Why do most homeowners love porcelain floor tiles? Not only are they a great addition to homes, but they are also incredibly durable and pretty easy to keep clean. However, while porcelain tiles are durable, sometimes they can easily scratch.
This brings us to the next question: how to remove scratches from porcelain tiles. With the right tips, you can easily fix some slight scratches on your porcelain tiles. Sometimes a little bit of toothpaste on the scratched surface will leave your floor good as new.
Read on to know more about getting rid of scratches on porcelain tiles.
Related: 10 best cleaner for porcelain tiles
How to Remove Scratches from Porcelain Tiles
Table of Contents
The steps below will outline how to get rid of scratches on porcelain tiles. However, if the scratch is too visible, you may need to change the affected tiles altogether. Thus, it is important to always have spare tiles in the storage room or garage for situations like this.
1. Clean Your Floor Tile
Sometimes all the scratch and scruff on your porcelain tiles will be less noticeable with a little bit of cleaning. Dirt and grime on the floor can highlight scruffs, making them look like scratches. Thus, a good cleaning with a nylon pad and powdered cleanser will get rid of these scruffs.
Before you get to this stage, you will need to ensure that the tiles are not indented. Run your finger across the marks on the porcelain tiles to make sure that the scratches have no indentations.
If you feel an indentation, you shouldn’t use a nylon pad and powdered cleanser to clean it off, as this might further damage the tiles.
Another tip in this step is to ensure that you have got the right cleanser. It is always recommended that new cleaning products be tested in an inconspicuous spot on the floor.
If the tile looks dull after using the product, then you shouldn’t use the product as it means your glaze is too soft.
Once you ensure that the cleanser is perfect for your tiles, apply a small amount of powdered cleanser to the scratch and gently rub it in. Give it a few minutes to sit, then rinse the cleanser away.
Read: How to clean floor tile naturally
2. Apply toothpaste
Sometimes getting the right cleanser for your tiles might be a bit tasking, especially if the glaze is too soft. If such is the case, the toothpaste lying in your medicine cabinet may do the trick.
It is old knowledge that toothpaste can help conceal scratches in porcelain floor tiles. Note that this only applies to actual, white-paste toothpaste.
To get started, clean the area first with a damp cloth. Then, rub a small amount of toothpaste over the scratch with a circular motion.
Make sure that the paste fills in the scratch, and then leave it for some moments to dry completely.
Alternatively, if you have colored porcelain tiles, you might need to sand down the toothpaste once it’s dried so it can match the rest of the tiles.
Wipe away the sand dust, then apply a urethane coat to protect and smooth the surface into a seamless repair.
Read: How to make porcelain tile shine
3. Use the Repair Kit
Sometimes, you may want the easy way out, and using the powdered cleanser or toothpaste might be a bit tasking for you. Fortunately, the repair kit can easily come to your rescue.
Most repair kits can be found in most home improvement stores or online. Most importantly, they are available in different colors to match the color of your porcelain tiles.
Most of these repair kits will include sandpaper, catalyst mix, glaze, and putty knife.
Use the putty knife to mix the catalyst mix and apply it all over the scratches. Allow it to dry, then use the sandpaper to grind the repair portion down. Wipe with a dry rag and a glaze to cover the area once the repair is complete.
Read: How to remove odor from tile floor
4. Replace the Floor Tile
As mentioned earlier, sometimes, the scratch on your porcelain tiles might be too visible to be fixed with the procedure discussed above. In such a situation, the spare tiles lying in your garage or store might come in handy.
If you don’t have spare tiles in your home, you can easily find tiles in most home improvement stores. If you are lucky enough and your floor tile exhibits a common pattern or solid color, finding a new one may not be difficult.
To replace the scratched tiles, cut the grout around the damaged tile carefully with a utility knife. Then stick a cold chisel on the tile crack and hit with a hammer until the cold chisel is beneath the tile.
Slowly pry the tile up with the cold chisel and gently remove it. Remove any loose adhesive on the floor and clean.
Apply the acrylic floor adhesive generously to the floor and apply generously with a trowel. Gently place the spare tiles on the floor and clean off the excess adhesive surrounding the area.
Once the adhesive is completely dried, use a rubber float to grout the tile into the floor. Then use a round handle and drag it along the new grout lines to give it a clean, finished look.
Read: porcelain vs travertine tile, which is better?
How to Remove Metal Scratches from Porcelain Tile
Metal scratches on porcelain can occur in various instances. For instance, when a metal object falls on or is dragged across the tile, it will definitely result in metal scratches. Below are guides in getting rid of metal scratches:
1. Mix water and baking soda in a container until you have a paste-like consistency.
2. Apply the paste to the affected tiles and scrub with a damp non-abrasive scrubbing pad or soft-bristled brush. For visible or deep scratches, you may have to use a medium-bristled brush.
3. Use water to rinse off the mixture. If the mixture is not rinsing off easily, rub the surface with a damp melamine resin foam eraser and rinse again. Or, apply a bead of whitening non-gel toothpaste or a rust removal product to the scratch to completely get the mixture off your floor.
4. Use a dry rag to clean off excess moisture, and then allow the tile to dry for at least eight hours.
5. If the scratch is still visible after the procedure outlined here, you may have to use a porcelain repair product to fix the scratch.
Read: How to clean matte porcelain tiles
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Polished Porcelain Tile Scratch?
While most porcelain tiles are advertised and marketed as being tough and scratch-resistant, sometimes, cases like a metal being dragged over the tiles can lead to scratches on your porcelain floor tiles. Sometimes water containing leached metals drips on the tile surface, which can lead to scratches.
Read: How to seal porcelain tile floor
Conclusion
Now, you know that porcelain tiles can get scratches if appropriate care is not taken. But luckily, these scratches can easily be remedied with some household materials like baking soda and toothpaste.
We hope this post provided you with all the needed information on how to remove scratches from porcelain tiles.