What Should I Do About My Slippery Floors?

Tile floors are beautiful, durable and they can add exceptional style to your home, but how can something so attractive be potentially dangerous? Unfortunately, tile flooring accounts for many injuries due to slips and falls in homes across the world. If you are having trouble keeping your tile floors slip-free, we are here to help! Plus, you do not have to keep your tile floors covered with rugs to keep the floors safe. Let’s take a look! 

Why Do Tile Floors Become Slippery?

There are several reasons why your floors may become slippery. Perhaps the biggest cause of slippery tiles is the failure to clean the surface properly. Slip and fall hazards occur when tile surfaces are not adequately cleaned or are not cleaned frequently. Additional causes include:

• When the appropriate chemicals and tools are not used, it can damage the finish of the floor which makes it slippery.
• Applying too many or not enough coats of finish to the floor
• Using an oily or overused mop on the floor

How to Make Tile Floors Less Slippery

If your tile floors have become slippery, it is time to clean them thoroughly. Throw away any old or soiled dust mops, or you can rent a steam cleaner to remove the oils or product buildup from the tiles. When cleaning the floor, you should use oil-free products along with a grease-fighting cleaner such as dish detergent. You can use a clean sponge or mop to rinse the floors. 

Applying an anti-slip product to your floors can also aid in making the surface less slippery. Many anti-slip products come in powder form and are designed to break down the oil and fats so that it can increase traction.  Use an acid-based product, or you can stick to hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a less expensive alternative which works by drying out the floor while sanitizing and deodorizing. 

When using acid-based products to dry up the floors, you should allow it to soak into the tile so that it is effective. Do not leave the product on the tiles for more than fifteen minutes to avoid eroding the material. In extreme cases, a slippery floor may need to be completely stripped and refinished. 

As always, we recommend checking with your flooring manufacturer before proceeding with any cleaning. Each flooring can be a little different in its needs and usage; therefore, you want to be sure that you use the correct products on your floors.

Thanks for reading!