Cleaning Victorian Clay Tiles Hallway In Littleover Derby

Last Updated on January 15, 2026 by David

This is a Victorian Tile cleaning project in Littleover, Derby. Victorian tiles, often referred to as Minton Tiles, are the perfect match for high-ceiling Victorian homes.

However, the soft clay tiles that make up this kind of floor need regular cleaning, waxing and buffing. Otherwise, the clay tiles will start to absorb dirt and grime.

This floor in Littleover, like most floors from the Victorian era, had suffered from a lack of maintenance and was showing its age.

Victorian Tile Cleaning Littleover Derby

Worn clay tiles that have not had any maintenance are very absorbent, so it is essential to control the amount of water used during the cleaning process.

We started by scrubbing an area of the floor with our Victorian tile cleaner and immediately vacuuming away the slurry before it could soak into the floor.

Immediately after scrubbing the floor I rinsed the area with clean water to ensure that there was no cleaning slurry left on the surface of the tiles.

Sealing Victorian Tiles

A cleaned clay tile floor is very absorbent, and spills and soil will quickly soak into the clay. The tiles must be sealed with an appropriate sealer.

When new, the tiles would have been protected with boiled linseed oil. Linseed oil had lots of advantages; protecting against water and soil, enriching colours, and giving the floor a light sheen.

Unfortunately, over time linseed oil oxidises, giving a noticeable brown shade to the tiles. The result is a dirty appearance to the floor. If the oil has been massively diluted and soaked deep into the clay, the colour can be almost impossible to remove.

Thankfully, the Victorian tile floor in Derby had not suffered from linseed oil staining.

Modern sealers mimic the enriching visual effect of linseed oil. However, they do not suffer the same oxidation problems and offer better quality, longer lasting protection.

I applied 2 coats of colour enhancing impregnating sealer and left the sealer to dry overnight.

Waxing Victorian Floor Tiles In Derby

Once the sealer had dried, I returned and applied a coat of floor wax.

The floor wax gives the tiles a beautiful sheen, makes the floor much easier to clean and provides additional protection. Natural floor wax is also straightforward to re-apply when areas are showing signs of wear.

I recommended an appropriate cleaner and microfiber mopping equipment. The cleaning chemical contains ingredients that help extend the life of the finish.

My client was thrilled with the finish.

This project is one of many real examples referenced in our Victorian tile floor care guide, which explains why hallway floors often look permanently dirty — and how professional cleaning differs from a quick scrub.

This restoration is one of many real examples referenced in our Victorian tile flooring guide, which explains how clay and encaustic floors wear in real homes and what usually needs doing to restore them properly.

If you have a Victorian tile floor that needs cleaning, click here for your free, no-obligation quotation.