Important Tips On How To Properly Clean and Maintain Interlocking Garage Tiles

If you have an interlocking tile garage floor or are considering purchasing one, you have likely heard how easy they are to maintain. But do you really know how to clean interlocking floor tiles? It’s important to learn the correct way to clean and maintain hard plastic tiles properly to ensure the best results.

To be clear, the tiles we are referring to are high-impact polypropylene garage tiles from manufacturers such as RaceDeck, Swisstrax, Big Floors, and TrueLock,to name a few. If you are inquiring about the softer, rubber-like PVC tiles, we will discuss them in a future article.

Do Garage floor tiles get Very dirty?

This might seem like a silly question at first. Of course, the tiles get dirty, but they don’t get dirty in the way that you may think.

Hard plastic interlocking tiles are made of high-impact non-porous polymers. The dirt and grime they collect tend to accumulate on the tiles. It does not reside within the surface of the tiles as it typically does with bare concrete or other semi-porous surfaces. This is the primary reason why it can be difficult to stain most polypropylene garage tiles.

Since dirt and grime tend to sit on the surface, the cleaning techniques and products used are slightly different than other floor cleaning methods.

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Cleaning and maintenance tips

For routine maintenance of interlocking garage tiles, a few cleaning products work very well.

The first is a dust mop. Dirt and dust that routinely find their way into a garage will collect on top of the tile.

A dust mop works very well for wiping up light stuff on a regular basis. This is especially true for darker colors, such as black and dark gray. They tend to show dust and footprints more than other colors.

Another would be using a soft-bristle push broom. These are excellent for sweeping up fine dust and dirt, as well as the small pebbles from tires that collect onthe tile. They are a good choice for brushing off the dust that collects on the ribs of the self-draining tiles as well.

Our favorite is this 24″ broom from Amazon.

If you have a shop vac, a brush attachment is an excellent way to sweep and remove the dirt at the same time. It works especially well on the free-flow, self-draining style of tiles that may have dried mud and debris attached to the ribs of the tile. We like this one here.

Be careful when using the standard floor attachment with a shop vac. Sandy dirt and debris that is rubbed between the tile and the floor attachment can act as a mild abrasive. Over time, it can cause microscopic scratches to the surface of the tile, which may dull the finish.

Best cleaning products for interlocking tiles

As easy as it is to maintain these floors, there will come a time when they need more than routine sweeping or vacuuming.

We are talking about cleaning the mess left over after a snowstorm or days of heavy rain. This also includes the occasional scuff marks, stubborn grease from working on your cars, or the general mess that gets tracked around from that weekend project that you just completed.

For regular cleaning, mop interlocking tiles with an ammonia-based non-sudsing floor cleaner. Our favorite is Parsons ammonia from Amazon.

This type of cleaner is streak-free, does not leave a film or residue on the floor, and does a good job of restoring shine.

Stay away from sudsing film-forming cleaners as they will act like a magnet on plastic and attract dust and dirt. This increases how often you need to clean or sweep and the surface can get slippery when wet.

Buff out any scuff marks that mopping did not remove with a rag or soft scrub pad dipped in your cleaning solution. A short-bristle deck brush is also great for scrubbing stubborn marks while you mop.

We also like using a microfiber mop pad. It makes for fast and easy work. Our favorite to use is this 18″ Professional Mop from Amazon.

We also like the fact that you get a dust mop pad as well as two mop pads.

Another product that does a great job is the waterless wash concentrates that detailers use for cars. Use just 2 ounces of concentrate to 2 gallons of water. This one by 3D is a great value and does a good job.

These waterless cleaners will not streak or form a residue on the surface. Plus, they will leave your interlocking tiles looking shiny and clean.

For stubborn, difficult-to-remove tire marks, grease, and general smudges, use a few drops of solvent on a rag. Examples are mineral spirits or Goof Off. Clean small areas at a time and do not attempt to clean the entire floor this way.

RaceDeck cleaning kit

To our knowledge, RaceDeck is the only company to offer a commercial cleaning kit for interlocking tiles. The kit includes their pH-balanced All-Purpose cleaner, Scuff Remover, Restore, and Renovator Cleaner.

Their Restore solution is particularly interesting. According to RaceDeck, it’s an acrylic solution that you mop on after cleaning that will bring back the life and shine to high-traffic areas of your floor. We have not had the chance to try it out ourselves, but we have heard positive feedback from consumers who have used Restore.

When we contacted RaceDeck, they said their cleaning kit line was designed to be used on all RaceDeck polypropylene tile products as well as similar interlocking tile floor products from their subsidiary company Big Floors. 

When asked about using their product on interlocking tiles from other manufacturers, they suggested contacting the manufacturer first to check for compatibility.

You can find more information about the RaceDeck cleaners by contacting them here.

If you are ever unsure about what products to use or how to spot-clean a particular contaminant on the tile, always test it first in a small area or consult the manufacturer.

Knowing how to clean interlocking floor tiles can make a big difference in how happy you are with your garage floor.  If you follow these cleaning and maintenance tips, you should have a worry-free floor that will look great for years to come.