Grout Cleaning

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

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.

Rejuvenating a Mouldy Ceramic Shower Cubicle Tiles in Mere

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Wincham Tile Cleaning, Work History /

Mere is an affluent part of Cheshire adjacent to the historic Tatton Park estate and famous for the luxury Mere Resort and Spa. Many of the houses in the area have ample gardens that lead down to a lake, after which the village is named (‘Mere’ meaning a lake that is broad in relation to its depth).

I was fortunate to visit this lovely area of Cheshire recently after receiving an enquiry from a home owner who was keen to have own of his bathrooms refurbished. Unfortunately, the ceramic tiles surrounding the bathtub with shower over had gone mouldy over the years, with the grout lines particularly blackened and dirty.

The root cause of mould build-up is generally due to a lack of ventilation and the simple action of leaving a window and door ajar after having a shower helps to cross ventilate and can reduce the problem, of course this is not always desirable during cold weather so improved mechanical extraction is always better.

Bathroom Before Refurbishment Mere Cheshire

Cleaning and Recolouring a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom

Upon my arrival, I soon got to work, starting by giving the cubicle wall a clean with Tile Doctor Duo Clean. This is a new Tile Doctor product which has a fast and effective double-action formula that cleans grout and removes mould. I left the product to dwell for five to ten minutes, before vigorously scrubbing the grout lines to remove the copious amount of mould and black spots.

Following this, I rinsed the entire area down with clean water and left it to dry, before removing all the old silicone, as this was to be replaced. The next step involved drying down the clean grout lines quickly by using my heat gun.

Recolouring Bathroom Grout

Cleaning the tile and grout with Duo Clean prepared the grout lines for recolouring using a Tile Doctor Grout Colourant which is available in a wide range of colours. The product is made from an epoxy resin and is formulated to recolour and rejuvenate existing grout joints, it also has the added benefit of forming a barrier over the grout sealing it and therefore protecting it further.

In this case a White colourant was selected to match in nicely with the rest of the bathroom and it was painted on over the grout using a small brush, any excess is wiped off the tile before it gets chance to dry.

To complete the restoration, I buffed the tiles and installed a fresh silicone sealant around the base.

Bathroom After Refurbishment Mere Cheshire

I’m pleased to say my customer was so happy with the outcome that he asked me to do the other two bathrooms, you can’t get a better testimonial than that.

Bathroom After Refurbishment Mere Cheshire

 
 

Professional Ceramic Tiled Shower Cubicle Restoration in Cheshire

Rejuvenating a Mouldy Ceramic Shower Cubicle Tiles in Mere Read More »

Ceramic Kitchen Tiles Refresh and Grout Recolouring in Warrington

1 Comment / Ceramic Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Warrington Tile Cleaning, Work History /

It can be amazing and equally frustrating just how quickly grout can become dirty and discoloured. I was recently contacted by a couple in Warrington to see if I could help them with their Ceramic tiled kitchen floor that had only been laid six months earlier. To their dismay, in that short time the grout had become discoloured and difficult to clean. They had given up trying to resolve the situation by themselves and so turned to Tile Doctor for some professional assistance.

Naturally I was happy to assist and so arranged to visit the property to conduct a small cleaning test where I demonstrated how with a combination of the right tools and products I could indeed get the grout lines clean again. Seeing the results of the test, the couple were more than happy to book me to complete the job.

Kitchen tiles before cleaning and grout recolour in Warrington

Grout Cleaning for Dirty Ceramic Tiles

On my return to the property, I repeated the same successful test clean across the entirety of the floor. This involved the application firstly of Tile Doctor Remove and Go, which is a strong cleaner, stripper and degreaser. I scrubbed the product thoroughly into all the grout lines, making sure I did not miss any dirt and stains.

I then started to clean the Ceramic floor tiles using our high alkaline cleaner, Tile Doctor Pro Clean. This was scrubbed into the floor in a similar fashion to the Remove and Go and then rinsed off with plain water extracting the waste water with a Wet Vat. The floor was left to dry over lunchtime.

Recolouring Grout for Ceramic Tiles

In the afternoon, I explained that whilst I could get the grout clean it was only a matter of time before it became dirty again. So, to provide a permanent solution I recommended to the customer that we apply an epoxy Grout Colourant, which adds a protective barrier over the grout. An alternative would have been to apply a Grout Sealer however this is best applied to new grout and in this case would not have guaranteed the uniform appearance required.

Before applying the Grout Colourant, I made sure the grout lines were dry by giving them a quick blast with a heat gun. I then started to colour the grout lines with our White Grout Colourant, which is part of a range made by Tile Doctor and is available in ten popular colours, including Black, Charcoal Grey and even Cappuccino Brown.

The difference made to the floor was quite remarkable. Not only is the grout now a uniform brilliant white, but it should remain so for a long time to come. You can see this yourself in the photograph below!

Kitchen tiles after cleaning and grout recolour in Warrington

 
 

Restoring the Appearance of Grout on a Ceramic Tiled Kitchen Floor in Cheshire

Ceramic Kitchen Tiles Refresh and Grout Recolouring in Warrington Read More »

Grout Stained Porcelain Floor Tile Renovation Appleton

Grout Haze Removed from Wood Effect Porcelain floor tiles in Appleton

Appleton Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Porcelain Tile Cleaning, Work History /

This request actually came from a local tilling company who needed assistance removing grout smears (aka grout haze) from Ceramic tiled floors that they had recently installed at a new housing estate in Appleton, south of Warrington. Busy tiling firms should take note as Tile Doctors are more than happy to add the final finishing touches to a tiled floor whether it’s sealing, polishing or simply removing excess grout as in this case.

Grout haze on Porcelain Wood Effect floor tiles in Appleton
Grout haze on Porcelain Wood Effect floor tiles in Appleton

If you take a close look at the above photograph you will see these are actually Wood Effect Porcelain tiles which are a new style of tile that have emerged over the last few years that allow you to have the beauty of a natural wood floor but with the ease of maintenance and durability of Porcelain. You will need to take a close look as unfortunately the grout smears hide a lot of the wood pattern.

Removing Grout Smears from Wood Effect Porcelain Tile

To remove Grout Haze you need to use an acid product and being a Tile Doctor I happened to have a bottle of Tile Doctor Grout Clean–Up in the van which is specially designed for removing excess grout as well as dealing with mineral salt problems. Working in sections I applied the product to the floor and left to soak for five minutes before scrubbing into the tiles and then rinsing it off and removing with a wet vacuum. This activity made a difference but more work was required so I repeated the process once more.

I was still left with some stubborn grout haze but fortunately I also had a bottle of Tile Doctor Acid Gel which is a thick gel for use primarily on wall tiles as being a gel is doesn’t run down the walls as much. It’s also useful on floors so I applied Acid Gel to the stubborn parts with a paint brush and left to soak for five to ten minutes then scrubbed the said areas with a stiff brush. This did the trick and I was able to remove the remainder of the grout haze.

Grout haze removed from Wood Effect Porcelain floor tiles in Appleton
Grout haze removed from Wood Effect Porcelain floor tiles in Appleton

I have the floor a thorough wash to remove any trace of product and the results were quite a transformation.

Tiled FloorING Problems Professionally Resolved in Cheshire

Grout Haze Removed from Wood Effect Porcelain floor tiles in Appleton Read More »

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