How to: Clean a tiled hearth or surround.

Tiled hearths & surrounds are becoming increasingly popular, due to their stylish simplicity and durability. A good tiled hearth or surround will last the test of time, however like other materials, they do need a bit of TLC.

As with any hearth or surround, a quick clean before or the day after you use your fire will mean less work cleaning up later. If you use your fire daily, sweep or hoover any dust or debris up before every use, if you only light your fire occasionally, then we recommend cleaning up the day after use.

You will need:

• A soft brush.

• Non-abrasive cloth.
  (we do not recommend yellow dusters as they can leave yellow fluff behind.)

• Non-acidic disinfectant wipes can be used in replacement of the household polish however they can leave smearing.
  

For a quick clean;

• Sweep using a soft brush

• Hoover using the brush adapter

• The hearth & surround can be wiped down with a non-abrasive cloth and a clear household polish.

A quick clean of the hearth and/or surround with every use will reduce the amount of cleaning later. It can also aid in preventing issues arising.

You will need;

• A bucket

• Washing up liquid (mild).

• A towel/soft cloth for drying.
  

While we say once a week, this depends on how often you use your fire. If you use your fire daily, or more than a couple of days a week, then we advise doing the following weekly;

• Put a few drops of washing up liquid into a bucket of hot water.

• Wipe down hearth with a soapy solution.

• Empty bucket and refill with clean warm water (no soap this time.)

• Then wipe down again with clean warm water, leaving no soapy residue behind.

• Gently wipe/pat down with a dry cloth.

• Allow drying overnight before using any additional cleaners or polishing.
  

If you only use your fire once or twice a week then we recommend doing this monthly. This cleaning routine is one of the best forms of preventative maintenance as it keeps residue build-ups to a minimum.

Like with all our cleaning directions, this depends on how often you use your fire. If you use your fire daily during the winter, then we recommend a deep clean once a month. If you use your fire once or twice a week then we recommend a deep clean every three months.

You will need;

• Old toothbrush.
• A kitchen/bathroom cleaner designed for grout.
• Bucket.
• Specialist tile cleaner or floor cleaner.
• Rubber gloves.
• Non-abrasive towel/cloth for drying.
• Before doing a deep clean ensure any dust and debris is swept/hoovered away.

When deep cleaning tiled hearths and surrounds, always start with the grout. There is no use cleaning the tiles, only to get the dirt from the grout on them afterwards.

For grout cleaning we advise;

• Use an old toothbrush and a bathroom cleaner and scrub along the grout.
• Wipe with clean hot water (no soap).
• Repeat until the grout is clean.

Once your grout is clean then you can deep clean the tiles. For deep cleaning porcelain or ceramic tiles we advise;

• Wipe tiles down with a specialist porcelain/ceramic tile cleaner, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Or you can use a dilute solution of floor cleaner that can be used on tiling;

• Fill a bucket with hot water and the manufacturer’s recommended amount of floor cleaner.
• Wipe hearth and/or surround with a solution and a soft non-abrasive cloth or sponge. For tough residue, the rough side of a kitchen sponge can be used.
• Empty bucket and refill with clean warm water (no soap or floor cleaner).
• Wipe down hearth, ensuring no soapy residue is left behind.
• Repeat if needed.
• Wipe/pat hearth down with a dry cloth.
• Leave overnight to fully dry.

A deep clean should remove most stains and markings that can build up on a hearth. If you are having any issues removing suborn marks or stains, please contact us in the showroom and we will advise you the best way to proceed.

• Do not use sharp object whilst cleaning, this can cause irreparable damage and scratches.