How to Keep Your Tile and Grout Always Looking Good!
Ceramic tile floors are wonderful, strong and easy to maintain. The issue with maintaining the appearance of ceramic tile floors is the maintenance. There are various approaches to address this issue, but the most significant thing to comprehend is the proper consideration for your tile floor.
Ensure proper examination of the tile floor. The tile is the biggest surface with the grout lines usually beneath the tile. The grout line runs into a sink where the liquid runs off the tile and gathers water and sand. Since grout is permeable, any dampness that gets in the grout is absorbed into the grout. Since the liquid is the transporter after the liquid finishes, the remaining are the solids or stains. These solids or stains can develop after a while leading to unattractive grout lines.
With this understanding, there are things a property holder can do to help maintain the spotless appearance of the grout lines:
Protecting the Grout
Sealers are commonly used to help protect stone or grout from soils and stains. The purpose of grout sealers is to protect the grout from spills, dirty water or stains. Sealers provide specific functions.
A topical sealer puts a coating on top of the grout to prevent water and stains from entering the grout. A penetrating sealer uses a carrier, of either water or solvent, to allow solids to soak into the grout to fill the pores in the porous grout and repel water and often oil.
If you decide to seal your grout using a penetrating sealer, read the label and apply accordingly as often reapplying is needed every 6-18 months. If you choose a quality, professionally installed topical sealer, it may last for years and is the easiest to maintain.
How to Care for Floors with Grout
Avoid mopping your floors in a way that would expel water into the grout lines. While each mopping improves the beauty of the tile, as the mopping continues, the water becomes more and more soiled. Remember, the largest surface is the tile which also collects more of the dust and soil. Since water is the carrier of the solids and stains, mopping with water would push the soil and stain into the grout. An unsealed or improperly sealed grout line would allow the water to penetrate and stains will develop over time. So with tile, there are effective ways to care for your tile floor to provide long lasting effects.
Occasional floor cleaning will help minimize the opportunity for dirt to find its way into your grout. Always vacuum or sweep your entire tile floor thoroughly to remove all the loose dirt and dust before wet cleaning.
For professional tile and grout cleaning, contact Texas floor restoration services today!
We serve the Houston and Texas area.
