By stain type
| Mark | Treatment | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Grease and oil | Alkaline degreaser, leave to dwell | Common on kitchen floors and splashbacks |
| Metal scuff marks | Mild abrasive cream or fine nylon pad | Metal transferred onto the glaze, not a stain |
| Rust | Oxalic acid based remover | Never on natural stone |
| Cement or grout haze | Dilute acidic haze remover | Only on porcelain; rinse thoroughly |
| Hard water deposits | Mild acid or limescale remover | Avoid on marble and limestone |
| Ink, dye and marker | Solvent, then neutral cleaner | Test on an offcut first |
| Coffee, tea, wine on grout | Oxygen bleach paste, dwell then scrub | The grout absorbed it, not the tile |
| Mould in grout | Dilute bleach or dedicated mould remover | Fix the ventilation or it returns |
| Rubber and shoe marks | Neutral cleaner and a nylon pad | Very common at entrances |
Metal scratches are not scratches
A grey line left by a chair leg, a ladder foot or a dragged appliance usually is not a scratch in the tile at all. Porcelain glaze is much harder than aluminium or mild steel, so the softer metal gives way and leaves a smear of itself on the surface.
That means it comes off. A mild abrasive cream cleaner and a fine nylon pad will lift it without touching the glaze. People replace tiles over marks that a few minutes of work would have removed.
A genuine scratch — from grit, which is harder than the glaze — is a different matter and cannot be removed. It can only be disguised. This is why entrance matting and matt finishes matter: matt surfaces diffuse light and hide the scratches that a polished floor displays.
Frequently asked questions
Can porcelain tiles be stained?
Glazed porcelain effectively cannot — the glaze is a glass surface with nothing for a stain to penetrate. What looks like a stain is almost always residue on the surface, something absorbed into the grout, or a metal scuff mark.
How do I remove metal scratches from tiles?
They are usually not scratches. Softer metals like aluminium leave a deposit on the harder glaze, and a mild abrasive cream with a fine nylon pad lifts it off without damaging the tile.
How do I remove stains from grout?
Grout is porous and absorbs what the tile repels. An oxygen bleach paste left to dwell for ten minutes then scrubbed along the joint handles most organic staining. Epoxy grout does not absorb at all, which avoids the problem permanently.
What removes cement haze from new tiles?
A dilute acidic cement haze remover, applied to a pre-wetted floor and rinsed off thoroughly. Wet the grout first so the acid cannot attack it, and never use an acidic product on natural stone.
Ask about stain-resistant specifications
Glazed porcelain with epoxy grout removes nearly every staining problem before it starts.
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Buying Guides
- Tile Buying Guide
- Full Body vs GVT Tiles
- Step & Riser Tiles Guide
- GVT vs PGVT
- Tile Size Guide
- Laminate Guide
- Porcelain vs Ceramic Tiles
- What Are Vitrified Tiles
- Types of Tiles
- Tile Thickness Guide
- Glossy vs Matte Tiles
- How to Clean Tile Floors
- How to Remove Tile Stains
- How to Fix Cracked Tiles
- How to Clean Marble Floors
- Bathroom Size Guide
- Powder Room Guide