How to clean slate tiles in my shower?

Hi! I have these slate tiles in my bathroom (and they are the floor around most of the house) but I’m mostly wondering how to clean them? The ones that get wet daily look terrible and I don’t know how to fix it. I live in a rental as well. Thank you!
First photo is the ones that get wet daily, the floor ones are fine (second photo).

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EricL

Hello @bec93

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your slate tile floors.

I have exactly the same type of flooring in my home, and we are struggling to keep it clean as it gets dirty really quickly. Using a mop simply cleans the surfaces that are at the top of the slate tile but not its lower portions. Scrubbing them with a scrub brush gets them clean for a while then its dusty appearance shows up again.

The only slate tiles I've seen that have remained clean are the gloss sealed ones. They act like real tiles and the dust does not stick to it and they are easy to clean. I can only therefor only suggest keeping cleaning with your preferred method. You can also try to speak to your landlord and perhaps convince them to have your tile slate floor sealed in gloss.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

RotoReno

Kia ora @EricL

I am looking to reseal and gloss my slate tiles. What products does Bunnings have that you would recommend for a start to finish process. To help the job along I was going to hire some floor cleaning equipment.

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @bec93. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about resealing slate floors.

It’s great that you’re planning to reseal and gloss your slate tiles — a fresh coat can really enhance their natural colour and texture. Before choosing a product, it’s important to determine whether there is still any existing sealer on the tiles. If the old sealer has completely worn away, you’ll be able to apply a product like Aquamix 946ml Penetrating Sealer. This is a natural finish sealer, so it's not the gloss you are looking for. Since you do want a gloss finish, it would be best to speak with our Special Orders team at your local store to see if they can order a gloss version for you.

If there’s still sealer remaining — especially a gloss type — you’ll either need to apply a compatible sealer over it or use a sealer stripper to remove any remnants before starting fresh. Confirming whether there is still any sealer present will help us recommend the best product for your situation.

Before applying any new sealer, make sure to thoroughly clean the tiles using a pH-neutral detergent and ensure the surface is completely dry. Hiring floor cleaning equipment can definitely help speed up the process and give you a clean, even base to work with.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

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