Porcelain Tile Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of the cleaning and renovation of Porcelain tiles carried out in Suffolk

Cleaning and Polishing Porcelain tiles

Harder than ceramic tiles modern production methods have allowed a growth in the availability and design of Porcelain tiles which are known for their durability and water resistance making them a popular option for floors. Like Ceramic, Porcelain tiles are generally very easy to clean and need little maintenance however some are micro porous and do require sealing, you will need to ask you supplier which type you have installed as it can be very difficult to tell.

If your Porcelain tiles are of the micro porous variety then they will need to be sealed to avoid a build-up of dirt in the pores of the tile. For this we recommend Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal which works by impregnating the pores to ensure dirt can’t become ingrained there without changing the appearance of the tile itself.

Apart from sealing the biggest issues with this type of tile are usually grout related. Either the adjacent grout discolours over time or the tiler has been unable to remove excess grout from the surface of the tile, an issue known as Grout Haze or Grout Smears. Modern grouts can be particularly susceptible to the grout haze issue due to shorter working times and polymers in the grout which make it difficult to remove once dry. If this sounds familiar do contact us so we can advise you on how best to remove it.

Below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past, it should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products.

Deep Cleaning Textured Porcelain Tile and Grout in Eyke

Deep Cleaning Textured Porcelain Floor Tile and Grout in Eyke

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Woodbridge Tile Cleaning /

This Textured Porcelain tiled floor was installed in a house in the small village of Eyke. The customer was tired of the tile and grout looking dirty and so decided to have the floor professionally cleaned. Although textured porcelain is less likely to result in a slippery surface, it does trap dirt easily and this will build-up over time.

Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Eyke Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Eyke

I visited the property to survey the floor and quote for its renovation. After taking measurements I carried out a cleaning demonstration on a small area of the floor to show how well the floor would come up. They were very happy with the result and agreed to go ahead with the work, so a date was booked in the diary for the following month.

Cleaning a Textured Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor

To get the Porcelain tile and grout clean it was initially sprayed with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is our go to tile and grout cleaner. The solution was left to soak in for roughly ten minutes before being worked in with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary floor machine. These pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout lines, so this was followed up by scrubbing the grout by hand with more Pro-Clean and wire brushes.

The floor was then rinsed with water and the resultant slurry removed with a wet vacuum. The work was done in sections and once a section had dried it was inspected and the cleaning process repeated until I was satisfied the floor was as clean as it could be. In total I spent a whole day at the property and used two litres of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to get the tile and grout clean. The customer was thrilled that we had managed to get the floor looking like new again.

Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Eyke

Normally at this stage my next step would be to seal the floor, however these Porcelain tiles were not the micro-porous type and therefore won’t accept a sealer and so no further treatment was required. Not being porous will ensure the dirt can’t get into the pores of the tile and will remain on the surface where it can be removed with regular cleaning. Had they been the porous variety we would have returned the following day when the tiles had dried to apply a sealer.

Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Eyke Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Eyke

Although not porous the textured nature of the surface will trap dirt so they will need more regular cleaning. With this in mind, I left a complimentary bottle of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner for the customer to use to maintain their floor.

 

Professional Cleaning of a Textured Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor in Suffolk

Deep Cleaning Textured Porcelain Floor Tile and Grout in Eyke Read More »

Porcelain Tiled Floor Before and After Renovation Ipswich

Renovating Porcelain Tile with Stained Grout in Ipswich

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Ipswich Tile Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Work History /

The pictures below detail the renovation of a Porcelain Tiled Floor I completed at a property in Ipswich. Installed throughout the Kitchen and into the adjacent WC the porcelain tile and grout were in a very dirty state and the client was desperate to get them clean. The situation wasn’t helped by their two dogs with grubby paws. She had tried all the usual household cleaners she could find, and nothing seemed to work. Unfortunately, household cleaners can make the problem worse due the strong chemicals they contain.

Porcelain Tile Grout Before Renovation Ipswich Porcelain Tile Grout Before Renovation Ipswich

I visited the property to survey the floor and was able to reassure the client that although the grout was heavily stained it could be renovated by recolouring it with a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant. I was confident we would soon be able to get the floor looking great again and demonstrated the process I would use on a small part of the floor. The demonstration went well and happy with the result we agreed a date for my return the following week to complete the work which should be completed in a single day.

Cleaning a Porcelain Tiled Hallway and Kitchen Floor

Returning on the agreed date we started by protecting the by applying a clear silicone sealant to the MDF skirting boards and kitchen base units. We left this to dry for an hour before proceeding with the cleaning.

The Porcelain tile and grout was cleaned with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean using 3 parts cleaner to 5 parts water. The solution was applied to the tile and grout and then left to soak in for ten minutes before being worked in using a rotary machine fitted with a Black Scrubbing Pad. Tile Doctor Pro-Clean is a concentrated, multi-purpose high-alkaline cleaner which is designed for deep cleaning tile, stone and grout of dirt and grease and can also remove sealers.

Pads can struggle to reach into the recesses of the grout line so once I was finished with the tile, I hand scrubbed the grout with a wire brush. The floor was then rinsed with water and the resultant slurry extracted off the floor with wet vacuum.

The floor took about three hours to deep clean which was just the right timing for us to have lunch whilst the floor dried. The grout was much improved by the cleaning process but as suspected there were too many deep-seated stains to be able to guarantee a consistent finish. So as previously agreed with the client we set about colouring the grout using a light grey colourant. This took most of the afternoon as there was a lot of grout.

The Porcelain tiles were the non-porous type that won’t take a sealer and the colourant acts as a barrier over the grout protecting it and making it easy to clean so once I was done colouring there was no need to apply a sealer.

Porcelain Tile Grout After Renovation Ipswich Porcelain Tile Grout After Renovation Ipswich

My client was relieved to have the floor looking clean and presentable again. For aftercare I recommended that moving forward it would be best to use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which is a pH neutral cleaner. This will ensure that with regular cleaning the floor will keep clean and the grout won’t be compromised by overly strong products.

 

Professional Renovation of a Porcelain Tiled Kitchen Floor in Suffolk

Renovating Porcelain Tile with Stained Grout in Ipswich Read More »

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