How to Remove Stains from Tile

Grout is more porous than the tile around it, so it holds dirt and color longer and is often where a stain stays after the tile looks clean. Work the cleaner into the grout lines with a small soft brush, following the line rather than crossing it.

Give the cleaner its full dwell time on the grout, and don't rush to scrub harder if the stain doesn't lift on the first pass. A second pass with the same cleaner is usually better than reaching for a stronger product.

On a floor, work in sections small enough that the cleaner can't dry before you rinse it. Sweep or vacuum the whole area first, since grit on a floor turns into a grinding paste under the cloth.

Rinse each section before you move to the next, and mop up any puddles so the floor dries evenly.

VCT, saltillo, slate, travertine and other stone tiles don't all react the same way, so check each one in a small area first. Start with the mild soap and warm water wash, and don't move to anything stronger until you've seen how the surface responds.

Travertine and other natural stone are the most sensitive, so keep to the gentle wash for them and don't use anything stronger. The same steps apply to saltillo and VCT, and a full rinse matters on all of them.

Shower tile usually picks up soap, body oil and hard-water film, and the mild wash plus a non-abrasive cleaner with its full dwell handles most of it. For buildup that won't lift, the set-in treatment further down is the stronger option.

Toilets and sinks are vitreous china, so use a soft abrasive sparingly and always with water. For hard-water deposits in the toilet rim holes and trapways, a commercial hard-water deposit remover used per the package instructions is the right tool.

Ceramic wall and floor tile responds to the same mild soap and warm water wash, so start there before reaching for anything stronger. Most everyday marks come off in one or two passes, and the non-abrasive cleaner is only needed for heavier soil.

Because the glaze is the visible face, keep the scrub light and let the cleaner do the work. If a stain sits in the grout instead, the grout section above explains the next step.

Specific marks like pot plant stains don't all come from the same source, so the same wash may not clear every one. Start with the steps above, since they remove the everyday residue that is often mixed in with the mark.

Choose one product at a time, and treat permanent inks and dyes as the hardest case, since they are best kept off tile altogether. If a mark still shows after one full round, the set-in option is the next thing to try rather than a stronger product.

Cement haze is stubborn because it bonds to the tile face and the grout lines, so expect it to need more than one pass. Start with the steps above, then use the set-in treatment on any haze left after a full rinse.

Scrubbing harder with a pad doesn't speed things up, so give the cleaner its dwell time and repeat the pass instead. Once the haze is gone, check the grout too, since cement often sits in the lines.

Polished porcelain needs the most care with chemicals. Solvent-based and acid-based products both need caution on it, so stick to the mild wash and a non-abrasive cleaner.

After the stain lifts, rinse fully and dry the tile with a clean cloth so no film shows on the polished face. Matte porcelain takes the same steps, but the polished finish is the one to protect.

Kitchen tile picks up grease and food splatter, so the mild soap wash and a non-abrasive cleaner are the first move, with the full dwell on any greasy patches. Outdoor, pool and balcony tile collects loose dirt and debris, so sweep or hose it off before you wash.

Pool and balcony tile gets wet, so a slippery surface is the real risk, and the full rinse matters more there than anywhere else. Give outdoor tile the same steps, but expect more loose grime to clear in the first pass.

White tile and grout show every bit of residue, so a complete rinse matters more here than the cleaner you pick. Black tile shows white film and cloudiness the same way, so dry the surface with a clean cloth before you judge the result.

If a stain stays on white grout after the steps, use the set-in treatment rather than repeating the wash over and over. Chlorine bleach is covered there as the last option, since it is the stronger product.