Proper Cleaning and Maintenance for Tile and Grout

251-232-2195



Care and Maintenance of Tile and Sealed Grout

Once your grout has been thoroughly cleaned and protected with either our clear penetrating sealer or our color restoration sealer, you should follow these simple guidelines to help ensure your tile and grout will retain it's "like new" appearance for years to come.

Step 1: Sweep or vacuum floor to remove dust and debris before mopping.

Step 2: Apply neutral cleaner* over entire surface and allow to dwell.
*DuPont™ StoneTech® Professional Stone & Tile Cleaner
*Miracle Sealants Tile and Stone Cleaner

Step 3: Thoroughly rinse floor with clean water. Change water often.

Step 4: Have Cornerstone Hard Surface Restoration perform a maintenance cleaning as necessary.


Do's and Dont's of Ceramic Tile and Grout Care

Do use neutral cleaner for periodic and regular maintenance of your tile and grout.

Don't use vinegar and water for cleaning tile. Vinegar is acidic and will damage grout and bleach its color.

Don't use muriatic acid or other acidic cleaners- it is dangerous to people, pets, tile and grout.

Don't use bleach on a tile application. It is acidic, corrosive and toxic and has the same effect on tile and grout as vinegar.

Don't clean the surface of tile with abrasive cleaning powders. They will scratch the tile and wear down glazed and unglazed surfaces prematurely.

Ceramic/Porcelain Tiles - One of the greatest aspects about ceramic tile is that it is a true low maintenance material. Minimal effort will keep it looking great for years to come. Most tile applications, will require only a periodic cleaning with neutral cleaner to remove dirt and soil buildup. DO NOT USE A DISH DETERGENT; it will leave a soapy residue and cause dullness.

Remember........
If your grout has been sealed with a clear sealer, prompt clean-up of spills and regular cleaning with neutral cleaner will help prolong the life of the sealer.

If your grout has been sealed with a color restoration sealer, regular cleaning with neutral cleaner and an annual maintenance cleaning will keep your floor looking it's best for many years to come.

Dirty Grout?

WoW!

The Evolution of ColorSeal

“Should we or shouldn’t we Color Seal?”
This question has been asked for years by and between service providers, installers, tile stores, interior decorators, customers and everyone else involved with tile & grout installation and/or maintenance. However, not until recently has it been such a hot topic among the above groups.
Opinions vary greatly for a number of reasons, but the single greatest reason is not knowing enough about the process and products. When grout stains and colorants were first introduced, their main purpose was to correct color issues. The marketing of these products and their primary purposes were to correct grout color problems. The only time these products were looked at or considered was after a problem arose. Typically, the customer would complain after a floor was installed. It could have been because the entirely wrong grout color w
as installed or the correct color may have been used, however, it may have dried lighter or darker for a variety of reasons. At that point the tile store/installer was left with a disgruntled customer and a problem to fix. They could regrout the surface or look for a grout stain, dye, colorant to correct the issue. Before these processes became more “main stream” both of these options were very labor intensive and messy. Over the years, regrouting has taken a backseat to coloring to solve these problems.
In addition, about 10 years ago, tile & grout cleaning and restoration started becoming more popular. The largest segment of service providers to enter this market was carpet cleaning companies. At the time, the chemicals available for cleaning tile & grout, were not as developed as they are today and many companies used excessive pressure to clean the surface. One of my first ColorSeal sales was about 10 years ago to one of the largest carpet cleaning companies in the country. The CEO of that company was intrigued by ColorSeal since it would reduce their need to use excessive high-pressure while attempting to clean. He also liked the fact that the final results (perfect grout) could be guaranteed in advance. A market was born!
Today, as I travel the county doing trade-shows and trainings, I open each phone book in every market I visit. I am still amazed by the growth of our industry. More and more people are entering the tile & grout restoration business and colorsealing is a main part of many of their businesses. I still talk with service providers who are only using ColorSeal to satisfy a customer whose floor they could not clean to a satisfactory level. Still more companies are being pro-active and offering their customers ColorSeal as an added service from the get-go. This allows them to set their customer’s expectations appropriately for their cleaning and offers their customers the ultimate of uniform grout color and protection, if they select that option.
This is a very general overview and cannot possibly go into all of the technical advances that have been made with grout colorants and stains over the years. I find it very interesting to look at the development of this market segment and product over the last ten years. Taking a product/concept that was developed for one purpose and making it even better and using it to open up an entirely new market is interesting and exciting. I believe that grout ColorSeal will become even more mainstream as time goes on as more and more service providers are educated and trained on the products and proper application methods. Our local service company still applies ColorSeal to solve installation problems, but a majority of our business is newly installed floors that want the added protection ColorSeal offers, as well as aged floors whose owners want them to look new again.
In conclusion, if you are serious about offering this service, the benefits to you and your customers are overwhelming. Making ColorSeal an option for your customers, up-front, will not only provide you a larger sale, but will also protect you in the instance they select clean only and are not satisfied with the results. Best of luck to everyone as we continue to develop and grow in this exciting marketplace.
About the Author…
Nino DiVincenzo, is a partner in the Grout Perfect service operation located in Cleveland, Ohio. The business was started almost 10 years ago and has been growing ever since. In addition, Nino also works with Grout Perfect Distribution to provide sales support, technical support and customer service. Nino lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Heidi, step-son Reilly (14), and daughters Francesca (5) and Elizabeth (3). His pastimes, outside of restoring grout, include golf, soccer and relaxing with friends and family. For more information, please go to www.GroutPerfect.com

