Cleaning Old Asphalt Tile Floors

Stripping asphalt tile has engendered concern among floor care professionals for many years.

Cleaning old asphalt tile floors.

Softened by grease so wipe up spills promptly. Asphalt tile is not damaged by alkali so can you use alkaline cleaners on it. This concern stems from two of the tile s characteristics. Then add 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and stir it to make sure it s incorporated.

Very hard brittle tile installed mostly in older buildings. To clean tile floors with vinegar start by filling a bucket with about 2 gallons of hot water. Asphalt tile floor won t retain the footprints when you replace your favorite old tv chair in the family room with a new one. Sponge mops may push dirty water into grout lines so instead use a cleaning cloth or a flat mop to apply the mixture.

Never use a solvent or paste wax which can harm the tile. A couple of times while working in older school buildings we encountered asphalt tile floors. Although asphalt is resilient grease oil solvents such as kerosene gasoline naphtha and turpentine harsh cleaning preparations strong soaps and scouring can damage the surface consider these suggestions for cleaning this type of floor. Any chemical that is used on the floor should be tested on a small out of the way patch of flooring first.

For best results wash bathroom tiles once a week and kitchen tiles biweekly. Never use oil or solvents such as naphtha gasoline turpentine or carbon tetrachloride for cleaning asphalt tile. For one asbestos was used in the manufacturing process and as an ingredient. Next dampen a mop in the bucket and spread the vinegar mixture over the floor tiles.