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 Bedfordshire

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


Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Before After Cleaning Bedford Town Centre

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom with Mould Issues Refreshed in Bedford

Having mould in your bathroom is never a desirable situation, especially in a family home with young children. Additionally, severe mould can cause a range of health issues, including respiratory problems, nasal congestion, and throat irritation, so it’s important to remove it as soon as possible.

I mention this as I was recently called out to a family home in Bedford recently because the parents were getting worried about the mould developing in the Ceramic tiled bathroom, especially on the lower tiles and silicon around the bath. Naturally, they wanted it to be removed as they didn’t want to expose their children to it, so a quote was issued and the work to restore the tiles was booked in for the following week.

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Before Cleaning Bedford Town Centre Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Before Cleaning Bedford Town Centre

Cleaning and Sealing a Mouldy Ceramic Tiled Bathroom

Before starting the work, I covered the bathtub with dust sheets and towels to prevent any chemical spillages. Then, to begin, I applied Tile Doctor Mould Away which is specially formulated to removing mould and black spots from grout and silicone. This is quite a potent product, so it is advisable to wear protective gloves and goggles.
I sprayed the Mould Away on the entire area around the bath and shower unit, as well as the pedestal wash hand basin, before scrubbing it in by hand using a stiff brush. I left this to dwell while I started to cut out the old silicon from around the bath, and once this had been done, I rinsed the product off the tiles.

Next, I diluted a solution of Tile Doctor Grout Clean Up with water, this product contains concentrated phosphoric acid and is designed to remove grout haze, mineral deposits, and other smears. This solution was sprayed onto the worst-affected areas of the grout to remove any remaining soil deposits. I also gave the tiles a second rinse and, while the grout was drying, I finished cutting out and removing the old silicon.

Following this, I lightly dried all areas with a heat gun and sealed the grout with Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal, which is a natural-look, penetrating sealer deigned to provide maximum stain protection. Finally, I installed a fresh mould-resistant silicone sealant between the tile and bath to replace the old, mouldy silicone.

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom After Cleaning Bedford Town Centre Ceramic Tiled Bathroom After Cleaning Bedford Town Centre

Within a short day of work, I had managed to completely transform the appearance of this Ceramic tiled bathroom. The customer was extremely pleased with the result.

Mould problems are extremely common in small bathrooms with inadequate ventilation. Whilst the regular application of Tile Doctor Mould Away will keep the problem in check you can also improve the ventilation by leaving the bathroom door and a window open for a while after use.

Refreshing a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom with Mould Issues in Bedfordshire

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom with Mould Issues Refreshed in Bedford Read More »

Mosaic Pool Tiles Cleaned near Sandy Bedford

Mosaic Swimming Pool Tile Surround Cleaned near Sandy

As well as bathrooms and kitchens we also cover swimming pools which usually have a tiled pool surround and this was certainly the case with the photograph below which was taken at a property near the small market town of Sandy in Bedfordshire where the tile and grout around the pool had discoloured over time.

Cleaning Mosaic Pool Tiles

To clean the tiles we used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which left to soak into the tile and grout in sections before being scrubbed in using a stiff brush. You have to be careful with machinery around swimming poos as you don’t want any cleaning products draining into the swimming pool water.

Mosaic Pool Tiles Cleaned near Sandy Bedford
The pro-clean and scrubbing action loosened the dirt and we were then able to use a Rotovac machine to finish the floor off and get the results you see above. The Rotovac which is also known as a Spinner tool is a really useful piece of equipment for a Tile Cleaner as it directs a jet of high pressure hot water onto the tile whilst simultaneously removing the water through a separate suction feature. The tool needs a lot of power so it runs from a high-pressure cleaning and extractor unit fitted into our van which can delivery water pressure between 500 and 3000 PSI. Another feature of the tool is the side skirts around the spinner head which along with the high suction prevent water from being splashed around making it ideal for this job.

Removing Mould and Mildew from Mosaic Shower Tiles in Bedford

Mosaic Swimming Pool Tile Surround Cleaned near Sandy Read More »

Cleaning Ceramic Kitchen Floor Tiles in Bedford

Cleaning Ceramic Kitchen Floor Tiles in Bedford

The photograph below was taken in the kitchen of a residence in Bedford where the new owner wanted the Ceramic floor tiles deep cleaned before they moved in; you can see for yourself how dirty they had become.

