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When cleaning porcelain tiles, avoid products that contain ammonia, bleach, and other harsh chemicals. Acid-based cleansers can damage the tile, though you can clean them with a diluted mixture of one-quarter cup white vinegar mixed with one gallon of hot water. It is important always to use a soft-bristled brush or sponge, since hard bristles and steel wool can scratch the tile.

While vinegar can remove some adhesives, it may not work at removing floor tile adhesives. Floor tile adhesives are particularly strong in order to hold up to foot traffic, so vinegar may not be powerful enough to remove them. However, if you use peel-and-stick tiles for your kitchen backsplash or mudroom floor, vinegar may help clean up any adhesive residue from those types of tiles.

Unless you have epoxy grout, you should reseal your grout after cleaning. This is especially true if you’re in a high-moisture area like your bathroom or kitchen. Sealing your grout has a lot of advantages, like helping your tiles last longer and making it easier to clean the grout the next time.

If you happen to skip this step, you’re likely to have grout problems down the road like cracking or grout falling out. You may also notice damage to your tiles.

Updating your backsplash without removing the tile is possible in a couple of different ways. First, you can remove the old grout and replace it with new grout to give your backsplash a fresh look. You can also change the grout color, which can have a surprisingly large impact on the final appearance of the backsplash. Finally, you can paint the original tile to totally change the look of the backsplash without removing it.