After trying almost everything to clean my white b.r. tiles, I finally found that a brush and diluted Muratic acid works for me. I found this solution on a professional tile installer's website. I use 1/2 water and 1/2 m.a. and LOTS of ventilation. I apply it with a cloth, scrub it with a stiff brush, let it sit for 10 minutes, then wipe it with clear water. I do an area of about 1 foot x 1 foot at a time and WEAR GLOVES.

I use diluted Oxyclean on my porcelain tile floor because it won't harm the grout. My installer recommended it and told me to avoid anything that was too harsh or caustic like regular bleach (Tilex etc.) because it will slowly eat the surface of the grout.

I have been tempted to buy a Hoover Floor Mate since my kitchen is fairly large and the most effective way to clean the floor is with a scrub brush - but I gave that up years ago. My cleaning ladies now use an Orck steam mop which is fine for regular cleaning but nothing will beat a scrub brush.

Occasionally I use a scrub brush and a bucket filled with diluted Lysol.

I don't have real tile - but I always use ammonia on my floors. I sometimes dilute with water, but if really grungy, I use it straight with lots of ventilation!!!

Try dipping a rag into the bottle and wiping your icky spot to see what it does.

I actually use my broom to scrub with. I brush it outside to remove any "fluff" and then rinse it off in the sink and add a bit of ammonia to the ends of it and scrub away.

I follow with a micro fiber cloth in my swiffer to mop up.

I get a clean floor and a clean broom! :)

Don't mix your cleaning products - especially ammonia and bleach. That's deadly, and who knows what can be in commercial cleaners - so I never mix them.

I like cleaning with ammonia - cheap and doesn't leave residue. Just have some fresh air going!!!

I use a Hoover FloorMate. Those spinning brushes get all the nooks and crannies.

Thanks LuAnn for mentioning the Floor Mate. I've been vacillating - the only real complaint I heard is that it doesn't hold much water and if you're floor is large you'll have to refill and empty the containers more often.

Muratic acid is probably the best, but I am hesitant about working with acid. I use the Clorox Bleach pen and a toothbrush to clean my tile. It's time-consuming, but I'm retired. LOL

I use a Haan steam mop, which does a very good job but every so often I scrub with a brush to get into those uneven parts. Oxyclean does a wonderful job of cleaning the grout and while I'm scrubbing the grout, I do the entire tile.

I really hate my porcelain tile floor and I would never get another. It is so darn hard on the legs, the grout is an on going nuisance and anything I drop shatters into a million pieces. I'd get wood or bamboo or even Pergo before I'd get tile. My legs are killing me today after an Easter cooking marathon yesterday.

we have a steam cleaner (leaves a haze) but don't use it often as we have lino tiles, and the heat can pull the tiles up...since my one kitty has been confined to the laundry room, have been using plain soap and a touch of bleach...

my next floor is going to be sheet vinyl! no nooks and crannies to worry about...have a bad back and ceramic tiles kill my back...

I'm with you, Susan. I'd take good old linoleum over tile any day. One day I will have it taken out and replaced.

I was told to use Muriatic acid as well to clean tile and grout - however the ratio was 1 to 20, which would be alot weaker than Kay mentioned.

I don't have tile floors, but have been considering them for my 2 main floor bathrooms. Now I'm reconsidering. I have vinyl in there now, but after 18 years it is starting to discolor.. maybe I will choose just another vinyl.

Thanks for all the replies. I do like my tile floor, even though some of the above is true - anything dropped is a complete goner. But tile floor wears like iron. There are no stains, scratches or anything else.

I think I'd like to try the Muratic acid, which I've never before heard about. Would I purchase it at a grocery store or at Home Depot/Lowes?

Again, thanks all for sharing your ideas.

I also have the Hoover Floormate. There is a solution for it that I use but I'm sure you could use other cleaners as well.

M.A can be found at Lowes or HD, for about $8/gallon. WEAR GLOVES and USE A FAN when applying it. My tile guy said half and half solution is what THEY use. My tile is white, the grout is SUPPOSED to be white - when it gets gray, out comes 'the solution'!

You can get MA at any pool supply place and a smaller container, maybe half gallon for about $4.00. Don't be shocked when you open it and it "smokes" up at you. It is really strong stuff so be careful.

I have a white tile floor in one bathroom. It was put here when the house was originally built (1960's). It drove me crazy cuz the grout was so discolored. I even tried to change the grout color, but ended up cleaning all that off (huge job, even though, I had only done a small part). I have now found that comet sprinkled on the floor and a good scrub brush, cleans that grout nicely. Only takes about 30 minutes now to have that floor look great. Oh, and I also sealed that grout again, after I finally got it clean, so think that helps keep it nice and white a lot longer. Even so, if I had my choice, it would be vinyl like the other bathroom, that I can wipe up with a bucket of water and dawn dish soap and be in and out of there in just a couple of minutes. We always use the shower in the bathroom with the vinyl floors, because, it is so much nicer to stand on, and much warmer too.

"I also have the Hoover Floormate. There is a solution for it that I use but I'm sure you could use other cleaners as well."

You can use diluted Simple Green or diluted vinegar... or even just plain water!