Tile color coming off the tile and onto our persons
July 17, 2020 8:22 AM Subscribe
Just moved into a new place and the orange color of the kitchen floor tile seems to be rubbing off on our feet/socks. Why? How to fix?
Every new place seems to have fun new issues, and this one is the floor tile in the kitchen. It is a sort of rusty orange color, either stone or ceramic. Walking around in the kitchen for even a fairly short time leaves noticeable orange color on feet, socks, and shoes. We've tried swiffering it several times and the wipes always come off very orange, but it doesn't seem to have made any difference.
So what's coming off? Do we need to super clean it with something? Seal it? Perform some kind of rite?
Every new place seems to have fun new issues, and this one is the floor tile in the kitchen. It is a sort of rusty orange color, either stone or ceramic. Walking around in the kitchen for even a fairly short time leaves noticeable orange color on feet, socks, and shoes. We've tried swiffering it several times and the wipes always come off very orange, but it doesn't seem to have made any difference.
So what's coming off? Do we need to super clean it with something? Seal it? Perform some kind of rite?
My first thought is orange furniture polish. No idea how you'd test for this, though.
posted by freethefeet at 8:36 AM on July 17, 2020
posted by freethefeet at 8:36 AM on July 17, 2020
Yeah, pictures would help! My first guess is that the tile is old unsealed terracotta and dust is coming off it.
posted by stillnocturnal at 8:45 AM on July 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by stillnocturnal at 8:45 AM on July 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
I have ten bucks that says someone cleaned that floor with a substance that stripped the seal or glaze, and the floor will need to be sealed or varnished or whatever you do to already-installed naked tiles.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:53 AM on July 17, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 8:53 AM on July 17, 2020 [7 favorites]
Thought I had was did someone try using a stain or oil on the tile to enhance the appearance? I noticed in the picture a couple of tiles are darker then the others.
posted by tman99 at 8:56 AM on July 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by tman99 at 8:56 AM on July 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
oooh this is so weeeeird - maybe someone tried to dye them or something, like they were originally tan and they wanted them more terracotta?
If you want to see if you can just stop it first, you could try cleaning the heck out of it using like, a cleaning brush and some water bleach and powdered tide, give it a really strong scrub and see if it continues after drying? if it does, I think you will have to seal it - buy the smallest sealer you can and test on a corner or something before doing the floor because tile isn't very porous and it might not stick?
I would probably use like a "brick and cement" sealer to see if I could stop this - they're mostly outdoor products (because this feels real unusual on an indoor floor!) so pick a pleasant day where you can open up your house as much as possible because sealers can be pretty stinky and you don't want to breathe it too much!?
Tiles are usually fire glazed, so that being stripped off somehow.. it's possible someone sanded the floor maybe, but that's very strange! I feel more likely someone tried "staining" the tile, but that's also a v weird choice!
posted by euphoria066 at 9:00 AM on July 17, 2020
If you want to see if you can just stop it first, you could try cleaning the heck out of it using like, a cleaning brush and some water bleach and powdered tide, give it a really strong scrub and see if it continues after drying? if it does, I think you will have to seal it - buy the smallest sealer you can and test on a corner or something before doing the floor because tile isn't very porous and it might not stick?
I would probably use like a "brick and cement" sealer to see if I could stop this - they're mostly outdoor products (because this feels real unusual on an indoor floor!) so pick a pleasant day where you can open up your house as much as possible because sealers can be pretty stinky and you don't want to breathe it too much!?
Tiles are usually fire glazed, so that being stripped off somehow.. it's possible someone sanded the floor maybe, but that's very strange! I feel more likely someone tried "staining" the tile, but that's also a v weird choice!
posted by euphoria066 at 9:00 AM on July 17, 2020
First, you may want to pay for an actual tile guy to come out and see what's up, but I'm guessing those are terracotta tiles (more specifically what's often referred to as "Mexican tile") and they probably need to be cleaned and re-sealed. The tiles are low-fired, not high-fired, so they're not as durable as other types of tile -- this makes them cheaper, and some people like the way that they "age" over the years through wear and tear.
It can be a DIY project, although it's gonna be fairly labor intensive (as you'll need to clean the bejeezus out of the tile without destroying them) and then apply a sealant. One product that I have seen around (but have *not* used, because I don't have that type of tile!) is "Glaze 'N Seal" -- they make one that's specific for Mexican tile (called, embarrassingly enough, "Glaze 'N Seal Ole").
In certain parts of the country (eg: California) there are companies that specialize in tile restoration because it's a common enough problem.
So: not a disaster, just run-of-the-mill homeowner irritations.
posted by aramaic at 9:13 AM on July 17, 2020 [2 favorites]
It can be a DIY project, although it's gonna be fairly labor intensive (as you'll need to clean the bejeezus out of the tile without destroying them) and then apply a sealant. One product that I have seen around (but have *not* used, because I don't have that type of tile!) is "Glaze 'N Seal" -- they make one that's specific for Mexican tile (called, embarrassingly enough, "Glaze 'N Seal Ole").
In certain parts of the country (eg: California) there are companies that specialize in tile restoration because it's a common enough problem.
So: not a disaster, just run-of-the-mill homeowner irritations.
posted by aramaic at 9:13 AM on July 17, 2020 [2 favorites]
Best answer: The thing is, this is glazed tile. It's not unglazed terra cotta or unglazed ceramic.
I still don't really believe it to be color in the glaze wearing off and staining your socks/feet - I feel like it could be a stain applied over top - but regardless of the cause, I would do a deep scrub clean and then apply sealant over top. The sealant I recommended most often for kitchen tile when I worked in the tile biz was Aqua Mix Rapid Cure Sealer's Choice Gold.
posted by rachaelfaith at 9:23 AM on July 17, 2020 [4 favorites]
I still don't really believe it to be color in the glaze wearing off and staining your socks/feet - I feel like it could be a stain applied over top - but regardless of the cause, I would do a deep scrub clean and then apply sealant over top. The sealant I recommended most often for kitchen tile when I worked in the tile biz was Aqua Mix Rapid Cure Sealer's Choice Gold.
posted by rachaelfaith at 9:23 AM on July 17, 2020 [4 favorites]
I'd be willing to bet the previous owner tried to spruce up the floor with tile / concrete dye and either didnt seal it, or didnt put enough coats of sealant down.
Rachelfaith's method should take care of it.
posted by ananci at 9:46 AM on July 17, 2020
Rachelfaith's method should take care of it.
posted by ananci at 9:46 AM on July 17, 2020
I'm guessing those are terracotta tiles (more specifically what's often referred to as "Mexican tile")
If we're thinking of the same thing, I've also known them as "Saltillo tile".
posted by LionIndex at 9:57 AM on July 17, 2020
If we're thinking of the same thing, I've also known them as "Saltillo tile".
posted by LionIndex at 9:57 AM on July 17, 2020
Response by poster: Sounds like a plan brewing. Just have to get sign off from the landlord and then scrub a dub dub. Thanks all!
posted by sinfony at 10:33 AM on July 17, 2020
posted by sinfony at 10:33 AM on July 17, 2020
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posted by rachaelfaith at 8:31 AM on July 17, 2020