Seven Steps To Cleaning And Sealing Terracotta By Abbey Floor Care

Last Updated on September 29, 2025 by David

Seven Steps To Cleaning And Sealing Terracotta Tiles

Hello, this is David Allen from Abbey Floor Care. We’re here today to discuss cleaning and sealing Terracotta floor tiles.

Before we begin, just a little bit of housekeeping. If you’re watching or listening to this after publication and have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments below or contact me through my website’s contact page.

The idea for this talk is from the questions I get about cleaning and sealing Terracotta. I suggest you visit this a couple of times or more, to get a good overview of the process before planning your work.

As I mentioned, if you require any clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

So, let’s go. As I mentioned, we are discussing the cleaning and sealing of Terracotta floor tiles.

Lets start with the equipment you need.

It’s true to say that cleaning Terracotta with a rotary scrubbing machine is far easier and takes less time.

But, if you don’t have experience using these machines, you can still clean the tiles by hand if you are comfortable working on your knees and have the enthusiasm to see the work through.

Here is a list of the equipment and materials you need.

• A vacuum cleaner
• A stiff hand scrubbing brush and a white emulsifying pad for cleaning
• A stiff brush for polishing the wax.
• A Grout cleaning brush
• A Mop and bucket
• A wet vacuu,m if you have one
• A natural bristle brush or small lambswool or bonded fibre roller to apply the sealer remover.
  The sealer remover will attack plastic bristles and rollers.
• A Brush or soft cloths to apply the oil or sealers
• Knee Pads – I recommend you use recoil knee pads.
  You can get them from the recoil website or Amazon
  They are pricey, but they will pay for themselves in comfort.
• Protective gloves
• Protective goggles
• The sealer remover will soften and blister paint. I suggest protecting your skirtings with a protective drocloth and masking tape, which can be purchased from Screwfix.

Cleaners and Sealers.
I recommend you use LTP products. I use them and they do a great job. There are other products, which are probably just as good. It’s just that I’ve never had a problem with LTP’s products.

You can purchase cleaners and sealers online or at your local Tile Giant store.

Chemicals for cleaning the floor

• LTP Solvex for removing the surface wax or sealer
• LTP Grimex to help remove the Solvex slurry and ingrained soil from the floor.

Sealers
Before purchasing any sealers, you need to decide on the desired finish.
You can choose from a traditional, natural-looking wax finish or a modern sealer finish.

If you prefer a waxed finish, you will need LTP Boiled Linseed Oil.

LTP Clear Wax or LTP Antique Wax

If you prefer a modern finish, you will need LTP Colour Enhancing Impregnating sealer and LTP Ironwax Satin or LTP Ironwax Gloss, depending on the level of gloss you are looking for.

And finally, Plenty of elbow grease

Now, let’s get to work.

Step One: Turn off any underfloor heating 48 hours before starting work.

Heated tiles will reduce the effectiveness of the cleaners and make the work more difficult.

Step Two: Mask up the skirting boards and any kitchen furniture to stop any sealer remover from damaging the finish

Step Three: Remove The Old Waxes, Sealers And Ingrained Soil

1. Vacuum the floor to remove dry soil and grit.
2. Remove old wax or sealer with LTP Solvex.
   Before using the Solvex, ensure the top of the LTP Solvex container is screwed on tightly. Then shake the container to mix all the ingredients. I find the product separates in the container after being left on a shelf for a while. It should pour like a cream rather than a porridge.
   Spread the Solvex evenly over the floor in easy-to-reach sections using a natural-bristle paintbrush, a soft cloth, or a small lambswool paint roller.
   Let the Solvex sit for 20 to 30 minutes, keeping an eye out to make sure it doesn’t dry. If areas are drying, top them up. The sealer remover will soften the waxes and old sealers.
3. Make up a solution of Grimex. Use one part of Grimex to three parts of water. Add the Grimex to the water to minimise splashing.
   Pour some cleaner onto the Solvex and scrub the treated area with a white pad or scrubbing brush. Then remove the solution with a mop and bucket or a wet vac.
4. Repeat the process until all the surface deposits are removed. Don’t forget the grout. Use a grout brush to get into any deep-set grout.
5. Rinse the area with clean water to remove any remaining residues, and then remove the slurry with a mop or a wet vacuum.
6. Move on to the next area and continue until the whole floor is clean.

Step Four – Prepare the Floor For Sealing

After cleaning the Terracotta, leave the floor to dry for at least 24 hours before going any further. I advise you to leave the floor for three days to ensure the Terracotta is dry.

During this drying time, be careful not to drop soil or spills onto the floor. If you need to use the floor, use cotton dust sheets to protect the floor.

Don’t use plastic sheets. They stop moisture from vaporising. Whereas cotton allows the floor to breathe, allowing moisture to evaporate.

Step Five – Sealing The Floor

In most cases, your floor will look lighter and slightly “washed out” after cleaning. A sealer will bring the colour back to the Terracotta.

If you prefer a waxed finish, use Boiled Linseed Oil or Stone Oil to bring the colour back to your Terracotta.

If you prefer a modern sealer finish, consider using Colour Enhancing Sealer.

Working in controlled sections, apply the sealer. Wait for about 20 minutes. If there are any areas of pooled sealer, redistribute the sealer over the tiles. Check again after 30 minutes and remove any excess sealer from the tiles with a soft cloth.

If the tiles are very porous and the sealer has soaked straight into them, I suggest applying a second coat.

With Boiled Linseed Oil, leave the floor for half a day before applying the second coat.

With the regenerating sealer, leave the floor for a couple of hours before applying a second coat.

When you have finished sealing, be careful with the application cloths. Oil and Solvent-soaked rags can pose a fire risk. So leave the rags outside in a safe place to dry before throwing them away.

Step Six: Surface Protection

We’re nearly at the end of the work.

Suppose you have sealed the floor with Boiled Linseed Oil. Apply a light coat of LTP Clear Wax or LTP Antique Wax using a soft cloth. Again, work in easy-to-reach sections. Then buff the area to a sheen with your stiff polishing brush.

Apply a second coat of wax and buff the area with a stiff brush.

Leave the floor for at least three hours before walking over it.

Don’t clean the floor for at least three days.

If you prefer a sealer finish and have sealed the floor with an Impregnating Sealer.

Apply the surface sealer with a microfiber cloth or a paint pad. Avoid drips and puddles, and ensure the sealer is evenly distributed on the surface.

The sealer should be dry enough for an additional coat after one hour.

For maximum protection, I recommend applying six coats of surface sealer.

Don’t clean the floor for three days.

Phew, finished, well not really because here comes the most critical job.

Step Seven: Regular Maintenance

Taking good care of your floor will significantly increase the life of your floor finish and ensure your floor always looks great.

Your new finish will protect the tiles from water and grease spills. However, it’s still essential to wipe up any food and drink spills as soon as they occur.

• Vacuum or dry sweep the floor daily to remove surface dirt and debris.
• Damp mop your floor two to three times a week, more frequently in heavy-use areas.
• Don’t use standard floor cleaning products. They can contain chemicals that will break down the wax or sealer.

If the floor has a wax finish, use LTP Wax Wash. If the Terracotta has a surface sealer, use LTP Floorshine.

Well, that’s about it.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to clean and seal a large Terracotta floor by hand, but many people do, and do it very well.

However, if you have a large floor area or prefer not to do it yourself, or are unable to do the work yourself, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d be happy to provide you with a quote for the job.

Thank you