QUESTION

We purchased a house that has porcelain tile that looks very clean. We have cleaned the tile with multiple cleaners and still have black socks after each cleaning. Even the professional cleaner did not stop it from staining our socks. We thought if we would seal the tile, that would stop it. We sealed one room with 2 different sealers at 2 different times. However nothing works. Today we took hot soapy water and poured it on the floor, brushed it, and then vacuumed the water. I then took my steam cleaner and the pads are still black. How can I stop the tile from bleeding? The tile has no shine and looks like a stone tile. However, when we found a piece, it says it is a frosted porcelain. Please help, we are at our wits end. Thanks.

ANSWER

ANSWER - A true porcelain tile will not degrade or bleed that would cause a residue on the surface of the tile that would transfer to your socks.   Porcelain tile is very dense and fired in a kiln at a very high temperature.

The only Frost tile I have heard of is either terms of color like frost blue or if it is frost resistant for cold weather.

If in fact you have a true porcelain tile, then I would suggest that it must be coated with something like a sealer or whatever intentionally or not.

Sealers normally require strippers to remove them.  There are strippers that can be used on a tile to remove sealers.  You could test a small spot with Goof-Off solvent to see if it does anything.

Generally speaking if you take a detergent like simple green and add it to warm water and the apply it generously to the floor and scrub it in with a scrub brush on an extended handle.  Then leave it for ten minutes or so, and scrub again.  Then pick up dirty water with a wet vacuum and then rinse with clean water and then pick it up with a wet vacuum.  Then take a lint free cloth and buff it dry.  See if the cloth gets dirty.