Ceramic Tile Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of Ceramic Tile and Grout Cleaning/Renovation work carried out in South Cumbria

Cleaning Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic tiles are usually fully glazed and so do not have any pores that dirt can become ingrained into, because of this they are easy to clean with Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner and are generally low maintenance. Textured ceramic tiles however are one exception, they have a rough surface in order to make them less slippery and are often used around wet areas such as swimming pools. Dirt is easily trapped in the textured surface and to get these clean requires a more intensive clean ideally using a rotating scrubbing pad.

Due to their low maintenance we rarely get called to deep clean Ceramic tiles however grout is a different case. The top layer of grout is actually porous and due to it being recessed we find when they are mopped it leads to a build-up of dirt on the grout causing it to discolour. This can be resolved using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and then once clean and fully dry, seal the grout with one coat of Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal using a pipette.

Ceramic tiles are used a lot in bathrooms and shower cubicles where again we find it’s usually the grout or silicone sealant that discolours before the tiles do. In these cases we often find the appearance can be greatly improved with the use of a Grout Colourant and replacement of the silicone.

Below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past, it should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products


Shower Cubicle Before After Restoration Kendal

Shower Room Tile and Grout Restoration in Kendal

One of the first issues people have with shower rooms is the Silicone needs to be replaced, even a good quality Silicone like Mapei Ultra-seal which is fully waterproof and stain and mould resistant can still succumb to persistent damp issues. In fact it can get so humid in these areas the warm atmosphere is akin to a tropical rain forest.

To avoid the build-up of mould I recommend you rinse the wall tile and silicone down with plain water from the shower head after every shower and then leave the tiles to dry. Open the window and door to let out the warm condensation and after 5 to 10 minutes partly close the window (to the security setting) and then partly close the door, this then normalizes the room temperature thus inhibiting mould spores from blooming, as mould wont start to Spore on a cold room.

Shower Room Before Restoration Kendal

The pictures were taken from a shower room at a house a few miles up the road in Kendal where mould had caused a lot of staining to the silicone sealant and to the tile and grout both inside the shower cubicle and in the bathroom itself. There were also a couple of loose tiles around the base of the shower cubicle which needed to be re-fixed.

Shower Cubicle Before Restoration Kendal

Cleaning Ceramic Tile and Grout

We started by spraying the tile and grout down with Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong alkaline cleaner, spraying it on mixes it air which helps it to stick to Vertical surfaces allowing it to get to work on the dirt. We left it to dwell for ten minutes before scrubbing it in by hand using a stiff grout brush; this process certainly improved the grout but unfortunately it had become too badly stained to be satisfactory so we decided to recolour the grout using a white grout colourant.

Once the shower tile was dry the loose tiles were removed and the damp plaster board behind chopped out and replaced. The tiles were then cleaned up, fixed back into position, then grouted and the silicone sealant around the base of the shower cubicle was stripped out and replaced with new.

Shower Cubicle During Restoration Kendal Shower Cubicle During Restoration Kendal

Colouring Grout

One to two coats of white colourant were applied to the grout throughout the shower cubicle and shower room in order to get a uniform appearance and this final touch completed the transformation.

Shower Cubicle After Restoration Kendal

The other advantage of these particular colourant products is that they are epoxy based and form a barrier of the grout preventing future staining and making it very easy to clean going forward.

Shower Cubicle After Restoration Kendal

I think you will agree bathroom now looks like it was recently installed.
 
 

Restoring the Appearance of Shower Cubicles in South Cumbria

Shower Room Tile and Grout Restoration in Kendal Read More »

Shower Cubicle in Grange ove Sands Before After Cleaning

Shower Cubicle Refreshed in Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria

Grange-over-Sands is a quaint little town on the Morecambe bay, roughly halfway between Barrow-in-Furness and Kendal in Cumbria. I was recently contacted by a property owner in the area who had heard about Tile Doctor services and was keen to have us restore their tiled shower cubicle which, as you can see from the photos below, had staining and mould on the ceramic tile, grout and silicone sealant.

Shower Cubicle in Grange-over-Sands Before Cleaning

The shower cubicle was looking far from inviting and well in need of a good deep clean. I agreed a quote for cleaning and recolouring of the grout, and was soon on my way to the property to carry out the work.

Shower Cubicle in Grange-over-Sands Before Cleaning

Cleaning and Recolouring a White Tiled Shower Cubicle

I started by cleaning the dirty grout with Tile Doctor Mould Away, which is a fast and effective formula for the removal of mould from silicone and grout. I sprayed the product onto the tile and grout and left it to soak in for five minutes, before scrubbing the area with a stiff brush. I then rinsed the area with water, and repeated the process until the mould and staining had completely disappeared.

To guarantee the overall appearance I had agreed with the owner to apply a grout colourant to the grout. For best results, we recommend a pre-treater is applied to the grout first as it helps bond the grout colour to the Grout. The pre-treater was applied then the whole cubicle was rinsed.

The next step was to carefully strip out the old silicone sealant from around the base of the cubicle using a sharp blade.

Colouring Grout in a Shower Cubicle

The grout needs to be dry to take the colourant so after cleaning and pre-treating I dried the grout with a heat gun on a low setting.

Once I was happy the grout was dry I started the recolouring process using a White colourant from the Tile Doctor range which has ten popular colours to choose from including Charcoal Grey, Cappuccino and Black. This would ensure the grout matched nicely with the rest of the cubicle.

The colourant not only restores the colour, it also rejuvenates and seals the grout joints. The lastly step was to apply fresh white silicone around the base of the cubicle.

Shower Cubicle in Grange-over-Sands After Cleaning

I think you will agree from the photos of the finished result the whole cubicle looks much fresher and that it would be difficult to tell the difference from a new installation.

Shower Cubicle in Grange-over-Sands After Cleaning

 
 

Professional White Tiled Shower Cubicle Restoration in Grange-over-Sands

Shower Cubicle Refreshed in Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria Read More »

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South Cumbria Tile Doctor

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