Ceramic Tile Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of Ceramic Tile and Grout Cleaning/Renovation work carried out in Leicestershire

Cleaning Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic tiles are usually fully glazed and so do not have any pores that dirt can become ingrained into, because of this they are easy to clean with Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner and are generally low maintenance. Textured ceramic tiles however are one exception, they have a rough surface in order to make them less slippery and are often used around wet areas such as swimming pools. Dirt is easily trapped in the textured surface and to get these clean requires a more intensive clean ideally using a rotating scrubbing pad.

Due to their low maintenance we rarely get called to deep clean Ceramic tiles however grout is a different case. The top layer of grout is actually porous and due to it being recessed we find when they are mopped it leads to a build-up of dirt on the grout causing it to discolour. This can be resolved using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and then once clean and fully dry, seal the grout with one coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal using a pipette.

Ceramic tiles are used a lot in bathrooms and shower cubicles where again we find it’s usually the grout or silicone sealant that discolours before the tiles do. In these cases we often find the appearance can be greatly improved with the use of a Grout Colourant and replacement of the silicone.

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

Glue Stained Ceramic Floor Before After Renovation Measham Leicestershire

Removing Carpet Adhesive from a Ceramic Tiled Floor in Measham

1 Comment / Ashby-de-la-Zouch Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Work History /

The pictures below are of a Ceramic tiled floor covered in carpet glue at a house in the old Leicestershire village of Measham. The owner of the property had contacted us for a solution after deciding to remove the carpet in the kitchen which had been down for around 15 years. Ideally, he wanted to have the ceramic tiles restored to new, but this would depend on how well the glaze on the tiles had stood the test of time.

Ceramic Tiles with Carpet Adhesive Contamination Before Cleaning Measham Ceramic Tiles with Carpet Adhesive Contamination Before Cleaning Measham

We called round to the property and could clearly see residue from the carpet adhesive used to secure the carpet had stained the tiles and contaminated the grouting.

Cleaning Adhesive Contaminated Ceramic Tiles

Before starting we removed the kitchen unit kickboards to protect them during cleaning. Next, we turned our attention to the floor and after fully removing the carpet could see that some of the adhesive had turned to powder, so our first step was to remove it by thoroughly vacuum the floor. We then reviewed the range of Tile Doctor cleaning products and problem solvers to determine which product would be the most effective at breaking down the residue. Our first thought was to use Remove & Go as it was developed as coatings remover and we have used it before to remove old worn sealers, paint as well as adhesive contamination.

A strong application would be needed to remove the glue to it was applied neat to the tile and grout. I left it to dwell for about 20 minutes, so it could get to work breaking down the adhesive contaminates. This was followed by mechanical agitation with a rotary floor machine fitted with a poly scrub brush. This quickly broke up the adhesive from the tile allowing it to be removed from the tile and grout with a wet vacuum.

Ceramic Tiles with Carpet Adhesive Contamination During Cleaning Measham

We then scrub cleaned the floor with Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which is a strong acidic product. It was diluted at 1:20 with water and scrubbed into the floor to ensure any remaining contaminants were removed and the pH of the floor lowered so that no sticky residues remained.

The process went well and as you can see form the photographs the Ceramic tiles had stood up well to the adhesive and now look as though they were only just installed. The last step was to rinse the floor with fresh water which was then extracted with the wet vacuum and the floor force dried with air movers. After reinstalling the kickboards, they floor was finished much to the delight of the owner.

