Cleaning Old Asphalt Tile Floors

A couple of times while working in older school buildings we encountered asphalt tile floors.

Cleaning old asphalt tile floors.

Clean ceramic tile floors with warm water or a mixture of warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap add fresh water frequently to avoid cleaning with dirty water. To clean tile floors with vinegar start by filling a bucket with about 2 gallons of hot water. Any chemical that is used on the floor should be tested on a small out of the way patch of flooring first. Asphalt tile floor won t retain the footprints when you replace your favorite old tv chair in the family room with a new one.

Asphalt is a rather porous floor that benefits from sealing. Then add 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and stir it to make sure it s incorporated. For one asbestos was used in the manufacturing process and as an ingredient. Never use oil or solvents such as naphtha gasoline turpentine or carbon tetrachloride for cleaning asphalt tile.

Stripping asphalt tile has engendered concern among floor care professionals for many years. For best results wash bathroom tiles once a week and kitchen tiles biweekly. Sponge mops may push dirty water into grout lines so instead use a cleaning cloth or a flat mop to apply the mixture. Very hard brittle tile installed mostly in older buildings.

Never use a solvent or paste wax which can harm the tile. This concern stems from two of the tile s characteristics. Asphalt tile is not damaged by alkali so can you use alkaline cleaners on it. Next dampen a mop in the bucket and spread the vinegar mixture over the floor tiles.