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Can someone please tell me what this is??
I can get rid of them with the steam cleaner but always comes back.
It has gone through the whole house.
I have tried everything. I got a product from specialist at bunnings and that didn't work either.
Im in a rental and I never had this for 3 years but all of a sudden .. its getting worse.
Please help?
I wouldn't have thought that type of cleaner had a wax or shine agent to it, @chubb. That product is water-soluble, so even if it did leave a coating, it would break down and be removed the next time you washed the floor.
The mystery continues. I feel the answer is going to lie in the details surrounding the sudden change after three years. There must be something different going on.
If you can't figure out the answer, perhaps a nice pair of house slippers could limit the footprints.
Mitchell
This is an extremely common problem, and thousands of others are also dealing with it, @chubb. Google is full of different recommendations to try and remove/prevent footprints on tiles. You might like to try Diggers 1L Lavender Multi-Purpose Surface Cleaner. It's methylated spirits which is alcohol, and will evaporate very quickly. Being alcohol, it will also break down many surface residues. Try adding some of it to your normal cleaning solution or using it neat. I recommend doing at least one test square, and don't wait for it to dry; dry it with a rag yourself. See if that square reacts any differently to the surrounding ones where you've left them to air dry.
There seems to be a direct correlation between allowing the tiles to air dry and having footprints appear on them. My hypothesis is that when they air dry, it leaves a slightly opaque film on the tiles, which would be barely noticeable. They'll look beautifully clean. When someone walks on the tiles, the oil from their feet gets deposited on the film, sending that section more translucent or shiny. So, my theory is that these are not just oily footprints on the tiles, but oily footprints that are "cleaning" a small portion of the tiles. If you go to one of these footprints with a clean and dry rag and start from the middle of it and buff outwards, I would almost put money on you being able to clean the tile. If you look closely, you might even be able to see the haze being removed.
Mitchell
Hello @chubb
Sorry to hear that you're still having issues with your tile surface. It's good to hear that you've had some success using the Diggers 1L Lavender Multi-Purpose Surface Cleaner. I'm afraid it will be a continuing issue even if you find the perfect cleaner. If there are a lot of people walking inside the house, smudges and waxy residue will continue to accumulate.
I suppose you could ask everyone to wear socks, but if the bottom of the sock is dirty, then it will be the one to spread the waxy film around. I recommend using a Hufflett 50 x 80cm Assorted Colours Indoor Mat for people to wipe their feet on before entering the house. It will possibly reduce the amount of waxy residue being spread on the tile.
If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.
Eric
