Tile is a very popular and versatile option for flooring. While most kitchens and bathrooms are equipped with tile floors, more and more homeowners are choosing to use tile throughout their home. Tile floors are durable, reduce dust production, help keep your home free of dust mites and other irritants, and are easy to keep clean. However, even with a thorough routine cleaning, the tiles can start to become less shiny over time. Dirt, grease, and grime can, over time, cause the tile to start to lose its shine, especially grout.
Tile grout
Grout is the mortar between individual tiles. Most of the time, grout will stain because it was not properly sealed with a grout sealer when the tile was first laid or because the sealer has worn away over time. Normal foot traffic will almost always wear down this sealant over time. Once the sealant is compromised, the grout is susceptible to staining.
Routine maintenance
Regular cleaning of tile floors will ensure they last longer and look good for longer. Sweeping and mopping tile floors weekly will prevent dirt, stains, and grime from accumulating on the tiles and in the grout between them. Regular floor cleaning will also help keep your home healthier by greatly reducing the amount of irritants, such as mold, mildew, and bacteria, which also allows for cleaner and fresher air quality inside the home. Using cleaning products on your floors will remove these irritants from your home. Make sure you read the labels of all cleaning products you use in your home correctly, as certain combinations of chemicals can be dangerous to your health. For example, you can clean your floors with bleach or ammonia, but combing the two chemicals can be extremely dangerous and they should never be used together.
Hiring a professional
With proper routine maintenance, your tile floor will last a long time before needing a professional cleaning. Most of the time, it’s the grout that requires cleaning first, and many carpet cleaning companies offer tile and grout cleaning services. Whether your tile needs a new sealer due to the passage of time, or the tile didn’t seal properly in the first place, these professional services can thoroughly clean your floor and add a new sealer to the tile and grout. Many of these professional services will remove dirt and bacteria from both tile and grout, leaving it looking new. A professional grade sealer is then applied to the grout to ensure maximum protection.