Through bodied porcelain is the same colour from face to back but porcelain bodied tiles with applied finish are not ...
Exactly. Anyone thats ever chipped the cut on a tile running it through the wetsaw would recognise it. Some tiles that aren't full bodied (don't know if that's the correct term but a porcelain tile that pattern and colour runs the same throughout is what i call "full bodied") have a white undercoat under the coloured finish layer on the tile. I think what's happened here is the cleaner has "thinned" the top layer and the lighter marks are the "undercoat" showing through what's left of the finish coat.
I hope that all makes sense. If i can re-create the "chip" at work this week i'll take a picture and post it.