Cleaning Ceramic Kitchen Floor Tiles in Bedford

Cleaning Ceramic Floor Tiles

To get the clean Ceramic tiles clean I applied a medium strength dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra Clean with a mop; this was left to dwell on the surface of the tile for around twenty minutes. The next step was to then run over the floor using our high pressure Rotovac machine which applies and removes water at high pressure to remove the soil and rinse the floor at the same time. The Rotovac machines are an expensive investment but they do make Tile Cleaning easier, they are also flexible and can be used for carpet cleaning etc.

Deep Ceramic Tile Cleaning in Bedford

Cleaning Ceramic Kitchen Floor Tiles in Bedford Read More »

Ceramic Tiles Bedford Coffee Shop Before and after

Cleaning Ceramic Tiles in a Bedford Coffee Shop

The Ceramic tiles with dark grout were installed in a Bedford Coffee Shop where we have a regular contract to deep clean the tile and grout, whilst we appreciate the regular work you do have to work out of hours to minimise impact to trade. It’s worth noting that many commercial tiling installations do avoid white grout as it can get dirty quite quickly and will be difficult to clean if badly stained, not that that’s a problem for Tile Doctor as we have a solution for most problems.

Cleaning Ceramic Floor Tiles

This was a general maintenance clean so a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied to the floor and left to soak in for 20 minutes or so before giving the floor a thorough clean using a Rotovac machine which applies and removes water at high pressure to remove the dirt and rinse the floor. Once this was done we took the opportunity to apply more Pro-Clean to the grout and hand scrubbed along the grout lines using a stiff brush to ensure the black grout was clean.

Ceramic Tiles Bedford Coffee Shop Before and after
Ceramic tiles don’t normally need a sealer so once all the tile and grout was clean and was dry we were done.

Ceramic Coffee Shop Floor Tiles Cleaned in Bedford

Cleaning Ceramic Tiles in a Bedford Coffee Shop Read More »

Ceramic Tiled Shower Before and After Leighton Buzzard

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Cleaned and Sealed in Leighton Buzzard

This Ceramic tiled family bathroom with shower was installed at house in Leighton Buzzard and was in need of rejuvenation. You can see from the photograph below that the tiles were in reasonable condition but the grout had become ingrained with dirt which is not unknown as the top layer of grout is porous and will discolour over time if not protected.

Cleaning Ceramic Tile and Grout

The Ceramic tiles and grout were treated using a strong 2:1 dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean mixed 50/50 with Nanotech Ultraclean which combines a highly powerful Tile and Grout cleaning product with tiny abrasive particles. For vertical tiled surfaces I recommend the mixture is decanted into a bottle with a trigger spray attachment which when sprayed onto the wall allows the cleaner to mix with air making it lighter and allowing it to stick better. The solution was then worked in using a stiff scrubbing brush by hand before being rinsed off with water; this process was repeated a number of times until we had managed to clean all the areas and then left to dry.

Ceramic-Tiled-Shower-Before-and-After-Leighton-Buzzard

Sealing Grout

The grout was dried and the sealed with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Grout Sealer which forms a protective barrier over the porous grout and keeps it looking good for longer. Most sealers can be used on grout (check the label to confirm) but for best results use a spray bottle as mixing the sealer with air improves its ability to stick to a vertical surface.

Refreshing a Ceramic Tiled Bathroom in Leighton Buzzard

Ceramic Tiled Bathroom Cleaned and Sealed in Leighton Buzzard Read More »

Ceramic Floor Tiles Luton Restaurant After

Cleaning Ceramic Tiles at Luton High street restaurant

The Ceramic floor tiles shown below were installed in a Luton high street restaurant, as you can see they were far from clean, deeply stained and even the grout had gone black.

Ceramic Floor Tiles Luton Restaurant Before

Cleaning Ceramic Floor Tiles

Given the amount of dirt on the tile and grout we decided to apply a very strong combination of Tile Doctor Remove and Go mixed 50/50 with NanoTech Ultra Clean which results in the creation of a heavy duty stripper/cleaner containing nano sized abrasive particles that can penetrate deep into the dirt. The cleaning solution was left to dwell on the surface of the tile for twenty minutes before using a Rotovac machine which applies and removes water at high pressure to remove the dirt and rinse the floor.

Ceramic Floor Tiles Luton Restaurant After
Glazed ceramic tiles won’t take a sealer so once the entire floor was dry and stubborn areas re-done we were finished.

Ceramic Restaurant Floor Tiles Cleaned in Luton

Cleaning Ceramic Tiles at Luton High street restaurant Read More »

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