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Expert Tips and Tricks for Regular Tile & Grout Maintenance and Care

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After a while, the look of your tile will begin to lose its shine due to daily use. Nothing makes your tile floors look older than a dull finish and dark dirty grout.

The three main things that cause grimy grout are:

Dirt,
Dust and
Household spills.

As dust and dirt build up on the tile floor and gets wet with mopping, the result is fine slurry that gets fixed in the micro pores of unsealed grout or adheres to the surface of normal grout seals. This is most visible in high traffic areas, as light-colored tile and grout begins to darken.

Removing Dirt and Dust

To cancel out these culprits, regular sweeping, dust mopping or vacuuming is suggested. Standard kitchen brooms work well to take away most dirt, but it usually leaves behind the dirt. Using a good quality untreated dust mop or the new static-cling dusters will get rid of most dirt and dust. However, some dirt may be left in the grout because it is slightly lower than the tile surface. Take extra care to ensure dirt and dust do not remain in the grout. Vacuuming is another excellent way of ensuring your tile and grouts are free of grime. The vacuum needs to have a superior filtration system so the dirt does not return to the floor. Note, a normal carpet vacuum with a rotating brush may spoil the grout. However, if your grout is level with or above the tile, vacuuming may spoil it. In this situation use only a dust mop.
Household spills should be cleaned up directly. If not, spills may dirty the grout. Such as wine, coffee, grape juice, etc., almost always stains unsealed grout if allowed to sit for very long. Most penetrating sealers only offer stain resistance, meaning you have more time to pick up a spill. Grout sealing with these seals won't make it spot or stain proof. So clean up spills fast.

Mopping tile floors with unsealed grout

As indicated above, it is vital to use only slightly wet mops or towels that leave no excess water (use water only). Unsealed grout is very absorbent, meaning that liquids will soak up into it speedily. You will see unsealed grout will turn darker when it gets damp, which is the effect of water entering the pores of the grout. Any dirt or dust in your mop water, on your mop, or on the tile floor may be sucked into the grout with the water. Never pour cleaners or water directly on your floor. If you feel a cleaner is needed, use one labeled with a neutral pH level. If you have a lot of traffic on your tile or you feel it requests to be mopped more frequently, it should be sealed.

Mopping tile floors with sealed grout

There are two kinds of grout sealing. The first is penetrating seal. The penetrating seal is generally a clear liquid and it seals the pore of the grout. When water is applied to a suitably sealed grout with penetrating sealer, it will not change the color of the grout directly. However, if left for a time it will generally soak up through the seal. As mentioned above, penetrating sealers only offer stain resistance. After a while these types of sealers will darken and need to be capably cleaned or resealed and stripped.

If your tile floor is sealed with penetrating seal, after dust mopping as mentioned above, clean your floor with a damp not wet mop. After cleaning the floor, wipe up extra water with a dry towel. Pay attention to the grout lines. In almost all situations, if water is left on the grout it will have some level of dust and after a while will stay to the seal and make the grout dirty.

The second seal is a specialized stain seal. It is a new level of security that can be achieved using this sealing and tile and grout cleaning methods. It blocks all spills from stain, lasts for many years and is simple to clean. Ceramic tile with specialized stain seal may be maintained using a neutral pH tile and grout cleaners. Toxic cleaners like ammonia, bleach, and vinegar should be avoided and can spoil the grout or the seal. Cleaners that are pH neutral are particularly formulated for use on protected ceramic tile and grout. If this is the type seal on your grout, follow these steps:

Clean loose dust and remains from the floor using a dust mop. A floor vacuum may be used but be careful to ensure the wheels of the vacuum do not spoil the seal.

- Add pH neutral cleaner to clean water as suggested on the bottle.
- Apply the solution to a 10 sq. feet area to be cleaned.
- Allow the solution to sit for a couple of minutes.
- Stir up cleaner on floor with a soft mop. Do not forcefully scrub.
- Mop grimy solution from the floor carefully and clean with clean mop and water.

We suggest untreated dust mops because the oils in standard dust mops may spoil the grout. These may be safe to use. To be sure you're always using the safest products for your tile floors. Contact Back 2 New Cleaning Company at 0410 452 014 for Same Day Tile and Grout Cleaning Brisbane needs.

2019-02-15 16:46:08, views: 2759, Comments: 0
   
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