Most people don't realise it, but grout and tile cleaning is crucial to the health of your floor, not just for its appearance but also for its structural integrity. A tiled floor or wall can infuse life into dull interiors. Leave them uncleaned, and they can become dirty and gross.
If you've found grout and floor cleaning challenging, this article is for you because it is packed with valuable tips for tile cleaning and maintenance. So, off we go!
What You Need to Know About Tile & Grout Cleaning
It is the nature of tile and grout to become very dirty, despite the fact that they add a nice, classy touch to building interiors and exterior surfaces. However, the purpose of cleaning tile and grout goes beyond just improving their appearance. Tile and grout cleaning requires a bit of elbow grease to remove the dirt and revive the beauty and shine.
When it comes to tile and grout installation, you want your investment to last as long as possible. You need to protect and maintain them to make your investment worthwhile. The following three reasons should drive you to prioritise tile and grout cleaning:
1. To extend the life of your tiles.
Most people do not realise that prolonged accumulation of dirt around the tiles can loosen them, causing them to fall off or break easily. Loose tiles will have to be repaired or replaced. Hiring professional home cleaning services regularly helps keep your tiles shining as new for many years.
2. To prevent accumulation of bacteria.
Dirt accumulation on your tiles and grout creates a conducive environment for the growth of bacteria and germs. This is also one of the reasons why grout develops a black, dirty appearance and emits a foul odour.
3. To prevent water damage.
In an unclean tile and grout environment, mould, mildew, and limescale can build up, resulting in water seepage. Although comprehensive water repair services can help rectify the issue, the best way is to implement regular cleaning procedures to safeguard your tiles and grout.
It is best to hire tile cleaning services to ensure that your beautiful tile surfaces remain in good condition. Why? It is possible to clean tiles on your own but to make them look as good as new, hiring professionals is a better idea.
Furthermore, cleaning grout is highly delicate since removing dirt from between the lines takes hours. Besides, grout can get dirty very quickly and scrubbing too hard can damage it and eventually loosen the tiles too.
Read Also: A Comprehensive Approach to Handle Common Exterior Paint Issues
How is Tile and Grout Cleaning Done by Professionals?
Tile and grout cleaning aren't easy, especially if they are thick with years of dirt and grime. The process involves scrubbing and cleaning, which can take hours, if not days, to get an entire room's tiles and grout cleaned up.
However, professional home cleaners have the right tools and expertise to clean tile and grout. Generally, the process involves four steps:
- Vacuuming to loosen up and remove the stubborn dirt, soil and other particles stuck on the tile or grout.
- Steaming is done with high-powered steamers to scrub around the tile creases. This step ensures that the dirt between the cracks is removed effectively.
- Mopping to remove stains on the tiles.
- Drying is the last step in the process. The cleaners use a damp cloth to dab off any leftover dirt or stains.
Hiring professionals to do the task will save you time, money, and effort. Besides, since grout and tile cleaning is very delicate, improper cleaning techniques can wear them out sooner than you think.
However, if DIY projects are your thing, and you want to personally look after your tiles and grout, here are some guidelines to ensure you do it well.
Tile & Grout Cleaning: What to Do & How to Do It
Tile Cleaning
Tiles are waterproof solid wall and flooring materials ideal for wet areas like kitchens and bathrooms. Furthermore, they are famous for buildings in tropical climates, where it cools the feet. When cleaning tiles, you should be careful about the following:
- Do not use steel wool and stiff sponges on tiles. These abrasive cleaning materials can dull the tile's appearance, damage its protective coating, and eventually cause water seepage between the wall frame or the subfloor. Water seepage should not be taken lightly. It can not only damage your tiles but also ultimately jeopardise the building's structural integrity.
- Use bleach or vinegar to mop your tiled flooring but make sure to change the water before it becomes very dirty. Using dirty water to clean tiled floors can change the colour of the grout and make it look very dirty.
Grout cleaning
Grout (the material which holds tiles together) is generally made of concrete and coloured pigments to match the colour of the tiles. The problem with grout is that it is easily susceptible to dirt, grime, and stains. Moreover, intense cleaning and scrubbing can wear it off and compromise its structural integrity. Poorly cleaned grout can allow water to seep between tiles and eventually cause them to break or the floor to collapse.
Cleaning grout is a tad harder than cleaning tiles. It is time-consuming, and you could be left with sore hands. However, here's a simple tip if you still feel you are up to the task. To clean the grout yourself, sprinkle some baking soda over the selected spot and add hydrogen peroxide. Let this concoction act on the grout for ten or twenty minutes. Finally, use a toothbrush to scrub away the dirt.
Wrapping Up
The look of your home is enhanced when your walls and floors are clean, especially when you have well-maintained grout and tiles. Hopefully, you will be able to maintain your tiles with the help of these tips and tricks.
Hiring professional cleaners from home cleaning services, on the other hand, will certainly free up a lot of your time, which you could use in better ways, ensuring that your floors will be clean and healthy for a long time to come. Hire professional cleaners from FastHelp. Book your appointment right away.