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 East Sussex

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

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Before and After Cleaning Herstmonceux

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle in Herstmonceux

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Polegate Tile Cleaning, Work History /

We often get asked to do bathroom refresh and end of tenancy tile cleans however it’s a good job I’m not squeamish as this ceramic tiled shower cubicle was in a bad way.

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Before Cleaning Herstmonceux
The property was in the historic village of Herstmonceux in the Wealden District of East Sussex and apparently it had been leased to students who it seems were averse to cleaning, no surprise there.

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Before Cleaning Herstmonceux

Cleaning Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle

The first step was to remove the plastic product holder to expose the tile and grout, which revealed more staining and black mould.

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Before Cleaning Herstmonceux Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Before Cleaning Herstmonceux

With that removed I sprayed the Tile and Grout with Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which works better than liquid products as being gel based it sticks to the wall tile and grout and really gets to work breaking down the dirt. I left this for a few minutes before scrubbing it and then rinsing it off with water. I had a problem with a patch of grout which was beyond cleaning and concerned it was going to upset the whole job I raked out it and applied new grout.

Grout Colouring Shower Wall Tiles

With the tiles now clean and fresh grout dried the next step was to apply a White Grout Colourant to ensure all the grout had a consistent appearance. Although time consuming the grout colourant is easily applied with a small brush and then you wipe off any excess that gets onto the tile.

The next step was to strip out the mastic silicone sealant strip from around the base of the shower cubicle and replace with new. I used high quality silicone sealant that left nice lines and fresh look, don’t use cheap sealant as it will soon discolour and some have been known to shrink.

Last step was to replace the plastic product holder which had been cleaned.

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle After Cleaning Herstmonceux
Quite a difference I think you’ll agree. Future cleaning advice was left with the customer; I just hope he passes it onto the next tenant.

Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle After Cleaning Herstmonceux
 

Stained Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Refreshed in East Sussex

Cleaning a Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle in Herstmonceux Read More »

Cleaning Dirty Ceramic Tiles in Lewes Mini Market

Cleaning Dirty Ceramic Floor Tiles in Lewes Mini Market

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Lewes Tile Cleaning, Work History /

Photographs below from a Mini-Market in Lewes where high foot traffic was taking its toll on the Ceramic tiled floor which was now is need a dramatic deep clean.

Before Cleaning Dirty Ceramic Tiles in Lewes Mini Market

Shop Floor Cleaning

As the shop is open from 6am-11pm I had to work through the night. I started by applying a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to shift the muck, this was left to soak in for a while before being scrubbed into the floor using a buffing machine fitted with a scrubbing pad and stiff brush along the grout lines. The floor was then rinsed with warm water which was then extracted using a wet vacuum. I had to repeat the process in stubborn areas but as you can see from the pictures the result was incredible, just look at the pictures!

Cleaning Dirty Ceramic Tiles in Lewes Mini Market
Ceramic tiles are glazed so do not need sealing and as there is no sealer the floor can now be maintain using a regular floor cleaning product. Hopefully they can keep on top of the cleaning however it is a busy floor with hundreds of people walking on it every day so if they do struggle we are always happy to do a regular maintenance clean for them.

After Cleaning Dirty Ceramic Tiles in Lewes Mini Market
 

Cleaning a tiled supermarket floor in East Sussex

Cleaning Dirty Ceramic Floor Tiles in Lewes Mini Market Read More »

Ceramic Tiled Shower Before and After Cleaning

Cleaning Ceramic Tile and Grout in a Shower Cubicle

Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Work History /

As you can see from the photographs below the ceramic tiles and grout in this Shower Cubicle in East Sussex were in need of a deep clean. Ceramic tiles are very easy to clean however the grout was very discoloured and so we decided to apply a grout colourant.

Cleaning Shower Tile and Grout

To clean up the ceramic tiles and grout we sprayed on Tile Doctor Oxy-Pro which is a specialist Shower Tile and Grout Cleaner, the spray allows the cleaning agent to mix with air making it lighter and easier to stick to vertical surfaces. This is important as you need to let the cleaning agent dwell on the surface of the tile and grout for a few minutes before scrubbing it by hand with a stiff brush and then washing it off with clean water.

Re-Colouring Grout

The cleaning process managed to clean up the tiles and did make a difference on the grout but there was quite a few stains left on the grout so we proceeded with grout colouring starting with the application of the Pre-Treater which prepares the grout ensuring a good bond with the grout colouring product.

Once the Pre-Treater had dried I started the application of the white grout colourant which you work into the grout using a toothbrush, for best results you need to work it forwards and backwards to achieve an even coat. I used two coats of grout colourant in the end to ensure shadowing from some of the darker stains were not visible.

These grout colouring products are self sealing so after 24 hours it is fully cured and protected. Last step was to strip out the old silicone at the bottom of the shower, this had gone a bit mouldy and once mould gets a hold on silicone it’s impossible to get rid off, we replaced the sealant with a fresh White Mapeisil waterproof silicone.

The renovation was now complete, tiles cleaned, grout restored and sealant replaced; naturally the customer was very pleased with the results as the shower looked like new again.

 

Shower Cubicle Restored in East Sussex

Cleaning Ceramic Tile and Grout in a Shower Cubicle Read More »

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