Ceramic Tiles with Carpet Adhesive Contamination After Cleaning Measham Ceramic Tiles with Carpet Adhesive Contamination After Cleaning Measham

 

Professional Renovation of an Adhesive Stained Tiled floor in Leicestershire

Removing Carpet Adhesive from a Ceramic Tiled Floor in Measham Read More »

Polished Ceramic Tiles Stripped And Cleaned In Blaby Village

1 Comment / Broughton Astley Tile Cleaning, Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Work History /

This is a great photograph of a Ceramic tiled kitchen floor in at a house in the village of Blaby, in the centre of Leicestershire, that had at some point in its past had been incorrectly sealed with an acrylic topical floor polish. Ceramic tiles are glazed and don’t need sealing, nor usually will they accept one as the glaze make it difficult for anything for adhere properly and so this treatment should never have been applied. Needless to say it didn’t work out as over time the coating had become worn, damaged and heavily soiled.

Heavily Soiled Ceramic tiled kitchen floor before cleaning Blaby

Cleaning Heavily Soiled Ceramic Kitchen Tiles

Before starting we made sure the floor was clear of any obstructions and we removed the kick boards around the bottom of the kitchen units to ensure they would not get scuffed or damp during the cleaning process.

To get the floor clean again the old polish that was now heavily soiled would have to be removed so a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go was applied to the floor and left to soak into the floor in-order for it to get to work breaking down the polish. Remove and Go is a specialist product produced by Tile Doctor that is safe to use on Tile and Stone and pretty much does what it says on the tin for the removal of coatings such as sealers etc.

After leaving the solution to dwell for thirty minutes the Remove and Go was scrubbed into the floor using a black scrubbing pad fitted to low-speed weighted rotary machine. The grout lines were also scrubbed thoroughly by hand using a grout brush. The floor was then rinsed and the resulting slurry and cleaning residues removed using a wet vacuum. The floor was inspected at this point and any stubborn areas were spot treated using the same process.

The floor was now clean again and looking as it should, the only thing left to do was to dry the floor which we did with the aid of a force air drying machine and then refit the kickboards to the kitchen units.

Heavily Soiled Ceramic tiled kitchen floor after cleaning Blaby
 

Cleaning a heavily soiled tiled floor in Leicestershire

Polished Ceramic Tiles Stripped And Cleaned In Blaby Village Read More »

Ceramic Tiled Toilet Floor Restored At Car Dealership In Melton Mowbray

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Melton Mowbray Tile Cleaning, Work History /

At Tile Doctor, we carry out professional tiled floor restorations in both residential and commercial environments. In this particular case we were asked to take a look at the tiles at a Car Dealership in the town of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Melton Mowbray is known as the “Rural Capital of Food”, thanks to its range of local specialities, including its famous pork pie and Stilton cheese.

The problem was focused in the toilet area, where the non-slip Ceramic tiles had suffered heavy soil build-up. Since the cleaning contractor was unable to tackle the issue, Tile Doctor was recruited to restore the area using specialist tile cleaning methods and products.

Cleaning non-slip Ceramic Tiles

Judging by the level of soil build-up on the floor I mixed a solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro-Clean (a high alkaline cleaner) with five parts of water. This was then left to dwell on the tiles so the solution could seep into the crevices of the non-slip tile breaking it down and making it easier to clean.

Non-Slip Ceramic Tile During Cleaning Melton Mowbray
I agitated the solution using scrubbing pads to remove the soil which once the dirty cleaning solution was rinsed away and removed using a wet vacuum made a dramatic difference to the overall appearance of the floor.

Removing Grout Smears from Ceramic Tiles

The floor looked much better however now it was clean I could see a film of grout haze residue on the surface of many of the tiles which had been left over from the initial installation. To tackle this problem I applied Tile Doctor Grout Clean-Up which along with grout haze this product can also remove rust stains and other mineral deposits.

I was now happy with the condition of the ceramic tile and grout and after another rinse with water I promptly force dried the floor with a special fan in order to get the toilet ready for use again. You only need to look at the before and after photos to see the difference!

Non-Slip Ceramic Tile After Cleaning Melton Mowbray
 

Tile cleaning for heavily soiled Ceramic tile floor in Leicestershire

Ceramic Tiled Toilet Floor Restored At Car Dealership In Melton Mowbray Read More »

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