Cleaning tile? Steam cleaning? (Atlanta: how much, new house, buy)

[atlanta hope]

What do you recommend to clean tile? I'd like to do a deep clean -- it seems pretty expensive to have it professionally done. Is it worth it? Should I buy a steam cleaner?

After moving in my new house and having workers in and out tracking crap on the floors, it would be nice to start with a clean slate.

[austintilelady]

If it is a new home you do not what to get it steamed cleaned yet. If you do what I am about tell you to do you will never need to get it steam cleaned. Ready here goes "Clorox Cleanup" Rag mop "the old fashion cotton mop and HOT Water. "DO NOT EVER USE A SPONGE MOP" THATS IT. Make sure you keep the water clean you may only get 2 feet by 6 feet and have to empty and rinse your mop. Get a bucket that will ring it out for you. Make sure you are cleaning and wiping the mop through the grout lines.

When I walk into a customers home I know the minuate I see the floor if their is a sponge mop in the house. Steam cleaning breaks down the grout and yours sounds like it is new Not a good idea at this time. Enjoy your new home!

[Driftwood1]

Excellent advice tile lady. I would add however that a surprising number of new homes built round here have NOT sealed the tile... How builders can let people move in without sealing tile is a whole other question, but be sure you're tile and grout has been properly sealed, and yes, just clean it, that's all it should need..
Cheers

Originally Posted by austintilelady

If it is a new home you do not what to get it steamed cleaned yet. If you do what I am about tell you to do you will never need to get it steam cleaned. Ready here goes "Clorox Cleanup" Rag mop "the old fashion cotton mop and HOT Water. "DO NOT EVER USE A SPONGE MOP" THATS IT. Make sure you keep the water clean you may only get 2 feet by 6 feet and have to empty and rinse your mop. Get a bucket that will ring it out for you. Make sure you are cleaning and wiping the mop through the grout lines.

When I walk into a customers home I know the minuate I see the floor if their is a sponge mop in the house. Steam cleaning breaks down the grout and yours sounds like it is new Not a good idea at this time. Enjoy your new home!

[atlanta hope]

No, it's an older home actually -- and the previous owners had 3 dogs. I have a toddler that frequently lies in the floor and on occasion licks the floor so the steam cleaning seemed like a good option.

The sponge mop doesn't do anything except push dirt around. I'd probably do hands and knees with a scrub brush if it wasn't such a large space.

[BJB817]

Atlanta-

I guess my initial response to you sounded too much like an advertisement for my services so I'm assuming the mod deleted it.

Anyway, that said, if it's REALLY dirty, the majority of the over the counter cleaners won't cut it, literally. After cleaning, I would also highly recommend sealing it.

If you'd like more input, feel free to PM me and I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have. I don't know how much more I'm allowed to say here without getting deleted again!

[austintilelady]

No, it's an older home actually -- and the previous owners had 3 dogs. I have a toddler that frequently lies in the floor and on occasion licks the floor so the steam cleaning seemed like a good option.

The sponge mop doesn't do anything except push dirt around. I'd probably do hands and knees with a scrub brush if it wasn't such a large space

In this case by all means have the floor professionally steamed cleaned! Afterwards follow the above cleaning procedure and you should be in good shape.

As for sealing the grout. Here is the deal. You have the floor sealed OK. Now sealers only last for so long. six months to a year if your lucky. Now once you seal the grout the color or look of the grout changes you may or may not see this at the time. So, lets say your beautiful little girl/boy drops red juice on the floor. Now lets say the sealer did not protect/or was old and it did not protect against the red juice and the grout its stain. If you had not sealed/changed the appears of the grout you would be able to take the stained grout out and replace it with the left over grout in your garage/or re-ordered a small bag and all would be well/matched.

Sealer is a give or take. I don't push it and I don't tell my customers not to do it either but I do make sure my customers understand it has its pro's and con's. I do use it on every kitchen backsplash I install mainly because I know that most of my customers will re seal at least once a year.

Hope that helps

[austintilelady]

Try the above cleaning procedure and brush and see what you think. You just might get surprised and you will have nothing to loose.

[BJB817]

Tilelady-

Before I got into cleaning/sealing/restoration I wasn't real big on sealers either. I had a take it or leave it attitude like you.

Once I saw what a color seal does though, I was sold. Clear seals are WAY inferior. You get a couple years out of a clear seal, where a color seal, at least the brand I use, has a 15 year life according to the manufacturer if maintained properly.

The catch with the color seal is that it's alot more labor intensive to apply, so it's not as easy for the DIY crowd. If done properly though, the result is worth it.

PM me if you'd like to discuss the whole sealing thing more.

[faithr]

I had the Steam Team clean my tile and carpets- they did a great job.

[austintilelady]

Originally Posted by BJB817

Tilelady-

Before I got into cleaning/sealing/restoration I wasn't real big on sealers either. I had a take it or leave it attitude like you.

Once I saw what a color seal does though, I was sold. Clear seals are WAY inferior. You get a couple years out of a clear seal, where a color seal, at least the brand I use, has a 15 year life according to the manufacturer if maintained properly.

The catch with the color seal is that it's alot more labor intensive to apply, so it's not as easy for the DIY crowd. If done properly though, the result is worth it.

PM me if you'd like to discuss the whole sealing thing more.

You are correct about the color seal. I have used it two or three different times. As a matter of fact I went home over the holidays and I had stopped by a friend of mine house. I had applied that sealer/color to his kitchen floor, dinning room, hall and two bathrooms. The floor still looked the same as it did the day I finished it. Took three coats through it was a light color. If the grout is really bad I say go for it. I did those floors nine years ago.