Thank you for sharing the solution to your problem. I may just try that on mine! In my case, after months of working with the installer and trying to figure out how to clean it, we decided to order a few new tiles to replace the worst ones. When they came in, they all had perfect sheen - glazing was consistent on every piece in the new batch. The real problem was that the lot of tiles that they gave us the first time were defective and not properly glazed. The installer didn't realize this until he saw them next to the 2nd batch that we ordered. This was too late because they were already installed. Now I'm just stuck with this defective tile that shows every footprint. It always looks dirty. What a ripoff! But now I will try your trick and see if it works on mine. Thanks!

What is metho

Will soap and water harm ceramic tile

My high gloss tile floors drive me nuts! I had laminate removed because I breed shih tzus so 30 minutes after cleaning my tile they look awful again! I bought a steam cleaner! Tried ammonia, vinegar/water, Clorox water etc. I just have to live with the fact that it's a constant battle! Steam works better than anything I've tried!

My custom built home has high gloss ceramic floor tile. I have always kept it clean with a dry swiffer. Food stains were spot cleaned with water, windex, and paper towels. I now have a 10 week old Yorkie. I also have the paw prints everywhere and it drives me crazy . I love my puppy but my floors look ugly.

I have found that vinegar and water is the best for tile and laminate. No smudges. In between dry Swiffer

Just don't clean the grout with vinegar. Acids break it down.

Have you tried Dawn?

Really don't put that much directly on grout. Diluted and just fine spray on tile

No I haven't tried Dawn but I sure will give it a try. Thank you!

I despise my porcelain matte tile floors. $45,000 kitchen remodel and I absolutely hate my floors. My old kitchen had a shiny off white marble look ceramic tile and it never looked dirty. Steam mopping works until a dog or a person walks barefoot on the floor. They are NEVER clean. Dropped a glass dish and broke a tile in the first six months. If I could only do it over ...

We had the exact same problem, and contacted our floor installer. He said that frequently after grouting the floors the installer doesn't clean the floors properly and leaves a grout film. The only way to get this film off is with sulfamic acid. This can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes. Be careful to read all instructions. Our installers came back and did this and it made a world of difference. Although the floor still smudges, it can now be cleaned. Also, we were told under no circumstances should any cleaners or chemicals be used, only water. A steam cleaner was recommended to maintain the floor. We purchased a Shark steamer and it worked great after we had the floor cleaned with the acid. Good luck, believe me I feel your pain!

We have the exact same problem. I have tried all the solutions suggested in previous comments. Unless you have this problem it's hard for others to understand the exact issue. The tiles are clean - but when light shines on them from certain angles (especially when light is coming directly behind tiles) you see all footprints. I have asked so many so called experts - no one can come up with a solution that gets rid of the footprints - and we have tried them all!!!! If you have found a solution by now I would love to hear it. I have never had this problem with tiles before. It is not grout residue - and no tile cleaning products to date have rectified the problem.

I am fighting the same battle. Footprints all over my clean tiled floor. I thought maybe the floor wasn't dried enough before we walked on it. I have scrubbed like crazy and when it dries the footprints of sneakers or shoes are still there. I would like to get rid of this floor but it's all through out my house. I wish there was some solution to this problem. It's cleaned with ammonia and sometimes white vinegar and still the marks appear as soon as it dries

Not sure if you found the solution to your problem but I understand where you are coming from because I had the same problem. I found that mixing water and a little rubbing alcohol together has made a huge difference. I put it in my steam mop and steam mop the floors. Honestly I went from mopping my floors everyday to only mopping once a week. You're still going to see a little bit of footprints but definitely not as much as you would have before. Hope this helps

you may have a myriad of things causing transparent footprints...

If and only if you are certain of the type tile, and grout ? id suggest a thourough cleaning with a sulfamic crystal dilution and perhaps mix it with an alkaline clnr for boost ( look at MFG mixing suggestions)....

I caution you to be sure of youre tile type and READ the instructions and test in a closet corner first.

Sulfamic can remove buildups of waxs, some sealers, and coatings. IT CAN also etch stone and certain gloss ceramics/porcelains, generally it is safe for cement based sanded grouts unlike heavier acid wash's ..still it is the safest acid to start with and there are a lot of new age grouts out there to consider when choosing chemicals for cleaning.

Theres MFG tile that is coated with thin wax films at factory these days that require a sulfamic wash from the get go in the event you have a new installation baffling you..........dont ask me how i know this

Mix sulfamic crystals with warm water and Tile labs heavy duty stripper for a good cleaning and employ jumbo white nylon scrubs ( do test first )

Still do not know what "metho" is????

I found this on google for a particular product called 'metho':

• Methylated Spirit 95% for all your cleaning needs – windows, stainless steel surfaces, cutlery etc.

