Myths About Tile and Grout Maintenance

When people think of tile and grout, they think minimal to no maintenance is truly needed because ceramic and porcelain are man-made and extremely durable. This is half true!! Yes, ceramic and porcelain are kiln-dried, making them harder and, in essence, more durable than natural stones, but they are still not invincible. 

Believe it or not, well, you will believe it once we are done explaining it. Tile and grout can get damaged, not easily, but they can. Here are five common myths people assume about tile and grout cleaning and the truth behind the falsehood.

Myth1: Using Acidic Cleaners are OK when cleaning tile and grout

Acidic cleaners are not suitable for grout at all. Yes, you may think these cleaners are getting a better clean because these cleaners do get the dirt and grime of nicely. But what you don't see is the toll it takes on the grout. With continuous use of these types of cleaners, the grout can start to erode or discolor. If you have a sealer on the grout to help prevent staining and discoloration, it can strip that away completely. Also, many acidic-based cleaners leave a film on your tile and grout that will attract dirt and grime, which again can cause staining and discoloration over time. We highly suggest not to use these. Our company recommends a specific cleaner made by Stone Pro called Crystal Clean or a low PH cleaner that is more of a neutral-based type of cleaner. These are better for your tile and grout and typically leave little to no residue that will collect dirt over time.

Myth2: Using Bleach to Sanitize your Tile and Grout

Yes, we know bleach is 99% of people's go-to cleaner when they want to disinfect their home or floors. But like the acidic cleaners, bleach is not good for your grout at all. It will remove those tough to get out stains and leave you feeling like your house is disinfected and safe again, but honestly, you are doing more harm to your tile and grout than good. Bleach will make your grout start to deteriorate and break down potentially. This can cause grout to start flaking out and will look bad over time. If you feel your floors need to be disinfected, call either a professional like AriStone, who uses high heat and high-pressure cleaning systems that will sanitize your floors, or a steam mop if you are between professional cleaning.

Myth3: Using a Wire Brush to Clean Tile 

Tile and grout is a very durable surface and can take a little more beating than, say, some natural stone floors, but they are not invincible by any means. Since ceramic and porcelain are man-made, they can use wire brushes or abrasive pads to clean with. This is something we strongly suggest against. Yes, you may think you are getting all the dirt and grime up and cleaning properly, but truly you are hurting the surfaces and the grout. Using stronger, more abrasive cleaning tools can scratch the tile surface, remove the sealer from the grout lines, and depending on how the finish was applied to the surface of your tiles, you could even remove some of the color or pattern. We recommend using steam mops, a microfiber head mop, even your basic soap and water mop bucket. If you are not getting the cleaning you are hoping for using these non-abrasive techniques, you know it is time to call in a professional. 

Myth4: Sealers Are not Needed

This is the biggest myth of them all. Sealers are highly suggested by professionals, especially for the grout lines. Grout has the properties of concrete and can/will absorb and stain or discolor over time. If a stain gets too deep into the grout, it may not be able to be removed even by professional cleanings. Yes, we have ways to hide those stains, but they can become expensive, which could have been prevented if the grout was sealed right away. We do not recommend having topical sealers put onto the surface of the ceramic or porcelain tiles. Topicals look nice initially but will break down, flake off and be a mess to strip off down the road. To sum up, seal your grout lines for sure and do not use topical sealers.

Myth5: You can Properly Deep Clean your Tile DIY Style

Yes, you can get an excellent, thorough cleaning on your own, but no matter how often and if you follow our professional suggestions cleaning your tile and grout by yourself will not be as deep as a professional can do. Companies like ours not only use specific cleaning agents made specifically for what your tile and grout need, we also use high-pressure machines. For example, our process is to spray the grout lines with either one of our cleaners, let it dwell to breakup the dirt and grime, agitate it with a grout stick brush made specifically for grout. Once the cleaner has sat for a few minutes, we use our state-of-the-art truck-mounted system. This system uses high heat (220-degreewater) at a high pressure (1200 PSI) to blast the dirt and grime out of the grout lines and off the tile surfaces. We are also extracting simultaneously and because of the water's temperature, it is sanitizing the flooring at the same time. This is the most thorough cleaning possible for tile and grout floors.

If you have tile and grout floors or even natural stone floors that you feel need extra attention, call us AriStone cleaning and restoration. We are the most highly rated company on Google and we offer a 100%guarantee that we will get you the best possible cleaning and we are 100%honest and upfront about what the outcome will be when we are done. You can also check out our website at www.travertinecleaningaz.com for more services we provide and more information about our company as a whole.

We look forward to working with you and informing you of all the knowledge and recommendation we offer our customers.

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