At a glance, tile and grout cleaning seems like it should be simple. Dirt and debris can be swept up from a tile floor with almost no effort, and most spills can be cleaned with an absorbent paper towel. And yet, anyone who has a tiled kitchen or bathroom floor, or a tiled wall, knows how dirty these surfaces can get.
While it is possible to clean tile and grout, many homeowners go about it the wrong way. This damages their floors and walls and shortens the lifespan of materials that should last for decades. With that being said, here are some of the most common mistakes that people make whenever they clean their tile and grout surfaces.
Using Harsh Chemicals
Conventional wisdom says that some messes require products that contain ammonia and bleach, but these materials will harm tile and grout if they aren’t used correctly. They may make your tile floors and your grout look shiny and new, but they should only be used by a professional tile and grout cleaning service. If they aren’t used properly, they will shorten the lifespan of your tiles and weaken the grout. Oil-based cleaners should also be avoided, especially if you have glazed tiles.
If you must use a professional cleaning product that contains bleach or ammonia, stick to a milder product and follow the directions closely. Otherwise, leave this part of the job to a professional.
Not Cleaning Up Spills Immediately
You might think you can get away with letting a spill sit on a tiled floor for a few minutes, but that is a huge mistake. Your floor might be stain-resistant, but no surface is completely stain-proof. A stain-resistant surface will buy you a few extra minutes while you clean up a mess, but that’s all that it’s intended to do. In short, clean up any spill as soon as you see it. Don’t wait.
Scrubbing Too Vigorously
Just as no tiled surface is impervious to staining, no hard surface is completely impervious to scratching. You might think the extra work to really scrub your tile and grout is helping it come clean, but you could be doing more harm than good. Tiles can be scratched, and grout might be soft enough to break apart and chip away. When you clean your tile and grout, use softer clothes and mops instead of tough brushes and steel wool.
Albuquerque Tile and Grout Cleaning
Since tile and grout cleaning is a much harder job than you might realize, it pays to contact an Albuquerque tile and grout cleaning service for your home or business. Fortunately, Xtreme Clean is there to give you the help that you need. Xtreme Clean has provided cleaning services to homes and businesses in Albuquerque for years, and we are more than happy to clean your tile and grout surfaces in a way that will make them look like new and preserve them for years to come. To learn more about our tile and grout cleaning services, or anything else that we have to offer, contact Xtreme Clean today.