I have the exact issue with tile in a new house. I also had it professionally cleaned which did no good.

I am having the same problem and HATE my new floor!! Anything that drops on it from a piece of food, to a drop of water, to a shoe prints, anything, stains it as if it's porous and soaks it up. I have only cleaned with vinegar and water, and nothing takes away my floors aren't even a year old and always look dirty. I have contacted the rep, Who is supposed to be getting back to me. But he said right away that it sounds like the coating put on top was too thin and so it's porous This is unacceptable to me. I was told by the tile store I bought them from here in town that they were easy to clean and easy to take care of. These are anything but. I will post when I hear a reply from the rep.

I use to use vinegar and water also, Now only ammonia and water. It seems to be working out a lot better.

Just regular cleaning ammonia you buy at the store? I just mopped my floors, they look TERRIBLE. The rep from Emser tile has not called me back yet.

I am going into the tile store tomorrow to talk to them again.

Byw, my tile has NO gloss. They are glazed porcelain Emser Explorer Melan 12x24.

I called my builder, They provider the store where they were gotten, I requested for the owner to call me back. After about 6 months, still no call. Yes just regular ammonia. It's not great but a little better. I'd like to take a hammer to them.

I will post after I speak to the owner of the tile store.

Yes I hear you, they look more terrible by the week. :(

I figured it out!!! After watching several you tube videos, I came across one where he explained grout haze. I bought what he used... Aqua Mix from Home Depot. Wet the tile, a pored Aqua Mix directly from bottle, bubbles will appear. This is acid loosing the cement from the grout haze. After about a minute, I light scrubbed with a scotch brite pad, left on an additional 3 min, wipe with paper towel. I bought the big yellow industrial sponge. I used this to wipe tile after wiping up acid and water with paper towel. This is to rinse any residue. Dry with paper towel... my tile is slick, lighter, NOTHING sticks to it, no marks or dirt or smudges showing when light shines on it.

Amazing!!!! So basically the tile was not cleaned well enough after grouting.

It left a film of grout.

Watch this video

I had the same problem. I knew from the time the tiles were laid, though, that cement grout haze remover doesn't work if you use Fusion Pro grout (from home depot). But Lift Off works perfectly on this type of grout. I sprayed it on the tile, wiped for a minute with a magic eraser, then dried it off with a microfiber. Tile looks perfect. I hadn't realized that a slight grout haze could somehow capture shoe prints.

I have the same issue with my tile. I hate it! I have kids and pets so I'm cleaning my floors every single day! My 11 year old son must wear slippers in the house or you will see everyone of his foot prints. Area rugs help but can't have them everywhere. The worst spot is the kitchen. Don't even bother to saute anything every little splatter will show on the floor. People always comment that my floors are so shiny and beautiful . If they only knew

This comment is for lab-rat, loveinamist, valants, meyer_fj, theresadeluise and Gloria Beare. Their comments were 2011-2017. I have had the same issues with my tile floor. My tile has a low sheen and I have also experienced the light/sunlight showing all the prints even after mopping.
Very depressing after you work so hard to clean the floor and it still shows paw prints and shoe marks. Well, I think I found a solution, at least for my floor. Maybe it will help you too. What you will need: baking soda (put in small bowl), 2 cloths, and a small bucket of water. Wet and ring out 1 of the cloths and pat into baking soda. Wipe the cloth over only enough tiles that you can reach. Take second cloth and saturate with water and ring out. Rinse the tiles you have already cleaned with the baking soda. Repeat until you have covered all of the flooring. Once it has dried, mop it with clear water. You will have to rinse the baking soda cloth and refresh your bucket of water frequently. I know it seems like a lot of work but once that's completed you should find a nice even sheen to your floor. Granted, paw and shoe prints will continue...that's life...but on the next mopping with water only, they will disappear. I will update if I find any issues or continued success with this method. Good Luck!!!

This comment is for HU-66578411 and to anyone else who might be interested.

Thank you for the information about the baking soda, and for describing so well how to use it on the floors. I have glazed porcelain floor tiles with a matt finish in a medium-sized kitchen. The floor had smudges all over the place that didn’t go away when the floor was washed. The smudges were most visible with light reflecting off the floor at certain angles, as others have described. I felt frustrated. I read your post and decided to give the baking soda treatment a try. It works! It did on mine anyway. The floor now looks more like a natural stone floor with only a slight sheen to it. No more smudgy, messy look. It’s now easy to clean too. Washing with just water works great. Those who might be wary of the slight change in the look of the tile might want to try it on one or two tiles first, before doing the whole floor. I’m so glad I tried your suggestion. I really like the kitchen floor now! I’m grateful to you for posting that information. Thank you!

