LiLi Tile Zellige Care & Maintenance Guide
How to clean, protect and maintain handmade zellige, from installation through everyday use.
Simple Care, Lasting Beauty
Wipe with water and a pH-neutral cleaner and never use acids, bleach or abrasives. That is all zellige needs to look beautiful for decades.
Our zellige is hand-shaped from Fez clay, finished with mineral glazes, fired and chiseled by hand. The glazed face is hard and easy to clean; the clay edges and the grout joints are where care matters.
This guide is for homeowners, building and facility managers, and cleaning teams. Installers: please hand it over with the finished project, along with the grout and sealer used.
After Installation
Protection begins with the installer. These steps set the tile up for easy maintenance.
- Grout with a LiLi-recommended grout: MAPEI Flexcolor™ CQ or LATICRETE SPECTRALOCK® 1 Pre-Mixed Grout. If you use any other grout, use unsanded grout only; sanded grout scratches the glaze. Apply with a plastic spatula, focusing on the joints. A grout color close to the tile fills small chips and pits.
- Wipe excess grout immediately with a damp sponge to prevent haze. Never scrub the glaze with abrasive pads.
- Remove any remaining haze with Tile Armor Athena’s Heavy Duty Tile Cleaner (acid-free) and a non-abrasive sponge, then rinse well. No acid-based haze removers.
- Let the grout cure for the time stated by the grout manufacturer.
- Seal the grout only if it is not a recommended grout. Flexcolor™ CQ and SPECTRALOCK® 1 do not need sealing. Any other grout must be sealed with Tile Armor Zeus’ Tile Sealer: apply thin coats, let it penetrate 5–10 minutes, then wipe any excess off the glaze.
Tile Armor · Step 3 · Cleaner
Athena’s Heavy Duty Tile Cleaner
Removes grout haze, grease and grime.
Buy Athena’s
Tile Armor · Step 5 · If needed
Zeus’ Tile Sealer
Seals standard grout and unglazed zellige.
Buy Zeus’
Recommended Routine
- Dust or dry-mop regularly to remove grit
- Clean with warm water and a pH-neutral cleaner, such as Tile Armor Aphrodite’s Daily Cleaner (1–2 capfuls per 5 L of water for glazed tile, no rinse needed)
- Use soft microfiber cloths, mops or a non-abrasive sponge; no brushes or scrubbing pads
- Blot spills instead of scrubbing
- Dry wet areas so water does not sit in the grout
Tile Armor · Recommended for daily care
Aphrodite’s Daily Cleaner
pH-neutral, plant-based concentrate. Dilute, mop or wipe, and let air dry. No rinse needed.
Buy Aphrodite’s
How Often, Area by Area
| Area | How often | How |
|---|---|---|
| Shower walls | After use / weekly | Squeegee or towel dry after use; weekly wipe with a pH-neutral cleaner |
| Kitchen backsplash | Weekly; spills at once | Wipe grease and sauces promptly; pH-neutral cleaner and a soft cloth |
| Walls & decorative areas | Monthly | Dust, then a damp cloth |
| Residential floors (low traffic) | Weekly | Vacuum without a beater bar or dry mop, then damp mop with a pH-neutral cleaner |
| Commercial & institutional walls | Daily to weekly | Damp wipe with a pH-neutral cleaner; soft pads only, never grit pads or machines |
Products to Use, Products to Avoid
Building managers & cleaning crews: if a product isn’t pH-neutral, don’t use it on zellige or its grout.
