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Cream floor tiles-big mistake! How to clean?

(87 Posts)
Skydancer Mon 23-Dec-24 14:25:56

Fortunately our kitchen is tiny. We made the mistake of putting down cream porcelain floor tiles thinking it would make the space look larger which it does. But they just look dirty all the time. Today I have been down on my hands and knees trying to clean them but they still don't look good close up. Two questions: does anyone know of a really good way to clean them? Alternatively is there something I can put over them? I could use a rug but it would need to be washable and cut to shape? Despairing and wish I'd bought the black/grey/white patterned ones. Too late now. No wonder these were on special offer!

Lathyrus3 Mon 23-Dec-24 14:42:04

I don’t have any solution. I’m just sympathising because that’s exactly the problem I had in my last house. I would stand up from crawling around with a cloth in my hand and look at the floor and hey presto- it was dirty again 🙁🙄

In this house I made sure the new kitchen had nice mottled browny beige😬

It doesn’t show a thing.

Skydancer Mon 23-Dec-24 14:44:38

Thank you Lathyrus3. A mottled browny beige is what I wish I'd gone for. We've moved several times and refurbished kitchens. You'd think I'd have learned by now but unfortunately I'm easy prey when something is reduced. I must be a salesman's dream.

Jaxjacky Mon 23-Dec-24 15:08:55

What are they Skydancer ceramic or porcelain?

Oldbat1 Mon 23-Dec-24 15:16:54

I have the same issue in utility area at end of garage. Kitchen is great though as tiles are slate.

escaped Mon 23-Dec-24 15:26:12

I'll despair with you Skydancer!
I chose cream tiles in the bathroom, and also ensuite. My reasoning was that the dogs don't go padding in there from the garden, so the floor couldn't possibly get that dirty. I stupidly also chose very rough, slip resistant tiles. Not only do they rip every mop head I use, but they are pitted with dirt, fluff and goodness knows what else. I think the only way is to take them up and start again, though I will be interested to read any less drastic solutions.

PinkCosmos Mon 23-Dec-24 15:28:03

I feel your pain. I had the same but also had cream grout which was even more of a nightmare than the tiles.

Could you put vinyl flooring over them. The sort you get on a roll.

If the edges of the ceramic tiles are obvious they might show through a bit but it would be a reasonably cheap option

This kind of thing www.carpet-right.co.uk/vinyl/kitchen-utility

escaped Mon 23-Dec-24 15:32:05

^I had the same but also had cream grout which was even more of a nightmare than the tiles.
😱 yes, horror of horrors! I use the hot steamer with a small spray nozzle on the cream grout, but I'm sure it's going to crumble the grout away soon.

escaped Mon 23-Dec-24 15:51:24

To prove a point, I've just done a quick 10 minute clean in the ensuite because I've nothing better to do (!!), and it's just not good enough. All the specks and dirt left behind. Grrr!
I'm going to swig some mulled wine now to stop stressing. 🍷

Oreo Mon 23-Dec-24 15:55:20

I have cream coloured bathroom floor tiles too, but I like them.
Porcelain ones.I give them a once over with Flash using a long flat headed mop thing every week.

Oreo Mon 23-Dec-24 15:56:45

Lifes too short to stress about tiles escaped 😄

Skydancer Mon 23-Dec-24 15:58:21

JaxJacky The tiles are porcelain.
So far it seems as if most people’s experience is as bad as mine. Oh dear… it’s not looking good.
PinkCosmos. Yes I did wonder about vinyl.
Thank you all.

Skydancer Mon 23-Dec-24 15:59:38

escaped Sorry to put you through that! Yes mulled wine might definitely be one answer!

Trisha99 Mon 23-Dec-24 16:06:46

Skydancer

Fortunately our kitchen is tiny. We made the mistake of putting down cream porcelain floor tiles thinking it would make the space look larger which it does. But they just look dirty all the time. Today I have been down on my hands and knees trying to clean them but they still don't look good close up. Two questions: does anyone know of a really good way to clean them? Alternatively is there something I can put over them? I could use a rug but it would need to be washable and cut to shape? Despairing and wish I'd bought the black/grey/white patterned ones. Too late now. No wonder these were on special offer!

I made the mistake of having cream floor tiles in the kitchen in our bungalow, with white grout.
After a few years of trying everything under the sun to clean them we had them covered with cushion floor vinyl in a very forgiving black/grey speckle. Our local carpet shop fitted it for us over the tiles, and the fitter said he’d had to cover up light coloured floors many times.

lixy Mon 23-Dec-24 16:09:14

My FiL bought a Flotex carpet to go over tiles in their kitchen. It looked good for many years.

In the meantime maybe just forget to wear your glasses in the kitchen?!

silverlining48 Mon 23-Dec-24 16:10:21

I have cream/ white tiles in medium size kitchen and small conservatory and just cleaned them. A quick wipe and they are done. They are about 12 years old and look fine to me. I like that they lighten the rooms.
Your tiles look ok to me escaped, Might make a difference that I don’t do cleaning with my reading glasses on but I am ok with that. grin

Visgir1 Mon 23-Dec-24 16:22:19

I have large - ish White ceramic Kitchen tiles with navy blue little ones between the corners. But we used Black grout, Medium size kitchen.
Been down about 20 yrs they are still fine, clean the floor about 2-3 times a week, with depends how grubby they get. Not a chore to clean only takes few minutes with a mop thingy.
We had the kitchen redone about 5 years ago and left them in situ.

NonGrannyMoll Mon 23-Dec-24 16:35:46

This won't help you at all, but do they have a matt finish? I think that may be the problem, as I have high gloss cream tiles which clean up beautifully with a steam mop. I do use a cheap rug under the kitchen table, though, and just get a new one when it starts to look too "lived in".

Curlywhirly Mon 23-Dec-24 16:46:29

I also have high gloss finish cream tiles in my kitchen and they are so easy to keep clean, just wipe them over with either a mop or cloth and they still look like new.

Mt61 Mon 23-Dec-24 16:55:59

PinkCosmos

I feel your pain. I had the same but also had cream grout which was even more of a nightmare than the tiles.

Could you put vinyl flooring over them. The sort you get on a roll.

If the edges of the ceramic tiles are obvious they might show through a bit but it would be a reasonably cheap option

This kind of thing www.carpet-right.co.uk/vinyl/kitchen-utility

Hg grout cleaner is very good

Cabbie21 Mon 23-Dec-24 17:26:30

I was thinking of cream tiles in my extension, but I am so glad I chose LVT( luxury vinyl tiles) in cream but with lots of flecks of brown and grey. Any dirt blends in well!

Georgesgran Mon 23-Dec-24 17:35:42

My first question (which is a bit personal!) is how do you/would you be cleaning said tiles?
Sort of off white tiles here, so a spray mop with a microfibre head, one side scrub, the other longer noodles for drying on a daily basis, then I do a weekly clean with a steam mop.

Georgesgran Mon 23-Dec-24 17:37:06

Somehow ‘often’ was missed from the first sentence!!

Allira Mon 23-Dec-24 17:44:09

We have cream mottled textured tiles in the kitchen and the tiles are fine, but the grout in some areas is discoloured and 😯 a couple of tiles have tiny chips!

We're opting for tough vinyl next time.

Calendargirl Mon 23-Dec-24 17:55:48

When we refurbished our bathroom, I was so pleased to get rid of the floor tiles. Granted, they were a greyish colour, but a rough matt finish. DH did the grouting, and because they were quite spaced out, the grout was in quite thick lines, always looked rough and grubby.

I now have tough vinyl all through the bungalow, even the bedrooms.

Easy to sweep, vacuum, wash……