So glad it worked for you too blueriver! Happy floor, happy homeowner!!!

I'm glad you saw my comment, HU-66578411. because I wanted you to know how much I appreciate the information you posted.. That was so nice of you to share that solution. Thanks again and all the best to you! : )

It's 2020 and I have Porcelain Tile Floors, 8x48 wood planks (so it looks like wood, but it's not) since I purchased my doggy, I too have these smudges everywhere. My floor guy said to use Aceton, which in fact did the trick, but it's the spots are here a there and I can't be wiping my floors every time with a rag and acetone. What was the end result? Is there a product out there that I can use with mop to get my beautiful floors back? Though you can't see the smudges in this photo, they're there.

Porcelain Tile Wood Plank floors

I have the same problem porcelain floors are hard to keep clean and when the sun or light hits you see all the footprints and smudges!!!

What can I use to clean them I’m going crazy!!! Help

So what is the fix? I see the smudges throughout and taking a bucket and a mop doesn't do the trick. Anyone?

I have use a mop and it leaves a ugly look so I have use a steamer and that doesn’t work and after that I get a microfiber mop and it still doesn’t look good!!!

@ Sonia The easiest way to keep high-gloss floors 'streak free' = wipe dry with clean towels. Do NOT let the floors 'air dry'. The streaks are formed by dirt and cleaning products left behind. Remember: water evaporates...dirt and soap do not.

You can do a deep clean (may be once/year) using ++ hot water and then you can use a shop-vac to suck up the water. You can then towel dry the floors right away. Getting dirty water off the floors is a must. Towel drying high-gloss floors is essential for 'streak free' floors.

High gloss floors are like living on mirrors. Everything is reflected back to you. If you clean a mirror with too much liquid AND a dirty cloth you will get a streaky mirror. Your floors are identical to a mirror. And for a quick fix, you can use a spritz of Windex ("For a streak free shine"...works for anything with that level of gloss) and a paper towel. Works wonders...just like on a mirror.

I'm sorry to say but you have just discovered one of the drawbacks to these extreme finishes (extra matte and super-gloss are considered extreme finishes).

Has anyone found a way to remove grout haze from slate tile? My newly installed floors are covered in it (the installer did not seal them before grouting or clean them very well afterwards apparantly). Everything says do not use acid on slate and all of the grout haze removers contain acid. I am seriously in tears every time I look at them.

Why is your tile installer not doing this? It's a good way for him/her to learn all about what happens when grout isn't dealt with properly. Call them and get them back in to do the work...on their dime.

SJ McCarthy you are right. We finally did tell him it's not our responsibility. I was hesitant because I didn't trust him to do a good job of removing the haze but it seems he is doing his research now.

Any solutions on your slate floor issue? I’m having the same problem with our slate floors.

They used Nanoscrub on it a few times which did help a lot, but it still doesn't look exactly like it did before installation. The grout settled into the fine cracks and crevices. No one but me can probably tell but I it still bugs me. I will definitely research everything and look for installer with experience in the material I'm using next time. Good luck!!

Great ideas Thank you

I am responding to the dog paw print problem on 20” X 20” porcelain tile. I feel your pain,sister!! Alas I have a solution but it’s always going to be a problem as most dogs have oily paws and I, as many others who have commented on this issue, was so in love with the look of the large tiles that I didn’t even consider they could be anything but easy to clean. Get a Bona and use the Hard-Surface Floor Cleaner Streak-Free Formula on your floor. I use the blue pads and they must be washed (no fabric softener) then laid out to dry. Do not put them in the dryer as the heat will damage them. I promise this works. I even tried putting socks on my pup but they drove her crazy. Best of luck!

Hmmm...I thought I tried Bona, but maybe I didn't. I have the product for Bona and the blue pads so I'll give it another try. Stand tuned.

I’m glad to find this thread. I have brand new matte white 30x30” porcelain tiles that were just installed. I love these tiles, but unfortunately I have two large puppies. After going for a walk, they leave oily black footprints all over the floor. I’m going crazy trying to keep the floors clean. It seems worse if their paws touch water. I spend a lot of my time every day cleaning the floors. I am using the bona mop and a spray bottle with water. It cleans off but the next day after a walk, it is back. It is also staining my new grout. Luckily it comes out easily.Is there a protectant that can prevent this? I tried cleaning their paws today, but it doesnt seem to have worked and one dog was not co-operative. I am now shoping for large rugs. Any other suggestions? Thank you!

Bona did not work for me. ACETONE worked but I would have to get on my hand and knees and do the floor so I'm having a professional come out and polish the floors to see if it comes out. So frustraing.

sorry do you use accetone neat or mixed in water? ive lost the will to live with mone x