Outdoor Tile Care: How To Clean Porcelain and Quarry Tiles

With brighter days and longer nights finally on the horizon, Brits across the country are daring to think about spending more time in the great outdoors.

For many, this means prepping the garden or outdoor space for use over spring and summer, and this often includes a good ol’ clean of the space after the harsher winter weather.

When it comes to sprucing up outdoor flooring, tile owners are forgiven for assuming that cleaning outdoor porcelain and quarry tiles would be a long and laborious task.

In fact, this doesn’t have to be the case.

We’ve put together this post on outdoor tile care, showing you how to clean porcelain and quarry tiles the right way.

Our step-by-step guide makes the whole process quick, easy and effective, helping homeowners and renters restore their outdoor areas to their former glory.  

Cleaning outdoor porcelain and quarry tiles: is it necessary?

Porcelain and quarry tiles boast numerous practical properties that make them perfect for the outdoors, including:

• Durability: hard outdoor tiles can withstand impact, footfall and extreme temperature fluctuations
• Practicality: with anti-slip properties, porcelain and quarry tiles often come with R-rated finishes for better grip underfoot, even in the rain 
• Water-resistance: porcelain and quarry tiles boast excellent water resistance and a low water absorption rate

Because of this practicality, outdoor tiles rarely require much upkeep to maintain their enduring beauty.

That’s not to say there’s no need for cleaning outdoor porcelain and quarry tiles, though. It’s always worth cleaning down your outdoor tiles (at least) a couple of times a year to keep them looking their best – and with such beautiful finishes available, why wouldn’t you want that?

Cleaning outdoor porcelain and quarry tiles: is it tough? 

Far from it.

Because of all those practical perks, quarry and porcelain tiles don’t collect much in the way of dirt, stains or moisture.

As a result, cleaning outdoor porcelain and quarry tiles requires little in the way of time, effort or equipment.

Cleaning outdoor porcelain and quarry tiles: what equipment do you need? 

Wondering what tools and accessories you’ll need when cleaning quarry or porcelain tiles?

Our list has you covered (it’s probably shorter than you’d guessed!):

• Broom
• Hard-bristled brush
• Bucket
• Rubber gloves and a soft cloth
• Tile and grout cleaner (such as LTP)

While you don’t need this extra kit to get the job done, these non-essential tools can make your job even easier. And best of all? You might already have them in your home:

• Leaf blower
• Pressure washer
• Hosepipe

How to clean outdoor tiles: step by step

Here’s how to clean quarry and porcelain tiles used outside your home:

How to clean porcelain and quarry tiles: pre-clean 

Before applying any water or cleaning product onto the surface of your outdoor tiles, you’ll first need to rid them of any organic debris – think pesky twigs, leaves and moss.

A simple sweep with your hard-bristled brush should do the trick here. Just ensure you’re sweeping the debris off the surface (not around the surface), as remnants are sure to impact the ease of your clean and the aesthetic of the finished floor.

Likewise, leaves and foilage should be piled, bagged and thrown away – or if you own a leaf blower, blast away!

How to clean porcelain and quarry tiles: tackling grime 

With your tiled floor free of debris, you’re ready to apply your cleaning agent. We recommend using a strong acid-based solution (don’t worry, it won’t cause any damage to the hardwearing surface of your tiles).

First, rinse down your flooring with water using a hosepipe or pressure washer – if you don’t have either, even a bucket or two will do.

Next, dilute your cleaning solution in water at a ratio of around 1:5 (1 litre for every 5 litres of water used). Apply to the surface a few square metres at a time and allow to soak for approximately 5 minutes.

Then, scrub your tiles with the hard-bristle brush, tackling any remaining residue delicately with a soft cloth. Rinse down your surface with water one final time for a sleek finish.

How to clean porcelain and quarry tiles: removing stains  

If you’ve ever hosted outdoor drinks or a BBQ, you’ll be painfully aware that some stains are unavoidable (even for outdoor tiles) – think oil, grease and limescale.

For these tough stains, you’ll need a dedicated stain remover solution. Apply directly to any stains and spread the solution out to the edge of the tile and up to the grout joints.

Leave the solution to absorb into the surface for 5 to 10 minutes, then wash with the same diluted cleaning agent that you used when tackling grime. Again, dilute at a ratio of approximately 1:5.

Finally, rinse down the surface thoroughly again with water.

How to clean porcelain and quarry tiles: grout joints

With your surface shining, why damage the overall look of your flooring by forgetting to show grubby grout joints a little TLC?

Again, this doesn’t require much time and effort – all you need is a grout stain remover. 

Dilute at a ratio of 1:4 for mild cases of grime and 1:1 for more significant cases. 

Apply the diluted solution with a soft cloth or smonge directly to the grout joints, then leave 5 mins to dry and wipe down with a clean, damp cloth.

How to clean porcelain and quarry tiles: post-clean   

After cleaning quarry and porcelain tiles outside, there’s rarely a need to seal the surface.

But there’s no harm in adding one extra layer of protection – you know, just for peace of mind.

We recommend applying a grout and tile protection spray. Spray directly onto the surface of your outdoor tiles for even more reinforcement against water, dirt, oil, grease and limescale (making your next cleaning job even easier than this one).

It’s always a good idea to give your outdoor space a little bit of a refresh, breathing a new lease of life into gardens, patios, balconies and yards with a clean a couple of times a year.

You don’t need much in the way of equipment, time, effort or dexterity – in fact, the only things you really need to arm yourself with are the tips in this blog post.
Remember: our vast range of tiling tools and accessories includes everything you need for cleaning quarry and porcelain tiles outdoors. Or, if you fancy a bigger outdoor overhaul ahead of the warmer months, browse our exciting collection of outdoor tiles today.