the stains. At least ensure you have baking soda and tile stain removers in stock. They come in handy in the event of staining.