Safe to Use
- pH-neutral cleaners Tile Armor Aphrodite’s Daily Cleaner for routine care
- Acid-free heavy-duty cleaner Tile Armor Athena’s Heavy Duty Tile Cleaner for occasional deep cleaning of grease, grout and haze; rinse after
- Acid-free stain remover Tile Armor Artemis’ Food Stain Remover for coffee, wine and mold stains in grout
- Microfiber cloths and mops, non-abrasive sponges Melamine sponge on grout lines only
- Penetrating sealer Tile Armor Zeus’ Tile Sealer for standard grout and unglazed zellige
Never Use
- Vinegar, lemon or citrus cleaners Acids etch cement-based grout
- Descalers, limescale and toilet products, acid haze removers Dissolve grout and attack the clay edges
- Bleach, chlorine or ammonia Discolor grout and strip the sealer
- Brushes, steel wool, scouring powder, grit pads Scratch the glaze and chip hand-cut edges
- Waxes, topical coatings, “shine” products Trap moisture, peel and leave a film
- Steam cleaners and pressure washers Force water behind tiles and loosen grout
Stains & Spot Treatment
Most marks wipe off the glaze; deeper stains sit in the grout or edges. Always test in a hidden spot first.
| Problem | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Grease & cooking splashes | Aphrodite’s Daily Cleaner with a soft cloth; no rinse needed |
| Hard water spots & soap scum | Athena’s Heavy Duty Tile Cleaner with a soft cloth, then rinse with clean water. Dry after each shower to prevent build-up. No vinegar or descalers |
| Mold or mildew on grout | Artemis’ Food Stain Remover on the joints for 10–20 minutes, wipe with a non-abrasive sponge, rinse. Improve ventilation; standard grout should also be resealed |
| Dirty or discolored grout | Athena’s Heavy Duty Tile Cleaner undiluted on the joints for 15–20 minutes, melamine sponge, rinse |
| Wine, coffee or ink | Blot immediately. If a mark stays in the grout, apply Artemis’ Food Stain Remover, let it work, then rinse |
| Paint, adhesive or tape residue | Plastic scraper only; a little acetone on a cloth, then rinse |
Resealing & Long-Term Care
Grouted with Flexcolor™ CQ or SPECTRALOCK® 1?
The grout never needs sealing. Follow this schedule only for standard grout and for unglazed zellige.
| Area | Reseal standard grout & unglazed zellige |
|---|---|
| Showers, wet rooms | Every 12 months |
| Kitchen backsplashes | Every 12–24 months |
| Bathroom walls & low-traffic floors | Every 2–3 years |
| Dry decorative walls | As needed |
| Exterior walls | Every 12 months |
A simple test: drip water on sealed grout. If it beads, the seal is fine. If it darkens within a minute, it is time to reseal.
Once a year: look for cracked or missing grout and loose or hollow-sounding tiles, especially in showers. Regrout before water gets behind the tiles.
Replacing a tile: remove the grout around it, lift the tile carefully, set a spare from the same batch, then regrout (sealing only if you use a standard grout). Handmade colors vary between batches, so keep a few spares on site.
Natural Character, Not Defects
Variation, small pits and fine crackle are part of every handmade zellige tile and need no treatment. Here is how to tell character from a problem.
Normal
- Shade and tone variation from tile to tile
- Uneven surface, irregular edges, small pinholes
- Fine crackle lines in the glaze (crazing)
- Small chips on edges from hand-chiseling
Needs Attention
- Grout cracking, crumbling or missing
- A tile that sounds hollow or moves
- Crackle lines turning dark Clean gently; contact LiLi if it persists
- Water marks behind or under tiles Stop using the area and find the leak
Quick Reference
Do
- Water + pH-neutral cleaner
- Microfiber cloths and mops
- Blot spills, dry wet areas
- Reseal standard grout on schedule
- Keep spare tiles
Don’t
- Acids: vinegar, lemon, descalers
- Bleach or ammonia
- Abrasive pads or powders
- Steam or pressure washers
- Wax or shine products
Tile Armor Products
- Aphrodite’s Daily Cleaner
routine cleaning - Athena’s Heavy Duty Tile Cleaner
deep clean, grout, haze - Artemis’ Food Stain Remover
stains in grout - Zeus’ Tile Sealer
standard grout, unglazed zellige
Questions or Replacement Tiles?
We are happy to help with care questions or matching spare tiles.
Phone: 856-988-1802 · Email: olesya@lilitile.com
18000 Commerce Parkway, Mt Laurel, NJ 08054 · Mon–Fri, 9 am – 5 pm EST
