Grout Cleaning
Dirty Grout is the #1 complaint about
ceramic tile.
You can NOW maintain your customers’ tile and grout like
new!
Types of grout:
There are four types of grout - sanded lime-based cementitious, lime-based cementitious unsanded, sanded epoxy-based and unsanded epoxy base. Unsanded grout is typically paired with softer stones such as marble and limestone. Sanded grout is usually used with harder surfaces. You cannot hone and polish if sanded grout has been used with soft stone. Epoxy grout does not need to be sealed because it will not absorb moisture. Epoxy grout is commonly used in restaurant chains.
Tile bathrooms are the #1 problem in commercial buildings. Toilet bowl cleaner is usually used - with little success.
Original grout color is very difficult to maintain with common tile cleaning products. Grout gets dirty and needs to be sealed.
Grout in countertops gets ugly and unhealthy and needs to be cleaned and sealed.
A heavy duty alkaline cleaner and degreaser, StoneTech Klenz All™, should be used to remove greasy soil from stone and tile floors, kitchen counters, bathroom shower stalls, and other natural stone and ceramic tile surfaces. For extremely stained grout, you can add Chemspec Energizer to the StoneTech Klenz All solution to bleach the grout while cleaning it.
Directions for Grout Cleaning:
- Test in several inconspicuous area to determine the effectiveness and desired results in your grout cleaning. Especially test the integrity of the grout in several areas - some problems are hidden by soil - such as cracks, discolorations, bubbles in grout, dark spots, coatings etc. that don’t show up until after cleaning.
- Make sure all surfaces to be cleaned are swept or vacuumed to remove loose debris before cleaning grout.
- Apply mixed grout cleaning solution with a clean mop, towel or sponge - or use the Turbo Hybrid Hard Surface Tile and Grout Tool or the Turbo Floor Tool attached to a high-pressure portable extractor, such as the MasterForce® Hard Surface Cleaning System.
- Allow plenty of dwell time for the degreaser to work on the soil to clean the grout.
- Agitate the grout cleaning solution with a grout brush, power scrub brush or a floor machine equipped with a nylon brush as needed. NOTE: Nylon grit brushes are only for tiles that won’t scratch!
- Remove using a sponge, wet/dry vacuum, extractor equipped with a hard surface tool, or damp mop.
- Rinse area well with clean water.
- To protect the areas from future soiling and staining, after complete rinsing and drying, apply impregnator sealer, such as Stone Sealer™, Grout Sealer Aerosol, All Purpose Grout Sealer or Impregnator Pro™ per label instructions. DO NOT use Bullet Proof on latex-modified grout!
- To restore grout haze and remove grout residue from porcelain and glass only, use an acid-based grout cleaner, such as StoneTech Restore™ Heavy Duty Acidic Grout Cleaner. Caution: Acid-based products will etch most polished marble and limestone surfaces! Apply mixed solution with a brush, sprayer, scrub brush, clean mop, towel or sponge. Agitate with a scrub brush or floor machine as needed. Remove using a sponge, wet/dry vacuum or damp mop. Rinse area well with clean water.
- NEVER use Chlorine bleach!!!!!
Related Articles:
