deep cleaning Archives - Wiltshire Tile Doctor

Porcelain Tile Salisbury Before and After Cleaning

Deep Cleaning Textured Porcelain Tiles in a Salisbury

1 Comment / Work History / Wiltshire Tile Doctor

The owner of this Porcelain tiled floor installed in a house in Salisbury had contacted us to look at the grout lines which had become very dark with ingrained dirt and also the textured parts of the tile which had trapped dirt and become difficult to clean effectively. We popped round to take a look and ran a small cleaning demonstration which was very successful and so they quickly booked us to complete the work.

Textured Ceramic and Porcelain tiles tend to have a rough surface which does give them more grip but it also means there are more places for dirt to become trapped, also many don’t realise but the cementitious nature of grout means the very top layer is slightly porous and also able to trap dirt.

Porcelain Tile Salisbury Before Cleaning

Deep Cleaning Porcelain Tile and Grout

We started by mixing a strong solution of Pro-Clean and NanoTech Ultra Clean and left to dwell for 10 minutes to allow the mixture to penetrate the build-up of ingrained dirt and grime. Then using a stiff grout brush we scrubbed each and every grout line to remove all traces of dirt and residue.

Next we attached a stiff poly brush to our rotary machine and covered the whole floor making sure that we scrubbed each tile at least four times to make sure we removed as much dirt and grime as possible. We then rinsed the floor several times using clean water and removing slurry with wet vacuum making sure that all product had been removed.

The tile and grout now look much cleaner and hopefully you can appreciate the difference in the photographs above.

Restoring a Textured Porcelain Tiles in Salisbury

Deep Cleaning Textured Porcelain Tiles in a Salisbury Read More »

Terracotta Tiles in East Tytherley Before and After Sealing

Deep Cleaning Terracotta Kitchen Tiles in East Tytherley

1 Comment / Work History / Wiltshire Tile Doctor

I was contacted by the owner of a Terracotta floor at a house in the old village of East Tytherley near Salisbury, the floor was in good condition and was just in need of a regular deep clean and seal with extra attention along the grout lines which had darkened, additionally there appeared to be evidence of efflorescence that would need attention.

Terracotta Tiles in East Tytherley Before Cleaning

Terracotta Tile Cleaning

We started by smothering the floor with a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 with Nanotech Ultra Clean leaving it to soak into the tiles for twenty minutes to give it time to eat through any dirt and remaining seal.

The solution was scrubbed into the grout using a stiff grout brush followed by the use of a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. We made sure each tile was scrubbed in this manner four times to remove all the dirt and remaining sealant. Then we removed all trace of slurry and product by using clean water and a deck brush several times using a wet vacuum to remove the water.

To treat the efflorescence we then applied a dilution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean-up to the affected parts of the floor and used a stiff deck brush to remove the salts again rinsing the floor with clean water afterwards and removing it with a wet vacuum. We then left the floor to dry for ten days as Terracotta is very porous and can take time to dry.

Terracotta Tiles in East Tytherley After Cleaning

Terracotta Tile Sealing

When I returned ten days later the first thing was to test the floor with a damp meter which confirmed the floor was dry and good to seal which was done using ten coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which will protect the tile from stains going forward and also adds a nice subtle sheen to the terracotta.

Terracotta Tiles in East Tytherley After Sealing

Terracotta Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in East Tytherley

Deep Cleaning Terracotta Kitchen Tiles in East Tytherley Read More »

Cleaning Yorkstone Flagstone Floor in Devizes Before and After

Yorkstone Flagstone Tile Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Devizes

1 Comment / Work History / Wiltshire Tile Doctor

The photographs below are from a Yorkstone flagged floor at a house in the market town of Devizes in Wiltshire. The customer had contacted me as the floor was quite dirty and was overdue for a deep clean.

Cleaning Yorkstone Flagstone Floor in Devizes Before

Cleaning Yorkstone Paving Flags

The floor was quite dirty so I started by making a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-clean mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultraclean to add more abrasive power; the solution was spread liberally all over the floor and was left to soak into the stone for a good ten to fifteen minutes. Next using a strong poly brush attached to a rotary machine I scrubbed to floor to bring out all the dirt trapped in the riven areas. Next I attached a black scrubbing pad to give the floor an extra aggressive clean.

I then used a wet vacuum to remove the by now very dirty cleaning solution and then rinsed the floor tiles using clean water and a stiff deck brush several times to ensure that all the product and dirt was removed thoroughly.

At this point it became evident that there were several paint blemishes and spots probably from decorating all over the flagstones so I applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go to the affected areas giving it ten minutes to dwell before agitating all the solution with a stiff deck brush and a floor scraper. Once all the paint was removed I then rinsed the floor again several times with clean water and a stiff deck brush to thoroughly remove any product.

Upon completion I advised the customer that it would be beneficial to seal the stone as it would protect it from staining and make it easier to clean however the house was due to be rented out and having little control over what would be used to maintain the floor going forward he was adamant that he only wanted it cleaned.

Cleaning Yorkstone Flagstone Floor in Devizes After

Yorkstone Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Wiltshire

Yorkstone Flagstone Tile Floor Deep Cleaned and Sealed in Devizes Read More »

Terracotta Tiled Floor Salisbury Before and After Cleaning and Sealing

Deep Cleaning Terracotta Kitchen Tiles in Salisbury

1 Comment / Work History / Wiltshire Tile Doctor

This customer in Salisbury was having difficulty bringing their Terracotta tiled
kitchen floor back to the condition it was in when it was first laid. Upon
inspection it was evident that the sealer on the floor had failed and dirt had become
ingrained into the pores of the tile making it difficult to clean and causing it to
become increasingly dirty over a period of time.

Terracotta Tiled Floor Salisbury Before Cleaning

Terracotta Tile Cleaning

We started by cleaning the floor with a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean
mixed 50/50 with Nanotech Ultra Clean which has the effect of adding tiny abrasive
particles to an already effective alkaline cleaning product that is safe to use on Tile,
Stone and Grout. The solution was scrubbed into the grout first using a stiff grout
brush and this powerful combination made the removal of ingrained dirt much
easier to achieve. The next step was to use a black scrubbing pad on a rotary
machine to clean the tiles. Once I was happy with that the tile and grout was clean
the now dirty cleaning solution was removed using a wet vacuum and he floor then
thoroughly rinsed with cold water using a deck brush to make sure that any product
residue was removed. We then repeated the process for any stubborn stains and
give the floor another cold water rinse to finalise the cleaning process again using a
wet vacuum to remove as much water from the floor as possible to reduce drying
times.

Terracotta Tile Sealing

We left the floor to dry for seven days due the porosity of the terracotta. Upon our
return we gave the floor a damp test to confirm that the floor was dry enough to be
sealed. The test confirmed the tiles had dried and so the Terracotta was sealed using
seven coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which enhanced the colour and shine on the
floor but most importantly will give the floor the protection it needs.

Terracotta Tiled Floor Salisbury After Cleaning and Sealing

Before leaving I gave the customer some cleaning tips to prolong the life of the seal
and recommended in future they use Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner to clean the
floor going forward; unlike most acidic tile cleaning products you find in
supermarkets Neutral Clean does not degrade and reduce the life of the sealer with
use.

Terracotta Floor Cleaned and Sealed in Salisbury

Deep Cleaning Terracotta Kitchen Tiles in Salisbury Read More »

Victorian Tiled Floor Chippenham After Cleaning and Sealing

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration in Chippenham

1 Comment / Work History / Wiltshire Tile Doctor

This customer had just brought a house in Chippenham which they were renovating and it had come to their attention that Victorian tiles had been laid under the hallway carpet. Keen to restore them the customer called us in to see if we could enhance the appearance of their floor.

Cleaning Victorian Tiles

We started by covering the floor with a mild solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra Clean, this combination creates a powerful cleaning solution for tackling ingrained dirt and staining. The solution was left to dwell on the tile for twenty minutes and then scrubbed into the tile using a black pad attached to a rotary machine. This process was quite effective and the cleaning solution turned colour with the dirt as it came off the tile. Once we were happy we had removed all the dirt the now dirty cleaning solution was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor rinsed several times with cold water to remove any trace of cleaning product.

Victorian Tiled Floor Chippenham During Cleaning

With the floor now clean it became evident that there were paint spots along the edges which we removed by applying Tile Doctor Remove & Go this time leaving it to dwell for five to ten minutes before agitating with a stiff deck brush. Once again we used a wet vacuum to remove any product and rinsed the floor using cold water.

Sealing Victorian Tiles

We left the floor to dry overnight and returned the next day to seal the tiles. Upon our return we first used a damp meter to confirm that the floor was dry enough to seal which it was. We then sealed the floor with five coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go which will protect the floor from staining and make it easy to clean, Seal and Go also adds a nice shine to the tile enhancing the colours and general appearance of the tiles.

We definitely achieved the customer’s goal to enhance the look of the floor and before leaving we gave them some cleaning tips to prolong the life of the sealer by recommending the use of a Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which won’t eat into the sealer like the mildly acidic tile cleaning products that you buy in the supermarket.

Restoring Victorian Tiles in Chippenham

Victorian Tiled Hallway Restoration in Chippenham Read More »