We live in a day in age when people don’t have time to be bothered with mundane tasks. This is especially true when it comes to cleaning. No one wants a hard to clean floor that takes up days out of their life every couple of months. Yet many people do just that when they rip up their carpets and install “maintenance free” tile. The fact is, nothing is maintenance free. No matter what floor you install, it will require some sort of maintenance. Some more than others.
Many believe (and are even told) that tile is maintenance free. So they install a beautiful tile floor with perfectly matching grout. And what happens? After months of sloshing dirty water around their floor (aka mopping), their grout no longer resembles the perfect color they once chose. It now looks somewhat (or a lot) brown.. What went wrong?
For starters, the grout was probably never sealed. Most installers do not seal the floors they install. And many tile stores never even mention sealing to the customer or if they do, they make light of it. This is a huge mistake. Grout is very porous and will soak up dirt, oil, beverages… You can even end up with permanent staining.
The second thing that went wrong is the homeowner cleaned the floor by traditional mopping. Mopping is the worst way to clean a tile floor, unless you are using a flat microfiber mop and a 2 part bucket system. By mopping the floor, and using the same dirty water you rinse your mop in to then clean more of the floor, you simply spread around the dirt and it soaks into the grout lines. Most homeowners will also use harsh cleaning products such as ammonia, bleach, and vinegar; and will use more than is necessary thus leaving a soap residue that attracts even more soil. (By the way folks, ammonia and vinegar can discolor grout, and bleach can actually bleach the color out of some grouts)
Is there anything that can be done? Yes. If you have a new tile floor (less than 2 weeks old) seal it with a high quality professional sealer or call a service that specializes in stain proofing grout and stone. If your floor is older and needs a little TLC, call a professional tile cleaning service. Don’t skimp. You get what you pay for. Ask the company to do a free demo so you can see what results you can expect. If they won’t do a demo, call someone else. Get references. If you would like tile cleaning in Longmeadow, Hampden, Wilbraham & Monson areas in Massachusetts contact Absolute Best for more information on proper tile and grout care.