Cleaning Grout

Tile and Grout Cleaning

Believe it or not, that thin, sandy strip of grout in between each of your porcelain, stone or ceramic tiles is one of the most important aspects of your tile surface. Without grout, anything you drop or spill on your floor would be able to creep in between your tiles and start an ecosystem of its very own. With grout filling the gap between your tiles, you now have some defense against this predicament. But grout is porous and can absorb liquids, dirt and dust so it needs to be cleaned and maintained in order to keep the appearance looking new and to keep the area sanitized and safe from bacteria and mold.

The best way to make sure your grout is cleaned safely and effectively is to call your local grout cleaning contractor. A professional and affordable contractor can clean, repair, and restore your grout so that it is looks like it did when your floors, bathrooms and other tiled surfaces were new. In addition to using the right chemicals for safe, effective cleaning, contractors also have the right tools to remove stains and deep set dirt. For really tough stains, your contractor can use high-pressured steam to effectively remove the dirt and bacteria from your grout.

One of the most frequent requests received by contractors is to clean and sanitize all the tiled surfaces in bathrooms of retail and residential locations. Bathrooms are especially tricky since they are damp rooms. Bathrooms also tend to have more tile and grout than any other room in the house. Unfortunately, this gives mold and mildew the perfect breeding ground. Your grout cleaning contractor will use a variety of methods to ensure that your bathroom is cleaned safely and effectively - removing any chance for illness causing mold to build up.

Whether you've got tile in your kitchen, bathroom, living room or bedroom, you've no doubt noticed that stains can occur on grout quite frequently due to accidental spills. Scrubbing the surface grout - the layer of grout you can see - will not always remove the stain. In some cases, this offers temporary relief, but eventually the stain creeps back up from the bottom layers of grout where it has found a comfortable home. Your contractor knows that cleaning stained grout involves reaching the bottom layers of grout that the stain has been absorbed into, and making sure to completely remove it. There is an art to this type of cleaning, and use of the proper tools and chemicals is imperative in making sure no damage is done to your floors.

Tile And Grout Cleaning In Mobile Alabama

www.cornerstonehsr.com 251-232-2195 We utilize the most advanced technology to clean and restore your tile and grout back to its natural beauty. -Highly Trained Experts -100% Customer Satisfaction -Patented Technology -Fast and Affordable Service -Superior Results HOW WE DO IT Pre-Treatment - First we apply a deep cleaning solution that loosens up the dirt, grime, oils, and bacteria. Pressure - Contained high pressure water to penetrate the toughest areas. (Up to 3000 PSI) Heat - We use 200+ degrees of heat. Vacuum - Our process removes the soil and dirty water off of your floors. Benefits - Our process removes the dirt, grime, oil, and bacteria - Restores your floors to a like-new appearance - We use EPA and environmentally friendly solutions - Licensed and insured - Monthly maintenance program available - We specialize in floor care, all work guaranteed Residential and Commercial Call us today for a free no obligation demonstration.