In the UK it rains for almost half of the year, 156 days if some websites are to be believed, so the last thing anyone wants to be doing when the sun makes its rare appearance is cleaning the patio. Though both natural stone and wood can be used for your patio, they are notoriously hard to clean, collecting dirt, weeds and mould. This is why we at The London Tile Co. have decided to help make your life as easy as possible with our range of outdoor porcelain tiles.
Due to the vitrification process the porcelain material undergoes, where the tiles are fired at high temperatures, they become impermeable to water, dust, mould and moss growth. The hard-wearing nature of our porcelain tiles means they look like they have only just been laid for far longer than other wood and stone alternatives. This means that when the sun is out, you can spend more time doing the things you enjoy like having a BBQ or just relaxing catching those elusive rays.
Gone are the jet-wash and bleach days, but if you do want a patio clean enough to eat off here is how we would give our porcelain tiles that extra shine:
- Use a broom to sweep away any excess debris such as leaves, sticks, and so forth. Things like this will only get in your way when you’re trying to wash your tiles.
- Fill a bucket with warm, soapy water – it doesn’t need to be boiling hot. There is also no need for bleach, standard washing-up liquid is all you need.
- Wet a brush, sponge or even a broom if you don’t have any of these, in your soapy water and scrub at the tiles to remove any additional dirt and residue that remains after your previous sweep.
- Once you’ve washed the whole patio, leave it to dry naturally – your tiles should be gleaming again in no time!
The design of our porcelain patio tiles means that this type of cleaning should not be needed very often, though it may be necessary more frequently if your tiles get particularly dirty on a regular basis. For more stubborn marks you can use a jet wash, the tiles are strong enough to withstand a strong pressure washer. With these simple and easy steps your porcelain tiles will keep on sparkling year after year. As warmer weather approaches why not check out our outdoor porcelain tile range and enjoy the easy life this summer.
Want to protect your outdoor porcelain tiles from staining? LTP Porcelain Tile Protector is ideal for protecting against staining, in the case of external tiles the formation of organic matter. LTP Porcelain Tile Protector offers a hassle free way to keep porcelain tiles protected across their lifespan. It is easily applied and suitable for use with most types of porcelain tiles and slabs. LTP Porcelain Tile Protector also helps with grout and jointing compound release, allows surfaces to breathe and facilitates cleaning and aftercare. For external areas, a further application after grouting will assist the removal of all types of dried on organic matter as and when it occurs.