Grout Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of the cleaning and renovation of Grout carried out in Teesside

Cleaning and Renovating Grout

The top layer of grout is porous and can absorb grease, dirt and limescale. Spillages such as wine, lemonades or greasy substances will cause marks and patches in the joints in the floor. Grout between wall-tiles particularly in damp areas like bathrooms will become dirty and unattractive as a result of Mould, Mildew and Limescale.

Mould is one of the most unsightly problems, which usually starts off in the wettest area of the room, this could be the bottom of the shower or bath, then starts to spread and if left unchecked could cover a large area of the wall.

Another common issue we find is a problem known as Grout Haze or Grout Smearing where a thin layer of grout has been left to set on the surface of the tile. Once grout has set it is difficult to remove.

Discolouration of grout joints in bath or shower areas due to continued use of acid formulated shampoos and soaps. This causes yellow orange and pink stains to the grout over even a short period of time. Whilst Grout Joints can be cleaned, badly stained grout may need to be re-coloured.

Protecting your grout in advance with a sealer will prevent most of these issues and although relatively unknown in the UK, protection awareness is growing. Sealing forms an invisible barrier between the grout and the surface, this will then protect your investment for years to come.

We have solutions for all the problems listed above and below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past to resolve many of these issues. It should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products.


Dirty Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Transformed in Middlesbrough

Here’s a fairly straightforward job I completed at a house in Middlesbrough which if you haven’t come across it before is a large industrial town situated on the south bank of the River Tees famous for its football club.

My client was keen to have the Ceramic tiled shower cubicle in her bathroom refreshed, paying particular attention the areas where the tiles and grout had been stained by the chemicals in shampoos and soaps. There was also signs of mould build-up that needed to be addressed.

Ceramic Shower Tiles Middlesbrough Before

Cleaning a ceramic tiled shower cubicle

My first task was to mix a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and clean water. Pro-Clean is an alkaline-based cleaner that is highly effective for removing grease, soap scum, and more. While in this case I used Pro-Clean to clean the Ceramic wall tile and grout, it is also suitable for use on most natural stone floor tiles, including Granite, Slate, Limestone and Travertine.

I then decanted the solution into a spray bottle, and applied it to the tiles and grout. The reason for using a spray bottle is due to the fact cleaning products generally don’t stick very well when applied directly to vertical surfaces. When applied via a spray bottle the solution is mixed with air, turning it into more of a vapour which clings more effectively to the surface.

After the solution had been applied, I left it to dwell for a while before scrubbing it into the tiles and grout. As you can see from the photos, this made a big difference breaking down the mould and soap scum and I was soon able to wash away the resultant slurry leaving an inviting shower cubicle.

The final step was to replace the silicone sealant strip between the shower tray and the tiles; the silicone strip is not so easy to clean and although applying fresh silicone can be tricky it does finish the job off rather nicely. As an alternative you can apply Tile Doctor Mould-Away which does work on Silicone however if your shower is leaking then you can almost guarantee it’s the silicone strip that’s the cause.

Ceramic Shower Tiles Middlesbrough After

If the shower wall had been made from stone I would now be talking about sealing the tiles however Ceramic tiles are glazed and won’t take a seal so the only consideration would have been to use a Grout Sealer however in this case we didn’t feel it was necessary. The shower cubicle now looks like a new installation and my customer was very pleased with the transformation.
 
 

Tile and grout cleaning for a Ceramic tiled shower cubicle in Middlesbrough

Dirty Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Transformed in Middlesbrough Read More »

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