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 Surrey

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 Metro Bathroom Tiles Rejuvinated Dorking

Rejuvenating White Metro Stye Bathroom Tiles in Dorking

These clients from Dorking were selling their house soon but were concerned about the appearance of the tile and grout in their shower room and bath. The tiles were White Ceramic laid in the popular Metro style, whilst the tiles looked fine, they were being let down by the grout which had discoloured and was turning a shade of pink and brown. Also, the white mastic sealant was blackening and mouldy in places. Naturally, my clients were keen to ensure that potential buyers were not put off by the bathroom and wanted to get the maximum price for the house sale.

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Before Cleaining Dorking Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Before Cleaining Dorking

This was a nice straight forward job, the tiles can be easily cleaned, and the mastic removed and reapplied, but it would make a massive difference to the overall look of the room. I gave them a price and they were happy for me to go ahead.

Deep Cleaning a Ceramic Tile and Grout

Firstly, I sprayed the grout with Tile Doctor Duo Clean. This breaks down the accumulated dirt and grime and is left to dwell for 10-15 minutes. Then I brushed the grout with a strong wire brush and showered away the dirt. Permanent discolouration is common so there were places the grout failed to return to its original white colour. To resolve this, I discussed colouring the grout with my customer as removing and re-grouting is a time consuming and expensive option. Additionally, the colourant provides an easy to clean barrier over the grout that will protect it from discolouration going forward.

While waiting for the grout to dry following the cleaning I set about removing the mastic around the shower and walls with a sharp knife.

After an hour of slow cutting the grout was ready for colouring. With a small, stiff paintbrush I painted a White Tile Doctor Grout Colourant into the grout lines, wiping away any excess from the tiles. The colourant dries very quickly so I could apply a second coat where needed soon after.

Once done my final task was to apply the white silicon mastic to all verticals and the bath surround to ensure the bath was watertight. This takes a while to cure so I advised the clients not to use the shower for 24 hours. I should mention the glaze on Ceramic tiles provides adequate protection from dirt, ensuring they are easy to clean and therefore do not require further sealing.

By the end of the day the bathroom looked like a new installation, their trendy Metro style tiles were rejuvenated, and my clients loved the wall of white.

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom After Cleaining Dorking Ceramic Tiled Bathroom After Cleaining Dorking

As my client was selling the property there was little point in discussing aftercare, however for your benefit I would recommend cleaning with Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro. This product will neutralise any acid build up caused by shampoos and shower products in the first place and it is these acids that cause discoloration over time.

Now I don’t want to worry anyone about the word acids, the human skin is slightly acidic so the products we use on our skin are designed for this, but if your eyes sting slightly when they come into contact with the shampoo then that is the acid. Naturally, it washes out with water, but you can imagine what it will do to your grout, tiles, and silicone over a long period of time.

 

Professional Cleaning of a Ceramic Bathroom Tiles in Surrey

Rejuvenating White Metro Stye Bathroom Tiles in Dorking Read More »

Ceramic Tile and Grout After

Soot damaged Grout cleaned and re-coloured in Warlingham

This job was completed to resolve an Insurance claim for a lady who lives in Warlingham whose bathroom tiles and grout had been damaged from smoke and soot. A building company had attempted to clean the tiles however the lady was not satisfied and told the insurance company it was to be done properly. On inspection the grout was still a bit dirty but I told her it was possible to clean it up, but could not guarantee it would be a uniform finish. I suggested that she could have the grout re-coloured at the same cost and gave her a small demonstration, she was happy with this and contacted the insurance company to get the go ahead; a week later she called me to book it in.

Ceramic Tile and Grout Before Ceramic Tile and Grout Before

Preparing the Tile and Grout for Re-colouring

When I started the job I went over it with the lady to make sure she was happy with the colour and if there were any other issues. She pointed out that on the border tiles had discoloured and on closer inspection I found that they were a marble tile and the builders had put a topcoat seal on them to make them shiny but because it was the wrong type of seal and it had started to peel.

As a result it was necessary to the sealer as so I put a coat of remove and go on the border tiles and left it to dwell; I also sprayed a solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean onto the ceramic wall tiles and scrubbed the tiles and grout before washing then down with warm water. By this time I could then scrub the border tiles in order to remove the old topcoat sealer. I dried the border tiles using my heat gun and the applied a coat of Ultra-Seal; the marble tiles had to be sealed before I could colour the grout.

Applying Grout Colourant

Once everything had been rinsed and the grout had dried I was able to apply the grout colourant using my colour applicator (toothbrush). Its meticulous work so it took a couple of hours to apply and by then I could go round to remove any excess colourant by spraying plain water and scrubbing with a white pad. I use a white pad, because if I used a coloured pad I could transfer the dye from the coloured pad to the seal.

Ceramic Tile and Grout After Ceramic Tile and Grout After

Once I had completed the whole room I checked to make sure everything was okay and found I needed to touch up a couple of areas. I then buffed all the tiles up and cleaned the bath, sink and floor and asked the lady to check it all before putting all my equipment and dust sheets back into the van. The lady was really happy with the result (see comment below) and has asked me to do the same work in her kitchen.

Bill worked continually throughout the day without a break. He was very polite and courteous He was full of knowledge and yes I would use again.

Kim Dehnert, Wallingham

 

Grout restoration in Warlingham

Soot damaged Grout cleaned and re-coloured in Warlingham Read More »

Shower Grout Cleaning Caterham After

Tiled Shower Clean and Seal in Caterham

Shower problems must be the most common problem we come across at Tile Doctor where we often here of issues with discoloured shower tile and grout usually combined with a build up of mould. Discolouration problems tend to come from the dyes in bathroom products such as body washes and shampoo, where as mould is due to inadequate ventilation or extraction magnified by our cold damp climate as we keep the windows shut and increase insulation to reduce drafts and keep warm.

Removing Mould and Discolouration from Shower Grout

The photographs shown on this page come from a ceramic tiled shower cubicle in the Surrey town of Caterham which you may have heard of as it’s where they make the Caterham Sports Car. You should be able to see from the photographs areas of discoloration and mould on the grout and silicone sealant which unlike the glazed ceramic tiles are slightly porous and have allowed the dyes and mould to taken a hold.

Shower Grout Cleaning Caterham Before Shower Grout Cleaning Caterham Before
Shower Grout Cleaning Caterham Before

To resolve the problems with the tile and grout a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was mixed in a spray bottle and then sprayed on; mixing the product with air allows it to stick better onto the vertical surface otherwise gravity causes it to run off. The Pro-Clean was allowed to dwell onto the surface for a few minutes before being worked in with a grout brush. The next step was to rinse the Pro-Clean down and then re-apply the process to areas which we had missed or needed further attention.

The tile was then left to dry before replacing the silicone sealant between the tile and shower tray; whilst Tile and Grout can normally be treated once mould gets a hold on the silicone the only thing you can do is to replace it. In some cases I’ve come across the grout becomes too stained to treat and in that case the only thing you can do is scrape the top layer of grout back using a screwdriver head sized to fit into the grout line.

Shower Grout Sealing

The last step was to seal the grout for which we used Tile Doctor Pro-Seal which is a penetrating sealer rather than one that sits in the surface. The sealer should prefect staining in future however given the location it will need to be re-applied more frequently than usual.

Shower Grout Cleaning Caterham After Shower Grout Cleaning Caterham After
Shower Grout Cleaning Caterham After

 

Shower Tile Cleaning in Caterham, Surrey

Tiled Shower Clean and Seal in Caterham Read More »

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East Surrey Tile Doctor

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