Looking After Your Tiles and Grout

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Clean Tiles Instead of Replacing Them

For many people the thoughts of having the tiles throughout the home ripped up and replaced with new ones is a nightmare. So why not have them professionally steam cleaned. This can save a lot of time and money and a whole lot of mess.

Grout Lines

The grout lines can start to look very dirty over a short amount of time. Even with regular mopping and cleaning, the only way to get the grout lines back to their original condition is to have them cleaned with an acidic based cleaning solution and a powerful tile cleaning machine.

In the pictures below you can see the before and after results of a professional clean by Best 1 Cleaning. The pictures also show the effects of having the tile and grout sealed after the cleaning process. Not all tiles can be sealed so it’s important to use a company that understands the difference between the many tiles on the market today to avoid a costly mistake.

Application of Sealer

Applying a sealer will make the surface resistant to staining and spills. In the picture below, this is demonstrated by pouring water onto the surface after the sealer has dried. The effects are that the water just sits on top of the tile and grout surface and beads and does not penetrate it.

If your building a new home, this is the best time to have the tiles and grout professionally cleaned and sealed. This process can also make a big difference to a home being renovated and can save a lot of time and money, and not to mention the mess.

With areas like shower recesses where there has been a build-up of mould over the years and the grout is beyond repair, it can be re-coloured. Before doing this, the grout has to be thoroughly cleaned using a strong cleaning agent to remove all the surface mould and bacteria. Once this has been done, the grout can then be re-coloured to make the room look like new again.

Working with Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic tile can’t have sealers applied as they come from the factory with a glazed finish. But tiles like terracotta and porcelain can have sealers applied and this will help to protect them from spills and permanent staining. Knowing the correct sealer to use on the many different tiles is very important, so it pays to hire the services of a professional.